Weather service notes nuke-effect snow in W. Pa.

SHIPPINGPORT, Pa. (AP) — You could even say it glows?

Well, not quite, but the National Weather Service says a nuclear power plant was partly responsible for a narrow band of snow that fell on parts of western Pennsylvania Tuesday night.

Meteorologist Lee Hendricks says steam pumped into the air from two cooling towers at the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station and three similar towers at the coal-fired Bruce Mansfield Station next to it created the snow. That happened because the steam was released into very cold, dry air above the power plants, both owned by Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy.

Hendricks says the plant-fueled snow is similar to lake-effect snow.

Areas due east of the power plants — which are about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh — reported one to three inches of snow.

Police: Mice culprits in Kan. evidence tampering

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The three bags of marijuana at the police storage facility in Wichita had been torn open. Some was missing. At first blush, it seemed a clear case of evidence tampering.

Wichita police duly investigated and on Thursday they told reporters they've even identified some suspects. Well, sort of.

Police Lt. Doug Nolte says mice chewed into the bags of marijuana from some 2009 cases, nested in it and ate some.

Nolte says, "We've got some mice that are stoners."

But he also says it's not that uncommon because marijuana has a strong odor that attracts animals.

Police took photographs, resealed the bags and reweighed the evidence. An exterminator has been contacted.

Meanwhile, the suspicious rodents remain at large. No charges have been filed.

Prostitution sting lures woman straight to police

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say a 20-year-old Portland woman drove 50 miles to reach the man she thought was her client after being solicited for prostitution through phone and text messages.

But there was something unusual about the destination: It was the Salem Police Department.

Stranger still, police say the woman walked past several uniformed officers and clearly marked signs reading "Salem Police Department" before arriving at an unmarked door, where they say she attempted to contact the man she thought was her client.

Instead, she was arrested. The phone and text messages were part of a sting operation by Salem police detectives, who first identified the woman through a website.

The Jan. 11 arrest led to charges of prostitution and promoting prostitution for Christal D. Smith of Portland.

An attorney for Smith couldn't be found Thursday afternoon.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Minn. man receives candy 60 years after complaint

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — It took 60 years, but a Minnesota man finally has his free candy bars.

Seventy-four-year-old Dave Bell of St. Cloud received a package of candy last week after sending an email reminding Pearson's Candy Co. in St. Paul of the complaint he made as a teenager.

In 1952, Bell was 14 when he bit into a nut roll and discovered a twig. He tells the St. Cloud Times (http://on.sctimes.com/YpAANQ ) he sent a letter to Pearson's "to obviously get some candy."

He got a letter of apology from the son of one of the company's founders. But no candy.

Last year Bell came across the letter, so he reminded the company about the candy. The candy arrived Friday.

Bell jokes he's not sharing the candy.

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Information from: St. Cloud Times, http://www.sctimes.com