Thursday, August 2, 2012

STORMS MOVE THROUGH, LEAVING DEBRIS
Be careful on your ride in today. Not only will you have school zones to think about... you may find debris on the road after the strong storms that moved through last night.

PRIMARY ELECTIONS
Voters go to the polls today for state primary elections and some local races. There are new identification requirements and some voting districts are changing... so there's potential for confusion. The election commission has set up a hotline to deal with questions. (That number is 1-877-850-4959.)
Tennessee's 6th Congressional District Republican primary today could turn on which candidate is more opposed to Islam and a mosque that hasn't opened yet. The challenger claims the current Representative hasn't been forceful enough in her opposition to the mosque in Murfreesboro. 
Polls are open 7 to 7. More than 320-thousand Tennesseans voted early.

JC PENNEY OFFERS FREE HAIRCUTS TO KIDS
JCPenney Salons are offering free back to school haircuts to kids in kindergarten through 6th grade... and they're doing it through the end of August. You just find a salon in your area and make an appointment.

PLANES CLOSE CALL
Three planes nearly crashed in mid-air at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, DC this week.  Air traffic controllers sent two outbound flights into the path of a landing aircraft Tuesday afternoon. The controllers corrected course about 12 seconds before the planes would have collided.  

SUPER STRENGTH: DAUGHTER RESCUES DAD PINNED UNDER CAR
Did you hear about the 22 year old woman who lifted a CAR by herself to save a life? Her FATHER got pinned underneath a car while fixing a flat, and the woman says she didn't think... she just lifted the corner of the BMW up... someone pulled him out and she started chest compressions, getting him breathing again. Dad's going to be okay, the daughter, Lauren, insists she's not a hero; she just loves her dad.

16-PERCENT OF METRO STUDENTS HISPANIC 
The look of Metro classrooms is changing. The Hispanic population is still growing quickly. Up 3% in the past three years.... to 16% of students in Metro Schools.

WORLD'S LONGEST YARD SALE THIS WEEKEND
And bargain hunters are gearing up for the Annual "World's Longest Yard Sale." It's today through Sunday along U.S. 127. You can get the info at www.127sale.com
(The sale runs from Michigan -- through Tennessee -- to Alabama, along US 127) 

TOYOTA RECALL
Toyota is recalling 760,000 RAV4 utility vehicles and 18,000 Lexus hybrid cars to correct problems in the rear suspension that could cause wrecks. The RAV4 cars were made from model years 2006 through 2011, while only 2010 models of the hybrids were affected. You should get a recall notice from your dealer if your car is affected.

CHICK FIL-A SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS
Same-sex marriage supporters and opponents met at Chick-fil-A restaurants across the nation yesterday. People across the country got stirred up over remarks made by the restaurant's president in support of traditional marriage... and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee then suggested that yesterday should be "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day."  

LACK OF SLEEP MAY MAKE VACCINES LESS EFFECTIVE
Some vaccines may not work as well in people who don't get a good night's sleep. A new study suggests you need at least 6 hours of sleep to be adequately protected. Lack of sleep has detrimental effects on your immune system processes that are important for vaccine response.

PSYCHIATRIST WARNED AHEAD OF TIME ABOUT JAMES HOLMES
There are reports out of Denver today that there were warning signs before James Holmes went on a shooting spree in a movie theater. Dr. Lynne Fenton told other members of the University of Colorado Behavioral Evaluation and Threat Assessment team, six weeks before the July 20th shooting, that she believed James Holmes could be a potential threat to others. The information wasn't followed up .... because Holmes left the school. 

MEN'S SWIMMING TONIGHT IN OLYMPIC GAMES
There'll be abs flashing all over the place tonight at the Olympic games...    U.S. swimming rivals Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte [[ LOCK-tee ]] will square off once again in today's finals of the men's 200-meter individual medley.  Lochte beat Phelps by just under a second in the first of yesterday's two semifinal heats.  Lochte beat Phelps in the 400-meter individual medley on Saturday.

HOW MUCH ARE OLYMPIC MEDALS REALLY WORTH?
And how much are those medals handed out at the London 2012 Summer Olympics REALLY worth? As collectors' items, they're really precious. But, according to the raw materials that go into them: a gold medal --which is actually just gold--plated.... is worth 644 dollars. A silver medal has more copper in it, and is worth 330 bucks, and a bronze medal is copper, zinc and tin... and is worth less than 5 dollars. 

SENATOR BACKS TAX BREAK FOR OLYMPIANS
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is backing a tax break for Olympic athletes.  The "Miami Herald" reports Rubio is the author of a bill to exempt medal winners from taxes on their awards.  Gold medal winners get 25-thousand dollars, silver medalists get 15-thousand and bronze medalists get ten-thousand. Then they have to pay taxes on that money.

ETHEL KENNEDY WOULD APPROVE OF GRANDSON DATING TAYLOR SWIFT
Taylor Swift's rumored romance with Conor Kennedy is getting a big stamp of approval.  "The New York Daily News" says Robert Kennedy's widow Ethel Kennedy -- Conor's grandmother -- is in favor of the relationship.  Taylor and Ethel first met several months ago and the two got along well, but Ethel says she hasn't played matchmaker with her 18-year-old grandson and the 22-year-old country star.  However, she says the Kennedys would be lucky to have Swift become part of the family.  Ethel's daughter Rory adds that Swift is "a great friend of the family."  But neither Ethel or Rory are confirming that Taylor and Conor are an item.  The Kennedy women were asked about the rumored relationship while talking to TV critics about Rory's upcoming bio-documentary "Ethel" in Beverly Hills Wednesday. 

JERMAINE JACKSON BOWS OUT OF MICHAEL JACKSON ESTATE FEUD
Jermaine Jackson is taking his name out of the letter that has launched a war of words among members of his family.  In a statement to CNN, the singer said he would rescind his signature from the letter that was sent to the estate of his late brother Michael Jackson.  The letter, which was originally signed by Jermaine, Tito, Janet, Rebbie and Randy Jackson, accused executors of Michael's estate of falsifying the late pop star's will, which left much of his fortune to his mother and children and nothing to his siblings.  Tito Jackson was the first to withdraw his signature from the letter last week.  In following his brother's lead Jermaine says he hopes his gesture will be seen as an "olive branch" in the ongoing feud that has fractured the family.
Things came to a head last week when sheriff's deputies were called to the home of Jermaine's mother, Katherine Jackson, over reports of a domestic dispute.  A judge also gave temporary custody of Michael's three kids to Tito's son, TJ Jackson, after the children were unable to reach their grandmother for several days.  Katherine is now said to be requesting shared guardianship with TJ.  Jermaine, Randy, Janet and Rebbie have reportedly been banned from visiting their mother's home for the moment.