Wednesday, November 14, 2012

AMBER ALERT CANCELLED
An Amber Alert has been CANCELLED for that 2 month old boy; Eric Goolsby.

METRO MAKES ARREST IN FATAL HIT AND RUN
Metro police believe they've solved a recent hit-and-run killing. Someone driving a white pickup hit 25 year-old Calvin Thomas and left him there. He died. Police found the truck at the Iroquois apartments in west Nashville, with a blue tarp hiding the front end damage. They arrested the owner of the truck, 49 year old Charles Wenman Towns. He's charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death (a felony), and driving on a revoked license. Towns was convicted of DUI in July of 2011. “The fatal crash remains under investigation and we will discuss the possibility of additional charges with the district attorney’s office,” police spokesman Don Aaron said.      

MORE STORES OPENING BEFORE BLACK FRIDAY
There are more stores opening on Black THURSDAY this year, for shoppers who want the big discounts, early. Target says it'll open its doors at 9 on Thanksgiving night, 3 hours earlier than last year, Toys R Us opens at 8, Kohl's, Gap, Macy's and Best Buy all open at Midnight.
Perhaps the earliest door-busters of the season will begin at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving, when Kmart will begin selling high-definition plasma TVs for $199.99. The retailer has stayed open on the holiday for the past 21 years but only recently began offering Black Friday discounts a day early.Wal-Mart had already announced it'll open at 8, on Thanksgiving night.

WHY THE EARLY START?
If you're wondering whether dragging employees away from their home on Thanksgiving will pay off for those companies, the average shopper is expected to spend $750 bucks this holiday season. That’s 750 dollars per person! Everybody wants a piece of that. So far, every store that’s opened early has had people in line, ready to spend their money and get those deals. 

NASHVILLE RESCUE MISSION NEEDS 400 TURKEYS BY FRIDAY
The Nashville Rescue Mission is asking for donations of turkeys for its annual Thanksgiving meals for people who are homeless. They need 400 turkeys (12 pounds or more), by Friday, so they can get them ready to cook next week.  They’ve also put together a wish list of other food they need, and you can see it here.
You're asked to drop off the turkeys at the Nashville Rescue Mission, 616 7th Avenue South, 7a.m. to 7p.m., through Friday. 

PAPA JOHN’S FACES $250 MILLION SPAM LAWSUIT
Popular U.S. pizza chain Papa John’s is facing a $250 million class-action lawsuit for blasting customers with illegal text messages. The plaintiffs allege that Papa John’s franchises sent customers a total of 500,000 unwanted messages in early 2010. The spam texts offered deals for pizza, and some customers complained they were getting 15 or 16 texts in a row, even during the middle of the night.  The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 bars companies from sending advertisements via text message without a consumer first opting into the service.

GOVERNOR HASLAM WON'T SIGN SECESSION PETITION
Tennessee will NOT be seceeding from America. Governor Bill Haslam says he's heard about the online petition someone started, asking for Tennessee to leave the US and set up its own government, but he realizes it's just a way for people to "take some kind of symbolic stance." He will not be signing it.

U.S. COULD FACE DOCTOR SHORTAGE WITHIN TEN YEARS
The U.S. could be facing a doctor shortage by 2025. Think about it, that's just a little more than ten years from now. Researchers say it's a perfect storm of more physicians retiring, more Baby Boomers hitting the age where they need extra medical care, and the Affordable Care Act, which will expand health insurance coverage to 38 million more people.

DOCTORS OFFICES ALREADY SEE END OF YEAR RUSH
Speaking of doctors, waiting rooms and appointment books are filling up... as people try to get those doctors appointments and surgeries done before the end of the year. Many have already met their deductibles, so the insurance companies are kicking in. But deductibles will start over January 1st.

CONVICTED METRO POLICE OFFICER WANTS PENSION
James Cooper Jr. worked as a Metro police officer for 18 years... until he claimed he was disabled by a back injury he got on duty. He started getting his disability payments, moved to another state and ... started working as a patrol officer. Proving his disability claim was a lie. Now that he's been caught and convicted of defrauding the metro police department and the insurance company, he says he wants his pension from the Metro police for his 18 years of service. He may get it.

METRO COUNCIL KEEPS CONTROVERSIAL PERK 
And you're going to have to keep paying current and future Metro Council members for lifetime health care benefits, if they serve just eight years on the council. The vote last night, by Metro Council, to decide whether Metro council members get to keep the lifetime health care, was 23-to-14, to defeat legislation that would have ended or reduced the perk. After Metro members leave office, they can stay on the city's health care plan for life, by paying 25-percent of their premium. Taxpayers cover the rest.

SUPERVISORS SPEND 17% OF TIME OVERSEEING POOR WORKPLACE PERFORMERS, SURVEY SHOWS
This may or may not surprise you..  A recent survey from Robert Half International finds some supervisors spend nearly a full day a week overseeing poor performers. Those who need all the attention to get the job done also bring down morale of the other team members.

JANEANE GAROFOLO MARRIED 20 YEARS WITHOUT KNOWING IT?
Actress/comedienne Janeane Garofalo was married for 20 years without knowing it. She says she and Rob Cohen, the producer of "The Big Bang Theory" got drunk and got married at a drive-through chapel twenty years ago, but didn't realize the wedding was real until Cohen started making plans to marry his current fiancée. Janeane and Rob had to get a really quick divorce this weekend in New York.

DANCING WITH THE STARS
Two people went home on last night's Dancing with the Stars....Kirstie Alley and Gilles Marini. There are now five stars left as the dancing competition heads into the semifinals. 

ERIC CLAPTON WATCH SELLS FOR MORE THAN 3 MILLION
A platinum watch owned by Eric Clapton sold at an auction Monday for $3.6 million.

FORMER BOND STAR AGREES "SKYFALL" BEST BOND EVER
Ask former James Bond star Roger Moore and he'll tell you that "Skyfall" is the best James Bond movie ever.