Tuesday, August 14, 2012

CHILD'S SNORING CAN LINK TO BAD BEHAVIOR
There may be something you can do to help your child wake up easier. Listen to them sleep. If your child snores, he may have a problem. Child specialists say snoring hurts the child's quality of sleep, and can not only make it harder for them to wake up and be alert, but  can lead to behavioral problems during the day, including hyperactivity. You'll want to talk to your family doctor about it if they do.

STUDY: COCOA IMPROVES BRAIN HEALTH IN ELDERLY
I think you're going to like this story! Researchers say a daily dose of cocoa could help improve your memory and mental skills. The study had people drink a cocoa-based drink every day for eight weeks, and they performed better on tests of mental skills. (The study was funded by chocolate maker Mars, Incorporated.  It appears in the journal "Hypertension.")

EVERY STATE IN THE NATION HAS MORE THAN 20% OBESITY RATE
For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control reports that every state in America has an obesity rate of over 20-percent.  And some, including TENNESSEE, have obesity rates over 30%. Other states with more than one in three people officially obese, include Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

15 YEAR-OLD IN COURT TODAY
The 15-year-old Hendersonville boy accused of murdering his mother in their home ... then setting the house on fire... goes to court today. Neighbors say the teen seemed like a normal kid... but police say he was smiling as he told them how he committed the crime.  

FRANKLIN STORE CLERK INJURED IN ARMED ROBBERY
Police say there's an armed and drobber still on the loose this morning after robbing a store clerk on Main street in Franklin. The crook is described as a tall, black male, who fled in a blue or green Ford Taurus. 

DICTIONARY ADDS THE WORD 'F-BOMB'
The term "F-bomb" first surfaced in newspapers more than 20 years ago… and this week will be added to the mainstream Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, along with sexting, flexitarian, obesogenic, energy drink and life coach. Among the company's other additions this year include the Oprah-inspired "aha moment," the Stephen King-popularized 'earworm,' as in that truly torturous tune you can't get out of your head, and 'man cave,' 'brain cramp' and 'bucket list.'

METRO SCHOOLS AMONG STATE PRIORITY LIST FOR IMPROVEMENT
State educators have released the list of Tennessee schools they say are underperforming, and many of them are in Nashville. The schools include Napier and Buena Vista Elementary schools, and Brick Church, Bailey, Smithson-Craighead and Gra-Mar Middle Schools. The Department of Education classifies schools ranking in the bottom 5 percent of overall performance as "priority schools, and says if the schools don't improve their scores, they could be taken over by the state.

NEW SCHOOL LAYOUT POSES TRAFFIC PROBLEMS IN LEBANON
The traffic layout around the new high school in Lebanon is creating major traffic problems and long delays for parents as they drop off and pick up their children each day.The area is too congested, and traffic ends up at at standstill. School officials are asking parents to be patient. They say they're working on it.

HELEN GURLEY BROWN DIES
Before there was "Sex in the City" and Carrie Bradshaw, there was Helen Gurley Brown who wrote "Sex and the Single Girl” in the '60s. The longtime editor of Cosmopolitan magazine passed away yesterday in Manhattan. Helen Gurley Brown was 90.

HEALTH: NEW FLU VACCINE THIS YEAR
The FDA is getting this year's flu vaccine ready, and says it'll include two new strains of the virus, as well as the H1N1 "swine flu."

NASHVILLE MAN FACES CHARGES FOR POISONING GIRLFRIEND'S DOG WITH ANTI-FREEZE
28 year-old Nashville man Clayton White is facing  aggravated animal cruelty charges, for poisoning his ex-girlfriend's dog with antifreeze... killing the dog because the woman broke up with him.

ROAD CREW PAINTS OVER DEAD RACCOON
What happened to having a little pride in your work?! What happened to doing a good job?! A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Road crew was painting the yellow line down the middle of a road, and came across a dead raccoon in the road. Did they pick it up? Did they prepare the road surface for a good paint job? They painted right over the dead raccoon. They might not have gotten caught, but some guy took pictures and posted them all over the internet.

KRISTIN CHENOWITH LEAVES 'GOOD WIFE'
Just  a month after she started working on the series... Kristin Chenoweth is stepping away from her recurring role on the CBS drama The Good Wife. The 43 year-old singer and actress says she just needs more recovery time from her on-set injury last month. Chenoweth was rushed to the hospital July 11 after being struck in the head by lighting equipment.

WATER RESTRICTIONS END IN RUTHERFORD
This rain we've gotten recently has not only made your yard nice and green.. it's helping ease our local drought conditions. If you're in Rutherford County you'll be happy to hear your water restrictions have been lifted.

MILEY CYRUS DEBUTS DRAMATIC NEW HAIRCUT
What is WRONG with people? So a 19 year old who you don't know cuts her hair, and you send her hate messages and say horrible things about her? That's what happened to Miley Cyrus after she cut her hair and tweeted her new hairstyle. It's SO cute: a short, blonde pixie cut. How did she respond? Miley tweeted, "Feeling happy in my new skin," and, "If you don't have something nice to say don't say anything at all." You know hairdressers are going to be overwhelmed with people asking for The Miley!

METRO POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF ASSAULT, DECOMMISSIONED 
A Metro police officer accused of domestic assault has been decommissioned.  Patrol Officer Albert Ridgeway was arrested after allegedly pushing his girlfriend down several times during an argument at their home in Mt. Juliet. The 36-year-old was a six-year veteran.