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Kids Lighter Politics

Four-Year-Old Becomes Mayor Of Small Town

A four-year-old boy named Robert Tufts is the mayor of the small town of Dorset in Minnesota.

He was given the job last August – when he was only three – and will continue to be mayor until this August.

The boy was awarded the position after his name was pulled out of a hat.

Once a year, people who live in or nearby Dorset can pay $1 to have their name written on piece of paper and put into a hat.

Then a name is randomly drawn out of the hat, and the person whose name it is becomes the mayor.

Last year, Robert Tufts’ name was pulled out.

Lighter News Technology

Judge Finds Himself In Contempt Of Court

A judge in Michigan did something very unusual last week. He charged himself with “contempt of court” and gave himself a fine of $25.

People can get charged with contempt when they do something during a trial that the judge believes shows disrespect to the court.

So when judge Raymond Voet’s cell phone went off during a trial on April 13, he declared himself to be in contempt. Then he had to pay his own court $25.

It happened during a speech that was being given by one of the lawyers.

The judge’s phone started “talking,” loudly speaking some voice commands.

He thinks he may have accidentally bumped it, which turned on its voice activation–a feature the judge told MLive.com he didn’t even know it had.

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Homeless Man Gives Back Valuable Ring

What would you do if you had no money—and someone accidentally gave you something very valuable?

Would you return it to the person or would you assume that fate was smiling on you and take the money?

That was the decision faced by Billy Ray Harris, who lives in Kansas City.

But for him, it wasn’t a difficult decision at all.

Harris is a homeless man, who sometimes sleeps under a bridge.

Recently, he was asking people for spare change; Sarah Darling stopped and spilled all of the change from her change purse into his cup. Then she went on her way.

Lighter Technology

It’s Fun To Work (And Play) At Google

Everyone wants to work somewhere that’s interesting and fun.

The people at Google have taken that concept to an extreme.

Their new Canadian headquarters in Toronto, Ont. have some features that make everyone want to come to work.

Google is the Internet’s most popular search engine (the software program that helps you find websites you’re looking for).

The company also makes many other software products such as Google Maps and Google Chrome.

Google also owns many Internet companies including YouTube and Blogger.

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What’s In A Meme? Ikea Monkey Goes Viral

Who knows why something “catches on” through the Internet?

Somehow it sparks the collective imagination and before you know it, it’s gone “viral.”

That’s what happened last week with the “Ikea monkey.”

Bronwyn Page was in an Ikea (furniture store) parking lot in North York, Ont. on Dec. 9 when she saw something unusual.

A little brown monkey wearing a diaper and a tiny, expensive-looking coat.

Lighter News

Lottery Winner In BC Donates Money To Help Community

When blankets arrived for the homeless and new cars appeared for those in need, people in the city of Terrace in British Columbia thought it must be magic.

It turned out the magic was coming from Bob Erb, 60, who won $25-million in a national lottery called Lotto Max.

Erb believes in sharing his wealth.

In fact, since he won the lottery about a month ago, he’s given away more than $7-million.

He has given money to the staff at the gas station where he bought the ticket.

He gave $20,000 to the man who sold him the ticket.

He’s given money and shoes to the homeless. And he’s helped support more than a dozen local businesses.

Erb has been buying lottery tickets for more than 40 years.

One day, the clerk he bought the ticket from accidentally rang up more “plays” than Erb had asked for. But he let it ride.

And it’s a good thing he did, because one of those plays hit the $25-million jackpot.

Erb’s generosity has helped his whole community.

The new vehicles he bought and gave away helped the car sellers have a better year.

And if people he chose didn’t need the vans, they passed them on to someone else in need.

Arts Lighter News

Woman Buys $34,000 Painting At Goodwill For $10

Beth Feeback, who lives in North Carolina, knows how to find a good bargain. In fact, she recently turned $10 into $34,375.

Feeback shops at Goodwill, a thrift store, where people can buy used clothing and items cheaply.

In her spare time, Feeback paints folksy pictures of large-eyed kitties.

Last April, Feeback was combing Goodwill for a nice warm blanket. Instead, she stumbled on two large paintings that she felt she’d be able to paint her kitties on–after painting over them, of course.

She paid $9.99 for the paintings and took them home. It wasn’t until five months later that she fetched them to recycle them into cat paintings.

But something caught her eye on one of the paintings.

There was a sticker on the back of the canvas that said that the painting–a red diamond with blue and white stripes–had come from the Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina.

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New Canadian Bills Can Melt If Left In A Hot Car

The Bank of Canada recently unveiled the country’s new $20 bill.

The bills, like the recently updated $100s and $50s, are made of a polymer (a type of flexible plastic) instead of paper.

The new bills have a transparent “window” in them.

The new $20 bills are more environmentally friendly than the old bills, because they are more durable so they won’t have to be replaced as often. The government says they last 2.5 times longer than paper bills.

Kids Lighter News

Owner Of Mollie’s Candy Stores Is Just Six Years Old

“Mollie’s” is a chain of candy stores in England.

They sell British and American candy, as well as ice cream.

There are three stores in the chain, located in the British towns of Welshpool, Newtown and Shrewsbury.

But perhaps the most interesting thing about Mollie’s candy stores is the owner—Mollie Price.

You see, she’s six years old.

Price started the business because she liked those “pick and mix” (bulk food) stores, as her mother told Britain’s Mail Online news website.

That’s how most of the candy in Mollie’s stores is sold.

Her mother said Price noticed there was an opportunity for a bulk candy store, and “Mollie’s” was born.

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Become Your Favourite Superhero — For $125

Have you ever wondered what you’d look like if you were a superhero? An online store called Firebox.com lets you create a customized superhero—with your face on it.

For about $125, Firebox will create a superhero figurine that looks like you. At least, the head does.

You email Firebox pictures of your face from the front and the side, and the company creates a three-dimensional head that fits onto a superhero figurine body.