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Getaway blocked by bullets 

SEATTLE – A bank robber caught a lucky break when his getaway was interrupted by a funeral. 

Dozens of officers were about to catch the robber at a fast-food outlet when shots rang out nearby. After racing to the scene, officers learned that the gunfire came from a military honor guard shooting blanks in a salute at a veteran’s funeral. 

The episode began Tuesday afternoon when a man passed a note demanding money to a teller at a Wells Fargo Bank branch at a Safeway store on Capitol Hill, police officer Deanna Nollette said. 

He did not show a weapon but took an undisclosed amount of the money, flagged down a taxicab and fled, Nollette said. 

As officers were being told the robber might have gotten out of the cab and entered a Jack In The Box outlet, they heard the gun salute from a funeral home down the block. 

“We all assumed this guy was cranking off rounds somewhere,” Nollette said. 

The misunderstanding was soon cleared up, and investigators found a discarded sweat shirt and pair of pants they believe had been worn by the bank robber. 

“Now we have a really good idea who he is,” Nollette said. 

Moose on the loose 

MENOMONIE, Wis. – The Moose Lodge is without its 400-pound fiberglass mascot after someone went to a lot of trouble to steal it. 

The bronze-colored moose statue, which is 6 feet tall and 7 feet long, was stolen over the weekend from Moose Lodge 1584, said Terry Tilleson, a lodge member and past administrator. 

The moose, valued at $2,000, has been bolted to the east side of the lodge for two years, Tilleson said. 

“They took the bolts out,” Tilleson said. “It took great effort to take it. They took the time to scope it out and knew what they needed for tools.” 

A ladder must have been used, police said. 

The lodge replaced the moose a few years ago after the statue’s head was ripped off in a theft, Tilleson said. 

“We’re terribly upset,” Tilleson said. “We’re going to have to replace it.” 

Lesson learned 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Taxpayers could end up paying thousands of dollars to accommodate some state senators who don’t like the way seats in the new Missouri Senate have been arranged. 

A resolution passed in the waning moments of the recently completed legislative session directs the state to change the Senate desks back to their traditional configuration, which could cost as much as $148,000. 

“I don’t think a lot of people who signed it realized what the cost was,” Senate Administrator Michael Keathley said.  

The resolution states that the seating changes were made without Senate consent which “compromises proper order, safety and decorum in the chamber.” 

One of those who backed the May 17 measure was Sen. Marvin Singleton. 

The committee could choose to spend the $148,400 for extensive changes or $6,600 to shift just a few desks. It could also choose to do nothing. 

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder said Tuesday that lawmakers did not have time to review the costs of the resolution before approving it.