KALE VS CHIKIN

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- It's kale versus Chikin. Vermont folk artist Bo Muller-Moore makes T-shirts with the slogan "eat more kale." He says he wants to promote the benefits of local farming. But Atlanta-based company Chick-fil-A contends consumers might confuse "eat more kale" with their trademarked phrase, "eat mor chikin." But Bo Muller-Moore must be eating his spinach. He says he's not backing down from the "eat more kale" fight with the big corporation.

ULTIMATE SKI BUM

WHITEFISH, Mont. (AP) -- Craig Moore won't be insulted if you call him a ski bum. In fact, he wants to be the "Ultimate Ski Bum." He's one of 10 finalists in the contest sponsored by the Kootenay Rockies tourism board in British Columbia. The Montana man says he's skied at least one day every month for the last four years. He figures he skies about 150 days a year. Now, he has to submit a 90-second video showing him at his ski-bum best. The "Ultimate Ski Bum" wins a prize package worth about $30,000.

BUG SCANNER

RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) -- Using high-tech to bite back at bedbugs. A scanner developed to screen airline passengers may soon be looking for the little pests. The millimeter wave technology was developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state. The Tri-City Herald reports the technology has been licensed to a startup company, as part of a White House initiative to help young companies grow. The scanner could be used to spot where bedbugs nest behind walls.

TOWN BOARD-IPADS

NORTHBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) -- A town board in central Massachusetts is going high-tech. The five Northbridge selectmen now have iPads. But the selectmen won't playing Angry Birds with their new Apple tablets -- at least not at home. The iPads have to be left at the town hall so other boards can use them. Town officials say switching from paper to iPads will save on printing and will be more environmentally friendly. The iPads cost the town 585 bucks apiece.

MUSCLE POWER

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) -- Working up a sweat can be empowering -- at least at two South Carolina colleges. Elliptical exercise machines at Furman and the University of South Carolina are connected to generators. While students burn calories, they're also generating electricity. A typical 30-minute workout can power a laptop for an hour. One Furman student says an on-screen graphic showing the power output provides her with an extra incentive.

WHACKING WOOL

BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- Nothing beats pure wool or silk -- except maybe Madeline Navarro. She beats the fibers in an ancient process know as wet-felting. The 73-year-old Navarro likes to stuff wool into pantyhose. After a good soaking, she starts whacking away. Eventually the fibers fuse, creating felt. Navaroo tells a Michigan paper (Livingston County Daily Press & Argus) it's like "magic." She uses the resulting material to create things likes hats and scarfs.

Copyright 2011. The Associated Press.