The massive poop bubbles that have been plaguing residents of Indiana were manually deflated today, "emitting a pungent stench that wafted across fields on a warm spring breeze," reports The Wall Street Journal. For the paper, which documented the growth of the bubbles — which were were inflated with gas from 21 million gallons of decomposing cow manure — in loving detail last week, their disappearance seems bittersweet: "As they deflated Thursday," writer Lauren Etter observes, "the bubbles wrinkled like raisins in the sun." The locals were slightly less lyrical: "I'll be tickled to death when the bubbles are gone," said one.

Burst Manure Bubbles Cause Big Stink, but No Explosions [WSJ]