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This Kid Rocks: Mary Mikels of Daniels Middle School in Raleigh

Sometimes in life it's easy to overlook how lucky we are, and take for granted the simple things in life that some of us are lucky enough to have.

Last week I met a girl with an amazing talent and dose of perspective.

Before shooting this story I wondered, "What is about music that moves us?" Then I met Mary Mikels.

"I would say that music has been the most, one of the most important things of my life," says Mary.

Mary is 16 years old and is the youngest of four children. She's the only child in the family who was born blind.

"She went to Duke at two weeks where she underwent Cleft lip surgery, and under anesthesia, they were able to confirm there was nothing under her eye lids, not even optic nerves." Mary's mother Juana Mikels said.

And so began Mary's journey, one shaped by music she could only hear, and eventually play.

She got up on stage earlier this year during a singing competition for students in Wake County and won first place for the middle school division, including a $100 prize.

Mary donated the money to a foundation that trains guide dogs for children who are blind or visually impaired

Although she is blind, Mary doesn't take special classes at Daniels Middle School in Raleigh.

"I see it is a blessing," Mary says about being blind.  "What matters to a blind person is the inside of a person, not how they look," she added.

So maybe in the end, it's not the music that moves us, but rather the musician.

Source  http://www.wncn.com/story/22483825/this-kid-rock-mary-mikels-of-daniels-middle-school-in-raleigh

Marine algae show resilience to carbon dioxide emissions

A type of marine algae could become bigger as increasing carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by the oceans, according to research led by scientists based at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS).

The study, published this month in PLoS ONE, investigated how a strain of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi might respond if all fossil fuels are burned by the year 2100 – predicted to drive up atmospheric CO2 levels to over four times the present day. Specimens grown under this high CO2 scenario were compared with specimens grown under present day CO2 levels.

Coccolithophores are microscopic algae that form the base of marine food chains. They secrete calcite shells which eventually sink to the seafloor and form sediments, drawing down and locking away carbon in rocks. Because of their calcitic shells, some species have been shown to be sensitive to ocean acidification, which occurs when increasing amounts of atmospheric CO2 are absorbed by the ocean, increasing seawater acidity.

But these findings suggest that not all coccolithophore species respond to ocean acidification in the same way.

“Contrary to many studies, we see that this species of coccolithophore gets bigger and possesses more calcite under worst-case scenario CO2 levels for the year 2100,” says Dr Bethan Jones, lead author and former researcher at University of Southampton Ocean and Earth Science, which is based at NOCS. “They do not simply dissolve away under high CO2 and elevated acidity.”

However, the researchers also observed that cells grew more slowly under the high CO2 scenario, which could be a sign of stress.

The researchers also tested for changes in protein abundance – using a technique developed by the collaborating institutes – as well as other biochemical characteristics. They detected very few differences between the two scenarios, indicating that apart from growth, this strain of coccolithophore does not seem to be particularly affected by ocean acidification.

Co-author Professor Iglesias-Rodriguez, formerly at University of Southampton Ocean and Earth Science, says: “This study suggests that this strain of Emiliania huxleyi possesses some resilience to tolerate future CO2 scenarios, although the observed decline in growth rate may be an overriding factor affecting the success of this ecotype in future oceans. This is because if other species are able to grow faster under high CO2, they may ‘outgrow’ this type of coccolithophore.

“Given that chalk production by calcifiers is the largest carbon reservoir on Earth – locking away atmospheric CO2 in ocean sediments – understanding how coccolithophores respond to climate change is a first step in developing models to predict their fate under climate pressure such as ocean acidification.”

The team used a technique called ‘shotgun proteomics’, optimised for marine microbiological research at the University of Southampton’s Centre for Proteomic Research, to detect changes in proteins under the different CO2 scenarios.

Source  http://news.bioscholar.com/2013/04/marine-algae-show-resilience-carbon-dioxide-emissions.html

Red rocks Rupp as Cards pull off win #1

It's a rare sight alright - Red rockin' Rupp Arena. Thousands of Cardinal faithful poured into the Lexington Civic Center for pre-game festivities Thursday afternoon.

Louisville fans being able to drive to the Cards first NCAA game is pleasing to the Top Card, University of Louisville President Dr. James Ramsey.

"So far, all I've seen is red," said Ramsey, "and we are so we're excited."

Another warm welcome for fans was being greeted at the alumni pep rally by two of the greatest Cards of all time - Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum and Dr. Dunkenstein himself, Darrell Griffith. Both legends are big fans of this current group of number 1 seeded Cards.

"I love this year's team," Griffith said, "They've been consistent all year long and they've played great ball. They play great ball even when everybody isn't on the same page."

"I think they're playing as well as anyone and if they can just maintain that then they have a chance to win it," Crum said.

Fans are thrilled to be able to watch the Cards so close to home and they didn't mind playing at the home of the Cats.

"Red in blue country is just amazing," said Louisville fan Terri Webber, "we just can't wait to win."

Others fans like Nick Belker are already dreaming of the road ahead.

"I've got confirmation all the way through to the Final Four," said Belker about game tickets. "It's a win-win all the way."

Huge lines of red clad fans waited for the gates to open. They were determined not to be the first number 1 seed to lose to a number 16 seed.  Fans we found from Henderson, Kentucky hid their nerves well.

"I'm not worried," said Rex Minton about the first NCAA game. His friend chimed in laughing, "He was worried, he was nervous."

5-year-old Ayden Noland had nerves of steel about game one for his number one seeded Cards. He was ready cut down the tape to get in and he's ready to cut down some nets. When we asked him if the Cardinal birds were going to win, Ayden replied, "Yeah."

Young Ayden was right. Louisville coasted to 79-48 win over North Carolina A&T to crowds of cheering fans.

Source  http://www.wave3.com/story/21762969/red-rocks-rupp-as-cards-pull-of-win-1

Echo Uganda rocks Lyman

Gideon Ampiere led a group of Lyman Memorial High School students in a dance on the stage in the school auditorium. With rattles on his legs, he produced music with every movement. The students - freshmen and sophomores - laughed and stomped. Behind them, their classmates kept a beat on traditional East African drums -Embuutu and Empuunyi. Others played along on Ensaasi - shakers made from large, rounded gourds. During the course of one school period, the energetic Ampiere introduced the students to about a dozen different traditional instruments, numerous songs and dances, and a handful of different languages.

Ampiere brought along two members of his group, Echo Uganda, for his Feb. 14 visit to the school. Scotland resident Chris Demorit and Willimantic resident Dave Magnuson provided backup on a number of instruments, including the Adungu, a bow harp resembling a sailing vessel. Magnuson said he’d always been a world music fan. He met Ampiere about nine years ago, shortly after the Uganda native arrived in the United States. “Someone said I had to meet this crazy guy from Uganda,” said Magnuson with a chuckle. Ampiere, whose grandfather was a music teacher, is currently a Storrs resident with a master of arts degree in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University and a bachelors of arts from the University of Connecticut, according to his bio.

Echo Uganda, comprised of a core group of eight musicians and occasional guest artists, endeavors to share the instruments, music and dances of East Africa with audiences of all ages. The group has been to Lyman before, as part of the school’s efforts to promote diversity. Social studies teacher Kevin Brodie and English teacher Liza Escott head up the Diversity Committee at Lyman, and Escott is the diversity coordinator for the school. Last year, the pair booked Echo Uganda for the older Lyman students. An evaluation, conducted to help guide future diversity programming, identified the program as a hit with the kids. “They unanimously said, ‘Absolutely, have them back again,’” said Escott. So this year the group appeared for the younger students.

They clearly enjoyed the program, as Ampiere hopped off the stage to lead students in a dance in the audience, then back onto the stage to play the Ennanga, a Ugandan wooden zither, and the kalimba, a thumb piano. From time to time he would produce a string of narrative in Swahili, Luganda or Lukiga - all languages, he explained, spoken in parts of East Africa in addition to English.

When the bell rang, and students reluctantly filed out, one young woman remained behind. Katherine, a sophomore, called Ampiere over as he packed up with his band mates. “That was really awesome,” she said. “It really made my day.” Katherine said that, in a small town like Lebanon, there aren’t many opportunities to experience other cultures. “I just really enjoyed this,” she said. “Really, it made my month.”

See this December ReminderNews article for more about Lyman’s diversity programming: http://www.remindernews.com/article/2012/12/20/lyman-fosters-an-environm.... Laila Lalami, a Moroccan-American author and a professor from California, will speak at the school in March. A diversity fair is scheduled for the end of April.

Echo Uganda provides programming that can be tailored to a variety of ages, group sizes, and other parameters. For more information go to http://echouganda.com/7.html.  Upcoming shows include: a Friday, March 8, appearance at UConn’s International Women’s Day, and a Saturday, March 9, Camp Horizons Benefit at Mystic Aquarium.

Source  http://www.remindernews.com/article/2013/02/24/echo-uganda-rocks-lyman

Colgate Optic White Beauty Bar Rocks The Golden Globes

During the Colgate Optic White Beauty Bar at the Nine Zero One Salon in West Hollywood January 11 & 12, all the celebs got to take part in tremendous hair services, spray tans, massages and so much more! Check it out!

During the Golden Globes, the celebs get to go to some pretty awesome gift suites and pre show events. Count the Colgate Optic White Beauty Bar as one of the best!

Celebs the likes of Kyle Richards, Shenae Grimes and so much more were on hand to get tons of awesome services like Nails by Kiss, Massages by Bio Oil, Gifts by Schick Hydro Silk Razors, Pita and Hummas Snacks by Sabra, Shoes by Koolaburra, Jeans by Mavi, and All hair care services and product by Joico Hair Care.
Some other fun happenings that happened during the event were…

Ashley Tisdale chatting with salon stylists about hot boys on Instagram – She also noted that her followers barrage her on occasion.

Kyle Richards treating her daughters to Joico hair care products, particularly the Joico Power Spray.

Shenae Grimes admiring her fiancé, playing the Joico pinwheel and chatting about how she’s still obsessed with her engagement ring.

Krysten Ritter looking poised and turning heads while getting her hair styled at Colgate’s Beauty bar with Joico’s Power Spray

Karina Smirnoff chatting about filming her movie in NYC while getting her nails done with Kiss Nail products

Adrienne Maloof talking about her new hair care deal, trying to keep it under wraps but saying how much she secretly love Joico hair care products.

Tiffany Hines talking about her obsession with Haute Betts Jewelry while getting her hair curled by a Joico stylist.

Joico also treated their guests to mini purse Power Spray’s to keep with them on the go and also gave all guests K PAK color therapy shampoos and conditioners.

So HollywoodLifers, How are you getting ready for the Golden Globes? Sound off below!

Source  http://hollywoodlife.com/2013/01/12/colgate-optic-white-beauty-bar-rocks-the-golden-globes-weekend/

UNC Women's Basketball Fall To Wichita

The Northern Colorado Women's Basketball team stayed with Wichita State through the first 27 minutes of the game, but the Shockers closed on a 20-4 run to defeat the visiting Bears 51-35 in front of a near-capacity crowd for Schoolhouse Rocks with the Shocks Game.

The crowd of 10,307 – made up of primarily school-aged children – is the second-largest crowd to ever witness a Northern Colorado women's basketball game. The largest was 10,687 at Oklahoma in 2006.

The Bears (2-5) welcomed sophomore center Stephanie Lee back to the lineup after missing the previous four games with an injury, and she promptly led the team in scoring nine points. Both senior forward Lauren Oosdyke and junior guard D'shara Strange led the game with eight rebounds each.

Each of the five starters had two assists as the Bears had 11 assists on 14 made baskets, but turnovers once again proved to be the team's bugaboo as they had 22 miscues – including six in a three-minute stretch after the team fought back from an eight-point deficit to knot the score at 31-31.

Junior forward Kim Lockridge snapped an 11-point scoring streak for the Shockers (4-5) with a layup at the 8:32 mark to bring the Bears back within nine, 42-33, but Wichita State scored nine of the final 11 in the game for the 51-35 point win.

No player in the game scored in double figures as Wichita State was led by Jazimen Gordan and Jessica Diamond with nine each. Alie Decker led with six rebounds and nine of the 11 Shockers who played tallied at least one steal – as the team had 13. Wichita State also turned the ball over just nine times in the game.

For the sixth time in seven games this season, the Bears out-rebounded the competition, grabbing 39 compared to 33 for the Shockers. Both teams struggled in shooting as WSU shot .339 for the game and NC shot .326.

The Bears now take a week off from competition for final examinations, returning to action on Dec. 16 at Texas Tech. Opening tip is scheduled for 1 pm Mountain.

Source  http://www.noco5.com/story/20300058/unc-womens-basketball-fall-to-wichita

Paint Rock Valley Lodge and Retreat: Hidden Alabama treasure

Eddie and Vivian Prince opened the Paint Rock Valley Lodge and Retreat in 1994. Many of their collections came from an old store they had.  

There's a game room and meeting rooms. And the lodge is replicated with rooms that pay homage to the past. 

"This is an old country store," said Eddie Prince. 

There's even a gas station complete with goods you would find from the 40's and 50's. There's also a working barber shop with a rare, antique coke machine and "small" Coke bottles. 

"This is our 50's diner," added Eddie - beaming with pride.  

The replica looks like the Happy Days TV set. And 45s line the walls as jukebox figurines jitterbug away.

Another country store has antiques going back to 1900. 

The lodge is huge. The rooms are very basic and can sleep several people. No TV. No bathrooms and no telephones, but if you miss the gift of gab, there is always the pay phone in the lodge commons area.  Cell phones usually don't work here either.

There are also small cabins on the site and some RV hookups, so guests are always comfortable.

The next day you can visit Lodge City. No store fronts here. This western town has a hotel, barber shop, saloon, and combination dentist office/cobbler shop. There is an old church which also serves as a school, a bank, printer, post office, coffin maker, jail and more.   

"We have a hangman's noose if people get out of hand, you know," said Eddie.

Behind Lodge City is another Western town with a cotton gin and much more. These areas look like a Hollywood movie set. 

They have festivals there during the year with musicians and re-enactors. They even have gun fights just like at the OK Corral. 

The owners of the place say it's a throwback to days gone by.  

"It's just a peaceful slower lifestyle, you know, and that's really what we were trying to do," Eddie said.

"The older people enjoy this type thing," adds Vivian.

Just the thing to get away from the city and modern distractions in Bobby's Bama.

Source  http://www.waff.com/story/20087327/paint-rock-valley-lodge-retreat-a-hidden-alabama-treasure

Stephen Baldwin pleads guilty to driving without a license, calls experience a 'blessing in disguise'

"Bio-Dome" actor Stephen Baldwin pleaded guilty Monday to driving without a license in Harlem and paid $155 in fines and charges to wipe his slate clean.

The star was stopped at 5:15 p.m. on Aug. 24 on W. 125th St., near Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., after making an illegal U-turn, officials said.

He was driving his 15-year-old daughter, Hailey Rhode, home from ballet class at the time, and he called the experience a “blessing in disguise” because it gave him the chance to talk with her about how hard cops work.

"I was able to explain to my daughter, who was very upset, that the NYPD usually deal with bad people," Baldwin said Monday as he waited in line to pay a $75 fine and $80 surcharge.

"I have nothing but respect for the men and women in uniform and I got to share that with her."

He’d pulled the U-turn to grab coffee at a Starbucks, he said Monday.

Baldwin, the younger brother of "30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin, said he was handcuffed and taken to the Harlem precinct stationhouse, where he was given a ticket for driving on a suspended license. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to driving without a license, a less-serious infraction.

"He's cleared up his license," said his lawyer, Richard Southard. "It was all a misunderstanding. He has no criminal record."

Baldwin showed up at Manhattan Criminal Court Monday around 9:30 a.m. Wearing a San Jose Fire Department baseball cap and a dark, muscle-hugging T-shirt, Baldwin wheeled a business suit and a suitcase behind him.

"I got to go home and do what my wife tells me," he said when asked where he was headed next.
Baldwin, an evangelical Christian who has also appeared in “The Usual Suspects” and “The Flintstone's in Viva Rock Vegas,” threatened during 2008 to move to Canada if President Obama was elected Commander in Chief.

He hasn't had much luck in court lately.

He lost his lawsuit against actor Kevin Costner after claiming the “Waterworld” actor had tricked him into giving up shares in a high-tech company specializing in capping oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon.
The Massapequa, L.I., native was in court in Los Angeles in September, claiming it was Costner's lawyer who encouraged him to dump his shares as BP was signing a $52 million contract with the company.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/stephen-baldwin-pleads-guilty-article-1.1171964#ixzz28PNMbjx3

Family matriarch Ethel Kennedy opens up, sort of, for an HBO bio-documentary

Ethel Kennedy has largely dropped out of the public eye for the last two decades, which is why her youngest daughter, Rory, says the “big reveal” in Rory’s new HBO bio-documentary “Ethel” is simply that “my mother is talking.”

“Ethel,” airing in October, shows the Kennedy matriarch and numerous other family members talking about her life.

One area about which she stays largely silent, though, is the assassination of her husband, Robert, in 1968.

When Rory asks her about that, she pauses and finally says, “Talk about something else.”

Kennedy, 84, told TV critics here Wednesday that the way she got through the aftermath of that tragedy was that “I’d wake up and say he’s okay, he’s in heaven with John.”

-- A new documentary, self-effacingly titled “The Rolling Stones: The Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band in the World,” will air this October on HBO.

It will be directed by Brett Morgan and has the cooperation of all four current Stones plus former band members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor. It coincides with the band’s 50th anniversary and will trace its roots to the beginning.

More HBO moves:

-- “Enlightened” and “Girls” return in January, earlier than planned, because of the hole created by the unexpected shutdown of “Luck.”

“Nothing else was ready to go,” said programming president Michael Lombardo. “They were.”

-- Larry David is writing a new movie, which HBO is only saying will not be a “Curb Your Enthusiasm” movie.

-- “True Blood” showrunner Alan Ball is leaving at the end of the current season five, but Lombardo said the show will likely go on.

-- “True Detectives,” with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, will likely finish its story in one season, then move on to another.

-- A fourth season for “Treme” is up in the air.

-- “Game of Thrones” will continue “as long as [author] George R.R. Martin writes books,” said Lombardo. Martin is now writing book six as “Thrones” prepares for its third season.

-- An “Entourage” movie is possible, but not imminent.

-- “The Kids Are All Right” is being considered as the basis for a series, but “The Corrections” was rejected.

‘Strike Back’ boasts Dylan music

Two songs from Bob Dylan’s upcoming “Tempest” album will premiere in connection with Cinemax’s “Strike Back” series, whose second season launches Aug. 17.

The song “Early Roman Kings” will be featured in a video that started Wednesday on HBO, Cinemax and cinemax.com.

“Scarlet Town” will play behind the end credits of the first two episodes, which debut back-to-back at 10 p.m.

“Tempest” will be released Sept. 11.

BBC calls on Musketeers

The Three Musketeers will return to television in 2014, minus the “Three” part.

BBC America is co-producing a new 10-part series of the Alexander Dumas classic, with what it describes as “a fresh and contemporary take on the beloved stories and characters.”

It is still set in the 17th century and revolves around a “band of brothers” sworn to protect king and country.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/family-matriarch-ethel-kennedy-opens-sort-hbo-bio-documentary-article-1.1127500#ixzz22wfpDksA

BMW Team RLL Finish 5th and 6th at Lime Rock Park

BMW Team RLL fought back from a day of bad luck to finish fifth and sixth in the GT class at the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park. Today’s result was the first time a BMW Team RLL M3 GT did not reach the podium at their home track, but a determined effort kept the team in second place in manufacturer points and very much in contention for a third consecutive GT class title.

The two BMW M3 GT cars lined up at Lime Rock Park with a black ribbon attached to the right front fender of each car. This is in memory a BMW Motorsport engineer who died suddenly in Munich on Friday night. The thoughts of his BMW Motorsport colleagues are with his family during this difficult time.

Joey Hand and Dirk Müller finished fifth in the No. 56 M3 GT and now stand third in driver points. Hand started the race from the second position and pitted under the race’s first caution period for left side tires and fuel on the 21st lap of the 1.5-mile, 8-turn Lime Rock Park circuit. He returned to the race in P6 and continued until lap 62 when he handed over Dirk Müller after a puncture to his left front tire brought him to the pits. Müller had to make an unplanned pit stop on lap 70 to remove the hood after its mounting loosened and blocked his view. One lap down, he stayed in the car for the remainder of the race, ultimately completing 159 laps and finishing fifth.

Bill Auberlen qualified the No. 55 BMW Team RLL M3 GT on the GT class pole, but unfortunately the BMW ace had to start his 100th ALMS race from the pit lane after a fuel cell issue on the installation lap stalled his best start of the season. He did not wait long to make time setting a new race record of 51.091 seconds on lap nine. He stayed out during the race’s first caution period to regain more track position. Pitting under the green flag on lap 61 he handed off to Jörg Müller. The BMW Motorsport veteran was forced back to the pits 14 laps later with a puncture of the left rear tire at the cost of one lap to the leaders.

Müller remained in the car to the checkered flag, finishing sixth. Auberlen and Müller stand sixth in driver points.

“Today was one tough day,” said Bobby Rahal, Team Principal. “We had a puncture on the 56 car and a fuel leak and a puncture on the 55 car. It was a long, hard day for us, but we scored points. We will need to finish in front of the Corvettes from here on out and that is going to be tough.”

Joey Hand, driver No. 56 M3 GT – “That was a long two hour and 45 minutes. It always feels like that when it isn’t your day. A puncture to the left front tire and the hood coming loose caused us to make two pit stops under green. Still we powered back for a fifth place finish and really didn’t lose a lot of points to the class leaders. BMW Team RLL never gives up. Bob is always on the radio telling you to just keep pushing.”

Dirk Müller, driver No. 56 M3 GT – “I deeply wanted to win this race again in front of Crowne Plaza and BMW crowd, but at the end, finishing P5, we scored a lot of very good points for the championship. It was a tough day today. Twice we fought back and that makes me proud.”

Bill Auberlen, driver No. 55 M3 GT – “We won practice. We won qualifying. Unfortunately, today was not our day although BMW Team RLL gave Jörg and me a car that was fast and capable of winning. I’ve seen days end worse than this. We can be proud  to have taken a car that started one lap down to the field and finish sixth.”

Jörg Müller, driver No. 55 M3 GT – “The race didn’t really come to us, but we never stopped trying. We were already one and one half laps behind when we started the race, but I’m happy with the points because normally when you start from that position you are not able to get much of anything.”

Round 5 of the American Le Mans Series, the Grand Prix of Mosport, will be held at the newly renovated Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The race is scheduled to take the green flag at 12:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 22. ESPN2 will air the race same-day beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. Live streaming coverage is available starting at 11:45 a.m. ET on ESPN3.com.

The Series’ website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch all ALMS races live on ALMS.com

Source  http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/07/08/bmw-team-rll-finish-5th-and-6th-at-lime-rock-park/

Selena Gomez Bio: What Makes The Young Starlet Tick?

Although she is still in her late teens, Selena Gomez biography lists numerous accomplishments as an actress and singer. She was born Selena Anne Gomez on July 22, 1992 in Dallas, Texas. She was raised in Grand Prairie, Texas and lived there until she was thirteen.

From 2001 to 2003, Selena played Gianna on “Barney and Friends” produced by Disney. It was on that show she met her co-star Demi Lovato who became her best friend through the years. Selena also guest starred on an episode of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” an episode of “Spy Kids 3D: Game Over,” and three episodes of “Hannah Montana” as Mikayla. She also played a couple of small parts in “Walker, Texas Ranger” in 2005 and in “Brain Zapped” in 2006. In 2007 she began playing Alex Russo in “Wizards of Waverly Place” which is still airing four years later. It also won an Emmy in 2009 for Outstanding Children’s Program.

During 2008 Selena played the lead role of Mary in “Another Cinderella Story” which was a sequel to “A Cinderella Story.” She made her first animated movie in 2008 called “Horton Hears a Who!” She recorded three tunes for Disney and appeared in “Burnin’ Up” which was a Jona Brothers music video. Selena also became a spokesperson for Borden Milk that same year. In 2009 she starred in the movies “Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie” and “Princess Protection Program.” Her latest starring role is in the movie “Monte Carlo.”

Selena recorded her first album “Kiss & Tell” which hit gold, and followed it up with “A Year without Rain.” Her platinum single “Naturally” started her on her techno journey. She added a techno/dance vibe to “A Year without Rain” to make people want to get up and dance. The album features themes like freedom, love, and living happily in the moment. The album includes songs like “Round & Round,” “Rock God,” “Spotlight,” “Off the Chain,” “Summer’s Not Hot,” “Ghost of You,” “Sick of You,” “Live Like There’s No Tomorrow,” and a Spanish version of “A Year Without Rain.” She will be touring with her band, Scene, this year and will be releasing an album in June with Scene. No title has been chosen for the album yet, but the hit single “Who Says?” is featured on the album.

Selena has been a youth ambassador for UNICEF for which she recently made a trip to Africa. She also has volunteered at St. Jude’s Hospital for children and Disney’s Friends for Change, all of which have broadened her viewpoints on life. She has a new clothing line, Dream Out Loud, which is only sold at K-Mart.

Source http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/actors-directors/selena-gomez-bio-what-makes-the-young-starlet-tick/

Downtown Partners works to increase foot traffic downtown

Downtown Partners has always worked to promote downtown Sioux City and increase foot traffic for businesses and events.

Downtown Partners officials say downtown Sioux City already has a lot of existing great culture and now they're directing their funds towards more projects.

A recent event sponsored by them was Rock-N-Rods.

The event had more than 500 cars registered.

Officials say they hope to make this an annual event and eventually become more financially stable and pass it to another organization.

"That's really the goal from when we create something in downtown, for it to be successful and for someone to take it over and keep it going. So that maybe we can focus our efforts on another new event," said Ragen Cote, Executive Director of Downtown Partners.

Another project they're helping with is future plans for Cone Park in downtown Sioux City.

Those plans include an ice skating rink, amphitheater, farmers market and water feature on four acres of land across from the Battery Building.

Source http://www.ktiv.com/story/15144095/downtown-partners-works-to-increase-foot-traffic-in-downtown-sioux-city

Brian Epstein bio shows Beatle manager's human side

After not hearing about it for so long, the recent news that the film "The Fifth Beatle," about the life of Beatles manager Brian Epstein, had locked up financing and music rights was a wake-up call that the film is alive and well.

"I started working on 'The Fifth Beatle' about five years ago, but it's not as though that's the only thing we've been doing," writer-producer Vivek Tiwary told us on the phone. "I'm currently a producer on 'American Idiot,' the Green Day musical and producer of 'The Addams Family,' both of which are Broadway productions and both of which are prepping road tours to start later this year. And I've also been developing a television sitcom, which I just sold to CBS, called 'Punk Rock Dad.'"

Tiwary says getting the music rights for the Brian Epstein film was a big hurdle.

"It's taken literally years to secure the music rights and putting some financing together, no easy feat," he says. "The music rights alone, that's a process that's been over two years just working on securing the music rights. So it was not an easy process and something that I'm very proud to have accomplished." He also said a $25 million budget has been secured from DIMI Entertainment in Nashville.

There were previous reports about a Brian Epstein movie starring Jude Law, but Tiwary makes it clear his project is separate. "We are talking about another project completely. Jude Law announced he was going to make his own Brian Epstein film about a decade ago." He says he reached out to Law to combine forces, but was told by his agents that Jude was no longer pursuing his Brian Epstein projects.

Tiwary wrote the script for the new film. "I wrote the screenplay myself. The script is finished. Speaking as a writer, your script is never really done until you're in the editing room, really. But I have a script that is at a place where I'm very proud of it."

Though the film isn't based on any particular book, there is one Brian Epstein biography that he was very much aware of.

"There's one book which I believe is out of print called 'In His Life,' which is a collection of interviews written by the late Debbie Geller, who incidentally was a good friend of mine and a big supporter of this project. She died way too young and I hope she is resting in peace. And I hope she is proud of what I've accomplished so far."

He says when he started the project, he touched base, sort of, with Brian Epstein.

"When I first started developing this project about five years, the very first thing I did was I flew to Liverpool and I went to Brian Epstein's gravesite. And I sat at the grave and I told Brian what I wanted to do and asked his permission, so to speak. In a poetic, karmic way I thought that was the right thing to do. After that, I reached out to his estate to also make sure his estate was comfortable with me and my approach. And I would say I have become very friendly with his estate in the ongoing years. They've been wonderful to me."

He said he then reached out to Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and to the two estates of John Lennon and Geroge Harrison.

Source http://www.examiner.com/beatles-in-national/exclusive-writer-says-brian-epstein-film-shows-human-side-of-beatles-manager

Last day for Arkansas Million Dollar Raffle

Wednesday is the last day to buy tickets in the Arkansas Million Dollar Raffle, sponsored by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

Two lucky players will win $1 million dollars in the raffle drawing, which is set for Thursday.

More than 400,000 tickets have already been sold according to a lottery spokesperson.

In addition to the million dollar winners, 540 $1,000 winners will also be announced.

Lottery officials say the raffle gives players the best odds for a higher tier prize than any other game offered by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

Source http://www.katv.com/story/14393692/last-day-for-arkansas-million-dollar-raffle

Police Search for Suspect in 2004 Homicide

Police are looking for a man they say was involved in a shooting death back in 2004

Detectives are looking for Antonerio D. Norris, in connection with the January 2004 death of Anthony Terry.

On January 17,2004 officers were called to a subject down in the 4000 block of Old Shackleford Rd. When officers arrived they found Mr. Terry on the ground deceased from a gunshot wound.

Anyone with information about Norris should contact Little Rock Police detectives at 501-371-4660.

Source http://www.katv.com/Global/story.asp?S=14337283

Kid Rock’s Use of Confederate Flag Sparks NAACP Protest

For the past few days, media outlets have carried the news that Kid Rock is slated to receive the “Great Expectations Award” from the Detroit branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on May 1, 2010. According to Donnell R. White, interim executive director of the NAACP in Detroit, the reason Kid Rock was chosen for the award was because he has “consistently lifted up the Great Expectations of many persons … concerning the future of the city.”

And anyone who’s ever listened to Kid Rock’s music knows that his love for Detroit runs deep. From songs like “Son of Detroit” to lyrics like “If heaven ain’t a lot like Detroit, I don’t want to go” to his “Made in Detroit” clothing line, Kid Rock has proven himself an undying citizen of the motor city. And when one considers all the struggles Detroit has faced over the past few years, from the financial problems of GM and Chrysler to the large number of manufacturing plants that closed their doors, Kid Rock’s non-stop campaign to see that city return to its glory days should encourage those who live there.

But a few members of the Detroit NAACP aren’t encouraged at all by Kid Rock’s work, nor are they happy that he’s going to receive the “Great Expectations Award.” In fact, they’ve turned a blind eye to his relentless push for Detroit’s rebirth and are instead caught up in the fact that Kid Rock displays a Confederate battle flag during his performances. In their minds, the presence of that battle flag can only mean one thing: Kid Rock is a racist.

Said Adolph Mongo, head of Detroiters for Progress: “[Giving him this award] is a slap in the face for anyone who fought for civil rights in this country, …[because that flag] is a symbol of hatred and bigotry.”

Since Mongo’s use of the phrase “hatred and bigotry” is nothing more than liberal-speak for “racism,” I think it would be nice if he would quit implying that Kid Rock is a racist long enough to explain why the NAACP only seeks the advancement of colored people.

Clearly, Kid Rock is no racist, and the fact that an embittered leader of Detroiters for Progress implies otherwise doesn’t change that.

The sad thing is that this whole episode was avoidable. All Mongo needed to do was be quiet long enough to listen and he would have noticed that Kid Rock has gone on record saying his affection for the Confederate battle flag is tied to the fact that he associates it with southern rock.

Source http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/awrhawkins/2011/03/08/kid-rock-attacked-for-flying-confederate-flag-at-concerts/

The battle rages on over Theatair X

It began with community complaints and a WAVE 3 News investigation. Now, Reclaim Our Culture Kentuckiana, or R.O.C.K., is again taking on the Clarksville Town Council and Theatair X with a new website it is unveiling.

In 2009, we took an undercover look at Theatair X. Our cameras found many violations of the Clarksville town ordinance. There have been other investigations by R.O.C.K., including claims of open sex acts, prostitution and drug use.

On its new website, Truth About Theatair X, R.O.C.K. takes on the town council saying the only action the body has taken is issuing four minor citations to Theatair X. After Theatair X sued, a judge ruled the ordinance had not been passed properly and therefore those citations were not enforceable.

"The simple fix is to just pass a new ordinance. Pass it according to Indiana law - simple," said Maryann Gramig, president of R.O.C.K. "There were no other issues named that were problematic with the ordinance, which indicates there were no other issues. Just go back, pass it again, fix the technical issue and you're good to go."

Paul Craft, the Clarksville town council president, said they have appealed the ruling and have been waiting for a special judge to be appointed, which was recently done. Craft said they are waiting to hear the new ruling and feels they have done everything they can.

R.O.C.K. said the council hasn't done nearly enough.

Source http://www.wave3.com/story/13993473/the-battle-rages-on

Highway 321 headaches over, for now

The barricades are gone, so are the flashing signs announcing the schedule of road closures.

All four lanes of Highway 321 are now open for traffic going up into the mountains between Lenoir and Blowing Rock.

A $63 million widening project caused major traffic headaches for the past six years along the 7 mile stretch of highway.

Twice each week, for several hours at a time, the road would shut down completely for blasting. At other times, lanes were blocked, traffic slowed to a crawl and sometimes it would take an hour to get through the construction zone.

The project was supposed to be finished in August of 2008 but cutting through the mountains took longer than officials expected. There is still some paving to be done in the lower section of the project when the weather warms up but the road is in shape to stay open until then, said officials.

On Wednesday, Alan Kirby was seen directing traffic around a small work project. "There are a couple of small things left to do, but nothing major, he said. Wednesday was his last day on the job. Kirby expects to be unemployed for a few weeks "Then when they come back to do some paving I'm supposed to come back and help but after that I don't know what I will do."

The company that handled the project, English Contractors out of Virginia, paid thousands of dollars in penalties for not completing the project on time, according to state officials.

Though the barricades are down on this project, Highway 321 will see them again, say officials. The final stretch of the two lane portion of the road, between Blackberry Ridge and Blowing Rock, is slated to be widened to four lanes. Bid will be let on the project this summer with construction expected to begin next year.

Source http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13871801

Casting call for cover band reality show

TriStar Entertainment is conducting an open casting call and looking for twelve enthusiastic cover and tribute bands for a Tribute/Cover Band reality television show. We are scouring the globe in search of the best cover and tribute bands dedicated to the 80's rock/metal scene. To be considered, please email a presskit that includes a bio, band photo, along with links to music and videos.

In addition to bands, we are also casting for three hosts, male and female. We are looking for someone who isn’t shy on camera and can talk about all things 80’s. Please send a bio, photos, videos, portfolio to the email below for consideration.

Please email info@foreverrockin80s.com

Source  http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/1225/20865/Casting-call-for-cover-band-reality-show.html