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Posted: 5:33 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010

KRMG Morning News "Stack of Stuff" and Notes 9/22/2010 

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By Joe Kelley, Host of the KRMG Morning News

  • Autumnal Equinox - the globe is standing straight up on its axis.
  • KRMG: A billboard company takes the other side after an atheist group places an ad along the Broken Arrow Expressway. Bill Dusenberry with the Freedom From Religion Foundation admits the group is advertising to draw attention to atheism. "We want to let people know they're not alone. There are other people that are sane in the state, too. Not everyone in Oklahoma is superstitious," Dusenberry says. Gabe Sherman with Whistler Outdoor Advertising spoke with our partners at the News On Six. He says the group initially wanted his firm to post the ad. Sherman says, "When you have 80, a hundred thousand people driving by that sign every day, it's our name on that sign. We look at our core values. Does it match up with who we are and can we put it up there and feel good about it?"  Whistler decided it couldn't and opted to display ads promoting God.
  • TULSA WORLD - Jenks Public Schools uses a practice similar to Tulsa's for checking students out during the day, but it also has computerized machines that can be used to check state and national sex-offender registries and local and national law enforcement databases for outstanding warrants. "If they're not familiar with the person, they have to provide identification," said Roger Wright, executive administrator at Jenks Public Schools. "We check the student's file to see who is authorized to pick them up because we have so many with custody issues, divorce decrees, (and) protective orders." Jenks office workers can also ask anyone waiting in the office to insert their driver's license or other state-issued ID into a computerized machine called LobbyGuard.
  • The Rocket Man is returning.  Elton John is scheduled to play at the BOK Center November 12th. John won't be alone.  Tulsa's own Leon Russell will be here with him. BOK Center General Manager John Bolton says they will each play with their own bands but will also perform some songs together.  Bolton says tickets go on sale this Saturday.
  • Oklahoma's unemployment rate rose by one-tenth of a percentage point to 7 percent in August. The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission said Tuesday that 122,480 people were out of work last month, up from 121,610 who were unemployed in July. Oklahoma's unemployment rate in August 2009 was 6.9 percent.
  • FOX23 - Monday night around 7:30 police say a woman running in the 8000 Block of S. Union Avenue was attacked by a man. The woman couldn't hear her attacker because she had her i-Phone headphones in her ears. Police say it wasn't until the attacker grabbed her headphones that the victim pulled out her own concealed knife to fight off the attacker. Tulsa Police Officer and Relentless Training Concepts Martial Arts Instructor Brandon Bennett says the woman was aware what could happen. "Obviously this woman was incredibly prepared after the incident because she was psychologically ready to deploy the weapon," says Bennett. During the struggle police say the woman accidentally sliced her own leg. Police say EMSA treated her for minor injuries. "This lady got cut but she fought through it," says Bennett. The attacker took off.
  • KJRH: Governor Brad Henry has signed on as honorary chairman of the coalition that opposes State Question 744. It's an amendment to the state constitution. If passed it would increase the amount that the state spends on each student to the average of neighboring states. Oklahoma ranks 49th in the nation in terms of funding for individual students. Proponents of state question 744 say that can change with the support of Oklahoma voters. Millions of dollars is being spent on an ad campaign in support of the measure. Governor Brad Henry says 744 will harm Oklahoma's economy.  "It is critical to continue our efforts to advance education in the years to come, but I believe SQ 744 is the wrong approach and would have devastating consequences," he said. Henry joined the One Oklahoma Coalition which opposes 744. The Tulsa Metro Chamber is also member of the Coalition. Spokesperson Sheila Curley tells 2NEWS, "Right now it's estimated that it's going to cost a minimum of one billion dollars to institute this."
  • NEWSOK.com - Two Oklahoma colleges whose logos appear in an ad promoting a state question that mandates how common education is funded are asking the campaign to change the ads. In the ad promoting State Question 744, two families are shown watching a game on television. One family is decked out in University of Oklahoma crimson and cream and another family is wearing Oklahoma State University gear complete with a Pistol Pete foam finger. The family rooting for the Sooners grimaces as the television announcer says, "And Oklahoma loses to Texas." The family pulling for the Cowboys sigh as the television announcer says, "Oklahoma State falls to Missouri." Officials at OU and OSU say as a state entity, they can't take a position in any political debate. By using their trademarked logos in the commercials that are currently airing on television, it appears they support the measure, said Gary Shutt, OSU spokesman. "You could deduce that OU and OSU are supportive of this," Shutt said. "They never sought authorization to use our image and logo, and we would ask them to stop using it." The logos and characters used by the universities are trademarked require permission for use, Shutt said. Catherine Bishop, OU vice president of public affairs, said the university is hoping the issue can be resolved when licensing officials are able to have a discussion with Yes on 744 campaign officials.
  • NEWSOK.com - NEWCASTLE -- A payroll clerk for Newcastle Schools is accused of stealing nearly $30,000 to support a gambling habit. Diane Marie Foster, 57, of Newcastle, was charged Sept. 16 in McClain County District Court with embezzlement of public money. Police reported the alleged embezzlement was discovered during the district's fiscal audit. The auditor found where Foster allegedly made out additional payroll checks to herself. Newcastle police detective Kevin Morrissey said Foster told him she took the money and used it for gambling. She said she had been using prescription medication that may have influenced her ability to make decisions, he said.
  • NEWSOK.com - NEWCASTLE --  A man has been arrested on a complaint of child neglect after police say he left his three small daughters in a car while he went into a casino to gamble. Monte Forester, 30, has been released on bail but has not been formally charged, a McClain County sheriff's deputy said. Forester was arrested Thursday outside the Newcastle Gaming Center as he was returning to his car about 12:35 p.m. Police say a casino patron notified them after spotting three small girls inside the car about 11:35 a.m. Police said surveillance video showed Forester inside the casino playing at gambling machines. They arrested Forester when he returned to the vehicle about an hour later. The children were taken into protective custody, then later were released to their mother, a deputy said.
  • TULSA WORLD - STILLWATER -- A second bedbug incident was confirmed Tuesday at an Oklahoma State University family housing residence, said Matthew Brown, Director of Housing. "This is a problem across the country and it is just now getting into Oklahoma and the colleges," Brown said. "Bedbugs are making a comeback because pesticides are not a potent as they were in the past." Brown said the adjacent rooms have all been inspected and there is no indication the bugs have traveled to other rooms or buildings on the campus. There have been previous incidents of bedbugs in family student housing in the past, he said.
  • ODOT - Lane opens, ramp closes at US-75/I-44 junction in Tulsa -- Following completion of striping operations, all lanes of northbound US-75 are now open over Mooser Creek, near the I-44 junction in Tulsa. The left lane of southbound US-75 remains closed at this location until further notice.  Additionally, the northbound US-75 off-ramp to eastbound I-44 is now closed until further notice for bridge deck replacement. Northbound US-75 traffic can use the cloverleaf ramps at the US-75/I-44 junction in order to access eastbound I-44, or locate an alternate route if possible.
  • BLOOMBERG.com - The U.S. has fallen behind emerging markets in Brazil, China and India as the preferred place to invest, a Bloomberg survey shows, though the world's largest economy still ranks highest of all major developed countries. The U.S. ranked first three months ago in the last quarterly Bloomberg Global Poll. Along with the slipping perceptions of the U.S. markets in the most recent survey, conducted Sept. 16-17, poll respondents say the Federal Reserve is likely to take further steps to try to bolster the economy.
  • (Reuters) - U.S. household wealth fell by $1.5 trillion in the second quarter, according to Federal Reserve data on Friday that showed the strain a slow-paced recovery and high unemployment are putting on Americans. Household net worth fell to $53.5 trillion, well below the $64.2 trillion it had reached at the end of 2007 when the recession officially began, according to the central bank's quarterly flow of funds report. Declines in the value of financial assets -- especially in stocks and mutual funds -- accounted for much of the decline in second-quarter net worth. Stocks alone were down $1.9 trillion to $14.9 trillion, more than offsetting small gains in other areas like state and local government retirement funds.
  • USATODAY.com -- A British couple says they were kicked out of their hotel after the hotel manager accused them of writing a negative review on TripAdvisor and called the police. Adrian Healey, 33, tells the Blackpool Gazette that earlier this month, he'd booked a room a hotel in the seaside resort of Blackpool, England, to take his first vacation with his girlfriend Sherrie Andrews, 33, since being diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago. But the Golden Beach Hotel's manager asked them to leave two days into their paid, three-night stay, they told the Gazette, adding that the manager stormed into their room, accused them of writing an online review and called the police. TripAdvisor, by the way, says that 59% of its 167 online reviewers "do not recommend" this hotel.
  • GRASS VALLEY, Calif. (CBS13) ― Students at Bear River High School were stunned after learning one of their star players died early Monday morning. Justin Butler, 16, was found by his parents in his home Sunday night after somehow becoming entangled in a Bowflex exercise machine. They called 911 and began performing CPR, and emergency crews rushed him by helicopter to a hospital. Butler died Monday morning.
  • DETROIT FREE PRESS - The investigation of an apparent beating of one of the sons of Detroit Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin took on mysterious tones today as police officials said they were unable to reach him, and a hospital official said he was treated and released without surgery a family spokeswoman said he'd undergone. Gwendolyn Quinn, a spokeswoman for Motown legend Aretha Franklin, issued a news release this morning saying Eddie Franklin, 52, was attacked by two men and a woman late Monday and underwent emergency surgery. She said no other information about the attack was available. The attack was supposed to have happened near Plymouth and Evergreen, but police said they have been unable to confirm details or talk to Eddie Franklin. What's more, he was said to have been attacked as he left a gas station in that area, but Sgt. Eren Stephens, a police department spokeswoman, said there is no gas station in the area the attack took place.
  • From The Hill ~ A family physician who serves in the Senate says he has stopped delivering babies because of liability costs. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Tuesday said, "I'm no longer delivering babies, and one of the reasons is that I can't collect... to pay for the malpractice [premiums]." He added, "The malpractice [insurance] is too expensive. It was about $1,600 a baby, just in terms of malpractice costs for me to deliver children." The Oklahoma senator made the remarks at a breakfast hosted by The Hill and sponsored by the American College of Cardiology.
  • Washington (CNN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is well known for unscripted statements that tend to make his aides cringe. Reid made one of those comments Monday morning at a New York fundraiser hosted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The Nevada Democrat referred to New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand "the hottest member," which apparently made Gillibrand blush, according to two Democratic sources familiar with the incident.
  • UK OP/ED - I'm not exactly a pioneer of  political correctness but can you imagine if a CEO had said of a fellow senior executive, "We on the Board refer to [insert name] as the hottest woman in the company"?
  • Health and Medical Briefs:  Most of us could list at least a few health risks associated with obesity. But researchers say your health isn't the only thing that suffers from a large waistline. Obesity is also bad for your bank account. A study conducted at George Washington University added up the costs of being severely overweight. Things like higher medical bills, sick days, short-term disability, insurance prices, lost productivity and the need for more gasoline can really add up. For men, being obese costs more than an extra $26-hundred dollars each year. It's even more than that for women. Extra large ladies are paying more than $48-hundred extra dollars a year. Researchers say the disparity between the genders comes from the fact that obese women tend to earn less than their thinner counterparts. There is no wage gap between obese men and skinny men.
  • TIMID DRIVERS CAUSE ACCIDENTS: Aggressive and timid driving behavior is what leads to stop-and-go traffic. According to a new study conducted by researchers from Georgia Tech and the University of Lyon, in France, there would rarely be traffic if all drivers behaved the same way. Aggressive drivers, who don't give the car in front of them enough space, and timid drivers, who need a big gap between themselves and the cars surrounding them, gum up the works for everybody else. The researchers concluded that, on the whole, timid drivers are more of a burden than aggressive ones. And these traffic jams aren't merely frustrating for motorists -- they also lead to increased fuel consumption, more emissions and more accidents.
  • John Matthews from Iowa lived with a worm behind his left eyeball for nine months before he was diagnosed. One day Matthews noticed two spots obscuring vision in his left eye. Doctors discovered a worm and rushed him into a treatment room where they shot a laser into his eyeball to kill the critter. It took two separate laser treatments to kill the worm. Matthews thinks he either picked up the parasite from a trip to Mexico or caught a raccoon roundworm while turkey hunting. Matthews has made a full recovery.
  • "Dancing with the Stars" will have one less passenger as it takes 'Hoff on its Season 11 journey. Just one day after making his ballroom debut, former "Baywatch" hunk David Hasselhoff was told he didn't have the "Talent" to continue on in the competition, taking professional partner - Aussie cutie Kym Johnson -- with him.
  • The Senate shot down a proposal to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gay service Tuesday in a party-line test vote -- dashing the hopes of gay activists who thought this was their best shot to repeal the 17-year-old law, which is unpopular with most Americans. Now that the move has failed, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's decision to tack on the measure to the annual $726 billion defense authorization bill has come under scrutiny. Republican senators -- and two Democratic ones, Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln -- who are skittish in the heated runup to the midterms may have voted differently after November. Reid probably reasoned that Republicans didn't have enough votes to strip the "don't ask" amendment out of the bill, and wouldn't filibuster the entire defense bill for fear of being accused of hijacking military funding for political reasons. But Republicans turned that logic on its head, arguing that Democrats were the ones who were playing politics by not allowing them to add amendments to the bill.
  • America's favorite controversial, mustachioed pastor, Terry Jones, learned a hard lesson today: Quran burnings are expensive. Quran burning is not free. Jones is looking at a bill for at least $200,000 from the city of Gainesville, Fla., which had to provide extra security around his church and at public places like malls in anticipation of the stunt. Jones has said the 50-member church cannot possibly afford to foot the bill. "That would bankrupt us, of course," Jones told ABC News. His church has raised $15,000 since he announced his plans to burn 200 Qurans on Sept. 11, and the church property is on the market for $2.9 million. The location could be a nice place for a mosque and community center, if only there were a group interested in building such a thing.
  • Bentley hood ornaments may injure pedestrians in a crash by failing to retract, leading the luxury carmaker to recall 596 vehicles in the U.S. The metal emblem known as the "flying B" may not fold down in a collision as intended because a mechanism may become corroded, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which posted the recall on its website.
  • Naperville, Illinois - Susan Miller, a 43-year-old Illinois woman was arrested Wednesday after she allegedly vandalized her neighbor's home with dog feces after she stepped in a pile of feces at the apartment complex she shared with the neighbor. According to Naperville police, Miller became angry after she exited her apartment and stepped in a pile of dog droppings. Investigators say she was "fed up with dog feces" and "decided to wipe dog feces which she stepped in on the porch of the dog owner." She then reportedly threw more dog feces at the pet owner's patio screen. Unsatisfied still, she located a sign that instructed pet owners to clean up their dog's waste, pulled it out of the ground and then placed it on her neighbor's patio. She then reportedly placed several bags containing dog feces on her neighbor's patio. When police rolled up on the scene, Miller was observed running on the complex grounds. When she saw the officers, she shouted that she was trying to catch her roommate's cat. Officers took her into custody after she apparently caught the cat and placed it inside her residence. She was booked into the DuPage County Jail on a charge of disorderly conduct. She was released after posting bail.
  • VATICAN CITY -- Italian authorities seized euro23 million ($30 million) from a Vatican bank account Tuesday and said they have begun investigating top officials of the Vatican bank in connection with a money-laundering probe. The Vatican said it was "perplexed and surprised" by the investigation. Italian financial police seized the money as a precaution and prosecutors placed the Vatican bank's chairman and director general under investigation for alleged mistakes linked to violations of Italy's anti-laundering laws, news reports said. The investigation is not the first trouble for the bank - formally known as the Institute for Works of Religion. In the 1980s, it was involved in a major scandal that resulted in a banker, dubbed "God's Banker" because of his close ties to the Vatican, being found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London.
 
 
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