The Odd Truth, Jan. 6, 2004

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Brian Bernbaum. A new collection of stories is published each weekday. On weekends, you can read a week's worth of The Odd Truth.

DENVER - Cabin fever is alive and well in the West.

Hospital officials say the monster blizzard that kept people indoors across Colorado last year led to a spike in the number of December babies.

"We had more babies born in December — exactly nine months after the blizzard — than in any other month last year," said Len Gregory, spokesman for St. Mary-Corwin Hospital in Pueblo.

Added Lynne Snyder, head of newborn services for Avista Adventist Hospital in suburban Louisville: "We were overflowing there for a while."

Snyder said it is not unusual for a surge in births 40 weeks after major events like the Denver Broncos' first Super Bowl victory.

The snowstorm started March 17 and shut down Colorado cities big and small for several days. Nearly 9 feet of snow fell in the mountains and half that total paralyzed the heavily populated Front Range along the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

Not The Perfect Crime

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Kern County sheriff's deputies said they've never seen a less cagey suspect.

James Paul Egan allegedly robbed a 7-Eleven at gunpoint, taking care to conceal his identity by covering his face with a blue bandanna and wearing a knit hat and gloves.

Then he ran into the backyard of a nearby house, and threw away all the incriminating articles: the bandanna, the gloves, the hat, a .357-caliber handgun, and the jacket he'd been wearing — with his county jail property identification card in the pocket.

The card had his photograph, date of birth and jail booking number.

Deputies recognized him as the 21-year-old Egan, looked up his address and found him hiding in the attic of his home. He'd tried to disguise himself by shaving his head, deputies said.

Ping Pong Hankypanky

SHANGHAI, China - Four Olympic hopefuls have been bounced from China's ping-pong team for having love affairs. One male player and three females were reportedly ordered to "carry out deep reflection."

Chinese media report the coach said the four players "engaged in romantic affairs, affecting training."

A table tennis association official said the players were temporarily reassigned to their local teams and could return after they "deal well with their personal affairs."

The male players involved with two of the women were allowed to stay in Olympics contention. The official said the better players got to stay "because they have the heavier burdens and responsibilities."

Brewhaha

PORTLAND, Ore. - It's called "Governator" beer — and Portland Brewing Co. CEO Jerome Chicvara says he was surprised that no California brewer thought of it first.

The brewing veteran says the 3,200 cases bearing the Pumping Iron label are a humorous tribute to the 38th governor of California, "Terminator" actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The label had to be approved by both federal and state agencies.

A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said nobody in the governor's office had noticed the beer, but they would check on it.

Chicvara said the idea came to him while kidding around with his college-age kids and their friends, who like many had morphed the words "governor" and "terminator" into "governator."

Chicvara promises the quality of the brew is excellent, with a smooth finish and bit of a bite.

"It's no 'girly-man' beer," he said.

Lawmaker Plots Cover Up

RICHMOND, Va. - No more bathing-suit optional summer camps in Virginia, if one lawmaker gets his way.

State legislator Jack Reid is authoring a bill to ban nudist summer camps for kids. The White Tail nudist resort held a week-long session last June, for children 11-to-18 years old.

Under current law, a camp for naked kids is legal in Virginia, as long as lewd activity isn't involved. White Tail officials insist they had a strict ban on any sexual contact. But Reid says he wants to put an end to kids "running around naked without their parents there."

Leap Year Shindig

ANTHONY, N.M. - Debbie Apodaca is getting ready to celebrate her 11th birthday, even though she was born in 1960. She's a leap year baby from El Paso, Texas, born on Feb. 29.

Apodaca says she'll be going to the leap year celebration held every four years in the southern New Mexico town of Anthony. Mary Ann Brown helped to organize the quadrennial event, beginning in 1988. She's a leap year baby too, born in 1932.

Brown says the extra day deserves some recognition. The leap year celebration and birthday club now have the backing of the local chamber of chamber of commerce. Only a handful of folks showed up for the first leap year birthday party. This year, more than 100 are expected.