NOVEMBER 3, 2011

It's 'Men Make Dinner' Day!
Today is National Men Make Dinner Day. In theory, it's a chance for dads and dudes everywhere to strap on the apron and give the regular cook the evening off. (Not the whole day, mind you. That might set an unhealthy precedent!) Cookbook author and life long romantic, Dave Valletta considers November 3 to be one of the best days of the year. Not because he gets to spend time in the kitchen - he's the regular cook at home - but because it gives him another opportunity to wine and dine the one he loves. In his new cookbook, To Romance With Love, Valletta shows the rest of us how to turn National Men Make Dinner Day into a night to remember!

Close To 4,000 Turn Out For Nissan Job Fair
Close to 4,000 people showed up at a Murfreesboro job fair yesterday, trying to land one of 1100 jobs opening up at Nissan's Smyrna plant. Organizers say people showed up as early as 4 a.m., and waited hours to be interviewed. The last person in line finished his interview at about 7:30 last night. Nissan will also be hiring for other warehouse and production-support jobs over the next 18 months.

Report Of Local Bank Robbery Turns Out To Be Misunderstanding
That reported bank robbery at the Fifth Third branch on Church street yesterday turned out to be a misunderstanding. Police caught up with the suspect, and found he was a homeless man who had an account there. The man was afraid he'd be robbed if he said, out loud, that he wanted a hundred dollars from his account, so he wrote it on a piece of paper and handed it to the teller. She thought she was being robbed and hit the alarm.

Budget Cuts Could Lead To Longer Waits For Driver's License
The state is preparing to cut even more money from the budget, and it could mean a longer wait the next time you get a driver's license. The Department of Safety is looking at possibly cutting 82 positions, including 39 at the driver's license testing centers. The upside to the story is that the Department is putting in self-serveice kiosks around the state so you might not have to GO to the center to renew your license. The first one in Middle Tennessee goes up in Williamson County.

Powerball Winner Gets $254.2 Million
Powerball's biggest jackpot in 18 months - $254.2 million - was up for grabs Wednesday night. It was won by a single ticket sold in Connecticut that matched all the numbers drawn: 12, 14, 34, 39 and 46, with a Powerball of 36. The cash prize, about $150 million, was the biggest in five years. The jackpot goes back to $20 million for Saturday night's drawing.
 
Lohan Back To Jail
Actress Lindsay Lohan has been sentenced to 30 days in jail for violating the terms of her probation, which stemmed from DUI and theft cases. Lohan will have to serve 30 days in jail in addition to completing 53 days of community service at the county morgue, and 18 45-minute psychotherapy sessions by March 29th. However, officials say Lohan will probably be released from jail almost immediately due to overcrowding at the jail.
 
For Many People, This Starts Stress Season!
For a lot of people three weeks before Thanksgiving is about the time the holiday stress kicks in. Organizing expert Julie Morganstern says "The key to avoiding stress during the holiday season is to create a manageable, written plan for the holidays that includes events, budgeting, shopping, traditions and quality time with friends and family. Make sure your plan allows you and your loved ones to enjoy the holiday season -- your way."Be prepared before you take on the season."

Too Much Sitting May Cause Cancer
Are you sitting down? Well you may want to rethink that. A new study says as many as 90,000 new cases of breast and colon cancer a year may be caused by prolonged periods of sitting and not enough exercise. Researchers say if you have a desk job, you should get up and move around for at least two minutes every hour. (American Institute for Cancer Research , Washington, DC.)
 
Court Date Set To Hear Objections To Murfreesboro Islamic Center
Court hearings have been set for April to decide if Rutherford County gave Murfreesboro residents sufficient notice before approving construction of the controversial mosque. The Islamic Center mosque broke ground in September and the first phase is scheduled to finish next summer. The county has ruled zoning laws and the organization's constitutional rights justify the project.
 
Court To Decide Fate Of Jim Reeves' Catalogue
The musical legacy of a music legend is going on trial. A Davidson County court is scheduled to determine, in January, who will receive the royalties for the songs written by Jim Reeves. The country crooner who scored a string of hits in the 1950s and 60s died over 40 years ago in a plane crash at the age of 39. But his estate, now his widow's estate, gets from $100,000 to $500,000 a year in royalties. The judge will decide how to split that up among the heirs.
 
Hugh Grant Becomes A Dad
Hugh Grant has become a father for the first time after a brief fling with Chinese actress Tinglan Hong earlier this year. Grant's rep says while the baby was not planned, she is very welcome, and Grant couldn't be happier or more supportive.
 
Obama In France For G20
President Obama is in France for the G20 summit to talk about the financial crisis in Europe. He met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy this morning.

Kids' Asthma Flare-Ups Increase In Fall
Children with asthma are at greater risk for flare-ups in the fall due to more triggers in the air. Ragweed and mold spores, as well as the flu and other seasonal infections all can trigger asthma. But doctors at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center say you can lower your kids' risk by making sure they have a flu shot, avoiding asthma triggers like pets, and using the asthma controller medications regularly. 
 
Occupy Protesters Organize For Cleaner Image
Occupy Nashville is working to clean up its image. The group has been asked to monitor its behavior and appearance while on the Legislative Plaza, so organizers say they're taking time to restructure and improve security for the camp.
 
Environmental Groups Oppose New Gibson Backed Legislation
Several environmental groups are opposing a new bill responding to the federal raids on Gibson Guitars. The groups say the legislation to amend the Lacey Act undermines U.S. leadership in global forest conservation and preventing illegal logging. Federal authorities suspect Gibson of violating the law by importing protected wood from other countries.
 
Former Metro Officer Acquitted Of Misconduct Charge, Faces Others
Former Metro police officer Jeffrey Pool has been acquitted of misconduct in connection with a sexual battery charge filed by an 18-year-old woman he arrested in 2009. The judge cited lack of evidence. Pool still faces other charges including rape and official misconduct.

Hillary Clinton's Mom Dies
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's mother, Dorothy Howell Rodham, died Tuesday morning, shortly after midnight. She was 92. Clinton canceled trips to London and Turkey Monday in order to stay by her sick mother's side in Washington, D.C., and was with her mother when she died. The Clintons said about Rodham, "She was a warm, generous and strong woman." 
 
Bubba Smith Death Determined To Be Diet Pill Overdose
The autopsy results are in for former "Police Academy" star and NFL legend Bubba Smith who died in August. The coroner says he died from taking too many diet pills, or, "acute phentermine intoxication." He also had heart disease and hypertension. Bubba Smith was 66.
 
Three-Eyed Fish Found Near Nuclear Power Plant
Fishermen in Córdoba, Argentina have caught a wolf fish with three eyes in a reservoir right near a local nuclear power plant! The third eye is right in the middle of the fish's head. Residents who live near the reactor are worried the third eye is a mutation caused by exposure to water from the nuclear plant. The fish will now undergo extensive testing.