Geneva, IL -- The coroner in Kane County, Illinois, is grappling with a huge problem: Taking care of the bodies of extremely fat people. Chuck West says there's been an "influx" of 500 pound-plus bodies -- seven in the past 18 months alone -- and his office needs the proper equipment to deal with it. The coroner has requested hydraulic lifts and larger storage facilities to help accommodate the bodies, reports the "Beacon News."

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. -- The sponge capital of the U.S. doesn't want anything to do with cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants. City officials in Tarpon Springs, Florida, have turned down a local radio DJ's plan to bring the character to town for a promotional event because they fear it will mock the local sponge industry. The "St. Petersburg Times" reports one official remarked, "I watched [the cartoon] and I really don't want to be associated with it."

BEATRICE, Neb. -- A jewel thief in Nebraska tried to pull a fast one by swallowing a gold ring valued at over $600. Police had already been called in to pat the man down after he was accused of pocketing the ring, and saw something shiny in his mouth when he swallowed the ring.

TOKYO -- One Tokyo restaurant is making a pointed effort to attract customers -- by using acupuncture. The chef at the Dairen Noodle Shop is known for sticking pins in customers' foreheads as they slurp his soup. Better yet, the service is free.

KIEL, Germany -- Life is imitating Alfred Hitchcock on Germany's Baltic coast where a horde of angry seagulls have been dive-bombing residents and tourists alike. Officials say the birds are only protecting their nests.

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Part three of the ultimate jewel matching series! Search through a dazzling trip down memory lane.

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