Odds & Ends

Vanishing pumpkin caper

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO. (AP) » Police who caught three teenagers orangehanded with 48 stolen pumpkins — and one gourd — are asking residents of a St. Louis suburb to view a “pumpkin lineup” online to see if their Halloween squash are among those recovered.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that pumpkins began vanishing last week from subdivisions of Maryland Heights. Police quickly tracked down the boys and their pumpkincrammed SUV that Capt. Scott Will says was “topto-bottom orange.”

The next day, officers snapped a picture of the abducted decor and posted it to Facebook . Will says police have been “inundated” with people coming to track down their Hal loween pumpkins. About a dozen remained unclaimed Tuesday. None are carved.

Two 18-year- olds are charged with misdemeanor stealing, while a 16-year- old has been referred to juvenile court.

Tons of twins

MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) » A Long Island hospital has welcomed a rare four sets of twins in a six-hour period.

The series of births at NYU Winthrop in Mineola started at 8:44 a.m. Wednesday when Brenda Alvarenga gave birth to Ava and Elena.

Shannon and Anthony Rogone then welcomed twins Sarah and Elise around 10 a.m. The births of Alexa and McKenzi followed an hour later to parents Darlene and Joe Sica.

Finally, Catherine and Joseph Monez welcomed twins Luke and Benjamin at 2:26 p.m.

The hospital’s chief of maternal fetal medicine tells Newsday two sets of twins born at NYU Winthrop on the same day is rare, and four is unheard of.