Fri, January 20, 2012

DOLLYWOOD/GAYLORD WATER/SNOW PARK BRINGS JOBS!
She's already created successes such as: Dollywood, Splash Country water park, the Dixie stampede, and Pirate's Voyage dinner theaters... Now, Dolly Parton has announced she's building a combination Water and Snow Park in Nashville.. .that'll open in spring of 2014. They expect half a million guests the first year at the theme park, and more good news for our local economy: that means they'll have to hire as many as 450 people. So far no word on what the park will be named.

RICK PERRY DROPS OUT
We're narrowing the race for President. Texas Governor Rick Perry dropped out of the Republican race yesterday, then announced he's endorsing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

HOUSE PASSES ANTI-INCOME TAX AMENDMENT
Tennessee's anti-income tax amendment is one step closer to going in front of the voters. The state House of Representatives approved the wording yesterday of a state constitutional amendment that would prohibit an income tax being imposed in Tennessee. The Legislature will have to vote on it again in the next two years for it to go on a ballot.

MORE THAN A QUARTER OF HIGH-TECH JOBS HAVE RELOCATED TO ASIA
More than a quarter of the high-tech manufacturing jobs in the U.S. have relocated to Asia during the past decade. That's 687 thousand jobs gone. (A report from the National Science Board indicates) the number of high-tech manufacturing jobs in the U.S. has slid by 687-thousand, or 28-percent between 2000 and 2010.

HEALTH; HEART ATTACK NOT THE END FOR LOVE LIFE
In the "olden days" when one had a heart attack, that pretty much meant them being afraid of any excitement for fear of a second attack. The American Heart Association is out with the most comprehensive review it's ever done on the subject and says most people can get back to a normal life and a normal love life a week after having an uncomplicated heart attack.

TALL MEN LESS LIKELY TO HAVE HEART ATTACKS
In a related story, a Harvard Medical School study finds tall men 24% less likely to report having heart attacks than men under 5 feet tall.

TN SHOPLIFTING MOM RUNS, LEAVING DAUGHTER BEHIND
An Ashland City woman has been charged with child abuse and neglect earlier this week after she allegedly left her daughter behind at a Clarksville Walmart, after the two were caught shoplifting. The 36-year-old is charged with child abuse and neglect, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

TENNESSEE UNEMPLOYMENT FALLS BELOW 9 PERCENT
Unemployment in Tennessee fell to 8.7 percent in December, marking the third straight month the rate has dropped... it's down from 9 in a hundred being out of work the month before. This is the fewest people Tennessee's had out of work since December 2008.

OLYPIC GOLD MEDALIST SARAH BURKE DIES
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/sports/skiing/sarah-burke-canadian-freestyle-skier-dies-from-injuries.html
Just over a week ago Sarah Burke, a top Canadian freestyle skier from Ontario, fell and hit her head during a training run. She lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital. Yesterday, nine days after the fall, she passed away. She was a four-time gold medalist at the Winter X Games and helped campaign to have halfpipe skiing added to the Olympic program in 2014. Sarah Burke was 29.

SEATTLE IN THE DARK
Snow, freezing rain and ice are blamed for a quarter-million homes and businesses being without power in the Seattle area.... not only are they in the dark, but it's really cold there, so they're freezing.

GM TOP SELLER IN WORLD
General Motors is the world sales leader again. The automaker reports selling just over nine-million vehicles in 2011. GM is number one in sales just two years after emerging from bankruptcy. Volkswagen was second in global sales and Toyota was third.

HEALTH: LUNG ASSOCIATION REPORT CARD FOR NATION, STATES
A new report card on the effort to cut tobacco-related disease recognizes federal efforts but gives states low marks. The American Lung Association study applauds the federal government, saying President Obama has "confronted the tobacco epidemic head-on." The low grade for states is based on what the association calls a poor job in fighting tobacco-related illnesses last year. The president of the association charges that states are dropping proven ways of protecting children from tobacco use. The report points out that more than 440-thousand people die yearly from tobacco-related diseases and exposure to secondhand smoke. The group estimates that tobacco use has an annual pricetag of more than 190-billion dollars. That figure includes healthcare costs and lost productivity.

SUMNER MAN SELLS HUNDREDS OF TICKETS TO NON-EXISTENT CONCERT
http://www.wkrn.com/story/16557830/man-sells-hundreds-of-tickets-to-non-existent-concert
A Sumner County man has been arrested for selling hundreds of tickets to a non-existent concert. 58 year-old Ronald Higdon was caught in a Gallatin Parking lot Wednesday afternoon… selling tickets to see Michael Twitty, the son of the late Conway Twitty, at the Renaissance Center in Dickson. There is no such concert. Higdon's wife was also arrested (classy), for attacking a deputy trying to make the arrest. If you bought one of the tickets, you're asked to call the Sumner County Sheriff's Department at 615-452-2616.

UNAUTHORIZED TAYLOR SWIFT BIO ON DVD
Taylor Swift's life story is now on film. "Taylor Swift American Beauty" is an unauthorized biographical movie that's out on DVD and on-demand. It follows Taylor's life beginning with her family's move to Nashville through the release of her debut album at the age of 17. She's 21 now, and has sold more than 34 million digital tracks and 41 million albums.

PRESIDENT OBAMA SINGS AT APOLLO THEATER
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/obama-al-green-apollo-theater_n_1218070.html
President Barack Obama showed a new talent last night during a campaign fundraiser at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, in the New York City borough of Manhattan.
Obama stood there in front of the mic, said it was inspiring to stand on the same stage where singers like Al Green had stood, then he broke into Green's song "Let's Stay Together." The crowd loved it. 
SEE IT HERE http://youtu.be/T-hDt2E8MoE
There were about 1400 people at the fundraiser, including Al Green, who sang later.

MID-STATE 9/11 RESCUE DOG UNDERGOES STEM CELL RESEARCH
http://www.wkrn.com/story/16558568/mid-state-911-rescue-dog-undergoes-stem-cell-research
A Mid-State black Labrador that assisted with the events days after September 11, 2001 has found pain relief after undergoing stem cell research. Bailey, underwent the procedure last November in an attempt to help alleviate severe arthritis. Doctors removed cells from the 15-year-old dog's body, re-constituted the cells and injected them back into her veins. Since undergoing the procedure, Bailey's owner Keith Lindley, told Nashville's News 2 the results have been incredible. "She's like a dog again," said Lindley, continuing, "She's able to exercise, follow me around again. She's got a little more giddy-up in her step."

TOM HANKS, SANDRA BULLOCK MOVIE THIS WEEKEND
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" opens this weekend, starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, Viola Davis (from "The Help"), and a brand new, young actor, Thomas Horn. This is the 12 year-old who had never stood in front of a movie camera, and was discovered when he was on the kids' edition of Jeopardy!
PEOPLE Magazine calls "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" the best movie of the year. It's Rated PG-13.