Mon, February 27, 2012

ACADEMY AWARDS: "THE ARTIST" WINS BIG
The black-and-white, silent film "The Artist" is this year's big Oscar winner. It's the first silent film in 80 years to win anything at the Academy Awards.... much less the Best Picture, and Best Actor. Meryl Streep won Best Actress for "The Iron Lady," and Christopher Plummer made Oscar history, becoming the oldest actor ever to win. He's 82 and this was his first Oscar.

BEST AND WORST DRESSED AT OSCARS
56 Photos HERE

ACADEMY AWARDS-WILL SEACREST PRESS CHARGES?
There's talk today about Ryan Seacrest pressing charges against comedian Sacha Baron Cohen ... who dumped an urn full of ashes on Seacrest on the red carpet before the Oscars. Cohen was dressed as a character from his upcoming movie,and claimed the ashes were those of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

FORMER PARISHIONERS FILE SUIT AGAINST MT. ZION PASTOR, CHURCH
Four women who attended Mt. Zion Baptist church... one of the largest in Middle Tennessee, have filed a lawsuit against the pastor.... claiming Bishop Joseph Walker III and other church leaders sexually abused them, sometimes during counseling sessions with the pastor.... and that church leaders recruited young women to the congregation to sexually exploit them.

TENNESSEE LEADS NATION IN CUTTING CREDIT CARD DEBT
Here's some good money news for you: overall, Tennesseans are lowering credit card debt. The "Business Journal" says we cut our debt the most of any other state, dropping credit card debt to just under five-thousand dollars last year compared to 56-hundred dollars in 2010. ( The average balance last year nationally was 52-hundred.)

HEALTH: STUDY: SLEEP DISTURBANCE WORST IN SOUTH
A new study finds people living here in the southern U.S. have the highest rates of sleep disturbance and daytime fatigue of any other part of the country. Major factors include regional differences in mental health, ethnicity and access to medical care. (The study was conducted in 36 states. Lead author Michael Grandner says data should be used to try to understand why such patterns occur.)

NASCAR
NASCAR is hoping for better weather in Florida today. Rain postponed yesterday's Daytona 500 for the first time in its 53-year history. They're hoping to start at noon.

NASHVILLE BANKS ON HOOPS TOURNEY'S
Nashville gets a financial boost this week as the Ohio Valley Conference men's and women's basketball tournaments come to town. They'll play at Municipal Auditorium and at Bridgestone.... pumping at least 15-million dollars into the economy.

NASHVILLE HOMELESS PROJECT NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
The Nashville Homeless Commission provides homeless people in Nashville one-day Expos to get the basics: medical treatment, basic hygiene needs, dental help. There's another Project Homeless Connect coming up March 28th at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, and they need a LOT of volunteers: 500 to 700 people if they can get them. You can sign up at the Hands On Nashville website.

HEALTH: DEATHS PROMPT BATHTUB PAINT STRIPPER WARNING
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is issuing a warning after more than a dozen deaths... from a product used for bathtub refinishing. Seems people get into their bathrooms.. without ventilation... use the product and it kills them. The CDC says you should look for tub resurfacing products that don't include the chemical methylene chloride.

SOME NAMES LEAK OUT AHEAD OF 'DWTS' ANNOUNCEMENT
www.TMZ.com says it's got some of the leaked names of Dancing With the Stars contestants for the next season. They include "The View" host Sherri Sherpherd, "Little House on the Prairie" star Melissa Gilbert, "Melrose Place" hunk Jack Wagner, and "Extra" host Maria Menounos. ABC's official announcement is set for tomorrow. Season 14 of "Dancing With The Stars" starts Monday, March 19th.

NELSON MANDELA RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL
Former South African President Nelson Mandela is out of the hospital after being treated for a long-standing abdominal complaint... Mandela is 93. In 1994, he was elected South Africa's first black president after a history of white minority rule.

HEALTH: HIGH FIBER FRUITS FIGHT GUM DISEASE
Here's another reason to add some fruit to your diet: eating high-fiber fruits can help you keep your teeth. Bananas, apples and prunes have been shown to fight gum disease, and cut tooth loss by 30%.

VOTER ID LAW STILL DRAWS FIRE
Some lawmakers are still against the law requiring voters to show a photo ID,  saying it's discriminatory against certain groups like minorities, the poor and senior citizens. State Republicans who voted for the law say it prevents fraudulent voting. One state Democrat has submitted a bill to repeal it, though it hasn't yet reached a committee.

TAYLOR SWIFT PROM INVITATION
A New Jersey High school senior has a date with Taylor Swift. Kevin McGuire, who has leukemia, asked Taylor to his prom, and she said no. BUT... then posted on her Facebook page, "Kevin, I'm sorry but I won't be able to make it to your prom. But I was wondering. The (Academy of County Music) Awards are coming up. Would you be my date? Love, Taylor." When Kevin McGuire heard the news, his response was, "It's 10 times better than the prom." The ACM Awards are April 1st in Las Vegas.

'BIG BANG THEORY' BEATS 'AMERICAN IDOL'
For the first time in five years, another TV series has beaten American Idol outright in the Nielsen ratings to win the night. After weeks of near-topples and ties, CBS' The Big Bang Theory overtook Fox's Idol on Thursday. And when it finally happened, the margin wasn't small in the adult demo: Big Bang had 16.1 million viewers and a 5.2 rating in the adult demo, while Idol had 15.4 million and a 4.4 rating. Idol fell 14 percent from last week to a new low (clearly the strategy of draaaagging out revealing the Top 24 contestants didn't work out).

CISSY HOUSTON RETURNING TO WHITNEY'S HOTEL ROOM
Whitney Houston's mother Cissy is reportedly seeking closure in her daughter's death with a trip back to the hotel room where the late singer died. TMZ reports Cissy Houston is planning a return to room 434 at the Beverly Hilton hotel in California. Sources say Cissy will spend time in the room praying and trying to come to terms with Whitney's sudden death.

SANTORUM FAVORED AMONG TENNESSEANS
U.S. Senator Rick Santorum is gaining favorability in Tennessee. A Vanderbilt University poll shows he leads over presidential primary rival Mitt Romney by an almost two-to-one margin among voters. One Vanderbilt political scientist tells "The Tennessean" the race here remains fluid because at least a quarter of voters say they are still undecided or don't like any candidate.

WEST TN. NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING KILLS ONE INJURES 19
Police in West Tennessee say one man was killed and 19 other people were injured early Sunday when gunmen opened fire in a nightclub. Jackson Police Lt. Tyreece Miller said officers were called to the Karma Lounge in downtown Jackson at about 2 a.m. Sunday. They arrived to find one man dead, 17 people with gunshot wounds and two who were trampled. Miller said a dispute between several people led to the shooting at the business, which had advertised a Lane College/Lemoyne-Owen College after-game party on Saturday night. Evidence so far indicates at least three people used handguns to fire into the crowd. Police are asking anyone who took photos or video inside the club to share it.

LOW COST ANIMAL VACCINE CLINICS SET FOR MARCH
Those low-cost animal vaccination clinics are coming back. During the last three Saturdays in March, you can go by one of 27 area schools and get rabies vaccines for your dog or cat for $10 ... and the Metro Animal Control office on Harding Place will microchip your pet for $25. You can get all the details on the mix929.com NEWS page. (For more, contact Metro Animal Care and Control at 615-862-7928.)