Tuesday, September 4, 2012

TOM HANKS, OTHERS, REMEMBER MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN
You may have heard over the weekend that actor Michael Clarke Duncan has died. Tom Hanks, who starred with Duncan in The Green Mile, says he's "terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike." Hanks said, "He was the treasure we all discovered on the set of 'The Green Mile.' He was magic. He was a big love of man and his passing leaves us stunned." Duncan had a heart attack on July 13th and just never recovered. The 6-foot-5, 300 pound actor was in dozens of films, including 'Armageddon,' ''Planet of the Apes' and 'Kung Fu Panda.'  Michael Clarke Duncan was 54. 

COUNSELORS AVAILABLE FOR CLASSMATES OF MURDERED BELLEVUE TEENAGER
You don't often hear about things like this happening in Bellevue, but three people were stabbed to death there this weekend, by one of their neighbors. The victims were a 14 year old Hillwood High school student, his mother and grandmother. A 9 year-old girl in the house ran for help, and was not injured. Counselors are at Hillwood High School today to talk to the student's classmates. Police said their neighbor, Craig Garber, allegedly stabbed all three individuals and then stabbed himself multiple times.Garber was friends with the family, but police have not determined what provoked the stabbings. Garber remains in critical but stable condition at Vanderbilt. Charges were pending.

ASTHMA DRUG MAY STUNT YOUR CHILD'S GROWTH
If your child is one of many here in Tennessee with Asthma, you need to know about this: A popular asthma drug, Budesonide -- which is sold as Rhinocort and Pulmicort -- can stunt your kid's growth by about half an inch, permanently. Researchers advise you to talk to your doctor about it. (They recommend you talk about reducing the dose as much as possible to minimize side effects. But do NOT change the dosage without talking to your doctor. The drug is very effective at controlling serious asthma, which affects an estimated 6 million U.S. children and millions more adults. So the researchers don't recommend taking kids off the drug if they need it.)

BOBCATS CAUSING CONCERN IN GALLATIN NEIGHBORHOOD
You'll wanna keep an eye on your pets if you live in Gallatin. There's a new potential danger for the little animals: Bobcats. They're coming into yards off Hartsville Pike, and have been seen killing rabbits. One woman says she thinks it's a mother bobcat and her three kittens, but they're getting larger every day, and she's worried. The Sumner County animal control only handles domesticated animals, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency says bobcats are native to Tennessee, so they're not moving them, though you can if you dare. (A Mix 92.9 listener who works at Intruder Pest and Wildlife in Gallatin called, and said they do take care of such things. )

TENNESSEE CARJACKING FAILED, CAR WAS STICK SHIFT
And police in Knoxville say a couple of guys were caught recently trying to steal a car because they couldn't make it go. The would-be crooks pulled a gun, carjacked a guy, hopped in, then realized it was a stick shift and neither of them could drive a manual transmission. Cops caught up with them, walking, a short distance away.

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION STARTS TONIGHT
The Democratic National Convention opens tonight in Charlotte, North Carolina. Just like the Republican National Convention, there'll be speeches and rallying, and then later this week, the party formally announces its candidates for the Presidential Race. (Barack Obama and Joe Biden.)

METRO SCHOOLS TO TEACH STUDENTS SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL SKILLS 
Your kids will get more than the three Rs in Metro schools. Educators will be teaching social and emotional development to try and cut behavior problems in the classroom. Kids will learn skills including how to take criticism, understanding how to admit when one is right or wrong and how to settle conflict in the workplace.

WOODS BECOMES GOLF'S FIRST $100-MILLION MAN
Tiger Woods has become the first golfer to earn 100-million-dollars in career winnings. 

OLYMPIC SWIMMER IN TALKS FOR REALITY SHOW
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is in talks with the E! Network for a new reality show.  The 28 year-old gold medalist says the show will follow him on his normal day as he trains and develops his own fashion line. (Lochte recently shot a cameo for The CW's upcoming season of "90210.")

ALMOST HALF OF TEENAGERS WITH AUTISM ARE BULLIED AT SCHOOL
A survey of parents finds almost half of all teenagers with autism are bullied at school. That's much higher than the estimated eleven-percent of kids in the general population who are bullied.

TURKISH COUPLE GET MARRIED VIA TWITTER
We sure are using Twitter more. In fact, a Turkish couple just got married via TWITTER. The groom popped the question on Twitter, the Mayor married them, via twitter, and then RE-tweeted when they each answered, "I do."

CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN DREW PETERSON TODAY
Closing arguments in the Drew Peterson trial are set for today.  The ex-Chicago area police sergeant is accused of murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio, and trying to make it look like an accident.  The trial was based mostly on forensic evidence and hearsay testimony because there weren't any witnesses to Savio's death.  The hearsay evidence was mostly from statements allegedly made by Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, who's been missing since 2007.  Drew Peterson is suspected, but not charged, in her disappearance.  He was charged with Savio's death after Savio's body was exhumed in 2007.

ELLEN DEGENERES GETS STAR ON WALK OF FAME TODAY
Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres will be honored for her work in television with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today.  DeGeneres is set to unveil her star in front of the W Hotel near the famous corner of Hollywood and Vine.  The "Ellen DeGeneres Show," kicks off its tenth season September 10th.  

PRINCE HARRY FIRST APPEARANCE SINCE NUDE PHOTOS
Prince Harry wore a suit and tie at his first public appearance since nude photos of him turned up on the Internet last month.  The 27-year-old prince attended the WellChild Awards in London yesterday.  Harry is the patron of the charity, which assists children and their families as they deal with serious illness. Earlier Monday, a six-year-old boy who was due to be presented with an award by Harry had told ITV News that he would tell the prince: "I'm glad you've got your clothes on."  But the boy, who has acute leukemia, did not end up making the cheeky comment when he met the prince. Harry himself inadvertently drew some laughs from the audience when he said that he was "not shy."