Mon, January 16, 2012

ANNUAL MLK DAY MARCH, EVENTS PLANNED
www.tennessean.com
Today is MLK Day, a federal holiday. Post offices and banks are closed. Some streets will be closed today as well, for Nashville's annual Martin Luther King Day march. It starts at 11 at the Jefferson Street Baptist Church, and goes to Tennessee State University's Gentry Center for a noon assembly.

MLK AROUND THE COUNTRY
America's First Family plans to mark MLK Day by taking part in a community service project in the Washington, DC area. Tonight, the President and First Lady Michelle Obama head to the Kennedy Center for a concert in honor of Dr. King's life and legacy.

TODAY IS MLK DAY OF SERVICE
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"
Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the King Holiday to serve their neighbors and communities.

FIND WAYS TO HELP IN YOUR AREA:
They include volunteering at a food pantry in Franklin, or even giving blood.

MLK PAPERS GOING ONLINE TODAY; WHERE TO SEE THEM
www.TheKingCenter.org
Some 200-thousand of Martin Luther King Junior's papers are going online today, as the nation marks the birthday of the late civil rights leader. The documents include a handwritten draft of King's acceptance speech for the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize and notes about the ending of his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. The papers are available for free viewing online at www.TheKingCenter.org

CRUISE SHIP LATEST
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/16/us-italy-ship-idUSTRE80D08220120116
Six bodies were recovered from the cruise ship off Italy's west coast, when it dislodged from the rocks, and rescuers had to stop searching the submerged cabins. The captain of the Costa Concordia was arrested on Saturday, and is accused of manslaughter and abandoning his ship before all of the more than 4,200 people on board had been evacuated. He appears to have made "serious errors of judgment" and brought the ship too close to shore where it hit a rock that tore a huge hole in the hull. The disaster happened as passengers were sitting down to dinner on Friday night, causing panic, passengers fighting for life boats, and some people leaping into the icy sea. There are still more than a dozen people unaccounted for.

NASHVILLE'S NEWS 2 PRODUCER THANKFUL FOR POSTPONING ITALIAN CRUISE
http://www.wkrn.com/story/16521520/nashvilles-news-2-producer-thankful-for-postponing-italian-cruise
A Nashville woman was supposed to be on that cruise but got a new job as News 2's weekend morning producer, and had to postpone. Monica Volante says it was surreal to see the massive cruise ship lying on its side. She says she believes everything happens for a reason, and thanked her lucky stars she got the new job and had to stay home.

GOLDEN GLOBES FASHION
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/celebritology/post/golden-globes-red-carpet-10-best-and-worst-dressed/2012/01/15/gIQA1TxR2P_blog.html

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD FANS CHOOSE BEST, WORST-DRESSED WOMEN AT GOLDEN GLOBES
Best: Angelina Jolie for her white, form-fitting Versace gown, followed by Jessica Alba. Charlize Theron and Sofia Vergara are the only other stars receiving at least ten-percent of the vote. Meanwhile, a third of the respondents in a separate poll think Sarah Michelle Gellar was the worst dressed woman at the event. A quarter would give that title to Piper Perabo, while 15-percent weren't at all impressed with what Zooey Deschanel was wearing at the ceremony. The "New Girl" star also made headlines for her tuxedo-patterned nail polish, a snapshot of which started making the rounds online during Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards. See more photos here: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/golden-globes-2012-best-worst-dressed-stars-gallery-1.1006848

GOLDEN GLOBES WINNERS
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/grammer-wins-globe-for-boss-3-movie-stars-take-tv-jobs/2012/01/15/gIQAB3hz1P_story.html?tid=pm_entertainment_pop
The names were familiar: Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Claire Danes, Laura Dern and Jessica Lange. The television work for which they were honored by the Golden Globes Sunday night wasn’t.They are actors largely known for their work in film or in shows on commercial broadcast networks. Each took Golden Globe trophies for roles on new cable television series that won critical acclaim and commercial success in the past year, sometimes both. Read more:

TENNESSEE POWERBALL TICKET PRICES GO UP
http://www.wbir.com/news/article/197773/2/Powerball-tickets-go-up-to-2
It'll cost you more today to buy a Powerball Lottery ticket. Powerball ticket prices have doubled, from one dollar to two.. but the minimum prize has also doubled, from 20-million to 40 million dollars. More people play when the jackpot is higher. It's suppposed to give you better odds of winning as well... and make the second highest prize level go from $200,000 to a million dollars.

BASE JUMPERS ARRESTED IN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE
http://www.wsmv.com/story/16523486/base-jumpers-arrested-in-downtown
Metro Nashville Police arrested a pair of thrill-seekers around 5 yesterday morning. The men has jumped, with parachutes, from the downtown Sheraton Hotel, and landed on Legislative plaza. It looked like the men were going to drop their parachutes and get into a waiting pickup, but were stopped by police. They claim it's legal to BASE jump, and say they do it all over the world, but local detectives say the men will face felony reckless endangerment charges.
"BASE" is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and Earth (cliffs).

CRACKER BARREL'S FOUNDER DIES
The man who co-founded Cracker Barrel has passed away. Danny Evins died at his home in Lebanon Saturday night, surrounded by family. He was 76... and had been struggling with cancer. Evins helped open the first Cracker Barrel off Highway 109 in Lebanon in 1969. Today there are more than 600 stores in 42 states with more than 67-thousand employees.

HEALTH; MAGNESIUM LOWERS STROKE RISK
It's hard to remember all the things you're supposed to eat... so here's what to have for lunch today: foods with magnesium. Like a spinach salad, with nuts on top, beans, whole grains. A new study shows your stroke risk falls about nine-percent for every 100 milligrams of magnesium you eat per day. Federal guidelines recommend adults get between about 300 and 400 milligrams everyday. (Researchers say it's unclear if taking a daily magnesium supplement would provide the same benefits against stroke. The study appears in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.")

GET DEALS AT LOCAL RESTAURANTS THIS WEEK
http://www.wsmv.com/story/16520209/local-eateries-offer-deals-for-restaurant-week
And this would be a good week to dine out. Dozens of Nashville restaurants have teamed up to participate in what's called Nashville Originals' Restaurant Week. Restaurants are offering special deals to encourage you to try them out. You can get that list online as well.

HEALTH: RED CROSS FINED FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Federal regulators are slapping the American Red Cross with a fine for violating blood-safety rules. The FDA is fining the organization more than nine-million dollars for failing to correct violations that raised the risk ill-suited and potentially dangerous blood would be used in transfusions. The Red Cross is the nation's largest blood bank and has received more than a dozen similar citations since 2003.

HUNTSMAN LEAVES PRESIDENTIAL RACE
Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is stepping down from his presidential bid. That'll cut the competition down to five major Republican candidates.

NASHVILLE FAIRGROUNDS SET FOR RACING
Racing fans are getting ready for the 2012 season, which will go on as planned at the Nashville Fairgrounds speedway. A public push from fans convinced the city of Nashville to postpone closing the fairgrounds for at least one more season, so the track will host monthly races starting in April.

FDA RESTRICTING ANTIBIOTIC USE IN LIVESTOCK
The FDA is set to begin restricting antibiotic use in livestock and poultry. The agency is banning the use of certain antibiotics in cattle, chicken, turkeys and swine in an effort to prevent people from developing a resistance to the drugs. ( The new ban doesn't apply to "minor species" like ducks and rabbits. The ban takes effect in April.)

RUSSIAN PROBE CRASHES INTO OCEAN
A Russian scientific probe designed to study a Mars moon has crashed into the Pacific Ocean. The probe never even made it out of Earth's orbit. The 13-tons spacecraft was one of the heaviest manmade objects to make an uncontrolled dive back to Earth.

KEITH URBAN RETURNING TO STAGE AFTER SURGERY
http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Country-star-Keith-Urban-returning-to-stage/mZ79GmOfZkGHUy_Fds7XJw.cspx?rss=2085
Keith Urban has recovered enough from his vocal cord surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, that he's got his comeback show planned. He'll be on the Grand Ole Opry Feb 3rd, at the Ryman.

HEALTH: STUDY LINKS NURSES' MISCARRIAGES TO CHEMICALS
Evidence is mounting that exposure to chemotherapy drugs is linked to miscarriages in the nurses who work with them. Scientists at the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety say the nurses who handled chemo drugs or sterilizing chemicals were twice as likely to have a miscarriage as nurses who didn't. (The new study comes after previous research failed to agree on a link between the chemicals and miscarriages. It also found that nurses who gave X-rays had a slightly higher risk of miscarriage when compared to nurses who didn't. Two-million women in the U.S. work as nurses. Results of the study are published in the "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.")

TENNESSEE GETS "C+" REPORT CARD
An annual report by "Education Week" has ranked Tennessee just above the national average with a "C-plus." The report assigns a grade based on data for K-through-12 student achievement, teacher effectiveness, curriculum and academic standards, funding and governance. Maryland scored the highest with a "B-plus."

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BEATEN FOR 'TEBOWING' AFTER VICTORY
Two high school students are recovering after they were reportedly beaten for "Tebowing" during their school's weekend victory in basketball over a rival school. The Charleston "Post and Courier" reports that after their school, Wando High, defeated rival Ashley by 20 points, Ashley supporters punched and kicked them as they walked across the Ashley High parking lot. During the game the boys struck the single-knee praying pose of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.