A gold South African Krugerrand — worth about $1,700 — was found in a Salvation Army kettle outside a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania this week. This is not the first time this has happened. The coins seem to appear almost every year near Gettysburg.

As they drove off after stealing DVDs and video games from Target, one thief pocket dialed 911. A dispatcher listened as the duo detailed their heist, including how the police would be looking for their Blue Dodge Durango. That tip led the cops straight to them.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich got front-runner treatment during the final GOP debate before that state's crucial Jan. 3 caucuses, taking a pounding for his years as a highly-compensated Washington influence peddler.

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann once appeared to be the favored Republican presidential candidate in Iowa. But she's been near the bottom of most polls since. Bachmann is making an aggressive push to finish well in next month's Iowa caucuses, and she embarks on a multi-day bus tour of the state Friday.

Newt Gingrich stood center state Thursday night in the Sioux City Convention Center. The sharpest elbows did not come from his close rivals, Mitt Romney or Ron Paul. Instead, it was Michele Bachmann who repeatedly went after Gingrich.

Thousands of Gulf Coast homeowners have repeatedly said their new homes were making them sick. In a federal courtroom in New Orleans Thursday, a Chinese drywall manufacturer agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to resolve court claims by property owners who said the product corroded pipes and wires and otherwise wrecked their homes.

Denver is buzzing about quarterback Tim Tebow and the resurgent Denver Broncos. This Sunday's match-up between the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos is expected to be one of the most-watched NFL games of the season. Tebow has drawn attention for the public display of his Christian faith.

The Pentagon declared an official end to the war in Iraq this week. And among the troops coming home were the soldiers of the 112th Cavalry 3rd Brigade First Cavalry Division.