A joker who made a bat cave out of a dorm room, and three other students believed to have stolen the dozen or so nocturnal critters used in the caper, could be in for criminal charges, officials said Thursday. At least five University of Arkansas at Fayetteville students had been in close contact with the bats, but state epidemiologist Dr. Frank Wilson said the exposure wasn't significant enough to require rabies shots. Health officials urged anyone else who was near the bats to be evaluated.

Three students gathered the brown bats during a caving expedition at Devil's Den State Park in northwest Arkansas, said university police Lt. Gary Crain. "The bats were pretty docile; they were sleeping. It was pretty easy to pick them like apples," Crain said. After they brought the bats to campus, a fourth student "thought it would be funny to release them in someone's room," he said. After the flying mammals were set loose in the dorm room April 5, animal control officers captured them and released them back into the wild.

Crain said that far from seeking to cover their tracks, the students posted pictures of the bats on the Internet site facebook.com. "That made it a little easier for us," he said. Prosecutors are considering charges, which could include theft for taking the bats and harassment _ "at the very minimum" _ for releasing the creatures, Crain said. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission also could pursue wildlife-related charges, he said. Three of the students are 19 and one is 20, Crain said. With no charges filed Thursday, he declined to identify them. Fayetteville animal control officials said the bats appeared to be healthy, and rangers at Devil's Den State Park said they have seen no instances of sick bats.

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Mary-Kate Takes a Break From College

Mary-Kate Olsen is taking a break from college.

Mary-Kate Olsen, who shared the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister, Ashley, on the '80s comedy Full House, has left college - at least for now - early in her sophomore year. "Mary-Kate Olsen has not dropped out, she has simply taken an approved leave of absence to devote more of her time and energy to her business," Olsen's publicist, Michael Pagnotta, told The Associated Press. The 19-year-old's decision was reported Friday by People magazine on its Web site.

Olsen wants "to focus on her increasing responsibilities as co-president of Dualstar Entertainment Group and to pursue personal interests," the magazine quoted Pagnotta as saying. Ashley, also co-president of Dualstar, remains at NYU. Mary-Kate Olsen spent six weeks at a treatment centre for an eating disorder in summer 2004.

Mary-Kate's rep denies that the star is dropping out of school because of her eating disorder. Mary-Kate is worth approximately $150 million. But she is the saddest-looking multi-millioniaire we've ever seen. Can't someone cheer this girl up?

Posted on October 14, 2005
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