Like local leaders in many other towns in West Texas, the Kermit City Council spent years saving its tax revenue fearing the energy economy would crash. Now it is struggling to keep up with essential services like trash and road repair.

(AP) – An emu that was spotted roaming the streets of a city near Boston was corralled by authorities in Massachusetts. The emu was reported Wednesday morning in Haverhill, about 35 miles north of Boston, and was captured two hours later. The Eagle-Tribune reported that the emu named Kermit, escaped from the property of a local resident who cares for unwanted animals. The resident had been preparing to transport Kermit to a farm in Maine when it fled. Authorities say the bird was captured safely after it was given a pear from a nearby tree.