A local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in Battle Creek, Mich., is butting heads with Western Michigan University this summer after the school brought in a goat crew to clean up an overgrown woodlot on campus, leaving union workers without jobs. The AFSCME's grievance cites a collective bargaining agreement with WMU, but university officials counter that "the area is rife with poison ivy and other invasive species," which are difficult for humans to remove. The 20-goat crew, rented from Munchers on Hooves in Coldwater, Mich., is ahead of schedule in clearing a 15-acre area.

With friends like these ...

Robert Kanoff, 49, celebrated Independence Day in an unusual way: High on drugs, he was dropped off in his birthday suit at a Tempe, Ariz., Walmart by two people who thought it would be "funny to see him naked," said police. There he walked around the store wearing only shoes and carrying methamphetamines. Maricopa County sheriff's officers caught up with him around 10 p.m. across the street from the store.

Entrepreneurial spirit is all wet

First bikes, then cars ... now umbrellas. Maybe. Sharing E Umbrella hit the streets of 11 Chinese cities in April with more than 300,000 umbrellas for rent from subway and bus stations. Unfortunately, the company's founder, Zhao Shuping, didn't provide instructions about returning the rentals after use, and most of the umbrellas have disappeared. Zhao noted his mistake, saying, "Umbrellas are different from bicycles. ... With an umbrella you need railings or a fence to hang it on." He plans to replenish his stock with 30 million umbrellas nationwide by the end of the year.

Under the influence

Police in Slidell, La., stopped a "car full of drunks" on July 8 and arrested the driver for driving while intoxicated. The car's passengers rode home in a taxi, but one of the women then drove back to the police station to bail out the driver. Slidell officers arrested the woman for DWI, and she joined her friend in jail. "Lesson of the day," Slidell officers posted on their Facebook page: "Don't drive drunk to a police station in order to bail out your drunk friend!"

Lacking a filter

Baseball fans at the Los Angeles Dodgers-Kansas City Royals game in Dodger Stadium on July 8 were treated to some righteous moves on the dance cam by "Rally Granny," an older fan who capped her performance by flashing her bra at the 40,000-plus spectators. "You don't see that much at a baseball stadium," deadpanned Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger (who actually missed the spectacle).

Now you have our attention

Drivers speeding down Bedford Street in Lakeville, Mass., may touch the brakes when they spot a parked police cruiser at the side of the road. But the "vehicle," a plywood and aluminum sign painted to look like a Crown Victoria black-and-white, is a ruse perpetrated by resident Kelly Tufts to get drivers to slow down. Tufts parks the "car" in his driveway, especially on weekends, to protect dogs and kids from speeding traffic. "We've had some people give us the one finger," Tufts said. "If it was their neighborhood, they'd enjoy it."

News of the Weird is compiled by the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication. Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.