ODDLY ENOUGH

ODDLY ENOUGH

Man dumps nontoxic green dye into Alaska creek as a prank

KETCHIKAN, Alaska

Authorities say the green water flowing in the Ketchikan Creek that caused some panic and drew a response from multiple agencies was the result of a prank.

Officials have determined that the dye dumped into the water Wednesday is non-toxic. Ketchikan police talked to the man responsible for the dye, but he was not arrested or cited.

“It was just a prank,” Officer Charles Johnson told The Ketchikan Daily News. “He happened to come across some sort of plumbing dye that they use for testing – checking for leaks and stuff – and thought it’d be funny to throw it in the creek and make people wonder why the creek was green.”

The Ketchikan Fire Department also responded to the creek after reports of the green water. While the incident may have initially been a concern for fire crews, police and residents who first discovered the green creek, Johnson said he did not see the activity as criminal.

“They already confirmed that the substance was nontoxic. ... I think the biggest problem was the slight panic of everybody trying to respond to a possible environmental disaster when there wasn’t one,” Johnson said.

Trump top suggestion to replace Robert E. Lee school name

AUSTIN, Texas

A YU-U-U-GE name is the most-popular suggested replacement name for a Texas elementary school named after the top hero of the Confederacy.

Donald J. Trump Elementary was the most-popular suggestion with 45 submissions out of 240 received, according to Austin Independent School District officials.

The second-most-popular suggestion was 34 submissions to keep the present name. Other popular namesakes included author Harper Lee and artist Russell Lee.

The Texas capital’s school board voted last month to replace the Confederate general as the school name. It could decide on a new name May 23.

Ohio police seek suspect in theft of teeth whitening kits

COLUMBUS

Police are seeking an Ohio man accused of stealing more than $2,500 in teeth-whitening kits, and so far, has made a clean getaway.

Officials say the 46-yeary-old suspect is accused of taking only Crest-brand teeth-whitening strips in numerous thefts over the past two months. The thefts took place at stores in and around Columbus. Officials say the suspect stole $420 worth of teeth-whitening strips from one store in Ohio’s capital city.

Officials say it’s unusual to see so many thefts of the same brand of product. They continue to investigate.

Associated Press