Odds and ends for July 17

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90-year-old man skydives in Maine

90-year-old man skydives in Maine

PITTSFIELD, Maine (AP) — A Maine man who learned how to use a parachute as a Navy pilot during World War II has finally made his first jump — at age 90.

Lester Slate of Exeter jumped out of a plane for the first time on Sunday at Pittsfield Airport and was guided to the ground by a tandem jumper. The jump was a 90th birthday present to himself.

Kitty mayor draws tourists in Alaska

TALKEETNA, Alaska (AP) — The mayor of a sleepy Alaska town is feline fine.

The part-Manx cat clawed his way onto the political scene of Talkeetna, Alaska, through a write-in campaign shortly after he was born 15 years ago.

Residents didn’t like the mayoral candidates years ago, so they encouraged enough people to elect Stubbs as a write-in candidate. The town has nearly 900 residents. Although his position is honorary, the general store where Stubbs hangs out says it gets dozens of tourists a day asking for him.