Wed, January 18, 2012

CRUISE SHIP SEARCH SUSPENDED
Italian divers have suspended their search of the cruise ship Costa Concordia after the vessel shifted where it's capsized, because the shift poses a potential threat to diving teams. As soon as rescue efforts are officially over, salvage crews move in and it becomes a recovery effort. So far 11 bodies have been recovered, and 24 people, including two Americans, are still missing.　

CAPTAIN'S ACTIONS UNDER FIRE: PHONE CONVERSATION RELEASED
In addition to the rescue, much of the focus has been on the cruise ship captain's actions during and after the grounding. Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground on the tiny Island of Giglio, has been accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his ship before all passengers were evacuated. In a dramatic phone conversation released Tuesday, a coast guard official was heard ordering the captain, who had abandoned the ship with his first officers, back on board to oversee the evacuation. But Capt. Francesco Schettino resisted the order, saying it was too dark and the ship was tipping dangerously.
But Schettino resisted, saying the ship was listing and he was with his second-in-command in the lifeboat. "I am here with the rescue boats. I am here. I am not going anywhere. I am here to coordinate the rescue." "What are you coordinating there? Go on board! Coordinate the rescue from aboard the ship. Are you refusing?" came the response. Schettino said at one point: "Do you realize it is dark and here we can't see anything?" De Falco shouted back: "And so what? You want to go home, Schettino? It is dark and you want to go home? Get on that prow of the boat using the pilot ladder and tell me what can be done, how many people there are and what their needs are. Now!"

TRANSCRIPT OF EXCHANGE BETWEEN COAST GUARD CHIEF COMMANDANT AND SHIP CAPTAIN: 'Schettino, you may have saved yourself from the sea, but I'm going to make you pay, I'm going to make your life miserable. Get the (bleep) on board!' SEE THE TRANSCRIPT

HOMES DAMAGED BY POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR RUTHERFORD-WILSON LINE
Several homes in northern Rutherford County near the Wilson County line are damaged after high winds yesterday afternoon, mainly in the Rockdale community south of Couchville Pike and west of State Route 840. Trees and power lines are down, a roof was partially torn off, an RV overturned, and residents need some help cleaning up. Surveyors will determine today whether it was a tornado or just high winds.

TORNADOES IN KENTUCKY, INDIANA
And thousands of people are without power in the Louisville, Kentucky area after at least three confirmed tornadoes there yesterday. Another was confirmed near Madison, Indiana. The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado with winds up to 95 miles an hour and an EF-0 reaching 85 miles an hour had touched down.

WOMEN CHARGED IN TN. AFTER 100 DOGS FOUND IN U-HAUL
Cops found something pretty bizarre during a traffic stop yesterday in Memphis: more than 100 dogs crammed into a U-Haul trailer and 25 more... and a cat.... in the minivan towing it. They women say they were on the way to Virginia from Long Beach, California... but the animals appeared malnourished and had no food or water, so they were rescued by the Shelby county ASPCA, and the women were arrested and charged with animal cruelty.

MEGABUS ADDS CHICAGO, INDY SERVICE
You have more options for travel now. Megabus -- the bus service with fares as low as a dollar -- is adding some new routes. Right now it only goes from Nashville to Atlanta and Chattanooga, but soon, you can take the Megabus from Nashville to Chicago or Indianapolis.

TECH COMPANIES PROTEST ONLINE PIRACY BILL
Dozens of websites are offline today to protest anti-piracy bills in front of Congress. Among the sites is Wikipedia. Its site reads, "Imagine a world without free knowledge," and says the legislation being considered could fatally damage the free and open Internet. Google is blacking out its logo today... to demonstrate what they say it could be like if the government gets to choose which content to let us have... as China does.

WHAT'S THE LEGISLATION ABOUT? HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16604990

WHAT GOOGLE SAYS ABOUT ANTI-PIRACY BILL
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16604990
Google has posted links asking you to tell Congress you're against the legislation, saying, "Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S. Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA. The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late. "

HEALTH: DOC SAYS HIGH HEELS DANGEROUS FOR YOUR OVERALL HEALTH
A new book author says you've gotta ditch the high heels. Dr. David Agus, who wrote the book "The End of Illness," says instead of treating symptoms after we've messed up our bodies, we can focus on STAYING healthy. One way, to not wear high heels. He claims repeatedly wearing high heels causes repeated inflammation...that achy feeling, comes from inflammation, and he says, "Inflammation in the long term is bad for heart disease, for cancer, for neural degenerative diseases. We want to prevent inflammation," wherever it comes from. 

HEALTH: CHEF PAULA DEEN SAYS SHE HAS DIABETES, AND NEW LIGHTER RECIPES
http://technorati.com/women/article/diabetes-paula-deen-did-her-high/
And Celebrity Chef Paula Deen has revealed she has type 2 diabetes, and that she's partnering with a healthcare company for a show aimed at lighter cooking and helping patients manage the disease. The 65-year-old Deen is known for her dishes that have lots of fat and calories, but stresses that they're to be eaten in moderation.

MURFREESBORO SEX OFFENDER CHARGED WITH ABUSING 5-YEAR-OLD, MOM LET IT HAPPEN
J.D. Lotts, a registered sex offender, has been arrested in Murfreesboro for abusing a 5 year-old boy, kicking him so hard he suffered lacerations to his liver and kidneys, and the boy's mother, Elizabeth Hoagland, who was living with the sex offender, and had another child with him, was also arrested, because she FOUND her 5 year-old unconscious on the floor, bleeding from the mouth, and didn't get him help. Department of Children's Services workers discovered the injured child, and now he and his sibling are with a relative. You can see the parents faces HERE so you'll know 'em if you see them on the streets of Murfreesboro.

TN. LEGISLATOR EXPLORES TOUGHER LAWS ON SENIOR DRIVERS
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120117/NEWS01/301170025/Older-Tennessee-drivers-may-encounter-tougher-laws?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CBusiness
As you get older, there's legislation in the works that may affect how long you get to drive. Tennessee's older drivers could be facing tougher laws. There are proposals in the works that could make older drivers take more tests, and let family members decide whether to take away their driver licenses. The AAA Foundation for Driver Safety estimates that one out of every five drivers in America will be 65 or older by 2030.

BACKYARD CHICKENS APPROVED IN NASHVILLE
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120118/NEWS0202/301180095/Backyard-chickens-approved-Nashville?odyssey=mod|mostview
Chickens, long forbidden in Nashville’s urban precincts, will now get to cluck in the city — legally. After a 45-minute debate and a close decision to let nearly one-quarter of Davidson County opt out, the Metro Council voted 21-15 on Tuesday to allow residents to raise hens in their back yards. The legislation, which awaits Mayor Karl Dean’s signature, will allow people living in residential zoning districts to keep up to two, four or six chickens, depending on the size of their property, for an annual permit fee of $25. Chickens won’t be allowed in front yards, and roosters will be prohibited.

LEBANON EVENTS CENTER DENIED
No events center just yet for Lebanon, Tennessee. The City Council has shot down a proposal, amid concerns about the project's viability and the structure of an authority that would oversee it.

GARTH BROOKS LAWSUIT TRIAL BEGINS
http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2012/1/17/garth-brooks-civil-trial-against-oklahoma-hospital-now-under.html
Testimony starts today in a breach-of promise lawsuit trial between singer Garth Brooks and an Oklahoma health care network. Garth says Integris Rural Health renegged on a promise to name a hospital facility in Yukon after his mother in exchange for his 500-thousand-dollar donation. His mom, Colleen Brooks, died in 1999 from cancer. The hospital says Garth made the donation first, then later attached the conditions.

"AMERICAN IDOL'S" 11TH SEASON STARTS TONIGHT
http://www.americanidol.com/
The search for America's eleventh "Idol" gets under way tonight. Ryan Seacrest, Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are back with a two-night premiere. They'll be sifting through the auditioners from last fall. Last year, the show hung on to its title of TV's most-watched show as country crooner Scotty McCreery was crowned champ.

"ST. ELMO'S FIRE" SINGER EXPLAINS "TIM TEBOW'S FIRE"
Singer John Parr, who gave us the song "St. Elmo's Fire", has reworked his 1985 hit to honor Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.... known for getting down on one knee and praying during games. It's called "Tim Tebow's Fire."
HEAR it here. 
Parr says he did it originally as a lark when he was working with ESPN, as Tebow-fever was hitting. Then Parr says he started to pay attention to the player, and likes what he stands for.
HEAR his interview here.  
Parr calls Tebow a great role model for people who want to live life on their own terms.