BP to test Gulf Coast beach tar balls
BP to test Gulf Coast beach tar balls. Heavy surf churned up by Tropical Storm Lee sent tar balls rolling onto Alabama's prime tourist beaches, and officials said Tuesday that they plan to test the black and brown globs to find out if they're related to last year's oil spill.

Brandon Franklin, the coastal plans manager for the city of Gulf Shores, said officials are collecting samples that will be sent to Auburn University for testing.

The American Lung Association, in its report State Of The Air 2010, finds seven California metropolitan areas with air quality bad enough that they make it on the list of the Top 10 Dirtiest Cities in America. The 20 million people in these cities are at higher risk of asthma and chronic bronchitis.

From odd sculptures to strange statues, cities love to erect unusual structures to show some local color. Here are a handful of our favorites from around the country.

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