Wednesday, January 2, 2012

FISCAL CLIFF DRAMA OVER
The drama over the fiscal cliff is over. The Republican-led House approved a Senate bill last night.  Under terms of the agreement, Bush-era tax cuts for individuals making less than 400-thousand dollars a year and couples making 450-thousand will be extended, while the wealthiest Americans will see their taxes go up.

BEING SLIGHTLY OVERWEIGHT LINKED TO LESS CHANCE OF EARLY DEATH
A new review of close to 100 past studies appears to lend some credence to the concept of a so-called "obesity paradox."  The study's lead author says there is clear link between being somewhat overweight and having a slightly lower risk of dying.  

PEDIATRICIANS SAY KIDS NEED RECESS DURING SCHOOL
Kids across the country should like this! A group of American pediatricians is telling school districts that children need recess and free time during the school day, and it should not be taken away, even as punishment. The statement, in the journal Pediatrics, says recess is a "crucial and necessary component of a child's development."  Recess helps students develop communication skills, such as cooperation and sharing, and helps kids process the information they’ve just learned in the classroom. Previous research found children pay closer attention and perform better mentally after recess.

BASH ON BROADWAY BRINGS IN RECORD CROWD
A record crowd attended Music City's Fourth Annual New Year's Eve Bash on Broadway celebration Monday night.  One news release says there were more than 50,000 in the crowd, making it one of Nashville's biggest. If you remember, the guitar failed to drop in 2010 and the music note in 2011 didn't drop all the way, but this year, the crew changed machines and practiced about a dozen times beforehand to make sure it would work at midnight, without a hitch.

CONNECTICUT STUDENTS BACK TO SCHOOL
This has to be a hard day for the kids at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. They're going back to school today for the first time since the attack at their school that left 26 people dead. They're not going to the same school, however, they'll finish out the year at a nearby facility that had been vacant for a year. 
 
MT. JULIET DITCHES RED LIGHT CAMERAS IN 2013
There are only a few days left for red light cameras in Mt. Juliet.  The cameras will go on January 7.   Mr. Juliet's mayor said a number of people received tickets after making a right on red turn... and people just didn't like the lights. The system generated about $70,000 a year for the city, and T-bone type wrecks at intersections did decrease while the cameras were in use.. but when asked if Mt. Juliet may ever revisit installing red-light cameras Mayor Haggerty said, "no, never."

VANDY WINS
The Vanderbilt Commodores finished their best season since 1915 (9 wins and 4 losses) by beating North Carolina State 38-24 in the Music City Bowl on Monday. This is only the third time the smallest and only private university in the SEC has won nine games in a season.

SOUTH NASHVILLE ROAD SHUT DOWN AFTER WATER MAIN BREAK
A road in south Nashville has been shut down this morning because of a broken water main... it was reported just before 5 this morning along Welch Road off of Nolensville Pike near Harding Place. The water pressure from the broken line caused the pavement to buckle... and sent water into several yards in the area. Crews will be working on it this morning.

TENNESSEE GIRL GETS ARROW THROUGH HEAD
A 9-year-old Macon County girl is in the hospital after she was shot in the head by an arrow. She was playing with a bow and arrow, and HAD adult supervision.... when she ran into the path of the arrow... and it hit her in the head. She was life-flighted to Vanderbilt Medical Center.. and is said to be in stable condition.

COYOTES ATTACK MAN WALKING HIS DOG IN KENT, WASHINGTON
A pack of wild coyotes attacked a man in Washington state on Friday... leaving him with bites, scratches and cuts. The guy had to get 26 rabies shots, because the coyote may have been rabid, since it's not their usual behavior to be so aggressive. Tennessee Wildlife experts say in the winter coyotes can't get as much fruit, a staple in their diet, so they start scavenging, so you should watch your small pets and keep them safe. (http://tennessee.gov/twra/coyote.html )

ZAPPOS CUSTOMER-SERVICE CALL LASTS 10 HOURS
And talk about customer service! A Midwestern college student called customer service at Zappos.com, and after asking about a pair of Uggs boots, ended up telling the customer service person he was considering moving. The quick call turned into a 10-and-a-half hour talk, with the Zappos person giving advice about the move and just life in general. A spokesman said providing good customer service is a top priority.

WHEN WINTER RUN TV SHOWS COME BACK, INCLUDING AMERICAN IDOL
The new thing in TV is for shows to have WINTER PREMIERES.... whether it's a new season, something brand new or just coming back after a few months off for the holidays....  We've got some dates for a few of them for you...
There's the Simpsons on January 6th, the Fringe SERIES finale is January 11th,    American Idol starts January 16th and 17th, Glee is back the following week, and  Kevin Bacon has a new serial killer drama called "The Following" that starts January 21st.

"PRIMETIME NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE" DRAWS BIGGEST AUDIENCE YET
Dick Clark might be gone, but he certainly wasn't forgotten this New Year's Eve.  Zap2It.com says ABC easily won the night with the TV legend's signature special, which now starts at 10:00 p.m. Eastern as "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest."  The show was the go-to program to ring in 2013 Monday night, drawing a total of 13-point-three-million viewers -- its largest audience ever since the primetime edition began in 2000.  By comparison, the primetime portion of NBC's "New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" drew three-point-eight-million viewers.
      The audience remained for the late-night "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," which started at 11:30 p.m. Eastern, attracting approximately 25-percent of all viewers.  In addition, the tribute special "New Year's Rockin' Eve Celebrates Dick Clark," which started the night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, also had a big audience.  The show's nine-point-four-million viewers was three-times that of the competition.