Nevada's Gems Bonanza Draws Big Betters The lure of striking it rich is attracting high rollers to Nevada's casinos in droves. The prospect of cashing in on some of the state's famed gems and minerals is proving irresistible for some gamblers. The glittering treasures are on display at several casinos, including Mirage, Bellagio and Wynn. They include a 135-pound amethyst geode, which is worth an estimated $1 million, and a 45-pound topaz crystal nicknamed "The Sun God." "These gems are like finding buried treasure," said Howard Stutz, an industry analyst with the gaming publication Casino City Times. "People see them and start dreaming about what they could do with all that money." Some big betters are shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for a chance to hit the jackpot with one of the rare gems. In February, a woman dropped $75,000 at the Mirage casino on a single spin of a wheel featuring 15 different gems. Casino operators sa
Pike found in local lake Some residents in a small town in upstate New York were surprised when they discovered a dead Pike in the local lake. The fish was about 2 feet long and weighed about 10 pounds. "I've never seen anything like it before," said one resident. "It's kind of scary to think that there could be something like that in the lake." Pike are native to the Atlantic Ocean but have been known to migrate into other waterways. Some biologists believe that global warming may be causing these migrations to become more common. Anglers rejoice as monster pike caught Anglers in the small town of Henley-on-Thames, located on the River Thames in Southern England, rejoiced this week after a 38 inch pike was caught. The fish is believed to be the biggest pike ever caught in the area and weighed in at over 15 pounds. The lucky angler who reeled in the giant pike was 62 year old Geoff Horsman. Horsman, who has been fishing on the Thames for over 40