In surprise, this apparition not going on eBay

He's everywhere!

In surprise, this apparition not going on ebay

A Massachusetts woman who recently separated from her husband and had her hours cut at work says an image of Jesus Christ she sees on her iron has reassured her that "life is going to be good." Mary Jo Coady of Methuen, Mass., says the brownish residue on the bottom of the iron looks like the face of a man with long hair. Okay, we'll give her that. The 44-year-old Coady was raised Catholic. She and her two college-age daughters agree that the image looks like Jesus and is proof that "he's listening." The three women did not clarify how they knew what the actual Jesus looked like. Coady says she plans to keep the iron in a closet and buy a new one. Hey, and in the unlikely case that the brown residue on the bottom of her iron has nothing whatsoever to do with Jesus and whether "he's listening," at least she's helping the economy. Or, well, China's.

Legal strategy

Lawyer pulls out all the stops

While representing a woman accused of forgery and theft this week in Hutchinson, Kan., defense attorney Sam Kepfield needed to make a point. He says his client claimed a co-defendant threatened to kill her dog and hurt her daughter if she didn't participate in the crime. To demonstrate to jurors the meaning of "imminent threat," Kepfield produced a hand grenade, placed it on a ledge in front of the jury box and asked jurors, "Are you afraid now?" before pulling out the pin and setting it on the prosecutor's table. He did not mention that it was a fake. It didn't work: After the trial, jurors said they were not frightened by the grenade. And they took just 15 minutes to find Kepfield's client guilty. And the Reno County Sheriff's Office is investigating Kepfield's actions.

Sow embarrassing …

Firefighters find gas 'leak' quickly

Fifteen firefighters and two trucks were called to a property in Australia's central Victoria state after a farmer reported a gas leak, the Country Fire Service said. "When we got there, as we drove up the driveway, there was this huge sow, about a 120-odd kilo (265-pound) sow, and it was very obvious where the gas was coming from," said fire Capt. Peter Harkins. "We could not only smell it, but we heard it and it was quite funny." Harkins said it took fire crews a while to compose themselves.

Amends

Guilt just too much after 54 years

The mystery of a radio stolen 54 years ago from a teacher's lounge at Iowa's Clarke College might never be solved, but the thief has tried to make amends. Clarke's president, Sister Joanne Burrows, said the author of a letter she received last week from Chicago admitted the 1955 theft and asked for forgiveness. The envelope also contained five $100 bills.

Compiled from Times wire services and other sources.