Tues, January 3, 2012

In today's news, below: when it gets below freezing, Nashville's old water pipes start breaking, we had a glitch in the Nashville New Year's Eve celebration, Nashville streets about to close for a year, Cher's ex in Nashville, sad story of former soldier who went on a killing spree and proof that you're never too old for love.

WATER MAIN BREAK IN SOUTH NASHVILLE
Crews had to get out in the cold and deal with a water main break this morning, on Nolensville Pike near Natchez Court, north of the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. It stayed below freezing all morning, so the water started freezing, and icing up the road.

GLITCH FOR MUSIC CITY'S NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION
Remember last year when the Guitar that dropped at midnight got stuck? Well, this year, to be unique and true to Nashville's spirit, we had a brand new symbol to drop: a giant music note. But, again, it got stuck, and didn't go all the way to the bottom. Lynyrd Skynyrd was on stage and still played Free Bird right at the stroke of midnight, and Nashville officials say the Bash on Broadway was a success with more than 50-thousand people packed into Riverfront Park. And, city officials say they're working out the kinks so the drop goes perfectly next year.

NASHVILLE LANE CLOSURES FOR MUSIC CITY CENTER BEGIN
Lane closures go into effect today in Nashville, as construction moves forward for the new Music City Center. A new roundabout is going in as part of the expansion of Veterans Boulevard from the Cumberland River to the new convention center. Workers are restricting traffic to one lane each direction on Eighth Avenue and for Lafayette Street. The closures will remain in effect until next December.

SPRINGHILL GIRL'S FUNERAL TODAY
More than 1,000 people gathered in Spring Hill this weekend to remember a young girl and a father of three who were killed in a car wreck last week. Mark Alhberg had a medical event, and slumped over the wheel of his car, before it crashed into the SUV carrying 10 year-old 5th Grader Cameron O'Reilly, her sister and father. Cameron was killed, and Alhberg was also pronounced dead. Since then, there has been a huge outpouring of community support, and a fund set up to help the families of the victims. The little girl's funeral will be today (Tuesday, January 3rd) at noon at St. Phillip Catholic Church in Franklin.

HEALTH: GIRLS THINK HPV VACCINE PROTECTS FROM ALL STDS
Many girls and young women appear to be confused about the benefits of the HPV vaccine. A new study shows as many as 23-percent of girls ages 13-21 believe they no longer need to practice safe sex after receiving the shot. The HPV vaccine protects against strains of the human papilloma virus that cause cervical cancer, but not against other STDs. Researchers say the survey results show the need to better educate girls and young women as they're getting the vaccines.

ARETHA FRANKLIN: I'M GETTING MARRIED!
The Queen of Soul will soon have a king. Aretha Franklin is marrying her longtime friend William Wilkerson. Aretha says she and Willie are talking about a June or July wedding on Miami beach... and she's having something fabulous designed for her new figure. The 69 year old lost 85 pounds last year after a health scare.

WINTER STORM HITS US
A colossal winter storm is hitting the Midwest and Northeast U-S... closing roads and schools and causing accidents. If you're traveling, you'll want to check your flights to make sure they're not affected.

SNOW CAUSES MULTI-CAR CRASHES IN SEVERAL STATES
Snowfall contributed to multi-car pileups in three states yesterday, that injured more than 20 people and temporarily shut major highways.. including a 41-vehicle pileup in northern Kentucky, a 21-car pileup in western Pennsylvania, and a 12 car crash in central Indiana.

DOWNTOWN CONSTRUCTION CLOSES ROADS, BEGINS TUESDAY
As construction on the new Music City Center progresses...you're about to see a new round of road closings downtown. Two lanes of 8th Avenue South at Lafayette Street will be closed, and Lafayette Street will be down to one lane... for the next 11 months. The road work will include a roundabout, a center divide and storm drainage...along Veterans Boulevard from the Cumberland River to the new convention center

GLITCH FOR MUSIC CITY'S NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION
Remember last year... when the Guitar that dropped at midnight... got stuck? Well, this year, our new MUSIC Note got stuck before it dropped all the way at midnight. But, city officials say that's okay. They'll work on that between now and next New Year's eve, and at least 50-thousand people attended the Bash on Broadway.

SYRINGES FOUND AT WALMART
So far, 15 syringes have been discovered in items bought at a Walmart in Bartow County, Georgia. Shoppers have been finding the syringes inside clothing since December.

WINE IN NASHVILLE GROCERY STORES THIS YEAR?
A new push on Capitol Hill would let voters make the final decision on the hotly debated issue of allowing wine to be sold in Tennessee grocery stores. Several polls show a lot of public support to buy wine in grocery stores. Supporters say wine in grocery stores just makes sense, and that 35 states already allow it. Liquor store owners say the move would cost them jobs, and predict a 30% drop in sales.

MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING PARK RANGER ALSO SUSPECT IN SECOND SHOOTING
The man accused in the shooting death of a Mount Rainier National Park Ranger in Washington state is dead, and is thought to be responsible for another shooting on New Year's. The 24 year-old Benjamin Colton Barnes, who was believed to be carrying a cache of weapons, has had a troubled transition to civilian life, with claims that he suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and was suicidal. He was involved in a custody dispute in Tacoma July, during which his toddler daughter's mother sought a temporary restraining order against him, according to court documents. The woman told authorities he was suicidal and possibly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after deploying to Iraq in 2007-2008, and had once sent her a text message saying 'I want to die.' She alleged that he got easily irritated, angry and depressed and kept an arsenal of weapons in his home. She wrote that she feared for the child's safety. Photos provided by police showed a shirtless, tattooed Barnes brandishing two large weapons. In November 2011, a guardian ad litem recommended parenting and communication classes for both parents and recommending Barnes be allowed to continue supervised visits with the child, two days a week. That visitation schedule was to continue until he completed a domestic violence evaluation and mental health evaluation and complied with all treatment recommendations.
On New Year's, there was an argument at a house party in Skyway, south of Seattle, and gunfire erupted, police said. Four people in their 20s were reported injured, two critically. Barnes was connected to the shooting, said Sgt Cindi West, King County Sheriff's spokeswoman. It is believed that he'd been asked to leave after an argument over a gun, then came back with a weapon and opened fire on the crowd.

NASHVILLE NATIVE GREG ALLMAN TO HEADLINE RYMAN
Nashville native Greg Allman is headlining the Ryman Auditorium for the first time tomorrow night. The Southern rock legend was there in October to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Americana Music Awards, the first time he'd been there, he says, since his preschool days. His "Low Country Blues" released last summer was his album in 14 years. He will perform with Jaimoe's Jasssz Band.

WHICH TN SEARS/KMART STORES ARE CLOSING?
Sears has announced the specific stores that'll close soon. So far they've put out a list of 79 of the planned 120 store closures, which are a mix of Sears outlets and Kmarts. In Tennessee, the Sears in Antioch on Hickory Hollow Pkwy. will be closing, as well as Sears stores in Cleveland (TN) and Oak Ridge (TN). The K-Mart in Hendersonville on East Main is also on the list to close.

FIRST CAUCUSES OF THIS ELECTION YEAR TONIGHT
Voters will congregate in every precinct of Iowa tonight for the first caucuses of the 2012 presidential election. The most recent Iowa Poll shows a dead heat between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul on the Republican side.

BLUEPRINT FOR BUDGET CUTS THIS WEEK
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to unveil a blueprint this week for massive budget cuts at the Pentagon that are supposed to save hundreds of billions of dollars. And that's just at the Pentagon.

ARSON FIRE SUSPECT ARRESTED
Los Angeles police have arrested a suspect in more than 50 deliberately set fires over the past few days... which caused MILLIONS of dollars in damages. The 24-year-old is being held in jail, and police are warning people to be on the lookout, in case he had an accomplice.

STEM CELL TREATMENT FRAUDSTERS ARRESTED
The FBI has arrested three men and are searching for a fourth in connection to a fraudulent stem cell treatment scheme. Agents say the four men marketed and sold stem cells to terminally ill patients with promises the cells would cure their disease. The men allegedly made more than one-point-five-million dollars off the scheme.

VAN DER SLOOT TRIAL THIS WEEK
Trial is set to begin this week for Joran van der Sloot in connection with the death of 21-year-old Peruvian Stephany Flores. He confessed to the killing but says it was a crime of passion after an argument they had when she reportedly found materials about Alabama teen Natalie Holloway on his computer. He's been a suspect in Holloway's 2005 disappearance in Aruba, but was never charged with that crime.

ANTI-HAZING COMMITTEE FOR FLORIDA A&M
An anti-hazing committee is being formed by Florida A&M trustees. The action follows November's death of a member of the marching band and allegations that hazing has been rampant in the Marching 100. The Board of Trustees took the action Monday based on the recommendation made in a three-part plan put together by a crisis management group.

ACTRESS ELLEN BARKIN NEW YEAR'S RUN-IN WITH POLICE
There are reports that New York police are reviewing a video actress Ellen Barkin says shows her being manhandled by officers in the early hours of the New Year. The video supposedly captures Barkin's run-in with police who were dealing with Occupy Wall Street protesters. Barkin is reportedly heard swearing while telling the officer to get his hands off of her.

DECISIONS DEADLINE TODAY FOR 9-11 VICTIM FUND
Time is running out for an estimated 16-hundred people with 9-11 related health problems to decide whether to sue or take a payment from the Victim Compensation Fund. Anyone with a lawsuit pending past today will lose out on the chance to take a payout from the more than two-point-five-billion-dollar fund.

IRAN WARNING UNITED STATES ABOUT SHIP
Iran is out with a warning to the United States: Do not allow the USS John C. Stennis to return to the Persian Gulf. That's the word today from the Islamic Republic's army chief. He says this is only warning that will be given, and if the aircraft carrier does return to its former base in Gulf waters, Iran will not hesitate to take action.