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By Brett O'Keefe, Plains Regional News Cooperative, Pierre, S.D.

PIERRE, S.D. — Authorities in central South Dakota are investigating an unusual crash involving a stolen truck that overturned along a rural highway and spilled thousands of mini compact discs labeled as Chinese-language versions of Microsoft Windows 95, a software product discontinued more than two decades ago.

The crash occurred early Tuesday morning outside Hughes County. When state troopers arrived, they found the truck abandoned, its cargo scattered across a ditch and nearby field. The driver had fled the scene.

“What caught everyone off guard was the cargo,” said South Dakota Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Ellison. “They were new, professionally pressed Windows 95 mini CDs, shrink-wrapped, labeled, and boxed. They still make these things?”

The discs appear to be 8-centimeter mini CDs, a format briefly popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Each disc is marked as containing a Chinese-language version of Windows 95, complete with printed logos and installation instructions.

Investigators said there is no immediate explanation for why such software would still be manufactured, or who the intended recipient might have been.

Microsoft declined to comment on the specific shipment but said in a statement that Windows 95 has not been produced or licensed for distribution for many years.

Surveillance footage from a gas station roughly 40 miles from the crash site shows the truck stopping briefly late Monday night. The video shows two men wearing dark clothing exiting the vehicle. One is seen carrying a shoulder bag. Authorities said the footage is under review.

“It’s not clear whether both individuals were involved in the transport or if one joined the truck later,” Ellison said.

The truck was reported stolen earlier this month from another state, though officials declined to specify where, citing the ongoing investigation.

Technology experts say the discovery raises questions about the continued use of legacy systems.

“There are still industrial machines and specialized equipment around the world that run on very old operating systems,” said Daniel Wu, a software historian who studies obsolete computing platforms. “But seeing this volume, in this format, suggests something more organized than a hobbyist operation. Could they be used for malicious purposes? Yes. Small-town water treatment plants, power facilities, things of that nature. Systems that aren’t current because of cost.”

Wu said the discs could have been intended for export or for use in isolated systems not connected to the internet.

Authorities have not determined whether the discs are counterfeit, unauthorized reproductions, or part of some other distribution effort. The cargo has been seized, and federal agencies have been notified.

Local residents who drove past the scene described the sight as surreal.

“It looked like someone dumped shiny coasters everywhere,” said rancher Paul Hendricks, who stopped when traffic slowed. “Then I heard they were computer discs from the ’90s. That just made it stranger.”

As of Wednesday, no arrests had been made. Investigators said they are working to trace the origin of the discs and identify the individuals seen on surveillance footage.

“We don’t know yet what this shipment was for,” Ellison said. “That’s what makes it so strange.”

Officials said there is no known threat to the public at this time and urged anyone with information about the truck or its occupants to contact authorities.

By Brett O’Keefe, Associated Civic News Bureau, Nevada, Mo.

NEVADA, Mo. — A property dispute is unfolding in this west-central Missouri town after a 42-year-old man built a tiny home on a long-overlooked sliver of land at the edge of a Walmart parking lot, a space he says was never included in the retailer’s original land purchase.

The structure, measuring roughly 12 feet by 20 feet, sits on a narrow 15-by-25-foot parcel tucked into the far corner of the lot near the store building. City officials say the home meets local building and zoning codes, but Walmart argues it disrupts traffic flow and conflicts with the company’s branding.

The resident, Daniel Foster, says he discovered the parcel while reviewing county property records last year and later confirmed that it had been excluded from multiple deeds tied to the site.

“It was just sitting there on paper and in real life,” Foster said. “Nobody claimed it. Nobody used it.”

Foster legally purchased the parcel, according to county records, and began construction earlier this year. The tiny home includes a compact living space, a small fenced front area, and a hand-painted sign advertising his guinea pig breeding business, which he operates on a limited scale.

That sign, Walmart officials say, is part of the problem.

“Our concern is customer safety and the overall experience,” said Walmart spokesperson Andrea Collins in a statement. “The placement of a residence and signage in close proximity to our parking lot creates confusion, potential traffic issues, and visual inconsistency with our store environment.”

Foster disputes that characterization and says he does not use the Walmart parking lot at all.

“I don’t even have a car,” he said. “There’s a public sidewalk right by my place. That’s how I get around.”

He added that he has no ill will toward the retailer and shops there regularly.

“I like the convenience,” Foster said. “I don’t have a problem with Walmart. This isn’t about that.”

City officials said the home passed inspection and complies with setback and occupancy rules. The parcel had been used informally as overflow parking for years, despite never being formally owned by the retailer.

Walmart has not filed a lawsuit but has requested that the city review the situation. Company representatives said they are exploring options.

Foster said the attention has been unexpected. He makes a modest income breeding guinea pigs for pets and small-animal enthusiasts but acknowledged it is not enough to fully support him.

“I might apply for a job at the store,” he said. “Ironically, that’s probably the most stable option right now.”

For now, Foster remains in the tiny home, his guinea pig sign still visible from the edge of the lot.

“I’m not trying to cause trouble,” he said. “I just built a place where the paperwork said I could. That’s it.”

City officials said they are continuing to review the property history but emphasized that no violations have been identified. The situation remains unresolved.

By Kevin J. Marshall, Heartland Public Ledger, Des Moines, Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa — A 23-year-old man who said he was protesting rising crime in downtown Des Moines by wearing homemade armor constructed from aluminum soda cans was fired from his job this week after arriving late for his shift and causing a disturbance that required police intervention.

According to police and store officials, the man arrived at a local Walmart wearing a bulky suit of armor made from approximately 146 Mountain Lightning cans, Walmart’s store-brand citrus soda, along with plastic fasteners and parts produced on a home 3D printer.

The man told officers he had walked to work in the armor hoping it would spark conversations about public safety and crime.

“He said he wanted people to ask him why he was dressed that way,” said Des Moines police spokesperson Sgt. Laura Nguyen. “He described it as a form of peaceful protest.”

The plan did not unfold as intended.

Store management said the man reported to work about 17 minutes late after struggling to remove the armor in the employee restroom. When informed that he would be terminated for tardiness, the situation escalated into a verbal dispute that drew attention from customers and staff.

Police were called to de-escalate the situation. No arrests were made.

While reviewing security footage related to the incident, store management discovered additional concerns. Video from earlier that morning appeared to show the man removing several cans of Mountain Lightning from store shelves and placing them in a backpack before clocking in, according to a Walmart incident report.

Walmart declined to comment on personnel matters but confirmed that the termination was based on multiple policy violations.

The man acknowledged taking the soda but said he intended to pay for it later.

“I needed it for armor upgrades,” he told officers, according to a police report. “I want to layer it some more and make it look cooler. I wasn’t trying to steal.”

Police said no theft charges have been filed, though the incident remains under review.

City residents who witnessed the armor-clad walk described it as confusing but not threatening.

“I thought it was cosplay or some kind of performance art,” said Melissa Grant, who saw the man downtown earlier in the day. “I didn’t realize it was a protest.”

The man was not injured, and officers said the armor did not violate any laws. After being escorted from the store, he was allowed to leave without further incident.

Asked whether he felt the protest had worked, the man told officers he believed it had “started a conversation,” though he acknowledged the outcome was not what he had hoped.

Police said the incident underscores the challenges of unconventional protests intersecting with workplace rules.

“People are allowed to express themselves,” Nguyen said. “But employers also have policies, and actions still have consequences.”

The former employee declined further comment.

By Brett O’Keefe, Associated Civic News Bureau, Columbus, Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 17-year-old Ohio high school student is hospitalized with organ failure after attempting to use homemade gene-editing equipment he assembled from online instructions in an effort to dramatically alter his appearance, authorities said.

According to investigators and medical officials, the teen downloaded plans for a do-it-yourself CRISPR device from an online forum and believed he could use it to “looksmaxx,” a term used in certain online communities that refers to aggressively optimizing physical appearance.

The attempt went badly wrong. Doctors say the teenager developed severe complications after producing what authorities described as an unregulated steroid-like compound. He remains hospitalized and is undergoing treatment for liver and kidney failure.

Despite the medical crisis, officials say the case has drawn unexpected attention from online bodybuilding and fitness circles.

“People are contacting him asking how he did it,” said one law enforcement official familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “They’re focused on how quickly he gained muscle, not the fact that he nearly killed himself.”

Doctors confirmed the teen experienced rapid muscle growth in a short period before his condition deteriorated.

His mother said she had no idea what her son was attempting until after he was admitted to the hospital.

“He kept saying this word, ‘looksmaxxing,’ and I didn’t even know what it meant,” she said. “I had to look it up. I still can’t believe any of this is real.”

She described her son as socially isolated and said he had never had a girlfriend. She said he believed changing his appearance would transform his life.

“He thought it would turn him into what they call a ‘Chad,’” she said, referring to an internet slang term for a conventionally attractive, confident man. “I thought he was just lifting weights.”

Authorities said the equipment was built using common electronic components and online guides that downplayed the risks of amateur gene editing. Officials stressed that no legitimate safeguards were involved.

“This is extremely dangerous,” said Dr. Alan Pierce, a biomedical safety specialist consulted by state authorities. “CRISPR is not something you experiment with in a bedroom or garage. The fact that people are trying to build these devices from internet instructions should alarm everyone.”

State and federal officials are now investigating the online forum where the instructions were shared. Authorities said the forum appears to be hosted overseas, possibly in China, making enforcement difficult.

“We’re assessing what legal options exist,” said a spokesperson for the Ohio Attorney General’s office. “But these platforms often operate across jurisdictions, which complicates efforts to shut them down.”

Officials said the case highlights growing concerns about the accessibility of advanced biotechnology tools and the influence of online communities that promote extreme self-modification.

“This isn’t science fiction anymore,” Pierce said. “The tools are cheap, the instructions are out there, and the consequences can be catastrophic.”

The teen remains under medical supervision, and his family said they are focused on his recovery. Authorities urged parents to pay closer attention to the online spaces their children frequent and warned that experimenting with unregulated biotechnology carries life-threatening risks.

As the investigation continues, officials said they are particularly concerned by the online response.

“The scariest part,” one official said, “is that people see the muscle gain and ignore the organ failure.”