People rally to bring back tank

Jordan Burgess EATON, Ohio (WDTN) - Memorial Day just wasn't the same in Eaton this year.

Sure the salute was sharp, the wreath in the water as beautiful as ever, and the band stayed in step, but in that patriotic panorama, something was missing.

"It'd be about the same as if somebody took your mother's tombstone off the grave," says veteran Maurice Duggins. "You would miss that."

For more than 50 years the armory in Eaton was guarded by a tank.

Lieutenant Colonel J.J. Wikle never forgot that day he helped park it at what he thought would be its final resting place.

"I drove the damn tank down here, from the storage building we had," Wikle told 2 NEWS back in April.

But more than a month ago, the tanks turret and treads were tugged out of town by the Ohio National Guard.

The armory in Eaton had already been closed, now the tank was going with it.

"I think not enough people knew it was happening beforehand," says veteran Bob Allison. "It came out of nowhere."

So those in Eaton decided to fight for the tank that had once fought for them.

They passed around petitions, signed their name on the silhouette now filling the tank's spot and shouted their message from the steps of the old armory.

"People are so proud of that tank and it's always served as such a landmark in this area," says Tina Marker, who's helping to organize the campaign.

Everybody wants to help, even 7-year-old Kaylee who noticed the tank missing and donated a small wooden one.

"She said she knew someone who needed a tank," says her dad Jeff Manning. "She was a little disappointed because she wanted to paint it green first since the old one was green."

But the tank wasn't the only thing missing on Memorial Day.

A few days after it was taken J.J. Wikle had to be hospitalized. Two weeks ago he died.

Many feel the stress from the taking of the tank led to his downward slide.

"It took a piece of him," says his son, Earle Paul Wikle. "To him this was something of a historical nature for the community and for the veterans who served here."

So now, a town is missing two of its monuments.

On Memorial Day, when it's all about remembering, those in Eaton refuse to forget.

So they fire salutes and they weave wreaths and they march on.

"This is a huge piece of our heritage," Marker says. "We just want it back."

Organizers plan on applying to get that tank back, if not in its old spot in front of the armory, then at least somewhere in Eaton.

Watch the video here:

People rally to bring back tank

Memorial Day Weekend Heat Wave

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

Break out the fans and air conditioners and get the pools ready as Mother Nature has a stretch of hot, humid weather just in time for the Memorial Day weekend for portions of the Midwest and East.

As cool air with gust winds sweep over the Southwest and snow falls over the high country in the Rockies, building heat over the southern Plains is forecast to surge northeastward later this week.

While the pattern is only likely to last several days, it will feature the highest actual temperatures and AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures of the season so far. (The RealFeel temperature incorporates a number of atmospheric conditions to show how it feels on the human body).

Early-season warmth will evolve into a several-day stretch of 90-degree temperatures and high humidity with the core over the Ohio Valley states Friday into the Memorial Day weekend.

RealFeel temperatures will top 100 degrees and could reach 105 degrees for a few hours each day from St. Louis, Mo., to Cincinnati, Memphis and Nashville.

Ninety-degree temperatures and near 100-degree RealFeel temperatures will also nose eastward into Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond.

Thunderstorms on Rim of Heat

North of this zone, cloudy intervals and a couple of rounds of thunderstorms are forecast to mitigate the heat. As a result, areas from Chicago to Detroit, New York City and Boston will have less extreme warmth on a daily basis or only a brief spike in heat.

Chicago is likely to have one nasty hot day Sunday with temperatures making a run into the 90s. Temperatures around Detroit will peak in the 80s to near 90 most days of the weekend.

Late in the weekend, the heat is likely to collapse from northwest to southeast from thunderstorms. As a result, folks enduring several days of heat will want to keep an eye on the sky during the holiday itself.

Interestingly, folks along the southern Atlantic Seaboard could have a visit from a tropical system later in the weekend with downpours and locally gusty thunderstorms.

Be Ready for Summer Heat

While many folks may welcome the heat on the first unofficial weekend of summer for seasonal activities, many people will be sweltering away at memorial services, graduations and sports venues ranging from baseball to auto racing.

The heat and humidity will catch some folks off guard who are not yet accustomed to the conditions.

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids if you will be exposed to the heat this weekend. Avoid prolonged strenuous activity from late morning through the afternoon. Try to take breaks from the sun, if possible.

Heat could also raise mechanical issues for highway travelers and weekend automobile race activities.

Highway travelers are reminded to make sure their vehicle is ready to handle hot weather conditions. It is best to check tire pressure levels after the vehicle has been parked overnight. Only add radiator fluid to the reserve reservoir. Never take the radiator cap off of a hot engine.

Driving at excessive speed with or without properly inflated tires during hot weather can exceed the threshold of what the tire is designed to handle and could lead to a dangerous blowout.

According to AccuWeather.com Forensic Department Manager Edward Adams, "While the RealFeel temperature has no bearing on mechanical objects, given a high in the mid-90s, the actual temperature on paved surfaces exposed to sunshine much of the day will top 120 degrees."

This year's Indianapolis 500 on Sunday is forecast to take place with blazing afternoon sunshine, a high temperature challenging the highest May temperature on record and very humid conditions. The RealFeel temperature is forecast to be between 100 and 105 degrees for the Indy 500.

Meanwhile, NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600, scheduled to start early Sunday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway will begin with temperatures near 90 degrees.

Some summer weather enthusiasts will have swimming on their minds this weekend. Even though stream, lake and ocean water temperatures are averaging about five degrees above normal for this point in the year, the water is still at its chilliest point of the summer season.

The chilly water can lead to muscle cramps and raise the risk of drowning. Swim only when and where a lifeguard is on duty and take frequent warm-up breaks.

This story was originally published on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 and has been updated.

Gary Sinise: An American Tradition Honoring Our Servicemen and Women

An American Tradition Honoring Our Servicemen and Women
Live on PBS from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol!

Sunday, May 27th, from 8:00 to 9:30 pm ET (check local listings).

Concert photo by Ray Tharaldson 2011
On the eve of Memorial Day, a star-studded line-up will grace the stage for one of PBS’ highest-rated programs. The multi award-winning television event has truly become an American tradition, honoring the military service and sacrifice of all our men and women in uniform, their families at home and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

The program is co-hosted for the seventh year by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”) and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise (“CSI: New York”), two acclaimed actors who have dedicated themselves to veteran’s causes and supporting troops in active service. They will be joined by an all-star line-up including: distinguished American leader Colin L. Powell USA (Ret.); the multi-platinum rock band Daughtry; nine-time Grammy award-winner, singer and songwriter Natalie Cole; country music superstar Trace Adkins; “American Idol” finalist Jessica Sanchez; Emmy, Oscar and Tony award-winning actress Ellen Burstyn; Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actor and Vietnam veteran Dennis Franz; celebrated film and television actress Selma Blair; and world renowned tenor Russell Watson; in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.

The concert is broadcast live on PBS and live via American Forces Network to the nearly one million American service men and women, Department of Defense civilians and their families overseas, stationed at bases in 175 countries, as well as 140 U.S. Navy ships at sea.

The “National Memorial Day Concert” is sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corporation and is made possible by the National Park Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Department of the Army, General Dynamics, and public television stations nationwide. All travel is provided by American Airlines.

For more information visit: http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/concert/

Two If By Tea Grill N' Chill Sweepstakes!

 RUSH: You know, Memorial Day is right around the corner, folks -- summertime soon in full swing.  Let me ask you, what could be better than an Allen Brothers feast on a brand-new top-of-the-line grill?  And I'm not talking about some Podunk little kettle thing out there that's got room for one or two hot dogs.  No, we're talking top-of-the-line typical EIB Two If By Tea quality.  We call this tea season.  And in honor of tea season, we are getting you ready for the summer.  If you are one of the lucky winners of our latest and greatest Two If By Tea sweepstakes, you will be able to invite your friends and family, maybe even the entire town, over to your place for a Memorial Day feast.

I want to point this out.  We don't have any restrictions.  If you end up winning this grand sweepstakes, you can gift it to somebody else.  These high value prize packs that we offer can be gifted to somebody else.  If you decide that you don't have the space for a large grill, you don't have a refrigerator large enough to stock it full of Allen Brothers beef, you can give the prize to a military family in honor of Memorial Day. Whatever you want to do with it after you get it is up to you.  Just keep in mind that these prize packs can be gifted to somebody else. They make a perfect Father's Day gift as well.  We try to cover multiple birds with one stone.

Now, listen carefully because here are the details of the sweepstakes.  Beginning right now through tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, you can be automatically entered to win simply by shopping at TwoIfByTea.com.  For this limited time, every case of Two If By Tea is two bucks off.  Such a deal.  And we've got the latest flavor, plain tea, unsweetened.  So we are loaded.  We've got raspberry, blueberry, peach, regular. We've got diet and regular versions of all.  We have sweetened and unsweetened regular tea.  We have every base covered.

Now, there are going to be a total of ten winners in this sweepstakes, three grand prize winners, and here's what the grand prize winners get: large Allen Brothers gift pack.  This includes USDA prime, and this is really prime. This is the stuff that you cannot get in a grocery store.  The reason is it goes to restaurants.  There's not that much of genuine prime.  So the three grand prize winners will receive a large Allen Brothers gift pack including prime filet, jumbo hot dogs and steak burgers.

Now, if you're new to the program, Allen Brothers is the highest quality delicious melt-in-your-mouth top grade beef only served in the finest steakhouses.  By the way, nothing against grocery stores, there just isn't enough of this stuff to go around.  That's why it goes to restaurants.  But Allen Brothers makes it available to us and limited quantities to the public as well.  There is nothing quite like a perfectly grilled Allen Brothers filet mignon.  Every time we put hot dogs out when we're having a sports bar menu, people over for dinner, the jumbo hot dogs are huge, but whatever it is from Allen Brothers, people stop and comment on it.  It is that good.  Every time we serve these steaks at home, people go nuts.  They're delicious.  I mean, people aren't coming to visit me anymore.  We invite people over for dinner, they're coming for the Allen Brothers.  They assume that that's what we're going to be serving.  And they're right.

The grand prize winners, in addition to all of this great beef and the jumbo hot dogs from Allen Brothers, will receive a the top-of-the-line grill.  And here's the interesting thing about this.  You pick the top-of-the-line grill.  It's your choice. Not some rinky-dinky little grill for one hot dog that you bring to a campsite.  This is similar to the type of grill that we use at the house.  It's huge.  This is a professional grill that you will be able to choose from.  It's built to serve an army of guests.  The retail value here is at least $1500.  In addition to the best steak and the best grill, the grand prize winners also get ten cases of the best tea in the country, and a very cool iron brander that will patriotically brand "USA" on your steak.  You just heat up this brander, heat it up on the coals or over the grill and brand the steak with it, says "USA" on it.  I have one with the EIB logo on it that was given to me as a gift.  That's how I learned that these are available.

You get a grilling apron that is personally signed by me and a set of new personalized engraved grill tools to go along with your top-of-the-line grill and the Allen Brothers beef that you can't get anywhere else and the ten cases of tea.  Now, you know the drill.  To be automatically entered into the sweepstakes, you just shop at TwoIfByTea.com right now through tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.  You go to TwoIfByTea.com and shop and you're automatically entered.  The official rules are posted at TwoIfByTea.com along with pictures of the whole spread and the whole layout there that celebrates the beginning of summer, Memorial Day, the troops, Father's Day, it's all combined here into one great prize and three grand prize winners here of the big package, all explained at TwoIfByTea.com.  But you have to do your shopping at TwoIfByTea.com by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time tomorrow.  Go to the website.  Well, you have to anyway.  And look at the graphic that we have displayed that shows all of the contents, all the ingredients, if you will, of this fabulous prize.

I tell you, this is one of the most exciting ones because of the Allen Brothers steak.  Snerdley is a vegetarian so he's not excited about it, but believe me.  Now that you've heard me talking about the meat some of you have gone and looked at it and found it to be pricey, which it is because it's in limited quantity.  But it is the best that you've ever tasted.  And I love being able to get things that you can't ordinarily get.  That's one of my big thrills in life.  That's one of the reasons I love the stuff from Allen Brothers.  You can't get it anywhere, except we are giving it to you if you happen to be one of the three sweepstakes winners.  So shop at TwoIfByTea.com between now and 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time tomorrow. 

Click here to find out more!

http://twoifbytea.com

Alabama man arrested in theft of $15K Hank Williams Jr. guitar

Alabama man arrested in theft of $15K Hank Williams Jr. guitar
May 21, 2012, 4:22 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Authorities say an Alabama man has been charged in the theft of a $15,000 guitar that belonged to Hank Williams Jr.

Adam Dale Broach, of Notasulga, was arrested Sunday by the Pike County's Sheriff's Office. Broach is charged with first-degree theft of property.

An arrest report says the custom-made 1968 Les Paul guitar disappeared from Williams' cabin in the area in July 2010 and was recovered later that month when it was given to Wayne Mills of the Wayne Mills Band as a gift during a concert in Sheffield.

More: Taylor Swift gives $4 million to Country Hall of Fame

Few other details were available. Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas was not immediately available for comment Monday afternoon.

Robin Gibb, Bee Gees Co-Fonder, Dead at 62

By DAVID BROWNE

Robin Gibb, one-third of the Bee Gees, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer, his spokesperson has confirmed via a statement. Gibb was 62 years old.

"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," reads the statement. "The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

Two years ago, Gibb battled colon and liver cancer, but despite making what he called a "spectacular recovery," a secondary tumor recently developed, complicated by a case of pneumonia in April. The singer was hospitalized last month and fell into a coma at one point, although he was later said to have regained consciousness and communicated with family members. 

Gibb was born in the Isle of Man in 1949, along with twin brother Maurice. (Maurice died in 2003 of complications from a twisted intestine; eerily, Robin had surgery for the same medical issue in 2010.) Along with their older brother Barry, the brothers began harmonizing as a trio in Australia, where the family moved in 1958. Although the Bee Gees had some success in Australia – they hosted a weekly variety show there – they didn't truly arrive until they returned to England and signed with manager Robert Stigwood. Robin's quivering, vulnerable voice was featured prominently on several of the group's earliest and most Beatles-eque hits, including "New York Mining Disaster 1941," "I Started a Joke," "Massachusetts," and "I've Gotta Get a Message to You."

Although he looked and sounded like the meekest Bee Gee, Robin grew into the family rebel. By 1969, he and Barry were feuding over whose song should be singles, and Robin, then 20, was declared a "ward of the state" by their father when his drinking and partying seemed to take over his life. "It happened so fast that we lost communication between us," Gibb later recalled. "It was just madness, really."

But it was also Robin who, in 1971, made the first call to Barry to reunite with his brothers. Robin's solo career had stalled, and Barry and Maurice's attempts to continue the Bee Gees as a duo had floundered as well. "If we hadn't been related, we would probably have never gotten back together," Robin said at the time. Robin's voice was heard, beautifully, on the chorus of their minor 1972 hit "Run to Me." 

The Bee Gees' massive second wind arrived with their proto disco hit, "Jive Talkin'," in 1975; two years later, their contributions to Saturday Night Fever made them bigger stars than ever. Most of the hits from that era featured Barry's falsetto voice, but the brothers' vocal blend remained an indelible part of their sound.

The group entered another fallow period during the early Eighties, although during this time, Robin produced a semi-hit album by Jimmy Ruffin, brother of the Temptations' David Ruffin. The last Bee Gees album, This Is Where I Came In, was released in 2001. Two years later, Maurice died, and with his passing the Bee Gees ended. (Their other, younger brother Andy died in 1988.)

Robin and Barry reunited periodically – in 2010, they made an appearance on American Idol and inducted ABBA into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – and talked about a duo tour, but nothing materialized. Robin, though, kept his hand in music. With his son Robin-John, he wrote an ambitious piece, The Titanic Requiem, a mix of orchestral and vocal pieces telling the story of the doomed liner on the 100^th anniversary of its sinking. "It's a serious subject and it's not a rock opera," Gibb said before its debut. "There are no backbeats. This could have been written 300 years ago."

Featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the work had its world premiere in London on April 10th. But in a sign that Gibb's health had taken a turn for the worse, he wasn't able to attend. 

Banjo great Doug Dillard dies at 75

Doug Dillard, whose explosive banjo style made him a force in bluegrass and country music for 50 years, died Wednesday, May 16 in a Nashville hospital at age 75, after a lengthy illness.

Mr. Dillard entered the American public’s living rooms in the 1960s, as a member of The Dillards, the band that appeared on The Andy Griffith Show as “The Darlins.” He became a leader in the genre-straddling country-rock movement, an inspiration to John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steve Martin and John Hartford, and a key contributor to recordings by the Monkees, the Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Glen Campbell and many more.

“Douglas was greatly influential,” said musician Sam Bush, a friend and collaborator. “He turned a lot of people onto the banjo that hadn’t heard it, and his compositions like ‘Banjo In The Hollow’ and ‘Sinkin’ Creek’ are some of the most stunning banjo tunes ever written.”

Douglas Flint Dillard was born in Salem, Missouri. He began playing guitar at age 5. As a teen, he was driving and listening to the car radio when he first heard the sound of Earl Scruggs’ rapid banjo, played in a rollicking, three-fingered style. He became so excited by the sound that he drove into a ditch.

At 16, he wrote Scruggs a letter asking if he was too young to learn the banjo (Scruggs wrote back and told him he was plenty old enough to play), and he persuaded his parents to drive him from Missouri to Scruggs’ home in Madison. There, he rang the doorbell, met Scruggs in person and convinced Scruggs to install special tuners on his banjo.

With new tuners and an enthusiasm bolstered by a brush with his hero, Mr. Dillard returned to Missouri and formed The Ozark Mountain Boys, a group that also included younger brother Rodney. Two years later, he joined Joel Noel and The Dixie Ramblers, a St. Louis-based band that featured young John Hartford. And in 1962, Mr. Dillard founded The Dillards, with brothers Rodney and Dean and bass player Mitch Jayne, and the quartet moved to Los Angeles. There, they were discovered by an Elektra Records executive, signed to the label and cast as semi-regulars on The Andy Griffith Show.

Via Griffith’s program, “The Darlings” brought traditional acoustic music into homes across America. Outside of the show, The Dillards were interested in pushing boundaries and in experimenting with music that bridged folk, bluegrass, country and rock.

Doug Dillard left the group in 1967 to pursue his eclectic musical vision. He and Gene Clark soon formed Dillard & Clark, and their late 1968 album, The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark, was part of the first blush of a west coast country-rock scene that boasted notables including the Eagles and Gram Parsons. Mr. Dillard’s 1969 solo debut, The Banjo Album, employed exotic instrumentation in presenting new versions of classic bluegrass tunes.

“Douglas was taking Earl Scruggs’ method and making his own style out of it, fusing different kinds of sounds,” Bush said. “You’d hear electric harpsichord with his banjo. And every song on The Banjo Album was absolutely terrific.”

The 1970s found Dillard integrating himself into the Nashville scene, performing as a cast member on the Music Country USA television show and recording on solo projects and in the Dillard-Hartford-Dillard combo with John Hartford and brother Rodney. His Doug Dillard Band received a Grammy nomination in 1988, and Mr. Dillard did extensive session work, playing banjo on hundreds of albums.

John McEuen, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member who said he began playing banjo after hearing Mr. Dillard, produced a documentary called A Night In The Ozarks (released on DVD in 2006) that found the original Dillards performing together and talking about their careers. And in 2009, The Dillards were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Donna Summer, Queen of Disco, 63 loses battle with cancer

By Daily Mail Reporter
Hot Stuff singer Donna Summer died this morning aged 63 after a battle with cancer, her family has confirmed.

The star, known as the Queen of Disco, passed away in Florida.

The Seventies icon was battling lung cancer, TMZ is reporting, with sources telling the website Donna believed she contracted the illness by inhaling toxic particles after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York.

Her family released a statement, saying Summer died on Thursday morning and that they 'are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy'.

It went on: 'Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time.' She had been living in Englewood, Florida, with her husband Bruce Sudano.

Sources told TMZ she had attempted to keep the extent of her illness from fans and was recently trying to finish up her latest album.

Summers, real name LaDonna Gaines, is best know for her string of 70s hits, including I Feel Love, Last Dance and Bad Girls.

She was a five-time Grammy Award winner and the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard chart.

She was also the first female artist with four No. 1 singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year.

Summer came to prominence just as disco was burgeoning, and came to define the era with a string of No. 1 hits and her beauty queen looks.

Hit maker: Summer is known for her popular 70s tracks including Hot Stuff and Bad Girls

Disco became as much defined by her sultry, sexual vocals - her bedroom moans and sighs - as the relentless, pulsing rhythms of the music itself.

Summers married actor Helmuth Sommer in 1973 before giving birth to the couple's daughter Mimi later that year.

Although the marriage crumbled in 1975, she kept an altered version of her ex's surname to use as her stage name. She married Brooklyn Dreams musician Bruce Sudano in 1980 and the couple went on to have two daughters, Brooklyn, born in 1981 and Amanda the following year.

In 1994, the family moved from Los Angeles to Nashville where Donna took time out from showbusiness to focus on painting but had recently returned to the recording studio.

As well has staggering career highs, Summer also endured personal lows.

She suffered serious depression in the wake of September 11 terrorist attacks in New York.

'I was really freaked out by the horrific experiences of that day,' Summer, who was at her Manhattan apartment during the 2001 attacks, once said.

'I couldn't go out, I didn't want to talk to anybody. I had to keep the blinds down and stay in my bedroom.'

Friends eventually intervened and the born-again Christian also found strength in her faith.

'I went to church, and light came back into my soul,' she said in 2008. 'That heaviness was gone.'

Love to Love You Baby, with its erotic moans, was her first hit and one of the most scandalous songs of the polyester-and-platform-heel era.

Unlike some other stars of disco who faded as the music became less popular, Summer was able to grow beyond it and later segued to a pop-rock sound.

She had one of her biggest hits in the 1980s with She Works Hard For The Money, which became another anthem, this time for women's rights.

Soon after, Summer became a born-again Christian and faced controversy when she was accused of making anti-gay comments in relation to the AIDS epidemic. Summer denied making the comments, but was the target of a boycott.

Still, even as disco went out of fashion she remained a fixture in dance clubs, endlessly sampled and remixed into contemporary dance hits.
Family: Summer with her husband Bruce Sudano and their daughter Brooklyn in 2003. The couple also had another daughter together, Amanda. She had a daughter, Mimi, from a previous marriage.

Summer, real name LaDonna Adrian Gaines, was born in 1948 in Boston. She was raised on gospel music and became the soloist in her church choir by age 10.

Love to Love You Baby was her U.S. chart debut and the first of 19 No. 1 dance hits between 1975 and 2008 - second only to Madonna.

During the disco era she burned up the charts: She was the only artist to have three consecutive double-LPs hit No. 1, Live and More, `Bad Girls and On the Radio.

She was never comfortable with the "Disco Queen" label. Musically, she began to change in 1979 with Hot Stuff, which had a tough, rock `n' roll beat.

Her diverse sound helped her earn Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspirational categories.

Dionne Warwick said in a statement that she was sad to lose a great performer and 'dear friend'.

'My heart goes out to her husband and her children,' Warwick said. 'Prayers will be said to keep them strong.'

Summer released her last album, Crayons, in 2008. It was her first full studio album in 17 years. She also performed on American Idol that year with its top female contestants.

Mary Kennedy, Wife of RFK Jr., Found Dead

MOUNT KISCO, NY -- There are reports that Mary Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been found dead.

According to TMZ, 52-year-old Mary Kennedy was found dead in her Mount Kisco, New York home this morning.

The Bedford Police Department responded to the scene at approximately 1:36pm to investigate a possible "unattended death," meaning the death was not witnessed by anyone, the website is reporting.

The couple filed for divorce in 2010 after 16 years of marriage.

Three days after filing divorce papers, Mary was arrested for DUI in Bedford, New York.

The couple has four children.

RFK Jr., 58, is the son of former Sen. Robert Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy.

There are reports he is currently dating actress Cheryl Hines.

George W. Bush: I'm For Mitt Romney'

Mitt Romney has the support of George W. Bush.

“I’m for Mitt Romney,” Bush told ABC News this morning as the doors of an elevator closed on him, after he gave a speech on human rights a block from his old home — the White House.

Bush’s endorsement isn’t a surprise, given that Romney is virtually the Republican Party’s nominee. But the 43rd president has been absent from the 2012 campaign and hasn’t made any public comments showing his support for Romney.

Romney did get the formal backing of Bush’s parents, President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, in March.

People who worked in the Bush administration say they doubt the former president will be campaigning for Romney this year. Even in his post-presidential life, Bush still gets a lot of the blame for the poor economy, according to polls, though he has become more popular since leaving office.

Bush was speaking today at an event to promote the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s campaign for human rights activists around the world.

American Women Media Launches in Time For Mother's Day

Startup, multimedia company American Women Media, LLC (AWM), co-founded and run by media veterans Tamara Colbert and Deborah Flora, today unveiled its website AmericanWomenMedia.com, which coincides with the official launch of the company.

Created as a principled, non-partisan platform for the voices of American women, AWM is dedicated to providing a forum through which women can elevate the dialogue about real issues and real solutions and encourage one another to make a difference for themselves, their families, communities and country by championing their positive values and classic ideals.

Said Colbert, "There is a huge void in today's media market for a majority of American women who do not want to be defined or dismissed by polarizing labels. Our goal is to unite, invigorate and equip American women with the tools they need to make a difference, and to let them know that their voices matter and there is a place for them to be heard."

Added Flora, "Today's American woman is energized and galvanized as never before, and yet she is underserved by the offerings of television, radio and online, where content is either purely political or solely social. AWM invites women to the conversation, informing them with truth and the facts in order to help enrich their lives, inspire and ignite them to action."


ABOUT AWM
The foundational platform for AWM is its online presence AmericanWomenMedia.com
where women can gather and share information that impacts the future for all facets of their lives. Specifically, AWM's website includes pages related to health, career, family, inspiration, hot topics and blogs by both the co-founders and guest bloggers. Critical to the site is the 'Your Voice' section that gives women the opportunity to submit ideas, personal stories, ask questions, start a dialogue and connect with other American women. The 'Your Voice' section also contains a unique values survey to capture a true reflection of today's American woman and what matters to her most.

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

Tamara Colbert has more than 18 years in public relations and 7 years of production experience, including a Master's degree in Business Management from the University of Redlands. Tamara's corporate work specialized in consulting with Fortune 500, Internet start-ups and non-profit companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, NASA, European Space Agency and the Ronald McDonald House among others. One of the unique aspects of Tamara's experience is that she's worked in 70 countries around the world as a public relations executive, freelance news and documentary producer. This international experience has provided her with a wider, global perspective in business, news, political and community relations.

Deborah Flora is a Summa Cum Laude graduate from SMU who has over 20 years of experience in the entertainment and broadcast industries as an award-winning actress, host and producer. Most recently, she produced the award- winning full-length documentary, "Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good" featuring Academy Award® Nominee Gary Sinise, and Academy Award® winners Jon Voight and Robert Duvall. She has worked in Development for production companies that have won Emmy® and Golden Globe Awards®. Deborah also has extensive hosting experience in multiple broadcast formats on both network and cable shows, and as an actress appeared in numerous films, television shows, and theatre productions. As a President's Scholar, she attended Salzburg College while studying music privately at the Mozarteum Conservatory, and as Miss Colorado and 2nd Runner-Up to Miss America, Deborah spoke and performed extensively around the world.

For more information visit:http://www.americanwomenmedia.com/

 

by MARK MEMMOTT

There goes No. 2: Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers as he hit the second of his four home runs Tuesday night in a game vs. the Baltimore Orioles.

It's incredible enough that Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton hit four home runs in one game Tuesday night — something that's only been done by 15 other major league players.

But he came pretty close to hitting five, which no player has ever done in a single game, according to the Baseball Almanac. In the fifth inning, Hamilton's long line drive to center field "one-hopped the wall for a [ground rule] double," as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Foul Territory blog says.

And on top of all that, there's the compelling story of Hamilton's struggle with addictions. As ESPN.com writes:

"He went from first round draft pick in 1999 by Tampa Bay to out of baseball all together because of drug and alcohol addiction.

"He recovered and returned to the majors in 2007 with Cincinnati, and was traded to the Texas, where he has become a star — the AL MVP in 2010 — while still battling his addiction. He had a relapse before this season, but is off to a torrid start."

We noted Hamilton's pre-season relapse back in February.

After Tuesday's game, he had this to say:

"Understanding that what I'm doing and what God's allowed me to do coming back from everything I went through and allowing me to play the game at the level I play it, it's pretty amazing to think about."

And who has hit four homes in one game? Here's the list, via the Baseball Almanac:

— Bobby Lowe; Boston Beaneaters; May 30, 1894.
— Ed Delahanty; Philadelphia Phillies; July 13, 1896.
— Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees; June 3, 1932.
— Chuck Klein; Philadelphia Phillies; July 10, 1936 (10-inning game).

— Patt Seerey; Chicago White Sox; July 18, 1948 (11 innings).
— Gil Hodges; Brooklyn Dodgers; Aug. 31, 1950.
— Joe Adcock; Milwaukee Braves; July 31, 1954.
— Rocky Colavito; Cleveland Indians; June 10, 1959.

— Willie Mays; San Francisco Giants; April 30, 1961.
— Mike Schmidt; Philadelphia Phillies; Aug. 17, 1976 (10 innings).
— Bob Horner; Atlanta Braves; July 6, 1986.
— Mark Whiten; St. Louis Cardinals; Sept. 7, 1993.

— Mike Cameron; Seattle Mariners; May 2, 2002.
— Shawn Green; Los Angeles Dodgers; May 23, 2002.
— Carlos Delgado; Toronto Blue Jays; Sept. 25, 2003.
— Josh Hamilton; Texas Rangers; May 8, 2012.

By the way, the Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles last night by a score of 10-3. And here's something for you trivia buffs: Each of Hamilton's dingers scored two runs — and each time the same player was on base at the time. It was Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus.

A wise man once wrote:

Sheriff Joe to Obama: 'Clean Your Own House!'

Arizona lawman remains steadfast despite lawsuit threat

author-image by Jerome R. CorsiEmail | Archive
Jerome R. Corsi, a Harvard Ph.D., is a WND senior staff reporter. He has authored many books, including No. 1 N.Y. Times best-sellers "The Obama Nation" and "Unfit for Command." Corsi's latest book is "Where's the REAL Birth Certificate?"

A defiant Sheriff Joe Arpaio is preparing to tell President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder later today there is “no way” he will turn over the management of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to the Justice Department despite the threat of a federal lawsuit.

“Clean your own house, Eric Holder, before you come trying to clean mine,” Arpaio said today in a telephone interview with WND.
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As WND reported, the Justice Department informed Arpaio yesterday it plans to take him to federal court on allegations of systematic violations of the civil rights of Hispanics. Holder has sought an agreement to establish a court monitor in Arpaio’s office to clear his decisions.

Arpaio has scheduled a press conference for 3 p.m. local time today at his office in downtown Phoenix.

Join the billboard campaign that seeks the answer to “Where’s the Real Birth Certificate?”

‘I won’t surrender’

The sheriff charged that the Obama administration is attacking him in an effort to gain Hispanic votes in November for the Democratic Party.

“This is a coordinated effort directed from the White House to deflect attention from Eric Holder’s failure to cooperate in the congressional investigation into Fast and Furious,” he said.

Arpaio accused Obama of wanting to make him the “poster boy” in the administration’s public relations effort to deflect attention from Holder.

Phoenix today will be the site of dueling press conferences, with the Justice Department scheduling a late afternoon event. In addition, Randy Parraz, the radical agitator with a union-trained background as a Saul Alinsky “organizer,” also plans to hold a press conference today. Parraz moved to Phoenix to launch an effort demanding the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors order Arpaio to resign.

However, Arpaio, who is near the end of an unprecedented fourth term as Maricopa County sheriff, is an elected official who cannot be dismissed by the county overseers.

Arpaio cautioned that Holder should think twice about joining forces with activist operatives like Parraz.

“I won’t surrender,” Arpaio insisted, referring to the Justice Department’s demand to put federal monitors within the MCSO. “I intend to fight back.”

In November, Arpaio faces re-election for a fifth term.

‘Prove it!’

Repeatedly, Arpaio has charged the Justice Department has nothing against him but anecdotal evidence of isolated instances in which Hispanics have complained of MCSO activity.

As WND has reported, the Justice Department has refused to produce evidence substantiating the allegations against Arpaio, insisting that the allegations themselves are sufficient to demand a remedy.

“It’s ironic, don’t you think,” Arpaio said, “that Eric Holder refuses to comply with congressional subpoenas to deliver to Congress the information about his management of the Justice Department, but the Justice Department has no hesitation to make public their complaints about me despite the fact those allegation have never been proved to be true?”

Obama eligibility investigation to continue

Arpaio also told WND he will not abandon his volunteer team’s investigation into Obama’s eligibility for the Arizona presidential ballot.

“The Obama investigation remains ongoing,” he confirmed. “I have no intention of abandoning the Obama investigation until the Cold Case Posse has done its job.”

Arpaio’s office has announced the sheriff is preparing for a second press conference to update findings of the Cold Case Posse.

At a press conference in Phoenix March 1, Arpaio announced his team had found probable cause that Obama’s long form birth certificate and his Selective Service draft registration form were forgeries.

Arpaio contended it was no coincidence Holder decided to sue his office immediately after the government’s lawyers were grilled by the Supreme Court in oral arguments over the constitutionality of Arizona’s tough immigration law, SB 1070.

“I’ve had a 50-year career in law enforcement, including many years with the Justice Department in senior positions. Now, Eric Holder’s Justice Department is turning on me just because I’m doing my job enforcing immigration laws.”

Read the preliminary findings of Sheriff Arpaio’s Cold Case Posse investigation after six months investigating Obama’s constitutional eligibility to serve as president in “A Question of Eligibility,” co-authored by Jerome Corsi and Mike Zullo.

Solo Sailing the America's: Pushing the Limits!

On June 11, 2011, Matt Rutherford set sail from Annapolis, Md. on an epic voyage. He traveled down the Chesapeake Bay, up the East Coast, then through the fabled Northwest passage, down the Pacific, around Cape Horn, back up the coast of South America, and all the way back home.

In ten months, he sailed over 27,000 miles in a 27-foot sailboat — named the St. Brendan after the 6th-century explorer — and became the first person to complete a solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the Americas.

Rutherford, a 31-year-old Maryland resident, fought strong winds and rain, and improvised tools as his equipment repeatedly failed.

The trip raised thousands of dollars for the Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, a program for that offers sailing opportunities to persons with disabilities.

Rutherford, who completed the trip in April, talks with NPR's Neal Conan about the challenges of the journey and what he learned from the spending more than 300 days alone at sea.

Jake Owens Marries Lacey Buchanan in Sunrise Ceremony

Concert photo by Ray Tharaldson
all rights reserved 2012
 
By Kay West and Liz Raftery

Country star Jake Owen and his model girlfriend Lacey Buchanan are officially Mr. and Mrs. Owen.

The couple, who met when Buchanan appeared in Owen's music video for "8 Second Ride" and began dating after she starred in the video for his hit "Barefoot Blue Jean Night," tied the knot in a sunrise ceremony Monday morning in Owen's hometown of Vero Beach, Fla.

But there were no blue jeans on the beach.

The bride, 22, wore an Amsale gown and veil and the groom was casual in a white linen Armani shirt and Tommy Bahama drawstring pants – though both were barefoot on the beach as the sun rose over the ocean.

"That was my idea, because it's symbolic of the dawn of a new day and starting our new life together," Owen told PEOPLE.

The sexy Owen, 30, popped the question to Buchanan on stage at his alma mater, Vero Beach High, this past April after he sang "Don't Think I Can't Love You" – a proposal so spontaneous he didn't yet have the ring he designed himself. Back at their home in Nashville, he took a knee again and proposed properly.

Family-Only Ceremony
The intimate ceremony was a family-only affair. Lacey's sister Leah was her maid of honor, and Jake's twin brother Jarrod served as best man. His uncle, Ron Owen, officiated.

After the couple exchanged vows and their first kiss, the party walked to the patio of the Vero Beach Hotel and Spa for champagne, cake cutting and a sit-down brunch.

"I'm looking forward to being a husband, someone his wife relies and leans on," said Owen, who will hit the road with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney on June 2 – though not before taking a honeymoon.

Added the bride: "He gives me so much love, that it's the best place of my life, and having the commitment of marriage means everything."

Obama's Social Security Number hits Rush

Joe Kovacs, author of the "The Divine Secret: The Awesome and Untold Truth About Your Phenomenal Destiny" is executive news editor for WND.More ↓

Rush Limbaugh, the nation’s top-rated radio talk-show host, briefly brought up the issue of Barack Obama’s potentially criminal use of a Connecticut-based Social Security Number, since the president has never lived in the Constitution State.

While speaking with a caller named Rob about Obama’s alleged deception of citizens, Limbaugh tossed out the question: “What are your thoughts on the fact Obama’s Social Security Number is from Connecticut and he’s never been there?”

Rob responded, “That’s what you call a red flag. A red flag is also, ‘First of all, I don’t need to give you my birth certificate,’ and then finally, ‘I’ll give you a copy,’ Oh, that’s a modern copy … We don’t need copies, we need originals.”

Rob continued, “How about releasing all of your college papers and let’s see what you really thought about America when you were in college? He’s deceiving us.”

“That’s true,” said Limbaugh. “They don’t want [us] to see what those term papers, doctoral theses and so forth actually were about, nor do they want us to see the grades. They don’t want us to see the grades.”

Rob had originally focused on Obama’s birth certificate, which Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has investigated and believes is a likely forgery.

Find out all there is to know about Obama’s Connecticut Social Security Number in Jerome Corsi’s “Where’s the Birth Certificate,” both in hardcover and an additional ebook. And we also have the results of Sheriff Joe’s probe into Obama’s birth certificate!

“He says he was born in the United States,” said Rob. “He has not shown a genuine, authentic, viable, verifiable – in order to authenticate any document, you need to have the original.”

“Now wait just a second,” said Limbaugh. “They did release a birth certificate. Even Donald Trump said he’s satisfied with it.”

“The original? But a copy of anything you can’t be satisfied. You have to actually examine the original. … In order to have an expert authenticate it, you can’t go by a copy. You actually have to go by the ink on the paper, as well as many other things.”

An audio clip of today’s Rush Limbaugh program concerning this topic has been posted on YouTube:
Obama’s Social Security Number was not discussed again in today’s radio exchange, but its mention is notable because few members of the national media have treaded near that subject.

President Obama has never explained why he has a Conncecticut-based Social Security Number

As WND reported last August, Obama’s possibly criminal use of a Connecticut-based Social Security Number should become an important issue in his quest for re-election in 2012, said Alan Keyes, a former presidential candidate and ambassador in Ronald Reagan’s administration.

The first three digits of Obama’s SSN are 042. That code falls within the range of numbers for Connecticut, which according to the Social Security Administration has been 040 through 049.

“I believe that when you are confronted with a situation that is filled with these kinds of – what shall we call them – anomalies, disparities, it is reasonable common sense to want to try to get straight answers,” said Keyes.

“If you’re trying to ascertain whether or not somebody ought to be sitting with, as they used to say, their finger on the button of nuclear weapons that can blow up the world, their power extending to decisions that can collapse our economy, their influence extending to areas that can destroy the standards and moral conscience of our people in the eyes of the world, I think you might want to know who they were. It might be a good idea!”

Keyes’ comments came during an online interview with Stan Solomon, as he addressed an issue that has been avoided by the White House and almost completely ignored by national news agencies.

“Let’s say that you’re trying to establish someone’s identity for the purposes of an investigation and you come across a Social Security Number that has that person coming from a state that all the other records of their life indicate they’ve never been to,” Keyes explained.

“I think you would look at that as an anomaly that suggests, among other things, that you better probe a little harder to make sure that the identity that you’re dealing with is a real identity – that it’s not something that’s been in some sense fabricated for some particular purpose, because one of the things you want to do if you’re tracking somebody down is make sure you’re tracking them down, not following some phony figment down to dead ends. That’s common sense.”

Keyes thinks there are many Americans who are aware of this Social Security Number mystery and simply can’t understand why it’s not being addressed.

“Is it incompetence? Is it cowardice?” he asks rhetorically. “Is it just indifference and nonchalance of this elite in the courts and in politics, in the Congress and elsewhere?”

Steve Davis, police chief for Southport, Ind., was a co-host on the program, chiming in, “If anyone believes Barack Obama is gonna make an identity-theft commercial soon, forget it. It’s not gonna happen.”

Keyes then went on a scathing indictment of the current crop of political candidates and their apparent unwillingness to take on the issue.

“You know there’s hardly a one of them had the guts to stand forward and speak truly to the issues that are raised by these anomalies and to address the constitutional issues that are involved in [presidential] eligibility,” he said.

“And that, it seems to me, is a big strike against you because at the end of the day if you’re not willing to respect the requirements of integrity with regard to the most potently damaging office that it is in the gift of the American people to give, then I guess you’re willing to misinform and lie to them about just about anything. Because if you don’t care whether their vote for president – the most important vote they cast – can be cast with integrity, then you don’t care whether they’re represented or not.”

Keyes continued: “I know very few – I don’t care which party label they wear – who have had respect for the people, the respect for the Constitution, the respect for the requirements of real and true representation and choice in our elections to stand forward and deal with these matters forthrightly. They’ve allowed folks like myself and others who are outside the purview of government to kind of just twist in the wind. First they called us names and then they tried to tear us down, and as the facts and other things became evident and more and more people lined up, now they’re just silent and cowering in some dark corner, unable to voice their shame. And I think that’s where they belong, most of them.”

In June 2010, WND’s Washington correspondent, Les Kinsolving, asked former Obama Press Secretary Robert Gibbs specifically why Obama had a Connecticut-based SSN despite not having lived there, but Gibbs completely dodged the question and changed the subject, lamenting about inquiries over Obama’s birth certificate.

“There is obviously a case of fraud going on here,” said private investigator Susan Daniels. “In 15 years of having a private investigator’s license in Ohio, I’ve never seen the Social Security Administration make a mistake of issuing a Connecticut Social Security number to a person who lived in Hawaii. There is no family connection that would appear to explain the anomaly.”

Just this week, a California lawyer who has been leading the legal effort to probe Obama’s SSN made some progress in Hawaii.

As WND reported, attorney Orly Taitz secured an order from United States District Court Magistrate Judge Richard L. Puglisi demanding representatives of the Hawaii Department of Health appear in federal court Sept. 14 to show why Taitzshould be prevented from seeing whatever original 1961 documents theagency has on record regarding Barack Obama’s birth.

To date, most national media have refused to even mention the question of Obama’s possibly fraudulent Social Security Number.

On April 27, 2011, the day Obama released a scanned image of what he claims to be his long-form birth certificate from Hawaii, MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell angrily shouted down California attorney Orly Taitz to prevent her from exposing on national television what she claims is Obama’s Social Security crime:

Also in April of last year, some 11 months after WND began publicizing Obama’s Connecticut-based SSN, Bill O’Reilly of the Fox News Channel briefly addressed the issue while reading his viewer mail on the air.

Bill O’Reilly of the Fox News Channel

Unfortunately for O’Reilly, the news anchor falsely asserted the president’s father lived in Connecticut.

In his viewer email segment April 13, 2011, O’Reilly was asked: “What about Obama having a Connecticut Social Security Number? He never lived there.”

“His father lived in Connecticut for several years,” O’Reilly claimed, adding that “babies sometimes get numbers based on addresses provided by their parents.”

In reality, there is no evidence Barack Obama Sr. ever lived in Connecticut. He left Hawaii in 1962 to study at Harvard in Massachusetts and then returned to his home country of Kenya.

When WND publicized O’Reilly’s major error, the information vanished from the Fox News Channel’s website, as well as BillOReilly.com.

O’Reilly’s full explanation of the “truth” of Obama “myths” is here:

The BirtherReport.com website, responding to complaints by Fox podcast customers that O’Reilly’s Social Security claim, broadcast on Fox, had gone missing from the audio archive, trumpeted the headline: “Busted: Fox News scrubbed Bill O’Reilly’s 4/13 mailbag segment on Obama’s Social Security Number reserved for Connecticut applicants.” The site added, “Not only did Fox News scrub the podcast, they also left out the viewer email about Obama’s Social Security number at O’Reilly’s website. I report, you decide!”