In other news: Louisiana principal apologizes after punishing student for dancing at a party; Pumpkin weighing 2,749 pounds sets world record

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 11, 2023

By The Associated Press

Louisiana public school principal apologizes after punishing student for dancing at a party

A Louisiana public school principal has apologized and requested leave for punishing a student and questioning her religious beliefs after he saw a video of her dancing at an off-campus party. The 17-year-old student government president and scholarship candidate was videotaped dancing at an off-campus party following Walker High School’s Sept. 30 Homecoming festivities. A hired DJ took the video and posted it on social media. Three days later, Jason St. Pierre, principal of the public high school near the state capital of Baton Rouge, told the student government president she would be removed from her position. He also said he would no longer recommend her for college scholarships. Following a backlash, St. Pierre reversed course and apologized in a statement published Sunday.

Pumpkin weighing 2,749 pounds wins California contest, sets world record for biggest gourd

A Minnesota horticulture teacher has set a world record in California for the heaviest pumpkin after growing a giant jack-o’-lantern gourd weighing 2,749 pounds. Travis Gienger is from Anoka, Minnesota, and won the 50th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, on Monday. His enormous, lumpy, orange pumpkin could produce at least 687 pies. The previous world record for heaviest pumpkin was set by a grower in Italy who produced a 2,702-pound squash in 2021. Gienger says this year he gave his plants extra care, watering them up to 12 times a day.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta brings colorful displays to the New Mexico sky

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The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is bringing colorful displays to the New Mexico sky. The event started at sunrise Saturday with a drone light show and mass ascension of hot air balloons. Over nine days, local residents and visitors will be treated to a cavalcade of colorful and special-shaped balloons. The annual gathering has become a major economic driver for the state’s biggest city. Balloon pilots from around the world take advantage of wind patterns, allowing them to bring a balloon back to a spot near the point of takeoff. Nighttime events include balloon glows and fireworks.