Did you know a man was bitten by a snake at Walmart and is suing?

Wal-Mart is full of signs highlighting low prices, but there should be another warning customers that they might be attacked by snakes on the premises, a bitten shopper says.Hollywood resident Jay Richitelli filed suit against the mega retailer because a venomous pygmy rattlesnake bit him July 6 last year in the lawn and garden section of the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Pembroke Pines. He is seeking an unspecified amount in monetary damages in the Broward Circuit Court case. His attorneys said his medical bills could top $100,000.Richitelli, 42, was the third Floridian within a three-year span to fall victim to a pygmy rattler — a small, ill-tempered snake — slithering around a Wal-Mart garden center. Two men were attacked in separate incidents in 2006 at stores in Central Florida."Since it happened in the past, it was very foreseeable it could happen again," said Armando Paz, Richitelli's attorney.

Wal-Mart declined to discuss the attack because of the pending litigation."The safety of our customers is always the top priority," said Michelle Bradford, a spokeswoman at the chain's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.Snake attacks at department stores' garden centers are rare, said Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue Capt. Ernie Jillson, head of the agency's Venom Response Bureau. When they do happen, it's usually unclear whether the snake came in with plants or came onto the premises on its own, he said.Pygmy rattlers, which don't grow longer than 2 feet, are one of six species of venomous snakes in Florida. There are no recorded incidents of people dying from their bite, but their venom can cause nerve damage and other medical ailments, Jillson said.Richitelli, who works at his family's thrift store, said he was looking for plants for his father's home when the young rattler clamped onto his right hand."It felt like fire going through my arm," he said."I looked and the thing was latched on."Richitelli said he began swinging his arm trying to get the snake off, accidentally hitting a Wal-Mart employee with the rattler. When he finally shook off the snake, he stomped on it until it was dead, sat down and called 911, he said. more

Did you know Waynesville mom charge with distributing drugs?

WAYNESVILLE — Some mothers give their sons household chores like taking out the garbage or helping with the laundry. Stephanie Bowser is facing charges of having her 14-year-old son help cultivate marijuana.
Bowser was arrested at her Waynesville home Friday afternoon, after months of investigation that began at her former residence on Webbshaw Drive in Washington Twp. The investigation was launched after intelligence from more than one source, said Commander John Burke, with the Warren County Drug Task Force.
According to police, Bowser also gave a 16-year-old friend and her 17-year-old boyfriend prescription drugs to sell at school.
"It's an unusual case and a sad situation, really," Burke said.
Bowser, 38, is accused of distributing Darvocet, Xanax, Ultram and Wellbutrin. She also is charged with allowing Xanax to be sold at her home, and with possessing methadone.
She was indicted on 22 counts by the Montgomery County Grand Jury, including trafficking in drugs, endangering children and corrupting another with drugs.
Her son is with family members and has not been charged.
Bowser, an employee with Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, has security clearance at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Did you know that Householders to be charged for each flush of toilet?

HOUSEHOLDERS would be charged for each flush under a radical new toilet tax designed to help beat the drought.The scheme would replace the current system, which sees sewage charges based on a home's value - not its waste water output. CSIRO Policy and Economic Research Unit member Jim McColl and Adelaide University Water Management Professor Mike Young plan to promote the move to state and federal politicians and experts across the country. "It would encourage people to reduce their sewage output by taking shorter showers,recycling washing machine water or connecting rainwater tanks to internal plumbingto reduce their charges,''Professor Young said. "Some people may go as far as not flushing their toilet as often because the less sewage you produce, the less sewage rate you pay.'' Professor Young said sewer pricing needed to be addressed as part of the response to the water crisis. "People have been frightened to talk about sewage because it is yucky stuff, but it is critically important to address it, as part of the whole water cycle,'' he said. "We are looking at reforming the way sewage is priced and this plan will drive interest in the different ways water is used throughout Australia.'' The reform would see the abolition of the property-based charge with one based on a pay-as-you-go rate and a small fixed annual fee to cover the cost of meter readings and pipeline maintenance, Professor Young said. The pay-as-you-go rate would provide financial savings for those who reduce their waste water output. more

Did you know that Michael Jackson is planning on having auctions on his valuables?

Michael Jackson's iconic white glove and more than 2,000 other items from Neverland will go under the hammer in April - including his throne, his Rolls-Royce, three suits of armor, fine paintings, costumes, baubles, massive statuary, awards, furniture and even the gates to the ranch.
"Michael Jackson was a collector of everything," said Darren Julien, president of Julien's Auctions, which will conduct the sale from April 22 to 25 in Beverly Hills. "We've never seen a collection that is as extensive and eccentric as his."

A 1995 portrait of Jacko in Elizabethan dress, holding a crown on a pillow is estimated to fetch $4,000 to $6,000, and the gold-painted throne that sat outside bedroom has an estimated value of $1,500 to $2,500.
A 1999 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph limo with an interior the star adorned with 24-karat gold doodads could fetch $140,000 to $160,000.
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The glittery white glove Jackson wore for his stage performance of "Billie Jean" is estimated to fetch $10,000 to $15,000, and a special-effects robotic Michael Jackson head made for the 1988 film "Moonwalker" could fetch between $2,000 to $3000.
The conservative estimate for the total value of all the items on the block is $1.5. more

Did you know that 3 people that were booked on Continental Flight that crashed were saved because of the delay?

Three people booked on the Continental commuter flight that crashed and killed all 49 on board missed the plane because of a delay in their connection.
Dave Beckeny, Paul Dwaragowski and a third unidentified business associate were booked on Flight 3407 but never boarded the doomed plane because they were held up for five hours in New Orleans, WCBS 880 Radio in New York reported.
It was a delay that saved their lives.
Beckeny and Dwaragowski told the station in an interview that they are demolition construction workers who were to fly from New Orleans to Buffalo with a connection in Newark, N.J., where the Continental flight originated.
Beckeny said he got a call from his wife about the plane crash in Buffalo.
"It was pretty emotional," he told the station. "It's a scary feeling, knowing that we were supposed to be on that plane."
Dwaragowski said he received 10 phone calls informing him of the disaster.
"We're just shaking our heads," he said. "It was weird how it all came about."
The commuter prop jet was heading to Buffalo from Newark and was attempting to land in foggy, snowy weather when it dipped suddenly and crashed into a house in a Buffalo suburb, killing all 49 on board and 1 person in the home.
The three passengers who weren't on the plane have been scheduled for a 6:40 flight Saturday morning out of Newark.
"As much as I don’t want to go on this plane at all, I just want to see my family," Dwaragowski told WCBS.

Did you know thieves crashed 74 year old woman car to get her lottery money?

Thieves crash into 74-year-old Pasco woman to steal her lotto money
NEW PORT RICHEY -- A 74-year-old woman went into Publix on Wednesday morning to cash in her lottery money. Then, according to authorities, three people followed her out of the store, rear-ended her car and took off with her purse -- and her $580 winnings.
The woman, who is from New Port Richey, was driving on DeCubellis Road when the black pickup truck crashed into the back of her car, according to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report.
The driver motioned for her to pull over to the shoulder, which she did. The woman got out of her car to check the damage on her bumper and noticed that the three people in the pickup truck -- two men and a woman -- looked familiar, the report said. She realized she had seen them moments earlier at the Publix. Then one of the men opened her passenger door, stole her purse and then they all took off, according to the report.
In investigating the crime, authorities viewed video from Publix and identified the thief as Jonathan Carpenter, 36, of New Port Richey. He was arrested Thursday on a charge of vehicle burglary. According to his arrest report, he confessed to taking the woman's purse -- though he said the car was struck "unintentionally." more

Did you know congress passed the stimulas bill and no one read it?

WASHINGTON -- Congress passed the final version of a $787 billion economic stimulus plan aimed at jolting the slumping U.S. economy, sending the legislation to President Obama's desk for his signature.
Speaking in his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said Saturday, "I will sign this legislation into law shortly, and we'll begin making the immediate investments necessary to put people back to work doing the work America needs done."
He said the newly passed $787 billion economic stimulus legislation marks a "major milestone on our road to recovery."
At the same time, he cautioned, "This historic step won't be the end of what we do to turn our economy around, but rather the beginning. The problems that led us into this crisis are deep and widespread, and our response must be equal to the task."
The bill passed the Senate late Friday night with a vote of 60-38 after Democratic leadership held the vote open for several hours to allow one member, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, to return to Washington to cast the deciding vote. He had flown back from Ohio, where his mother died earlier in the week.
"We just passed this bill to help our struggling economy," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.
The House approved the measure earlier in the day by a vote of 246-183, with no Republican "yes" votes and one member voting present.
House Republicans remained united in their opposition to the package despite concerns among GOP leaders Thursday that at least a handful of Republicans would vote for it. Democrats picked up three of the 11 members who jumped ship to side with Republicans on the previous vote two weeks ago. more