Groundhog Chomps Wisconsin Mayor's Ear

It was a Groundhog Day that the mayor of Sun Prairie, Wis., definitely won't want to relive over and over again. As a handler held Jimmy the groundhog close to Mayor Jon Freund so the official could hear Jimmy's "prediction" yesterday, the animal bit him on the ear, reports NPR. The mayor then displayed a poor understanding of rodent-based weather predictions by saying there would be an early spring, even though the animal didn't see its shadow, according to Jimmy's handlers. But the mayor's office disputes that, saying "only the mayor can translate Jimmy's prediction," and after a "back and forth conversation" with the animal, the prediction of winter ending early was confirmed, reports WISC-TV. The mayor says the bite soon stopped hurting and that Jimmy is "always welcome in Sun Prairie." (More groundhog day stories.)