Happy Groundhog Day....Don't Drink the Water

Breathing usually means not dead.

Larry Green is receiving a $425,000 settlement from North Carolina officials after he was mistakenly declared dead by a medical examiner and sent to a morgue.

The lawsuit alleged the mistake by Dr. J.B. Perdue, 77, left Green paralyzed.

Perdue said he's been wrongly accused and said he feels no guilt about the incident.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the settlement prevents the "emotional toll and expense" of a trial.

Green, 39, was hit by a car in 2005. Perdue was the medical examiner to arrive to the scene after paramedics made an initial examination. Perdue had Green put in a body bag and sent to the morgue.

Multiple witnesses said they saw Green's chest, abdomen and eyes move. Perdue attributed those symptoms as "air escaping the body" and muscle spasms.

Green was later discovered alive after being removed from a morgue refrigerator because a state trooper needed more information.

Never put off 'till tomorrow what you can pay today.

A Washington man said he was floored when he received a bill of more than $18,000 for his son's unpaid tolls.

Tom Rose said his son neglected to get a "Good to Go" pass and had crossed the 520 bridge linking Seattle and Bellevue every day for work at his first job, saying he "thought he'd be billed later for it."

Rose said son had been living "hand to mouth" and "thought he was picking the lesser of two evils. He could save up and pay for them later."

According to Rose no bill was received until he attempted to sell the car. He discovered $1,360 in unpaid tolls and over $16,000 in penalties.

After contacting the Washington State Department of Transportation, Rose was told to take the issue before an administrative judge, though it likely would not do any good.

Bills had been sent to Rose but had been returned unopened.

Earlier in the week a group of attorneys filed a class action lawsuit claiming the billing process for Good to Go violates due process by failing to notify drivers of bills and penalties.

Everyone knows texting and driving don't mix but no one told this guy dentistry at the wheel is a no-no.

An Alabama man flipped his tractor trailer after he took his hands from the wheel to pull a loose tooth from his mouth, causing a traffic jam and closure of parts of an interstate for hours, police say.

"The driver stated he lost control when he was pulling a tooth with his hands," a State Trooper report reads. "He had the tooth in his shirt pocket as proof."

The truck jackknifed into trees after leaving the road and moving down a slope into a ditch. No serious injuries were reported.

The accident occurred at 10:30 p.m. and forced state troopers to close the eastbound section of the interstate. Drivers were sent on a detour off the highway, resulting in long delays and a traffic jam that lasted into the following morning, when one lane was opened to allow vehicles through the crash area.

An art teacher...stupid but creative.

Authorities in Florida said they arrested a teacher accused of pawning laptop computers belonging to the school district.

Adam Seider, 36, an art teacher, was arrested on allegations of pawning three Hewlett-Packard Elite laptop computers on six different occasions between June and November 2014.

Seider, who allegedly received a total $260 for the laptops, which were each valued at $1,400, told deputies he purchased the items back after pawning them to avoid detection.

"He was trying not to get caught so when he had money he'd go get them out of pawn and put them back," said sheriff's office spokeswoman Wendy Rose. "It's certainly something we really haven't seen before."

Seider was charged with six counts of providing false ownership information to a pawn broker and six counts of dealing in stolen property.

Scott Ferguson, spokesman for the district, said the human resources department will discuss the teacher's employment status with his school principal.

"He hasn't been terminated, it's always innocent until proven guilty," said Ferguson. "It depends on the situation. Someone is put on administrative leave typically, pending judicial action, or we can reassign the person if its determined they shouldn't remain at their school or department pending the outcome of court proceedings."

Time to take a page from W.C. Fields who claimed, "I never drink water, fish fornicate in it."

Residents of a Southern California neighborhood said they are avoiding their tap water because it occasionally turns into a black liquid.

Gardena resident Diane Morita and some of her neighbors said their water has periodically been turning black and giving off a foul, sulfer-like odor for some time.

"Black water comes out of my shower, faucets and bathtub. When the black water comes out, it has tiny little rocks and sediment that plug up all of the jets."

Neighbors said they have been experiencing similar problems.

"It was getting to the point where we had to install a filter. Otherwise, we were going to bed with rashes and itchy every night. It's just becoming a pain."

The Golden State Water Company, which provides water to the neighborhood, said discoloration can be a result of sediment in the water pipes.

"This slight discoloration is not uncommon in water distribution systems, and we are flushing the local water system to address the issue," a statement read. "Flushing activities are expected to continue for the next several weeks."

Kate Nutting, general manager of Garden State Water, said the company is investigating the exact cause of the problem.

"While, yes, the water is clear right now we will continue to investigate to determine what caused it so that we can prevent it from happening again."

Nutting said tests determined there was no danger to the public from the water.

"The water meets all drinking water standards, so it should be considered safe to drink. I understand the concern, though. I was concerned when I saw the discolored water," she said.

However, neighbor Emy Sebastian said drinking the water caused members of her family to fall ill.

"Throwing up, going to the bathroom. After two days, my oldest daughter is sick, too. After one week, I get sick, too."

Neighbors said the water has been clear since the pipes were flushed this week, but they are concerned the problem could come back as it has in the past.

"My biggest concern now is the safety of my family, you know. Is this toxic? Is this creating problems with us?"

What do you think?