Wanted: Lonely hen seeks fowl companion
The Pulse: A St. Charles hen is seeking a feathered friend to keep her company. She's into Polish, Silkies and other docile breeds, according to a Tuesday post on craigslist.org.

Ride, Leroy, ride
Retired farmer Leroy Nelson of Plato Township has never been one to turn his back on a physical challenge. So at age 90, he climbed way, way up onto a camel at Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch in Hampshire and rode the beast as if he were 9 years old. Nelson retired earlier this year after 22 years as a trustee on the Plato Township Board.

Cheyanne saves the day
A white Labrador retriever named Cheyanne helped alert humans to a house fire in an Elgin neighborhood last month.

Local man misses out being 'Biggest Loser'
If you want to keep tabs on "Biggest Loser" contestant Julio Gomez, you'll have to hit the gym with him on South Randall Road. Gomez, an Algonquin resident and TV show's only Illinois contestant, was voted off the NBC program in the episode that aired last week.

A mouse on the loose
Pulse: The Fox Valley attracts visitors from all over the country. One recent visitor -- so small we missed her while she was here -- was Paige the Library Mouse, whose adventures in the area can be seen on a Texas blog of all places. Pictures on the blog show the fluffy, white stuffed mouse buckled into a seat on an airplane, gazing wistfully at a slice of deep-dish pizza and posing in front of a Bartlett Hindu temple.

The new political poll?
Cook County residents on the edge of your seats, waiting to see what will come of the spring primary for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner, may be interested in this press release we received from Democratic candidate Todd Connor. It's about "the power of our social media campaign," according to the accompanying tweet on Twitter.com/ToddConnor.

Cutting ribbon cuttings
To give you an idea why photos of ribbon cuttings aren't used much anymore in newspapers, this schedule of events came in this week from the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce:

More pigging out by Pathetic Suburban Males Grill Club
Last weekend you could eat like a pig, courtesy of a couple of Fox Valley residents. Of course, you would be eating pig, which would be cannibalistic, so never mind the metaphor.

A model of success
South Elgin High School senior Natalie Feliciano is getting a good jump on what she hopes will be a career in modeling.