Tues, January 10, 2012

HALO OVER TEBOW AND GAME
Even if you're not a football fan you've probably heard about Tim Tebow. He's the Denver Bronco who gets down on one knee and says a prayer at football games. Well at Sunday's game, where he helped them beat the Steelers, someone snapped a photo of what they're saying is a HALO of smoke that appeared over Mile High Stadium in Denver. It appeared just after the Broncos scored their first field goal. Even better, commentators noted that Tebow threw a total of 316 yards, and compared it to the Bible verse John 3:16, which Tebow wrote on his eye paint when he was playing for the Florida Gators. You can see a photo here of the so-called Halo.

SONIC THIEF STEALS GREASE
In Lebanon, Tennessee, a man tried to rob the Sonic Drive-In at gunpoint, as the manager and an employee closed up for the night. The manager thought quickly, and threw a garbage bag full of grease at the robber, who then shot the Sonic manager, but then picked up the bag of grease and ran. He and another suspect left in a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse. Police say they're not sure why the crooks took the grease. Maybe they thought it was a big bag of money. Wet, sloshy money. The Sonic manager was treated and released at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

DRIVER WHO’S ALREADY KILLED A WOMAN GETS 6TH DUI
A Shelbyville man who was charged with killing a 20 year old woman ... as he drove drunk back in 1992... has been arrested again..... his 6th time.... for DUI. 39 year-old Shawn Woods was clocked driving 101 miles-per-hour in a 60 mile-per-hour zone on I65 South near McEwen Drive. He was charged with felony DUI, his fifth offense for driving on a revoked license, speeding, reckless driving, possession of drug paraphernalia and not having proof of insurance. He goes to court next Thurs.)

HOUSTON WEATHER PROBLEMS
A tornado, hail, rain, and wind caused property damage, flooding and power outages in Houston. Tornado-related damage forced closure of the Mall of the Mainland in Texas City yesterday afternoon, and Up to half-a-foot of rain fell in some areas.

NEWS: OBAMA CHIEF OF STAFF QUITS
President Obama's White House Chief of Staff is quitting. Bill Daley had held the job for about a year.

HEALTH: SCHUMER WARNS FDA ABOUT NEW SUPER PAINKILLERS
New York Senator Charles Schumer is urging the Federal Drug Administration to greatly limit the availability of a new super-drug reportedly ten-times more powerful than Vicodin. Schumer's concern comes at a time when prescription drug abuse and theft is on the rise. Schumer wrote a letter to the FDA urging them to proceed with caution when it comes to approving drugs more powerful than Oxycontin or Vicodin. The upside to the painkillers is that they can be take by people who have liver disease or damage, unlike pain relievers which contain acetaminophen.

FIRST PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
Polls are opening this morning as the nation's first presidential primary of the election season takes place today in New Hampshire. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is a heavy favorite to win the Republican primary.

SUIPREME COURT TAKES UP FCC DECENCY CASE
You may see and hear a lot more profanity and nudity on TV... The Supreme Court is taking up a case to decide whether the Federal Communications Commission has the right to police decency on public airwaves. Right now the FCC can fine broadcasters for obscene language and offensive images, but they're being asked to decide whether FCC decency enforcement violates free speech rights of broadcasters.

DEPUTIES CHARGED IN TWO ABUSE SUITS
There's another charge of Humphrey's county sheriff's deputies beating people. A lawsuit filed by a Humphrey's County man is the latest accusation. Another man filed a suit last month accusing some of the same individuals of beating him without provocation. Deputy Timothy Hedge and Waverly Police Officer Joseph Parnell are named as defendants in both cases.

HEALTH: NICOTINE REPLACEMENTS DON'T HELP SMOKERS QUIT
Have you quit smoking using gum or nicotine patches? A new study from the Harvard University School of Public Health finds that using the replacement therapies didn't make much difference in how many smokers relapsed after quitting. In fact HEAVY smokers who used the gum, patches or sprays WITHOUT professional help were twice as likely to start smoking again as those who didn't use the therapies. (Researchers say only a few people used the replacement therapies for the full recommended 8-week period.)

TENNESSEE RECOGNIZED FOR EDUCATION PROGRAM PROGRESS
The federal government is giving stellar reviews to Tennessee for first-year Race to the Top progress. The state won funding through the program in 2010 and is one of a handful of states recognized for tying teachers job reviews to student test scores. The review gave Tennessee points for its partnership with the University of Tennessee and Batelle Memorial Institute to further technology, science and math achievement in high schools.

ELECTIONS COMMISSION SUES BRENTWOOD
The Williamson County Elections Commission is suing the Brentwood Library for access to establish an early voting location for the 2012 elections. "The Tennessean" reports City Manager Mike Walker calls the move "unbelievable," regarding it as a power-play to take over a public building. The commission says state code allows it choose which building to use for voting and the denial violates state law.

COMMENTATOR PAT BUCHANAN OUT AFTER APPEARING ON HATE CHANNEL
Commentator Pat Buchanan is out indefinitely at MSNBC. The civil rights organization ColorOfChange claims the Republican has been suspended. The move comes after Buchanan appeared on white nationalist radio program dubbed The Political Cesspool. ColorOfChange describes the radio program as being racist, sexist, anti-gay and anti Semitic.

WALMART TO ADD KIOSKS FOR FREE TAX FILING FOR SHOPPERS
Shoppers can already go to Walmart to cash their checks and pay bills, soon they can file their taxes there, too. Walmart is going to have Jackson-Hewitt and H&R Block kiosks in its stores, where filers who use the 1040EZ form can stop in and file for free. Find a store near you: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/Event-Detail.aspx?txtEventId=843

DEPT OF AG CLOSURES AFFECT NASH
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is shutting down hundreds of offices across the country to save 150-million dollars a year. They'll close 259 offices, labs and other facilities, along with close to half a dozen foreign offices. There'll be 19 USDA closures in Tennessee... including in Nashville.

FRANKLIN OKS REDISTRICTING PLAN; RELOCATES STUDENTS
Franklin School Board members are going ahead with a redistricting plan attempting to balance student representation of varying socio-economic backgrounds. The plan calls for five new school zones effective next August. It relocates 270 kindergartners through eighth-grade students.

LEBANON HOUSING OFFICIALS CONSIDER ID PROGRAM TO CUT CRIME
Now that we have an ID program in Tennessee....local housing agencies think it'll help cut down on crime. Lebanon's Housing Authority for example says most of the crime in their public housing comes from people not on the lease... and requiring IDs for everyone 13 and older will make residents more accountable for who they let 'stay' with them.

WINNING LOTTO TICKET BOUGHT IN HENDERSONVILLE
There was a winning lottery ticket sold at an IGA Express in Hendersonville. The winner, however, is a guy who reportedly lives in Florida. He wins a million dollars, the store gets 5-thousand for selling it.

SHEEN SAYS WILD DAYS ARE OVER
Charlie Sheen says his wild days are in the past. The actor told TV critics at an industry event Sunday night, quote, "I'm not crazy any more." Now making the rounds promoting a new series called "Anger Management," the fired "Two and a Half Men" star says everything is a lot more "mellow" and "focused" and "grounded in reality" for him now. He's been spending time with his family, getting into what he calls 'work mode', no longer hanging with the 'goddesses' and that he hopes to someday patch things up with "Two and a Half Men" co-creator Chuck Lorre after their public battle last year.

PATERNO WANTS TO SPEAK ABOUT SCANDAL
Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno's son, Jay, says his dad wants to publicly tell HIS side of the story about the scandal at PSU. Penn State fired the 85-year-old Paterno in November for not telling police his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky had been accused of raping children. Sandusky, who's 67, faces over 50 charges involving at least ten boys.

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WINNER
Alabama beat LSU last night in the BCS National Championship Game, 21 to 0, at the Superdome.

MAN MEETS BRAD AND ANGELINA, HAS HEART ATTACK
A man died of a heart attack over the weekend after seeing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the flesh. It happened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. "The Hollywood Reporter" says a man in the crowd suffered the heart attack as Pitt and Jolie were greeting fans.