Thursday, December 27, 2012

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS NEW ENGLAND GETTING SNOW TODAY
The National Weather Service says northern New England will get a up to a foot-and-a-half of snow today. This is part of that same powerful snowstorm that's been dumping on states in the nation's midsection. Airlines have already cancelled about 200 flights.

TALKS TO AVOID FISCAL CLIFF
Another round of talks will get underway today among President Obama and members of Congress to try and avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. If lawmakers don't reach a deal before the end of the year, you'll see a two percent tax increase next year, and certain tax breaks for businesses will go away.

CONNECTICUT SAYS, 'THANK YOU, BUT PLEASE STOP SENDING STUFF.'
It's been AMAZING, the outpouring of messages, prayers and support for the people in Connecticut... where 20 young children and six adults were gunned down at school. However, the people there are now asking you to STOP SENDING toys, stuffed animals and other gifts. The Newtown police chief says they appreciate the gestures, but they're just overflowing with the toys and it's just causing problems at this point. 

MEN CAUGHT STEALING MONEY FROM CHRISTMAS CARDS
Police arrested two men Wednesday for allegedly stealing money from Christmas cards. Cops saw three men dressed in black... going through mail, taking out cash and checks and throwing the rest in a creek in nashville... they arrested two of the guys.

CHRISTMAS TREE DROP OFF RECYCLE SITES ANNOUNCED
When you take down that Christmas tree, Nashville officials encourage you to recycle it, now through the middle of February. The tree drop-off locations are open at nine local parks and a recreation center. After those trees are chopped up, you can buy that good mulch for your garden. If you're unable to haul the tree there yourself, members of the Hillwood High school band will pick it up on one of the first three Saturdays of January, for a 10 dollar donation to the band program. (call 862-8640 or www.nashville.gov/pw.)

GEORGE H.W. BUSH IN INTENSIVE CARE
Friends of former President George H.W. Bush are worried that his health may be in a dangerous decline. The 88 year old is in the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital, where he was admitted November 23. He spent Christmas at the hospital and hasn't been able to shake off a cough, and, more recently, a fever. Doctors have placed him on a liquid diet so he can rebuild his strength.

BUSIEST WEEK OF YEAR FOR GOODWILL
This is the biggest week of the year for Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee.  People are cleaning out their toy chests and closets to make room for new stuff, and to get the tax deduction. If you make your donation before january 1st, you can claim it as a charity contribution on your income taxes.

MILK PRICES COULD GO TO 7 DOLLARS A GALLON
As our lawmakers continue to talk about the budget, we're hearing more about things that'll change if they don't come up with a solution. That includes the cost of milk, possibly going up to as much as 7 dollars a gallon. The current agriculture bill expired this summer, and temporary aid to farmers is set to expire on Jan. 1st.

TDOT SIGNS SHOW RECORD DEATH RATE ON NASH ROADS
If you notice, those TDOT signs now say we've had 998 fatalities on Tennessee roads this year. So far that's 60 more than last year, and the most ever in one year in the state.

MTSU STUDENT KILLED IN WEST TENNESSEE CRASH
A student at Middle Tennessee State University was one of the most recent traffic deaths. 19 year-old Taylor Stahlman lost control of her car on an icy road, and crashed into a ditch. She was not wearing her seat belt, and was ejected from the vehicle and killed.

SOBER RIDE AVAILABLE AGAIN THIS NEW YEAR'S EVE
To keep the drunkies off the roads... the Davidson county sheriff's department is offering its sober ride program. You can go to a pickup location... from 11pm New Year's Eve to 3am January 1st... at 6th and Broadway, or on Demonbreun Street... and get a ride home, no questions asked.  Operation hours are from 11 p.m. New Year's Eve until 3 a.m. New Year's Day. 

NO BULLIES: KIND KIDS ARE MOST POPULAR
New research indicates that kids who are kinder are also happier and more popular. This finding suggests that simple and brief acts of kindness might help reduce bullying, the researchers say.

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR MUSIC CITY BOWL
Tickets are still available for next week's Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.  This is the 15th year for the annual game, which has helped transform the week between Christmas and New Year's Day into one of Nashville's busiest tourism times.  Vanderbilt and North Carolina State will play each other on Monday at LP Field.

ANGEL TREE ADOPTIONS A SUCCESS
The Salvation Army says, although it was a close call, there near the deadline, that all of the 18-THOUSAND children and elderly Angels on its Angel Tree this year were adopted, and had a nice Christmas because of you. That's more local people than ever before. But... the Salvation army still need volunteers and donations for all the other things they do during the year including a Soup Wagon for the homeless on Friday nights, and the summer camp for at-risk kids. www.salarmy-nashville.org

THINGS THIS GENERATION CAN'T RELATE TO
Every year Beloit College in Beloit, WI, publishes what it calls "The Mindset List" -- facts and figures about the incoming crop of freshmen so professors will be able to relate to their new students. The class of 2016 -- the kids who are freshmen this year -- were born in 1994.
They have spent much of their lives helping their parents understand that you don't take pictures on "film" and that CDs and DVDs are not "tapes."  
They don't know who "the Kennedy family" is, and Bill Clinton is some old politician... and they don't know much of anything, about his presidency.
They have never seen an airplane "ticket," and can't picture people actually carrying luggage through airports rather than rolling it.
Their parents never bought a set of encyclopedias, their school yearbooks have always been digital and they watch television everywhere but on a television.
This year's freshmen have never lived without an internet.