UTAH CITY SETTLES WITH MAN WHO FLIPPED OFF OFFICER: OREM, Utah (AP) — A man who was pulled over and cited after flipping off a Utah police officer in 2010 has agreed to drop his complaint after the city of Orem agreed to pay him $2,500 in damages and promised not to ticket anyone else for the obscene gesture.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah had threatened a lawsuit on behalf of Seth Dame, saying an officer violated Dame's constitutional right to express himself after Dame flipped him off on June 25, 2010.
The city declined to prosecute the case, but ACLU claimed the incident violated Dame's First Amendment free speech rights and his Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful search and seizure.
In the settlement, Orem agrees it shouldn't have stopped Dame solely for giving the finger, and won't do so in the future. The police department also agreed to continue training its officers about First Amendment protection.
POLICE: RI MAN'S FAKE $100 BILLS HAD WRONG FACE: ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) — A Rhode Island man police say used counterfeit $100 bills to make purchases at a Target store made a critical mistake.
The bills had a picture of President Abraham Lincoln on them. Real $100 bills bear a picture of Benjamin Franklin. Lincoln's portrait graces the $5 bill.
Dana Leland of Central Falls, R.I., was held on $1,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty Wednesday in Attleboro District Court to charges of uttering a counterfeit note and possession of a counterfeit note.
The 29-year-old Leland used the fake notes on three consecutive days at the North Attleborough store to buy items worth less than $25.
SWIMMER'S BELLY BUTTON RING GETS CAUGHT ON DRAIN: GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — Firefighters in Colorado say a woman's belly button ring became entangled with a drain cover in a shallow splash pool but that she was freed without injury.
Authorities say the woman became stuck Wednesday as she floated on her stomach with her child in a shallow pool at the Greeley Family Funplex.
Firefighters tried to turn the ring to free her but then started to drain the pool while working to manipulate the ring.
They said Thursday that she eventually was freed and she wasn't hurt in the process.
FIBBERS VIE FOR WORLD'S BIGGEST LIAR CROWN: LONDON (AP) — Fantastic fibbers vied at a remote pub in northwestern England on Thursday for the title of world's biggest liar.
Judges were deliberating into the night after two hours of competition at the Bridge Inn in the Lake District hamlet of Santon Bridge. Contestants had five minutes to impress the judges with a whopping but convincing lie.
Last year's winner was nuclear power plant worker Glen Boyland, for an improbable story about racing snails with Prince Charles.
Politicians and lawyers are barred from entry, as they are considered to have an unfair advantage.
The competition was founded in honor of 19th-century Bridge Inn landlord Will Ritson, who was renowned for his tall tales.
HONOR AMONG THIEVES: ROBBER GIVES EX-CON A PASS: WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 51-year-old Wichita man has his wallet back after a would-be robber recognized him as a former fellow inmate.
Wichita police say the man was walking home from work late Wednesday when he was approached by two young men, including one with a gun.
The gunman demanded the victim's wallet and cellphone. As the older man handed over his wallet, the second suspect realized they had spent time together in prison.
Police say the suspects then stopped the robbery, returned the wallet and apologized before leaving the scene.
