5 Times Abilene Made National News

Anytime Abilene lands in national news, you can't be too certain it's for a good reason. Let money fall out of an armored truck or a jaguar escape the confines of the Abilene Zoo, and the whole world will learn of it soon enough.

Here are five times that Abilene, Texas made national news:

New Year's Twins Born in Different Years (2013-2014)

An Abilene woman gave birth to twin girls on New Year's Eve in 2013. However, the twins were technically born on different days, and in different years because of the calendar change. This ultra-rare occurrence caught the attention of several national media outlets. The babies' mother clarified that the family planned to celebrate their birthdays on two separate days instead of celebrating them together as twins.

Interstate 20 Dash for Cash (2015)

Nothing beats a good old-fashioned competition to see who can scoop up the most cash spilled on the side of I-20. When a Brinks Armored Car service Vehicle accidentally let loose of a "substantial" amount of money on the side of the road, travelers and passersby scrambled to collect the loot along SEVEN miles of highway. Naturally, law enforcement had to remind folks that picking up lost money on the highway could be a one-way ticket to jail. I doubt that anybody listened.

Wylie Girl Runs the World Series (2021)

Twelve-year-old Ella Bruning, the catcher for the Wylie Little League team, took sports by storm as the only girl to compete in the 2021 Little League World Series. She was only the 20th girl to ever play in the World Series and became the third girl to have multiple hits within a single World Series. While Wylie didn't win the World Series, Ella proved that you can play with the boys.. and still wear your hair in bubble braids.

Historic Roe v. Wade Lawyer and Abilene Native Dies (2021)

Sarah Weddington, daughter of a minister in Abilene, went on to attend the University of Texas and successfully argue the case of Rove v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971 and 1972. She also served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives and provided counsel to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and President Jimmy Carter. Weddington was 76 years old.

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Jaguars on the Loose at the Abilene Zoo (2017)

Whoever remembers this story wins bonus points — after suffering an attack from an escaped jaguar, a spider monkey had to be put down at the Abilene Zoo. Thankfully, Zoo staff were quit to respond to the incident, and the jaguar was not able to terrorize the Abilene area at large.