“A nonprofit Central Texas cat rescue organization is volunteering to neuter feral cats that have overrun a nearby state women’s prison. More than 300 feral cats had overrun the Crain Unit state prison near Gatesville, said Kathy Kwieran, founder of Kathy’s Kitties, who has volunteered to have cats at the prison neutered. Prison employees and its 2,000 inmates, alike, had grown wary of the aggressive, biting, scratching cats, said Jason Clark, spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The population explosion prompted prison officials to adopt a trap-and-euthanize policy toward the felines. More than 50 have been euthanized, Kwieran said, so she urged alternatives to killing the 150 to 175 cats she estimates remain on the prison property.” w/ photo

“Jeffersonville High School is paying students $100 for every Advanced Placement science, math, and English test they pass. “It’s that extra motivation to do well,” says freshman Kegan Cane. Jeffersonville is one of nine high schools selected to split a $7 million grant from the Indiana Department of Education. “We’re extremely excited about it,” says Assistant Principal Ginger Whitis. “This means we can now break down barriers for students who may not have looked at AP courses.” Senior Zach Blankenbaker says, “With that incentive, you’re looking at, well, if I pass this class, this class, and this class, I could be looking at two or three hundred dollars. That’s a great way to help with the study habits of a high school student.” w/ photo

“Scientists have discovered a new shrimp-like species in a gypsum cave in southeastern New Mexico, only a few dozen miles from the famous caves at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The species of amphipod was unknown before being discovered about a month ago in the Burton Flats area east of Carlsbad, said Jim Goodbar, the Bureau of Land Management’s senior cave specialist… Blind, about a half-inch long and almost translucent, the amphipod was found in a subterranean pool inside a cave no more than 80 feet from the surface. The cave had been explored before, but samples had never been taken of the water until a biological inventory was done as part of plans to expand potash mining in the area. For Goodbar and other cave researchers, short of rocketing into space, the depths of the earth represent one of the last unexplored frontiers for humankind.” w/ photos

“Meet Lukas the wonder horse, who’s so clever he can recognize 19 numbers, count on command and fetch and sit like a dog. Owner Karen Murdock adopted the failed racehorse ten years ago, a bag of bones through neglect. ‘I’ve always loved horse-riding and I wanted to be able to jump and compete at shows,’ she said. ‘From the start, I could tell Lukas was intelligent, he worked out that it was much easier to go around the jumps than go over them.’ She quickly realized Lukas was more interested in learning than leaping and set about training him how to obey simple commands.” w/ photo + video

“A German police force that spent $32 million on new sporty cars found that not only was the visibility rubbish for chases – the fancy seats were so narrow the cops could not get in while wearing their guns, truncheons and other equipment. The embarrassing mishap came to light in a poll conducted by police union GdP, which showed that many officers in the western German state of Hesse preferred their old wheels – the Opel Zafira. The Hesse Interior Ministry ordered 800 of the swish new models – Opel’s Insignia Sports Tourer – in a long-term deal at the end of 2010. The ministry says that 200 of the cars have been delivered so far, but it is yet to be decided whether the order will be completed.” w/ photo

“An innovative Chinese farmer has created a car powered entirely by wind, which he claims can reach speeds of around 90mph. Tang Zhengping, from Beijing, spent three months creating the bizarre-looking contraption, which is 1m tall and 3m in length. As well as running on batteries, it also features electric generators and a fan on the front panel, along with special solar energy ‘wings’ to back up the electric power source. Tang has claimed that the motor is superior to electric cars – which have been increasing in popularity in recent years – due to its ability to reach faster speeds.” w/ photo

“A jury today took 20 minutes to convict a woman, who wears a beard and lives as a man, of assaulting a Spokane Police officer in 2009. Joseph Ali Bin Muhammad, formerly Paula K. Reynolds-Eblacas, represented himself in the trial after Superior Court Judge Kathleen O’Connor last month ruled that he was competent to stand trial despite objections from the prosecution. Muhammad’s charge stemmed from an incident on July 25, 2009, in which Muhammad, 45, grabbed a police officer’s genitals as he attempted to detain Muhammad for a mental evaluation.” w/ photo

“A new breed of television is set to take the US by storm following the launch of DogTV, the very first TV channel for bored canines. After successfully launching the on-demand cable television channel across San Diego, parent company PTV Media is now set to launch DogTV nationwide. The on-demand eight-hour slot of programmes have been scientifically designed to keep pet owners’ dogs relaxed, stimulated and entertained while they’re at work. Over one million subscribers currently have access to the bespoke channel, but the company is confident of concluding a deal to roll out the $4.99-a-month service across America over the next few months.” w/ photos + video

“Employees at Engine, a communications firm, recently got their first taste of the wallpaper, which features 1,325 McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes and is posted to one of the building’s elevators. It’s called Spot of Jaffa, and was created by mad scientist chef Heston Blumenthal and Damien Hirst. The project took a team of food technicians and artists four weeks to develop with the hope of encouraging some sweet stress-relief… And if you’re thinking about how unhygienic this is, don’t worry. According to The Sun newspaper, every Jaffa Cake can only be licked once, as a bell boy removes the saliva-doused stickers.” w/ photo

“The urban legend of Bigfoot looks set to be revived in a major way with these sets of custom-made shoes, which leave behind enormous footprints similar to that of the mysterious sasquatch. Unexplainable gigantic footprints in the snow have long been considered as proof of the existence of Bigfoot, according to conspiracy theorists. But now there seems to be another more reasonable explanation. Canadian sculptor Maskull Lasserre has created a series of quirky designs which leave the prints of predatory creatures behind them when walked through snow or muddy terrain. The 33-year-old has been experimenting with the custom-made deceptive pieces of footwear in the Canadian city of Montreal where he lives.” w/ photos