Not a day goes by that we do not come across a weird piece of information that baffles us.
Last week certainly did not disappoint when it came to strange happenings being reported in the news.
From the Loch Ness Monster to a man being stalked by a pig, here are some of weirdest news you may have missed:
1. Zombie alert
Officials say they still don't know who sent a "zombie alert" to residents of a Florida city following a power outage.
Lake Worth spokesman Ben Kerr says an independent investigation is underway to determine who was behind the message sent to some 7,880 customers during a 27-minute power outage Sunday.
During the city's own investigation, Kerr says officials determined that no current or former employees edited the pre-prepared message to include the warning of a zombie invasion. He tells the Palm Beach Post that "no one was fired for it."
Kerr said a hacking issue came up during Hurricane Irma last September. But that issue was dealt with quickly. He added that officials thought they got to all the messages, "but it turns out there was one hiding in the system."
2. Chicken feather mishap
A tractor-trailer made a fowl mess when it rolled over in Washington state. It dumped about 40,000 pounds (18,145 kilograms) of chicken feathers across Interstate 5.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson says the driver told investigators he fell asleep at about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday north of Tacoma and lost control of the truck, which hit a guardrail and overturned.
The truck was hauling the feathers from a poultry facility to a rendering company in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Canadian company recycles animal byproducts into ingredients for items including pet feed and soap.
The News Tribune newspaper of Tacoma reports traffic backed up for 11 miles (18 kilometers) as crews scooped up the feathers.
Johnson said the driver would be cited for negligent driving.
3. Loch Ness Monster DNA sample
The stories seem as tall as the lake is deep. For hundreds of years, visitors to Scotland's Loch Ness have described seeing a monster that some believe lurks in the depths.
But now the legend of "Nessie" may have no place left to hide. A New Zealand scientist is leading an international team to the lake next month, where they will take samples of the murky waters and conduct DNA tests to determine what species live there.
University of Otago professor Neil Gemmell says he's no believer in Nessie, but he wants to take people on an adventure and communicate some science along the way. Besides, he says, his kids think it's one of the coolest things he's ever done.
Gemmell said that when creatures move about in water, they leave behind tiny fragments of DNA. It comes from their skin, feathers, scales and urine.
He said his team will take 300 samples of water from different points around the lake and at different depths. They will filter the organic material and extract the DNA, he said, sequencing it by using technology originally created for the human genome project.
He said the DNA results will then be compared against a database of known species. He said they should have answers by the end of the year.
"I'm going into this thinking it's unlikely there is a monster, but I want to test that hypothesis," Gemmell said. "What we'll get is a really nice survey of the biodiversity of the Loch Ness."
He said the real discoveries may come in determining things like the prevalence of invasive species.
4. Stalker pig
Police in a Cleveland suburb thought they had a drunk on their hands when a man called to report a pig following him home from a train station.
A North Ridgeville, Ohio, officer arrived on the scene early Saturday to find the man was very sober and a pig was in fact following him.
The officer managed to get the pig in his patrol car and transported it to the station. It was eventually reunited with its owner.
Writing on Facebook, police mentioned "the irony of the pig in a police car now so that anyone that thinks they're funny is actually unoriginal and trying too hard."
5. The vandal bear
What might be the world's hairiest vandal has destroyed the interior of a Connecticut woman's car.
Linda Morad tells WFSB-TV she was house-sitting in Canton last Friday when she noticed her car lights on and heard strange noises. She called police.
Officers found a full-grown bear that had somehow gotten into Morad's car and could not get out.
Police opened a door, ran to the other side of the vehicle, and the bear scampered into the woods.
The car's exterior was almost untouched, but the car's interior was torn to shreds. Morad says her insurance company tells her the vehicle is totaled.
There was no food in the car, but Morad had taken some garbage to the dump earlier that day. She thinks the smell attracted the bear.
Did you come across more strange news this week? Let us know in the comments!
[H/T: Files from AP]
