Unusual News Bites: From Cold Cases to Christmas Bugs

Maine is trying a new trick to solve old crimes. They made a deck of cards with 52 unsolved cases. Each card has details about a different mystery. The idea is to give these cards to prisoners. Maybe someone knows something that can help solve these cases. Maine has a lot of unsolved crimes, like 69 murders and 38 missing persons. This isn't new. Over 24 states have tried something similar before. In Texas, a small town called West Odessa finally got some good news. They will get running water thanks to a $17 million project. Before this, people there had to use wells and pumps. Getting clean water can be expensive. This is a big deal for small towns. Christmas trees might be pretty, but they can bring unwanted guests into your home. Bugs like spiders and praying mantises hitch a ride on these trees. When you bring the tree inside, they wake up and start moving around. To avoid this, some people shake their trees outside or use a leaf blower. Pennies are disappearing. The U. S. Mint stopped making them last November. Now, stores are figuring out what to do. Some places like McDonald's round prices to the nearest nickel. For example, $10. 22 becomes $10. 20, but $10. 23 becomes $10. 25. Other places like Wendy's round down. Auntie Anne's and other brands want to round in the customer's favor. These stories show how society deals with problems. From solving crimes to getting clean water, managing resources is key. Even small things like bugs on trees or pennies can have big impacts.