DON’T BANK ON IT: “Your ballot stub...

DON’T BANK ON IT: “Your ballot stub is worth money!” That was the flyer message left on car windshields of many northern Orange County voters Tuesday. They were encouraged to collect $5 at several California banking institutions just for voting--and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was listed as the sponsor. . . . It may have been a great way to get you to the polls. Problem was: It was a hoax. Says Andrew Porterfield of the FDIC Irvine office: “We do not condone this in any way. We have no idea who would have done this.”

DOWN IN THE DUMPS: When a suspect slips the murder weapon in a trash can, it’s almost impossible to find it once the trash is hauled away to a dump site. Unless, of course, you’ve got a German shepherd like Bork, who works with Huntington Beach Police Officer Dennis Plymale. . . . It took Bork just 30 minutes to find a gun used in a recent homicide at a city trash yard. Says Plymale: “I was impressed. Not even once did he stop to eat anything. He just went out and did his job.”

ROARING FUN: Curt Lyon is throwing a party tonight to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his Lyon Studios in Newport Beach. But he’s got a bonus for his guests: At 8, ABC’s “The World’s Funniest Commercials” is featuring some of his works--11 of them. . . . Lyon, who specializes in commercials, knows something about how to make them funny: First, you get Leslie Nielsen (“Naked Gun,” “Airplane!”) to star in them for you. Nielsen also happens to be host of the ABC special.

MORE BREAD: Four local school districts have found a way to save taxpayers’ dough. They’ve formed a cooperative to jointly buy their cafeteria bakery goods and paper products, such as plates and cups. . . . Huntington Beach Union High School District is joined by Newport-Mesa Unified, Huntington Beach City and La Habra City districts. . . . Says one spokeswoman: “We’ve saved thousands of dollars and a lot of staff time.”

ORANGE COUNTY: High near 70. Increasing clouds tonight with a low in the 50s. Showers Thursday. (B8)