WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Authorities in Florida said a 911 dispatcher was demoted for playing video games when he should have been dispatching calls. FULL ARTICLE

SONOMA, Calif. – A tenacious elephant seal that stopped traffic on a California highway during its repeated attempts to cross the road might be about to give birth, experts said. FULL ARTICLE

DENVER, Co. – Volunteers with a Denver nonprofit took to the streets Christmas Eve to give the homeless some unusual gifts - free marijuana cigarettes. FULL ARTICLE

SALEM, Ore. – The famous jogger-attacking owl of Salem, Ore., appears to have returned to the town -- or at least inspired a new flock of imitators. FULL ARTICLE

FRESNO, Calif. – California wildlife officials said a 1-year-old bear dubbed Cinnamon by admirers is headed home after hitching a 75-mile ride on a garbage truck. FULL ARTICLE

WAUKEGAN, Ill. – Emergency responders in Illinois spent nearly two hours fishing a tiny kitten out of a drain pipe and dubbed the rescued feline "Piper." FULL ARTICLE

SAN DIEGO, Ca. – It was a premature white Christmas at the San Diego Zoo for three polar bears who received a gift of 26 tons of snow from yuletide donors. FULL ARTICLE

DES MOINES, Iowa – An Iowa man was denied his $100,000 lottery winnings after it was discovered he was too young to buy a ticket. FULL ARTICLE

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – A wild coyote was captured by Horr County Animal Control after making its way into Myrtle Beach International Airport on Tuesday. FULL ARTICLE

SANTA ROSA, Ca. – A California bird rescue said workers are trying to "reprogram" its newest resident, a potty-mouthed parrot with a profound profanity problem. FULL ARTICLE