Wednesday, December 26, 2012

WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL MAKE POST-CHRISTMAS TRAVEL A MESS IN SOME REGIONS TODAY
It's one of the busiest travel days of the year, and weather conditions will make post-Christmas travel a mess in some regions today, including Nashville. Flights headed out to any of the storm hit areas may be delayed or cancelled, so if you're flying out of Nashville today, you'll want to check your flight ahead of time and make sure it's still on time.
(Delta, US Air and United Airlines will let you change your flight plans for free if you're going to Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan or Indiana.)

HUGE WINTER STORM HITS
A huge storm is expected to dump snow, sleet and freezing rain in the upper Midwest, upstate New York and sections of New England. And In Mississippi, a state of emergency is in effect for eight counties hit by severe weather yesterday, including tornadoes and strong winds. 
And our weather here in Nashville, it's bringing more rain, colder temperatures, snow flurries and gusty winds.   

BLIZZARD WARNING FROM ARKANSAS, KENTUCKY, TO MISSOURI

STATE OF EMERGENCY IN MISSISSIPPI AFTER YESTERDAY'S STORMS
And In Mississippi, a state of emergency is in effect for eight counties hit by severe weather yesterday, including tornadoes and strong winds. 
At least two people were killed in storm-related road crashes in this latest round of winter.  Tornadoes touched down in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, injuring people and leveling homes.  

FIREFIGHTER AMBUSH IN NEW YORK
The man who carried out a deadly ambush of firefighters on Christmas Eve left a note. New York police say the ex-con who lured two firefighters to their deaths in a blaze of gunfire left a rambling typewritten letter saying he wanted to burn down the neighborhood and "do what I like doing best, killing people." Police recovered burned human remains believed to be the gunman's missing sister.  62-year-old William Spengler, who served 17 years in prison for the 1980 hammer slaying of his grandmother, armed himself with a revolver, a shotgun and a military-style rifle before he set his house afire to lure first responders into a death trap before dawn on Christmas Eve.
.  The note from 62-year-old William Spengler said he hoped to burn down his neighborhood and kill as many people as possible.  The note indicated Spengler's intentions, but not his motive.  

COACH MUNCHAK SAYS TITANS HEADING IN RIGHT DIRECTION DESPITE THE LOSS
The Titans lost - 55-to-7 - to the Green Bay Packers this weekend. After the game, Titans owner Bud Adams said he would sit down with Coach Munchak for a better understanding of why the team has lost so many games this season. He also said he just turned off the game this weekend, because he was, "pretty upset, and just didn't want to watch any more of that mess."  Munchak, however, says he's confident he can make the team a winning one. 

DISAPPOINTING SALES SEASON
Holiday sales weren't as merry as retailers had hoped. The research firm SpendingPulse blames much of the weak season on Hurricane Sandy, and lower spending in the northeast united states, which took down the average for the rest of us.   SpendingPulse also says Washington's inability, so far, to stave off higher taxes and automatic spending cuts at the year's end has made consumers nervous.

PRESIDENT OBAMA "MOST INTRIGUING" OF 2012
President Obama is topping CNN's list of the "most intriguing people" of 2012. The list, compiled from votes by CNN viewers, chose Obama for not just being re-elected President, but also for taking a stand on gay marriage and defending his healthcare reform.

"WHEEL OF FORTUNE" CONTESTANT LOSES FOR MISPRONUNCIATION THAT MANY OF US DO.
Supporters are rallying around a "Wheel of Fortune" contestant who lost a chance to take home the big prize when she MISPRONOUNCED an answer on the December 20th episode of the word-solving game show. See if you can hear what Renee Durette said wrong in this answer. Durette said, "Swimmin'" instead of swimminG, and it cost her 4,000 dollars, and eventually the game. Fans have gone on Twitter and Facebook to ask producers to give Durette a second chance. So far, the ruling is that the answers must be read exactly as they appear on the puzzle board in order to be ruled correct.

JACK KLUGMAN AND CHARLES DURNING DIE ON CHRISTMAS EVE
Jack Klugman, The Odd Couple and Quincy, M.E. star, died in Los Angeles on Monday. He was 90. And Actor Charles Durning, who you may remember most recently as the priest on "Everybody Loves Raymond," also passed away on Christmas Eve. He was 89 and a World War Two Veteran.

TAYLOR SWIFT, MILEY CYRUS TOP LIST OF 2012'S MOST CHARITABLE STARS
2012 just keeps on getting better for Taylor Swift. Following the success of her latest album, Red, the pop star, 23, is being acknowledged for something other than her music, by topping DoSomething.org most charitable stars of the year list.  She gave $4 million to the Country Hall of Fame museum. Miley Cyrus fell one spot short of Swift, making the list for numerous reasons, including her promotion of Saving Spot! Rescue, a non-profit dedicated to finding dogs from high-kill shelters a home. Other celebrities to round out the top 10 are Channing Tatum, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Robin Roberts, Pink, LeBron James, Selena Gomez and Ian Somerhalder.

KWANZAA STARTS
Today is the first day of the African-American spiritual holiday Kwanzaa. From December 26th to January 1st, millions of people worldwide will observe the Pan-African tradition created by California University professor Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966.  The word Kwanzaa is Swahili for harvest's first fruits.

BEST PRESENT OPENING REACTION EVER
Just like you probably have some video of someone opening presents, there's a new one going around that may be the best gift reaction you've seen in awhile.
It's a son recording his dad opening a present... then tipping dad off to the gift IN the hat. Wait till you see his reaction.
His reaction is WONDERFUL!

MENTALLY ILL WOMAN SETS FIRE, THREATENS NASHVILLE FIREFIGHTERS 
A mentally ill woman is in a psychiatric hospital after officials say she set her house on fire then threatened firefighters.  The Nashville Fire Department says when crews arrived to the house on Deal Avenue, the woman was holding a lighter and a spray container.  Four firefighters slowly approached her until one grabbed her from behind and got her into an ambulance.

METRO OFFICER HITS POLE, CAUSES POWER OUTAGE
Power is restored in Davidson and Sumner counties following a Tuesday morning accident that left nearly three-thousand people in the dark.  Officials say a Metro police officer was driving on Dickerson Pike when another vehicle veered into his lane, forcing him to drive off the road and crash into a utility pole.  The black four-door vehicle that caused the accident didn't stop.
 
MT. JULIET POLICE WARN RESIDENTS ABOUT CAR BURGLARS
Mt. Juliet police are urging resident to take many precautions when leaving their cars at home or in parking lots. TAKE OUT the presents you just got, or are taking to someone, or hide them away.
We used to be able to hide them in the trunk, but now crooks know they can bust a window in the car, find the trunk release and get what’s in there.
Mt Juliet Police saw a spike in thefts early Saturday morning, making it obvious that burglars were breaking into vehicles overnight while the owners were asleep… looking for presents or things left in the cars.  Cops are also asking you to be on the lookout for suspicious looking vehicles, maybe driving slowly through the neighborhood, and call them if you have doubts.

RELATED: WRITE DOWN SERIAL NUMBERS, MAKE AND MODELS OF YOUR NEW ELECTRONICS.
A lot of people got new Xboxes, phones, readers and other electronic devices. Police say right now, while you have the make and model handy, and probably your camera handy, you should take photos of your new electronics, and write down serial numbers, makes and models, just in case they’re ever stolen, so you’ll be able to identify them and get them back.