NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Angel Trees In Malls, On The Air
The Angel Trees are in Nashville malls now. Kim Leslie from Mix 92.9 was at Rivergate Mall on Saturday to kick off the Salvation Army's biggest fundraising effort of the year. There are MORE ANGELS THAN EVER WHO NEED HELP, about a thousand more families with kids, disabled adults and elderly folks. You can also adopt through Mix 92.9 on the air, or online. Call Mix 92.9 at 737-0929, or go to Mix929.com and request your angels. All of the information is e-mailed or faxed to you at your home or office.

Thousands Flock To Annual 'Christmas Village' At Fairgrounds
Tennesseans didn't let a slow economy slow them down from shopping this weekend. About 30,000 people attended the 51st annual Christmas Village at the state fairgrounds this weekend. Though the future of the fairgrounds is still uncertain, organizers said they will be back at the location next year.

Titans Rout Panthers 30-3
The Tennessee Titans beat the Panthers 30-3 in Carolina on Sunday. The Titans are now 5-4 for the season, the team is away again next weekend to play the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome.

Tennessee Officer Injured During Hot Pursuit
A Lawrence County deputy is in Vanderbilt Hospital recovering after crashing while chasing a robbery suspect. Deputy Dennis Cody was maneuvering his car to keep the suspect from endangering oncoming traffic. The suspect, Jeremy Johnson, was on parole for aggravated robbery, but now he's back in jail.

Penn State Victims May Sue University
There's word that alleged victims of former Penn State Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky are preparing civil cases against the university. Media reports indicate the alleged victims will seek damages from Penn State for failing to act when it learned about the sexual abuse accusations against Sandusky. Eight victims are listed in a grand jury filing which was made public last week.

World Diabetes Day Is Today
Today Is World Diabetes Day. The theme of this year's World Diabetes Day is Education and Prevention. The World Health Organization estimates nearly 350 million people worldwide currently suffer from diabetes.

Lollipop-Swapping Parents Warned Against Practice
Some parents are taking part in a modern day version of a chicken pox party. Moms and dads, paranoid about having their children inoculated against diseases, are choosing instead to expose their kids to viruses from other infected children using candy. Chicken pox-laced lollipops are passed around in the mail because the parents believe swapping lollipops licked by a sick child will build immunity for their own kids later in life. Officials say it's not only dangerous to keep kids from being vaccinated then exposing them to diseases, but it's ILLEGAL to mail contaminated candy, and considered tampering. The issue involves a Nashville woman that was shipping and receiving adulterated products. Sending chicken pox-infected lollipops, swabs or vials of saliva to parents who want to infect their children and avoid vaccinations is not only illegal, it can be lethal, said Dr. Tim Jones, Tennessee's state epidemiologist.

Stratford High School Student Arrested For Carrying Loaded Weapon At School
Metro police officers arrested a 16-year-old Stratford High School junior Friday afternoon for carrying a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol to class. Another student relayed information to the school’s principal that the 16-year-old had the gun, and it was later discovered after the teen was searched in a hallway. Police said the gun contained 12 rounds of ammunition but none in the chamber. The student told police he had the pistol for protection and claimed to have bought it a couple of months ago. He was charged as a juvenile with unlawfully carrying a gun on school property.

New Guidelines Recommend Cholesterol Testing For Young Kids
New guidelines are recommending cholesterol testing for young children. The U.S. National Institutes of Health says children ages nine to eleven should be screened to avoid the development of heart disease. That's being backed up by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Previously, only youngsters with a family history of heart disease or cholesterol problems were recommended for screening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says some states have an obesity rate for children at over 30 percent.

Tennessee Ranks Among Favored States
Tennessee is near the top ten for where Americans want to live. The state ranks #12 in a new poll from Harris Interactive. Hawaii was rated number one.

Herman Cain Lead Drops
Sexual harassment allegations appear to be cutting into Herman Cain's lead in public opinion polls. The former Godfather's Pizza executive holds about a 25 percent lead over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the latest Politico/George Washington University Battleground Poll. A week ago Cain was the choice of 40-percent of those asked about their favorite for the Republican presidential nomination.

Cain's Wife Defends Him
Herman Cain's wife is defending the GOP presidential candidate against allegations of sexual harassment. In an interview that'll air tonight Gloria Cain says, "I'm thinking he would have to have a split personality to do the things that were said." Four women have made allegations of sexual harassment against Cain.

TN Muslims React To Womick Comments
Local Muslims are calling for disciplinary action against state Representative Rick Womick for saying Friday that Muslims should not be allowed to serve in the military. Islamic Center representatives say he needs to be reminded thousands of Muslims honorably serve in the armed forces and many have died.

Boxing Great Joe Frazier's Funeral Today
Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier's funeral is set for today in Philadelphia. Frazier's legendary boxing rival Muhammad Ali reportedly will be among those in attendance for the service. Frazier died last week from liver cancer. He was 67.

More Exercise, Less TV Cuts Depression
Older women who exercise more and watch TV less are least likely to be depressed. That's what a study of thousands of U.S. women found. Researchers say women who report exercising the most in recent years are 20-percent less likely to suffer from depression than women who seldom exercise. On the other hand, the more hours they spend watching TV, the higher their risk of depression.

Obama Says Jobs Top Priority
President Obama says putting Americans back to work is his administration's biggest priority right now. Obama made the comment yesterday at a news conference following the Asia-Pacifc meeting in Honolulu. The President said a good way to create jobs for Americans is to increase U.S. trade and exports. Obama also said he and the APEC leaders discussed ways to reach that goal.

NY Animal Lovers Call For End to Horse-Drawn Carriages
Lawmakers are joining animal lovers calling for the ban of horse drawn carriages in New York City. Queens Senator Tony Avella was among a few dozen animal rights activists gathered on City Hall steps yesterday. Avella says the practice is outdated as well as a safety hazard.

New Medicare Law Impacts Local Hospitals
Area hospitals may lose federal money once a new Medicare law kicks in. The government will withhold one-percent of Medicare payments to hospitals with higher-than-expected re-admission rates starting next year. Nashville has the highest re-admission rates in the state. The penalty increases a percent the following two years if the trend persists.