Offbeat briefs

Dog-truck bill voted down NASHVILLE, Tenn.
“”mdash; After much howling in the Legislature, senators decided
that dogs can continue riding free in the backs of pickup trucks.
They voted down a bill Monday that would have created a misdemeanor
offense, punishable with a $50 fine, for allowing a dog to ride
unrestrained in the truck bed. The bill had been amended to exempt
dogs being transported for farming or hunting purposes. Senators
then amended it to apply only to trucks driving on interstates, but
that wasn’t enough for opponents. They voted 13-11 against
it.

Dead candidate wins seat JAKARTA, Indonesia
“”mdash; A candidate in last week’s legislative elections in
Indonesia won nearly 800 votes, despite having died three months
ago, poll officials said. “˜”˜It’s a bit
ridiculous,” said Andi Mappinawang, an election
committee member in south Sulawesi province where the mix-up
occurred. “˜”˜Maybe the voters didn’t know that he
had died.” Mirdin Kasim died in February, shortly
after the deadline for printing ballot papers had passed,
Mappinawang said Tuesday. It was impossible to inform all the
people in the region of his death, he said.

Nude beach protests dorms VANCOUVER “”mdash;
Beach bums here could receive far too much exposure if a proposed
pair of high-rise dorms are built on the cliffs above a
world-famous nude beach. If the University of British Columbia
builds the 20-story residences, binoculars and Web cameras will
soon be trained on Wreck Beach, ruining beachgoers’ privacy,
Wreck Beach Preservation Society protesters said.
“˜”˜It’s mean for the university to
do,” said Stephanie Gibson, 12, who has been raised in
the buff on the beach. “˜”˜I know they need more
residences for the students, but they have to think of
us.” University Vice President Dennis Pavlich said
Monday that the university will keep the group’s concerns in
mind when designing the buildings.

Reports from Bruin wire services.