Wed, January 11, 2012

BELLE MEADE OFFERS MEMBERSHIP TO FIRST FEMALE
Belle Meade Country Club is considering its first female member, after a federal judicial panel concluded the 110-year-old club discriminates. Right now there are no female or black members who are eligible to vote or hold office. The club wants to prevent an exodus of members, particularly judges and lawyers, worried about the ethical or political fallout of affiliating with the club. The Tennessean reports that, as of 2010, if you were a white male you could get a membership with voting rights for 40,000 dollars. A "lady" membership with no rights was 10 grand.

EAST NASHVILLE WOMAN WINS RECORD-HIGH ON PRICE IS RIGHT
An East Nashville woman has just won BIG on the game show "The Price Is Right." Stephanie Johnson FIRST won a trip to Hollywood from the Ellen DeGeneres Show, then while she was there, decided to try her hand as a contestant on "The Price is Right." Stephanie won 104 thousand dollars in cash and prizes, the third largest amount in the show's 40 year history...... and says, "It's a pure blessing. God or an angel was holding my hand the entire time to make this thing happen."

MEGA MILLIONS WINNER IS IN NEW YORK
The winner of the 208-million-dollar Mega Millions jackpot has come forward... someone from New York. They haven't announced a name yet.

YOU MAY GET UNEXPECTED TAX CUTS
Governor Bill Haslam is changing his stance on tax cuts. Though his expectations last year were the state couldn't afford them because of the budget, last night he announced his priorities include reducing the estate tax and sales tax on groceries. "The Tennessean" reports the proposal would amount to saving about 20 cents on a hundred dollars in groceries, costing the state about 18-million annually in revenue. The estate tax exemption would affect about 200 taxpayers and cost the state 14-million dollars.

SPRING HILL PASSED OVER FOR ENCORE VEHICLE
GM's Spring Hill Plant won't be building a new crossover vehicle. UAW officials had thought production for the Buick Encore would be here in Tennessee but it's going instead to South Korea. GM has yet to announce what vehicles will be made here other than limited production of the Chevy Equinox. Though they have started hiring for salaried positions, no hourly jobs have been posted yet.

MITT ROMNEY LOOKS TO BE LEADER FOR REPUBLICAN NOMINATION
Republican Mitt Romney is turning his focus to South Carolina after winning an impressive victory in yesterday's New Hampshire presidential primary. The South Carolina primary is set for January 21st.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST IN A COMA
Freestyle skiing champion Sarah Burke is reportedly hospitalized in a coma after a serious training accident. The 29-year-old was airlifted to a Salt Lake City hospital yesterday afternoon after suffering a head injury while preparing for this month's 2012 X Games. The website powder.com reports Burke "whiplashed" onto her side after landing a trick on a superpipe. Burke has won four Winter X Games gold medals in the superpipe event.

HEALTH: ORANGE JUICE BEING TESTED FOR FUNGICIDE
The FDA is moving to test all orange juice for an illegal fungicide. The substance was found in juice shipped into the U.S. from Brazil. The FDA says it found low levels of the fungicide that weren't at the danger level. Brands including Tropicana and Minute Maid sometimes sell a blend of juices from Brazil and the U.S.

HEALTH: DIABETIC TEENS MORE LIKELY TO DROP OUT, EARN LESS
Diabetic teenagers appear to be more likely to drop out of school and receive lower wages during their lifetime... partly because they stay in jobs where they can get medical insurance. They're also less likely to attend college.

OBAMA ASKS BUSINESSES TO INSOURCE
President Obama is calling on U.S. businesses to stop outsourcing jobs overseas. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will host an "insourcing" jobs forum at the White House today.

SPRING HILL PASSED OVER FOR ENCORE VEHICLE
GM's Spring Hill Plant certainly hopes that advice will stick... they've just found out they won't be building a new crossover vehicle they'd expected to be making. Production instead is going to South Korea. GM has yet to announce what vehicles will be made here other than limited production of the Chevy Equinox. Though they have started hiring for salaried positions, no hourly jobs have been posted yet.

GUANTANAMO TURNS TEN
The U.S. military detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba marks its tenth anniversary today (Wednesday). The controversial facility has held 779 foreign captives since the first prisoners arrived on January 11th, 2002. About 171 suspected terrorists remain there.

DELL INTRODUCES TABLET COMPUTER
Dell is set to come out with its first consumer-focused tablet computer late this year. Dell's chief commercial officer Steve Felice says the Texas-based computer maker will make sure its tablet has what he calls an "ecosystem" that consumers value as much as the hardware.Dell's "Streak" tablet is focused on business users.

HOCKEY PLAYER INJURES HIMSELF EATING BREAKFAST
Hockey player Dustin Penner, of the Los Angeles Kings, is being criticized for being overweight... and he didn't make things better when he missed a game recently...because he HURT HIMSELF eating pancakes. Threw out his back. He couldn't even stand. His is not the first weird sports injury: hockey player Glenn Healy cut his hand cleaning his bagpipe. A Detroit Tigers pitcher almost cost his team a World Series spot because of an inflamed wrist and forearm. He first said he'd been pitching too much, but then admitted he hurt his arm playing Guitar Hero. (And Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa sat out a month in 2004 because he sneezed violently and got back spasms.)
MORE WEIRD SPORTS INJURIES

RIVERDALE LADTY WARRIORS BEAT LAVERGNE 103-10
These athletes were getting a workout: the Riverdale Lady Warriors beat La Vergne's girls 103-10, in a very lopsided game.

TENNESSEE STUDENTS SUE DAYMAR INSTITUTE
Owensboro, Kentucky-based Daymar Institute is facing a lawsuit from eight Middle Tennessee students. "The Tennessean" reports the students are suing for 25-million dollars, alleging the school duped them out of thousands of dollars and left them with slim career prospects. One student says she couldn't find another institution to accept her credits to further her nursing studies. The report says 140 other current and former students are suing in federal court.

COMPANY OPENING MORE CHARTER SCHOOLS IN NASH
More charter schools are expected to open soon Nashville. School management company Great Hearts Academies says it plans next year to open its first one, a K-through-nine school. They say the school will not charge tuition and will choose a location based on interest and availability of facilities. They say they could open a network of as many as ten schools the next few years.

JOE PATERNO'S SON LEAVING PENN STATE
Joe Paterno's son Jay is leaving Penn State, according to NBC Philadelphia. He has been an assistant under his Hall of Fame father for the last 17 years, including 12 seasons as quarterbacks coach. Joe Paterno was fired in November after 46 years as head coach.

OUT OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, HD RADIO
The next time you buy a new car, you might find it comes with HD Radio. The CEO of Ibiquity [[ eye-BIHK-wih-tee ]] Digital, Bob Struble, says 23 automakers are now offering HD standard or as an option. Ibiquity is showing off its expanded offerings for HD in your car at the huge Consumer Electronics Show happening this week in Las Vegas.