AM Prep-Kickers

CLEVELAND (AP) — HOT DOG CONTEST

NEW YORK (AP) — It's a heavyweight rematch -- of hog dog eaters. Today's July Fourth hot dog eating contest on Coney Island's boardwalk features Joey "Jaws" Chestnut and defending champ Matt "The Megatoad" Stonie. Chestnut set the world record by eating 69 dogs in just 10 minutes in 2013. He won eight straight Nathan's Famous competitions, before losing the Mustard Yellow International Belt to Stonie last year in an upset.

FIREWORKS-POSSIBLE RAIN DELAY

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fourth of July fireworks could turn into 5th of July fireworks -- at least in the nation's capital. The National Park Service says the fireworks on the National Mall could be postponed until tomorrow night because of bad weather. Heavy rain is expected in the Washington area today. NPS officials tell the Washington Post a decision on postponement won't be made until this evening. But the free concert on the U.S. Capitol lawn won't be rescheduled if the weather is bad.

PIT SPITTING

EAU CLAIRE, Mich. (AP) — It was the Young Gun versus the Pellet Gun -- at this weekend's cherry pit spitting contest. Pellet Gun is Rick Krause, who wins with a pit spit of more than 48 feet, two inches. That was more than a foot better than son Brian Krause, the Young Gun. He also finished second last year but is a past winner. A member of the Krause family has won 27 contests since the event began in 1974, to celebrate tart cherries in southwestern Michigan.

BIG BOY-MAKEOVER

CINCINNATI (AP) — Big Boy is going on a diet. His chubby cheeks aren't quite so chubby and the chain is introducing new menu options. Last August, Big Boy was bought out by Frisch's Restaurants. CEO Jason Vaughn says their icon is "a little thinned down, but he's still a big boy." A new-look restaurant prototype was rolled out last month in Covington, Kentucky, near the Ohio River. One of the new ideas is the "brupper," a breakfast buffet at supper time.

SUPERMAN COLLECTION-LIBRARY

CLEVELAND (AP) — Mike Curtis is a Superman super fan. Now, he has donated his collection of about 17,000 Superman items to the Cleveland Public Library. The Man of Steel was created by Cleveland high school friends Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in the 1930s. They had spent many hours at the library. Curtis is in the comic book business himself, as the author of a syndicated Dick Tracy strip. The library is hoping to have an exhibit featuring a selection of Curtis' collection ready by November.

ANTI-COP BILLBOARDS

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An auto dealer in Utah is apologizing. A billboard for the Ken Garff Automotive Group in Salt Lake City is viewed by some as being anti-cop. It shows a traffic officer with the tag line, "He doesn't hear you. We do." Plenty of folks have vented their outrage on the dealership's Facebook page. KUTV reports the auto dealer responded yesterday afternoon, saying the ads were in poor taste. Garff Automotive promises the billboards will come down in a matter of days.

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