Supreme Court Forces U.S. To Take A Giant Step Toward A Totalitarian Socialist Government

Photo's by Ray Tharaldson all rights reserved 2012

By Charlie DanielsJune 28, 2012

The United States of America took a giant step toward a totalitarian socialist government when the Supreme Court voted to uphold Obamacare, allowing the individual mandate for the government to force American citizens to buy health insurance whether they want to or not.

The Supreme Court should have their title changed to the Supreme Proletariat because, they've just done away with individual freedom and handed the president the ability to force the people of America to do whatever he decides they should do.

I personally thought it would take one more Supreme Court appointment before it reached the tipping point, but none other than Chief Justice Roberts went to the far left on this one and I have lost any faith I had in the court and feel that myself and people like me have no dependable representation in the federal government.

If they will vote to force people to buy insurance, they will vote to force you to do whatever they please, regardless of how destructive it is to our democracy and our freedoms.

I am bitterly disappointed in Chief Justice Roberts, when he was appointed I had great hope for the court because I thought he was a strict constitutionalist who would toe the line, holding to the original intent of it's framers, and there is no way on earth that they meant for the federal government to force an individual to buy anything.

The constitution is all about individual rights, that's what it was meant to protect, and in one fell swoop the Supreme Court has swept aside one of the basic and most important individual rights. They may try to soft soap it by calling it a tax but what it really amounts to is the federal government imposing it's will on the American public and sets a precedent for things we don't even want to think about.

And, why didn't the court visit the other 2,700 pages of this bill that the Congress didn't even read before they voted it into law, the parts about enforcement, the parts that decide who lives and who dies, about creating new autocracies and the Internal Revenue Service's role. Is that all constitutional?

What about its effect on small businesses who are required to provide insurance for their employees if they have over 50 employees? One effect will be that they will not hire new employees and probably get rid of some they already have if it puts them over the limit and this will further add to the unemployment numbers.

What liberals are after is a single payer system where everybody's health insurance is controlled by the federal government. Before he was elected, he said that a single payer system is what he wanted, but that it would take some time to get the country there. That is the endplay and is nothing less than downright Marxism.

I know there are people who will read this column who will disagree with what I say and think that Obamacare is a good thing and that the Supreme Court was noble and right to uphold it.

Well, let me make you a prediction.

I am 75-years-old and may well not live to see Obamacare enacted in it's full power, but many of you will and most of our children will. My prediction, if the Lord tarries, you will disdain Obamacare and everybody who voted for it.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, and for our country.

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels

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

Don Grady, Robbie on ‘My Three Sons,’ Is Dead at 68

By PAUL VITELLO

Don Grady, who played Chip and Ernie’s wholesome, heartthrob big brother Robbie on the long-running television sitcom “My Three Sons,” died on Wednesday at his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He was 68.

Don Grady, center, surrounded by fellow “My Three Sons” cast members: clockwise from top right, William Demarest, Barry Livingston, Stanley Livingston and Fred MacMurray.

A family spokesman said the cause was cancer.

 

Mr. Grady, a versatile musician and singer who got his start in television as a Mouseketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club,” considered music his vocation and his acting career something of an accident. At 14, he was an aspiring musician in high school who played ukulele, drums, accordion and clarinet while acting on the side when he was called to audition for the part of Robbie Douglas, one of three sons of the wistful, pipe-smoking widower Steve Douglas, played by Fred MacMurray.

The producers had already cast another actor. “But, for reasons I never found out, they needed to replace him,” Mr. Grady wrote in the forward to “Fred MacMurray,” a 2007 biography by Charles Tranberg. “I was summoned to a hastily held audition at noon, and by 3 p.m. I was cast as the new Robbie. My acting abilities probably helped, but I still believe the reason I got the part was because the cleft in my chin looked like Fred’s.”

He played Robbie throughout the life of the show, more than 300 episodes from 1960 to 1972, although his place in the fictional family hierarchy shifted slightly over time. He was Mr. Douglas’s middle son in the first few years, until the role of the original older brother, Mike (Tim Considine), was written out of the script and a new brother — the adopted son, Ernie (Barry Livingston) — was written in. Chip Douglas (Stanley Livingston, Barry’s older brother in real life) took Robbie’s place in the middle.

 Mr. Grady’s Robbie was always the coolest son. He was the teen idol of the cast, his face having been featured on the cover of teen magazines since his days as a Mouseketeer. Like Ricky Nelson of “Ozzie and Harriet,” Robbie sang in a band, and it performed on the show.

As the eldest son for most of the show’s run, Mr. Grady was the family’s earnest grown-up-in-training and the most frequent recipient of the fatherly advice that capped almost every episode.

“Now, Rob, do you really think that’s the right thing to do?” Mr. MacMurray said in the 13th episode of Season Four, poking the air with his pipe.“Well, no, Dad,” Robbie answered. “Not when you put it like that.”

 Don Louis Agrati was born in San Diego on June 8, 1944. His parents divorced when he was in his teens, and his mother, Mary, became a theatrical agent. One of his two sisters, the actress Lani O’Grady, died in 2001. He is survived by his wife, Ginny, his two children, Joey and Tessa, his mother, and another sister, Marilou Reichel.

Mr. Grady appeared in other shows besides “My Three Sons,” including “The Rifleman” and “Wagon Train.” But he focused mainly on his music after the series ended, forming a pop singing group, “The Yellow Balloon,” which recorded a song of the same name in 1967. It was the band’s only hit, reaching No. 25 on the Billboard pop charts.

He later composed music for television, theater and films, including the theme song to Phil Donahue’s talk show, songs for the TV series “The Kid-a-Littles” and the 1985 film “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” He was a co-writer of “Keep the Dream Alive,” which was recorded by Herbie Hancock, Della Reese and others for the Jazz to End Hunger project.

 
Stanley Livingston said in an interview on Thursday that Mr. Grady was a lot like the character he played on “My Three Sons.”

“He had a lot of charm,” said Mr. Livingston. “He was a good guy to be with. People loved him. He really was a wonderful big brother.”

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

Sgt. Jason Hale directs National Guard film

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SCOTT HALE

Gary Cole, Gary Sinise, Jason Hale and Jonathan Flora are featured at an event promoting “Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good.”

ROCKFORD — A 1995 graduate of Christian Life High School is directing a documentary about the work and home lives of members of the Army National Guard unit he’s serving with in Afghanistan.

Sgt. Jason Hale, a sniper, will tell the journey of Charlie Troop, attached to the 1-126th Calvary of the Michigan National Guard. The documentary is entitled “Citizen Soldiers: The Real Life Stories of the Boys of Charlie Troop.” It is expected to be released in late 2013.

Hale moved to the Detroit suburbs in 2004 to work as a fundraiser for charitable giving. He enlisted in the National Guard in 2006 for a six-year commitment.

Hale asked to direct the documentary after he was interviewed and became part of the story of the documentary, “Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good.” That documentary featured the travels of Academy Award-nominated actor Gary Sinise as he and his band traveled around the world entertaining troops.

“During several of the screenings we had for ‘Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good,’ including the Capitol Building and across the U.S., Jason would be part of our question and answers sessions following the screening,” said Jonathan Flora, director and producer of the “Lt. Dan Band” film. He made his comments in an email interview.

Hale explained to Flora differences been a National Guard unit preparing to deploy as compared with Army soldiers. He asked Flora if that might be a good documentary and told him he’d like to direct such a film. Flora liked the idea and asked him to direct. Flora’s company, Lamplight Entertainment of Northridge, Calif., is backing the National Guard documentary.

“Jason is a storyteller who gets it, lives it and knows how to express it,” Flora said.

“Too often, there is no distinction in the minds of the general public as to the differences,” Flora said. “Or they may feel the Guard stays here at home and assists primarily during national disasters, etc.

But since 9/11, more than 200,000 Guard soldiers have been mobilized for active duty overseas. At one point in 2005, half the combat brigades in Iraq were Army Guard units, Flora said.

Flora said individuals in the regular Army are “pretty much military 24-7.” On the other hand, a Guard member is military one weekend a month and two weeks every summer. “If a person is single and a homeowner, who takes care of their home while they are deployed? If a small business owner, who runs the shop? And like the regular Army, who takes care of their families, and how will their wives handle being a single parent for such a long period of time.”

Many National Guard members serve extended duty for a year to 18 months at a time. Hale left for Afghanistan in December last year. “It is normal today to say (Guard) soldiers with a six-year commitment will see at least two war-type deployments,” Hale said in an email interview.

In his sniper job, Hale goes ahead of troops and searches out the enemy.

Because of his work with Sinise and Flora in Iraq on the “Lt. Dan Band” movie and his desire to document the Afghanistan deployment, Hale has worked with the military to get the OK to photograph and interview soldiers and their families before, during and after the soldiers’ return.

“I always have my camera at the ready and notebook to write down what I am seeing live, on the spot,” he said. “But my job is to perform as a senior sniper, and all else is secondary.”

Hale spent several hundred hours filming Charlie Troop members before they left for Afghanistan. Spouses, girlfriends, parents, siblings, friends were interviewed. He filmed weddings and talked with soldiers about the babies that would be born while they were away.

He has filmed Afghanistan soldiers, citizens and children. And he appreciates the supplies, clothes, candy, gifts and musical recorders groups and families back home have sent.

When Hale returns, he will interview again all those he’d talked to before the soldiers left for Afghanistan.

“For some, it will be hard, because for those that have been injured and even lost limbs, their lives and their families’ lives will have been changed forever.

“It will be time to readjust back to civilian life, and I will try to document how that is doing.”

Georgette Braun is a GO columnist for the Rockford Register Star. Contact her at gbraun@rrstar.com or 815-987-1331.

 I had the great honor of meeting Jason Hale at the screening of  "Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good" at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis in Oct 2010.

Profile: Jason Hale

Born: 1977 in Arlington Heights
High school: Christian Life High School, Rockford, 1995
Career: After high school, received degree from World Harvest Bible College in Columbus, Ohio, and traveled with a friend doing evangelism work with youth; returned to Rockford and was a window washer, owned his own business and in fall of 2004 moved to Detroit area to work as a fundraiser for charitable giving.
Military career: Joined the Army National Guard in 2006. Worked as a gunner on a Humvee and with Iraqi government officials to improve relations in Iraq in summer of 2007. His unit’s shift were 12 hours a day, seven days a week, with special missions added on. “We provided supplies and many items for the children and schools,” Hale said. “I knew there was a different story that was not reaching back to America, and I yearned in my heart to tell the good that was being done.” Hale returned to the U.S. in late summer 2008 and continued with his job in planned giving in eastern Michigan and doing military training weekends and annual summer training with the Guard. He left for Afghanistan with his Guard unit in December last year and was promoted from corporal to sergeant.
Parents: Father, Scott Hale, who grew up in Michigan and moved to Chicago in 1969 and then to Rockford in 1979. He worked as an insurance sales agent and manager for 29 years for Liberty Mutual Insurance; stepmother, Carol, a Rockford elementary school music teacher. Mother Barbara Hale Ruggerio, and stepfather, Rich Ruggerio, live in Michigan. Scott Hale served in the Army. His home on North Mulford Road near Spring Creek Road has a large flag, Statue of Liberty replica and a banner stating “God Bless America.”

Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte: Who's got next?

Labels: WRLTHD Sports News
By Roxanna Scott, USA TODAY
All eyes will be on Michael Phelps tonight – minus his main rival at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.


Ryan Lochte won't be competing in any finals tonight in Omaha. Phelps has the 200-meter butterfly, scheduled to go off at 8:12 p.m. ET.


To recap: Lochte and Phelps are tied at one victory each in head-to-head races in finals. In a game of "cat and mouse," Phelps nipped his rival in the 200 freestyle on Wednesday night after Lochte won their opening duel in the 400 individual medley on Day 1.


As for today, Lochte is entered in the 100 freestyle prelims this morning. He's in a heat that include 36-year-old Jason Lezak. Also swimming in the 100: Anthony Ervin, who's had an interesting journey back to the Olympic trials, Cullen Jones, Matt Grevers and Nathan Adrian. The semifinals will be held tonight.


Phelps scratched the 100 free because his spot in the 4x100 relay is secure.


Later tonight, 17-year-old Missy Franklin, the kid Dara Torres loves to watch, swims in the 200 free.

If you're trying to keep track: Phelps and Lochte are also entered this week -- pending scratches -- in the 200 back, 200 IM and 100 fly. Another showdown between the two is expected Saturday night in the 200 IM final.


And if you're wondering what's happening in the track and field trials -- you haven't missed anything. They're back in action tonight after two rest days in Eugene. Finals tonight: men's pole vault, men's discus, men's steeplechase, 5,000 meters for men and women. Watch for 37-year-old Bernard Lagat chasing down the young guys like Galen Rupp in the 5,000.


The women's 200 heats get under way with 100 champ Carmelita Jeter going for a double. Also back in action: Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh, who finished in a still unresolved dead heat in the 100 for the third Olympic berth.


Seriously, if that isn't enough, we have the Olympic gymnastics trials firing up in San Jose. Danell Leyva, rock star John Orozco and Jon Horton are among the favorites to earn spots on the U.S. team.

Colorado Springs fire evacuation area expands, as Boulder braces

By Laura J. Nelson and Michael Muskal
June 27, 2012, 3:00 p.m.
State and fire officials on Wednesday expanded the area around Colorado Springs that needs to be evacuated because of the Waldo Canyon blaze, and pre-evacuation orders were issued for a separate fire near Boulder.

More than 1,000 people were fighting the Waldo Canyon blaze -- the state's most-threatening fire though not its largest -- and firefighters were bracing for a changing weather pattern that could hinder their efforts. The blaze abruptly doubled in size overnight and has already forced more than 32,000 residents to flee their homes.

The White House announced that President Obama would visit the Colorado Springs area on Friday to view the damage and to thank emergency personnel. Obama also spoke with municipal and state officials about the series of fires in the state, which has been hit especially hard in this fire season.

In the Colorado Springs area, temperatures were lower and winds were calmer Wednesday morning, a far cry from late Tuesday when winds of 65 mph fanned the flames burning at the city’s edge. The Waldo Canyon fire, which began on Saturday, is about 5% contained, fire officials said.

But the weather pattern is expected to change as the afternoon turns into evening, fire information officer Rob Dyerberg said by telephone.

“Mornings are very mellow, but we see changes later in the day as the sun heats up the air currents,” he told the Los Angeles Times. Thunderstorms are expected but they are unlikely to bring enough water to help firefighters. The thunderstorm cells also create other problems.

“We get more and more winds and thunder cells that create erratic winds. It becomes more challenging and more dangerous as the cells of weather pass through,” Dyerberg said.

As a precaution, officials were expanding the evacuation zone ordered on Tuesday, he said.

The expanded zone now includes some of the small communities around Colorado’s second-largest city, Dyerberg said. It was not known how many people would be added to the 32,000 people already ordered  or asked, to leave their homes, he said.

More than 2,100 of those people are from 600 homes near the Air Force Academy.

“At this point, it is a guesstimate,” Dyerberg said. He confirmed that some houses have been destroyed by the Waldo Canyon fire, but it was too soon to know the extent of the damage.

Based on the latest estimate, the fire has consumed 15,375 acres, about 24 square miles. The doubling happened quickly as fierce winds drove the blaze toward the city. An estimated 500 to 600 police officers, sheriff’s deputies and emergency workers are assisting the 1,000 firefighting personnel at the scene, Dyerberg said.

The Waldo Canyon fire has already burned about 10 acres at the southwestern edge of the Air Force Academy campus, officials said a news conference on Wednesday. About 90 firefighters were at the scene, according to  Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, Air Force Academy superintendent.

Summer classes will continue, he said, and the academy is making plans to process the incoming class of cadets due on Thursday, he said.

Though the fire season is still in its early stages, many Western states have already been hit hard. Record temperatures and a lack of rain have created especially dry fuel conditions, and more than 1.5 million acres of land have been consumed by fires.

Among the states affected have been Arizona, California, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. About 29 large active fires are currently being fought, officials said.

Although the Waldo Canyon fire has received the most attention in recent days because of the number of people in possible danger, the biggest blaze in the state is the High Park fire near Fort Collins, north of Denver.

The High Park fire has burned more than 87,000 acres and destroyed 257 homes. One woman has been killed and about 4,300 people forced to flee. Flames are continuing to race farther into expanses of dead trees in the Roosevelt National Forest.

Colorado Springs on Fire!

Labels: WRLTHD Breaking News

Associated Press
Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP) 
Heat and flames from a destructive wildfire threatening Colorado's second-largest city were far too intense Wednesday morning for authorities to fully assess the damage it caused overnight.

A three-day-old wildfire erupted with catastrophic fury Tuesday, ripping across the foothills neighborhoods of Colorado Springs, devouring an untold number of homes and sending tens of thousands fleeing to safety in what was shaping up as one of the biggest disasters in state history. "This is a firestorm of epic proportions," said Colorado Springs Fire Chief Richard Brown. The Waldo Canyon fire in El Paso County — which had been growing in the forested hills on the city's west side — blew into an inferno late in the afternoon, raging over a ridge toward densely populated neighborhoods.


An apocalyptic plume of smoke covered Colorado's second-largest city as thousands of people forced to evacuate clogged Interstate
25 at rush hour trying to get to their homes or to get out of the way.

By nightfall, roughly 32,000 people left their homes, chased out by the flames.

"We have homes burning right now," El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said shortly before 9 p.m.

The sheriff was among those forced from their homes by the fire.

"This is a very bad day," said Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach.

As the fire continued to grow, all of northwest Colorado Springs was ordered evacuated, including the Air Force Academy.

"People are freaking out," said Kathleen Tillman, who drove up I-25 from Pueblo to her house in northern Colorado Springs. "You are driving through smoke. It is completely pitch black, and there is tons of ash dropping on the road."

Officials don't know how many houses have been destroyed in the towering blaze that has forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents, Colorado Springs emergency management director Brett Waters said. Among those urgently evacuated Tuesday evening were residents at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The blaze doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles, fire information officer Rob Dyerberg said.

Heavy smoke and ash billowed from the mountain foothills west of the city. Bright yellow and orange flames flared in the night, often signaling another home lost to the Waldo Canyon Fire, the No. 1 priority for the nation's firefighters.

"It was like looking at the worst movie set you could imagine," Gov. John Hickenlooper said after flying over the 9-square-mile fire late Tuesday. "It's almost surreal. You look at that, and it's like nothing I've seen before."

With flames cresting a ridge high above its scenic, 28-square-mile campus, the Air Force Academy told more than 2,100 residents to evacuate 600 households.

A curtain of flame and smoke hung above the academy's Falcon Stadium; billowing gray clouds formed a backdrop to its aluminum, glass and steel Cadet Chapel, an icon of the academy. Elsewhere, police officers directing traffic and fleeing residents covered their faces with T-shirts and bandanas to breathe through the smoke.

"People are freaking out," Kathleen Tillman told The Denver Post. "You are driving through smoke. It is completely pitch black, and there is tons of ash dropping on the road."

Colorado Springs Fire Chief Richard Brown echoed her sentiment, saying, "This is a firestorm of epic proportions."

Thunderstorms are expected near the blaze in the afternoon, but incident commander Rich Harvey says they could bring unpredictable winds that would hinder firefighters' efforts near the city of 419,000 people.

The fire is about 5 percent contained, Harvey said.

Throughout the interior West, firefighters have toiled for days in searing, record-setting heat against fires fueled by prolonged drought. Most, if not all, of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana were under red flag warnings, meaning extreme fire danger.

In central Utah, authorities found one woman dead Tuesday when they returned to an evacuated area. It marked the first casualty in the blaze that authorities said Wednesday burned down 56 structures, the majority of which are homes.

Sanpete County sheriff's officials said they hadn't identified the victim, whose remains were found during a damage assessment of the 60-square-mile Wood Hollow Fire near Indianola.

The nation is experiencing "a super-heated spike on top of a decades-long warming trend," said Derek Arndt, head of climate monitoring at the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.

Elsewhere in Colorado, the 136-square-mile High Park Fire has destroyed 257 homes, authorities said. That fire was triggered by lightning June 9.

And elsewhere in the West:

— A fire that charred nearly 70 square miles west of Ruidoso, N.M., was 90 percent contained, with many residents allowed to return home.

— A wildfire north of Helena, Mont., destroyed four homes and forced additional evacuations. Gov. Brian Schweitzer issued a state of emergency for four counties.

— A wildfire in the Bridger-Teton National Forest grew from about 300 acres to 2,000 acres Tuesday, marking the first major wildfire of the season in western Wyoming.

___

DeBruin reported from Indianola, Utah. Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, N.M., Rema Rahman and Steven K. Paulson in Denver, and AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.

NATHAN OSMOND PAYS TRIBUTE TO TROOPS WITH NEW MUSIC VIDEO

Labels: WRLTHD Music News

Salt Lake City, UT -- The Salt Flats of Utah will portray the deserts of Afghanistan this Thursday, as they serve as the backdrop in Nathan Osmond's new patriotic Country music video, "Stars & Stripes."

Osmond was inspired to write the song when he met several marines last year in Hawaii. They challenged him to write a song about them and said that Country music listeners would embrace it. Osmond took them up on their challenge and co-wrote the song with Scottish hit-songwriter, Marwenna Diame. The song was produced by Belgium producer, Jo Cassiers. Pretty World Records just released the single to iTunes on Flag Day and already it is being played on major Country radio stations across the nation. "I have so much love and respect for the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces," said Osmond. "Their families are equally brave and sacrifice so much to keep us free," he said. The song paints the military in the noblest light possible and tugs at the hearts of all Americans as it sings of the many sacrifice made to help keep us free. As the chorus states, "It's an honor fighting for the Stars & Stripes." Nathan's father (pop singer, Alan Osmond) and grandfather (George Osmond) both served in the military.

The video does not feature actors but real soldiers from Utah and their families. It depicts real-life accounts from the deployments of one particular Utah marine, Robert Iverson who was awarded the honorable purple heart when his tank was attacked. "We are grateful to Nathan Osmond for his new song, which refocuses public attention on those who serve, the families left behind, and the sacrifice associated with service to the nation," said Krista Iverson, wife of Robert Iverson who also stars in the video. She continued saying, "As the nation has become increasingly war-weary over the past few years, the subject of the nation's warriors and their families, along with the risks and personal costs associated with their efforts, has faded from the public stage."

Brandon Beckham of Revolution Media is the Director and has been working closely with Utah military families on the production. "Today, more than ever, America needs music and media that inspires and connects us to those who give the ultimate sacrifice for our nation." He continued saying, "We will emotionally depict that patriotic sentiment of Nathan's song."

Osmond wishes to thank his sponsors, Priddis Music & Annin Flagmakers for making this video possible. Rick Priddis, president of Priddis Music Company and executive producer of the video said, "I am excited to have the opportunity to work with Nathan Osmond on this project!" He continued saying, "Members of my family have served in the military and some are currently serving; This cause is very important to me!"

Annin Flagmakers has been selected as the exclusive flag supplier for the production of "Stars & Stripes." BobCaggiano, Vice President of Sales at Annin Flagmakers states, "Over the years our flags have flown over the White House and on foreign fields of battle." He said, "We are pleased to have this opportunity to play some small role in showing our support of our troops."

The video will be sent to major networks across the globe. Osmond's latest music video, "The Tailgate Song" was featured on CMT and Sport's Illustrated's Hot Clicks of the Day. His last 3 singles have all hit #1 on the Independent Country Charts for several weeks and the record label is confident that "Stars & Stripes" will do the same. Osmond was nominated as New Artist of the Year and Male Artist of the Year by The New Music Awards in Los Angeles, CA this year and won the Eagle award last year as Utah's Fresh Local Country Artist of the Year. He just opened for Country superstar, Chris Young last Saturday at the Gallivan Center downtown Salt Lake City as part of this year's, Eagle Country Fest.

(Heading from Salt Lake City, UT) Take I-80 West towards Wendover, NV. You will come to a rest stop on your right hand side between Bonneville Salt Flats State Park and Exit 4. See link for map http://goo.gl/maps/2Xwe There will be red, white & blue balloons at the rest stop as markers. Production team will have transportation for any media to and from the film set on the Salt Flats.

For more information, please contact Dana Robinson (Mr Media)/publicist at 801-427-5853 or dana.mrmedia@gmail.com

The press is invited to attend the video shoot and to conduct interviews between 5pm-5:30pm Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Out-of-Town Business Owners Fix Neighborhood's Tagged Flag Mural

HOLLYWOOD HILLS, Calif. (KTLA) -- Two Lancaster business owners volunteered to paint over graffiti on a Hollywood Hills mural of the American flag Sunday after hearing a call for help on the KTLA 5 Weekend News.

The mural -- painted on a retaining wall on La Punta Drive -- was intended to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City. The residents of the neighborhood were disheartened when they realized the mural had been defaced by taggers Thursday.

"Shock was my first reaction," said resident Abe Porter. "I couldn't believe how disrespectful someone could be to destroy our flag."

After airing the story Sunday morning about 6:30 a.m. on the KTLA 5 Weekend News, anchors Chris Burrous and Wenedy Burch put out a call for help to viewers, asking for someone to step forward and help paint over the graffiti.

Two men, living more than 60 miles away, heard the call and decided to come help. Bart Avery, owner of Bravery Brewing Company, and Barry White, owner Carpeteria, both of Lancaster, knew they had to help.

"We are proud Americans," White said. "We saw the story, I called Bart (and said), 'We got a little mission here, buddy. We're going to Hollywood to paint a flag.' "

They also had the materials needed to do the job. Avery just finished painting a flag at his brewery, so he already had the paint needed to clean up the La Punta mural.

"When I heard about this (flag) this morning, I just jumped in the car and drove down here," Avery said.

As the KTLA 5 Weekend News ended at 9 a.m. Sunday, images played of White and Avery getting to work on cleaning up the flag. And the residents who were so upset to see their neighborhood flag defaced, expressed their gratitude to the men who came forward to help.

"It just shows you that the people of this country are always out there and when they have to step up to the plate, they always come out," Porter said.

Romney Retreat: Condoleezza Rice Steals the Show

By Shushannah Walshe
ABC OTUS News
PARK CITY, Utah - If the majority of donors who attend this weekend's gathering of hundreds of high dollar fundraisers go back home as fired up as Rodger Young, the Romney campaign will be in quite strong a financial position and the investment in time and effort for the event will be paid back many times over.

"I am going to bundle every penny I can bundle," said Young, a donor at this weekend's mixer for Romney donors, GOP stars, and Republican leaders.

Until this weekend, Young was merely a donor not a bundler, but that has now changed.

"I came here with the idea that we were all going to take on more financial responsibility and I am certainly prepared to do that for Gov. Romney and I think we can get this done," Young told ABC News.

Hundreds of high dollar fundraisers turned out this weekend for a mixer for Romney campaign donors, GOP stars and Republican leaders, but among the faces at the retreat were other attendees who have the same goals of defeating Barack Obama, but whose roles in Republican politics lie in super PACs.

A man in a dark suit and purple pocket square was camped out in the lobby of the Chateaux at Silver Lake talking to what appeared to be lanyard-wearing donors. The man was Charlie Spies, the founder of the Mitt Romney-backing super PAC Restore Our Future.

He wasn't attending any of the panels or discussions and didn't even want to go into get a cup of coffee, but the lobby is really the place to be, with attendees walking to and from meetings or gathering to talk.

Reporters were asked to leave the lobby after being spotted chatting with Sen. John Thune and his wife about Friday's reception at Olympic Park, as well as with Florida Rep. Connie Mack.

It's legal for Spies to be there, but "coordination" with the candidate is not, a rule that's hard to enforce and explain.

He pleasantly wouldn't answer questions about the propriety of him hobnobbing at the Romney Victory Leadership Retreat, but he said, "Romney supporters are energized."

"People here understand that the private sector is not doing fine and we need a president who understands how to create jobs and turn the economy around," Spies told ABC News.

The Romney campaign did not immediately respond to an evening request for comment about ROF staff being at the retreat.

But Spies wasn't the only person affiliated with a GOP superPAC attending the confab.

Karl Rove, founder of American Crossroads and a former Bush strategist, was also on hand. He spoke on a "media insight" panel, and on another one examining Romney's path to victory. Rove, dressed in a blue blazer, told reporters his panel was "damn good," before whizzing away on a golf cart.

Attendees said the panel was engaging and humorous, with Rove swearing up a storm and regaling the crowd with funny stories.

Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz told reporters both Rove and GOP strategist Mary Matalin were making the crowd howl, telling them about when Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot a friend with bird-shot pellets on a hunting trip.

"He was on full display," Chaffetz said of Rove.

It wasn't all joking, though. According to Young and his wife, Rove said, "We had to focus on some particular groups, such as some Republicans that didn't vote in the last election," including focusing on women. It's unclear whether Rove was also soliciting donations as he mingled with attendees over the weekend.

Many of those same attendees said the star speaker of the weekend was former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who received and a standing ovation. Ambassador Charles Cobb, who served as ambassador to Iceland from 1989 to 1992, said Rice was "spectacular" and described her as a "very bright, sophisticated, articulate lady."

Husband-and-wife donors from Los Angeles who did not want to be identified said Rice's message was one of "America needing to take charge."

"We can't stand by and let things happen," the wife said. "If we do, someone else will take that leadership role."

They both described her address as an "impassioned plea" for the country to "stand up and take charge."

Donor Kent Lucken, an international banker in Boston who moved back to his home state of Iowa for six weeks before the caucuses to help Romney, said "she rocked it."

Attendees also heard from Sen. John McCain, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and many other GOP notables. The donors were also able to learn about what Chaffetz described as how "the Romney train runs on time."

The attendees got to hear from the Romney senior staff, including campaign manager Matt Rhoades, senior strategist Stuart Stevens, and longtime adviser Beth Myers who is heading up the vice presidential selection process. They described the campaign's "10 a.m. meeting," according to Chaffetz and several donors.

"I think people were fascinated by that," Chaffetz said. "They spent a good half hour showing them how they would do that, and what they would talk about and how they review the numbers and talk about messaging and develop that into a cohesive message that's not only earned media but also paid media and other types of things. That was really different than I think that most people thought."

Chaffetz added that they went through "the analysis of what's going on in the media, looking at polling, looking at all the different facets."

Another thing many attendees weren't expecting? How up-close and personal they would get with many of the stars of the party. Chaffetz pointed out that he saw many donors excitedly taking their photo with possible vice presidential choices.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan were all on hand.

Larry Conti who came with his friend, a bundler from Los Angeles, as his plus-one describes himself as "a big Paul Ryan fan" and was thrilled to meet him. Conti thought he would impress his friend when he took a photo with Ryan, who introduced himself to him as "Paul," but instead the friend told him he had just spent 10 minutes talking to Ryan in the bathroom.

Eugene Atkinson, a bundler from New York City, said he thanked House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and turned away only to have Cantor come back to him and ask him, "So how many years were you at Goldman Sachs?"

Atkinson spent almost 20 years at the bank (he is now the founder and managing director of Atkinson Capital), and Cantor's wife used to work there.

And it's also what these donors are leaving with, not just an enthusiasm to raise more money, as Young mentioned, but the impression that their guy is going to win.

Before he zoomed off in a golf cart with former Secretary of State James Baker, former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, who will also head up Romney's transition if he is elected, said he came away from the panels with confidence that the Romney campaign has "a very impressive group of people supporting this campaign and we have a very good shot at winning."

But with just under four months to go until election day, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus acted as a voice of reason for a campaign that is currently on top of the world.

"Everyone thinks we couldn't be doing better. We are clicking on all cylinders. We couldn't be raising more money, but it's June," Priebus said. "On our best day it will be close."

Sandusky: Ex-Penn St. Assistant, Guilty of Sex Abuse

Labels: WRLTHD Breaking News, WRLTHD Sports News

By GENARO C. ARMAS and MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
Joe Paterno photo's by Ray Tharaldson
all rights reserved 2012

For years, the children Jerry Sandusky had preyed upon kept quiet about what the former Penn State assistant football coach did to them in echoing shower stalls, empty hotel rooms and the muffled confines of his basement bedroom.

After a swift trial and less than two days of deliberations, a jury issued an emphatic verdict late Friday: Sandusky was guilty on 45 counts of sexual abuse, meaning the man once considered a successor to coach Joe Paterno will likely die in prison.

 The verdict is not the end of the scandal that took down Paterno and deeply shook the state's most prominent university. It will play out for years in courtrooms and through a set of ongoing investigations.

 But the trial did present one piece of finality: Sandusky was taken away in handcuffs to the county jail. Sentencing will be in about three months, but mandatory minimums will keep him behind bars for life.

 "One of the recurring themes in this case was, 'Who would believe a kid?'" Attorney General Linda Kelly said. "The answer is, we in Bellefonte, Pa., would believe a kid."

Sandusky, a retired defensive coach, showed little emotion as the verdict was read, giving his wife, Dottie, and family members a half-wave as the county sheriff led him away.

There were only three acquittals among the charges related to 10 victims, eight of whom took the stand to describe fondling, forced oral sex and anal rape. Many of the accusers testified that they had told no one of the abuse that dated as far back as the mid-1990s — not parents, not girlfriends and not police.

The accuser known in court papers as Victim 6, whose mother alerted authorities in 1998 after Sandusky took her son into a shower, broke down in tears upon hearing the verdicts in the courtroom. Afterward, a prosecutor embraced him and said, "Did I ever lie to you?"

The man, now 25, testified that Sandusky called himself the "tickle monster" in a shower assault. He declined to comment to a reporter afterward. His mother said: "Nobody wins. We've all lost."

One of the three counts for which Sandusky was acquitted concerned Victim 6, an indecent assault charge. The man testified that Sandusky had given him a bear hug in the shower but at one point he just "blacked out."

The other acquittals were an indecent assault charge related to Victim 5, who said Sandusky fondled him in the shower, and an involuntary deviate sexual intercourse charge regarding Victim 2, the boy graduate assistant Mike McQueary saw being attacked in a campus shower.

That charge resulted in an acquittal because McQueary did not see penetration, juror Joshua Harper told NBC's "Today" on Saturday. But, Harper said, McQueary made it apparent he saw something "that was wrong and extremely sexual."

Almost immediately after the judge adjourned, loud cheers could be heard from a couple hundred people gathered outside the courthouse as word quickly spread that Sandusky had been convicted. The crowd included victim advocates and local residents with their kids. Many held up their smartphones to take pictures as people filtered out of the building.

As Sandusky was placed in the cruiser to be taken to jail, someone yelled at him to "rot in hell!" Others hurled insults and he shook his head no in response.

Defense attorney Joe Amendola was interrupted by cheers from the crowd on the courthouse steps when he said, "The sentence that Jerry will receive will be a life sentence."In addition to the eight who testified, there were two yet-unidentified victims for whom prosecutors relied on testimony from a university janitor and McQueary, whose account of a sexual encounter between Sandusky and a boy of about 10 years old ultimately led to the Paterno's dismissal and the university president's ouster.

Sandusky did not take the stand in his own defense.

After the verdict was announced, defense attorney Karl Rominger said it was "a tough case" with a lot of charges and that an appeal was certain. He said the defense team "didn't exactly have a lot of time to prepare."

The ex-coach had repeatedly denied the allegations, and his defense suggested that his accusers had a financial motive to make up stories, years after the fact. His attorneys also painted Sandusky as the victim of overzealous police investigators who coached the alleged victims into giving accusatory statements.

One accuser testified that Sandusky molested him in the locker-room showers and in hotels while trying to ensure his silence with gifts and trips to bowl games. He also said Sandusky had sent him "creepy love letters."

Another spoke of forced oral sex and instances of rape in the basement of Sandusky's home, including abuse that left him bleeding. He said he once tried to scream for help, knowing that Sandusky's wife was upstairs, but figured the basement must be soundproof.

Another, a foster child, said Sandusky warned that he would never see his family again if he ever told anyone what happened.

And just hours after the case went to jurors, lawyers for one of Sandusky's six children, Matt, said he had told authorities that his father abused him.

Matt Sandusky had been prepared to testify on behalf of prosecutors, his lawyers said in a statement. The lawyers said they arranged for Matt Sandusky to meet with law enforcement officials but did not explain why he didn't testify.

"This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy," the statement said. It didn't go into details about his allegations.

Defense witnesses, including Dottie Sandusky, described Sandusky's philanthropic work with children over the years, and many spoke in positive terms about his reputation in the community. Prosecutors had portrayed those efforts as an effective means by which Sandusky could camouflage his molestation as he targeted boys who were the same age as participants in The Second Mile, a charity he founded in the 1970s for at-risk youth.

 Sandusky's arrest in November led the Penn State trustees to fire Paterno as head coach, saying he exhibited a lack of leadership after fielding a report from McQueary. The scandal also led to the ouster of university President Graham Spanier and criminal charges against two university administrators for failing to properly report suspected child abuse and perjury.

The two administrators, athletic director Tim Curley and now-retired vice president Gary Schultz, are fighting the allegations and await trial.

The family of Paterno, who died exactly five months before Sandusky's conviction, released a statement saying: "Although we understand the task of healing is just beginning, today's verdict is an important milestone. The community owes a measure of gratitude to the jurors for their diligent service. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families."

In a statement, Penn State praised the accusers who testified and said that it planned to invite the victims of Sandusky's abuse to participate in a private program to address their concerns and compensate them for claims related to the school.

Sandusky had initially faced 52 counts of sex abuse. Prosecutors dropped one count and the judge tossed three others during the trial, on grounds two were unproven, one was brought under a statute that didn't apply and another was duplicative.

Miami Heat defeats Oklahoma City Thunder to win second NBA title

BY JOSEPH GOODMAN

JGOODMAN@MIAMIHERALD.COM

The king finally has his ring.

Two years ago, LeBron James chose to team up with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami and build an instant basketball dynasty. The Heat fell two wins shy of beginning that reign in 2011. On Thursday, Miami’s rule over the NBA officially started.

The Heat defeated the Thunder 121-106 at AmericanAirlines Arena in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to clinch the world championship. After losing the first game of the series, the Heat won four straight to earn the franchise’s second NBA championship. While the Heat’s victories in Game 2, 3 and 4 were close and decided by only a few possessions, the clincher was an emphatic statement of basketball greatness.

“We believe we built a team to be around for awhile,” team president Pat Riley said.

James, named Finals MVP, scored 26 points to go along with 13 assists and 11 rebounds, finishing with a triple-double in the biggest game of his career. His assist total tied a postseason career high. James entered Game 5 averaging 29.3 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the series.

“It’s about damn time,” James said after receiving his MVP trophy.

It was a wild ride. A bit of historical perspective: The Heat is the first team in the history of the NBA to win the Finals after trailing in three different playoff series. Miami trailed the Pacers 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, trailed the Celtics 3-2 in the Eastern Conference finals and trailed the Thunder 1-0 in the Finals.

“We love you, Miami,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Thank you for your patience.”

James, Wade and Bosh checked out of the game with 3:01 left and the celebration officially started. James smiled and lifted a single finger to the crowd. The building shook with excitement and noise. Minutes later, the celebratory streamers and confetti fell from the rafters and Spoelstra was drenched with Gatorade.

The entire fourth quarter felt like a coronation inside thunderous AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat led by 24 points to begin the final period and led by 10 points at halftime.

“Your champion, Miami Heat,” NBA commissioner David Stern said during the presentation of the Larry O’Brien Trophy at midcourt.

Led by a barrage of three-pointers, Miami blew open the game with a 19-1 run in the third quarter. Battier made two three-pointers during the championship-clinching offensive burst in the third period. Mario Chalmers, Chris Bosh and Mike Miller each had one three-pointer in the third quarter.

Miller, who played with a bad back the entire postseason, was sensational in Game 5. He scored a postseason-career-high 23 points and was 7 of 8 from three-point range after averaging just two points a game to begin the series. The Heat made 14 of 26 attempts from three-point range, setting an NBA Finals record.

“Pure adrenaline,” Spoelstra said of Miller’s performance.

Wade had 20 points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists. He and Udonis Haslem now have two championships with the Heat. Haslem had a point, an assist and a rebound in Game 5.

“Since I won it six years ago, I’ve been through a lot in my personal life and I’ve been through a lot in my professional life,” Wade said. “This one means so much more.”

Bosh, who missed nine straight games during the playoffs with an abdominal strain, had 24 points and seven rebounds. His three-pointer with 3:30 left in the third quarter gave the Heat a 22-point lead. Miller expanded the lead to 25 points with a three-pointer on the Heat’s next possession.

'Debby' to Develop; Take Aim on Gulf Coast

By Brian Edwards, Meteorologist

A system could spin up just about anywhere in the mass of clouds over the Caribbean and southern Gulf of Mexico. (Image taken the afternoon of June 22, 2012.)

AccuWeather.com meteorologists continue to monitor low pressure near the Yucatan which is expected to become "Debby" this weekend.

According to Expert Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski, "There is a slight chance this feature could become a tropical depression as early as tonight. However, we feel this system will become better organized this weekend and should become Tropical Storm Debby later Saturday or on Sunday."

Interestingly enough, there has never been a fourth named storm in June. Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski has more information in this story.

Debby, once an organized tropical entity, will take a northward jog this weekend into the central Gulf of Mexico, where it will have ample opportunity to strengthen.

The waters over the Gulf of Mexico are warm enough to sustain a tropical system. Along with that, the winds in the upper parts of the atmosphere or what meteorologists call "wind shear" are relatively light.

Kottlowski also stated that "The combination of low shear and warm water will support strengthening of this storm into a depression then a tropical storm this weekend. If the storm can avoid shear, it will probably become a hurricane early next week."

As the system is organizing this weekend, tropical moisture will stream northward into the eastern Gulf and parts of the Florida Peninsula.

Torrential rains could fall from Naples and Fort Myers through Tampa and Orlando this weekend while creating rough surf and poor beach weather for many.

The heavy rains could then expand northward into Jacksonville, Pensacola and Gainesville on Sunday as the storm continues to develop and drift through the Gulf.

Where Will Debby Track?

Expert Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski states that "The movement of this developing storm will be highly influenced by the strengthening of a large upper-level high pressure area now over the southwest United States and a large dip in the jet stream that extends into the Gulf of Mexico."

The interaction of Debby with one of these features will ultimately determine which direction it tracks early next week.

Should Debby become picked up by the aforementioned dip in the jet stream, it would track into northern Florida. However, if it misses that connection, it's possible that the system will stall out off the Florida coast for a while.

Another scenario is that Debby misses the dip in the jet stream and gets shoved back westward toward Texas as a large area of high pressure builds over the Plains states. The flow around that ridge could send Debby southwestward toward the coast of Texas or even far northern Mexico.

The bottom line is that until this system develops into an organized tropical entity, confidence on the exact track remains on the low side.

Still, we are certain about a few things.

1) There will be development of an organized tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico this weekend.

2) It will drift slowly northward over the weekend, bringing a plume of heavy rains into parts of Florida.

3) Conditions are favorable for further strengthening and it is possible that this system will become Tropical 

Storm Debby by later Saturday or Sunday.

Residents along the Gulf Coast and throughout the Southeast part of the country are urged to keep an eye on this developing tropical system.

Regardless of which way the feature heads, rough surf and dangerous rip tides will develop over the weekend along much of this region.

Stay tuned to AccuWeather.com as we continue to track the potential for our next named storm. The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center has more information on the tropics.