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Posted: 5:48 a.m. Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

KRMG Morning News "Stack of Stuff" and Notes 1/28/11 

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By Joe Kelley, Host of the KRMG Morning News

  1. KOTV - Police are looking for a Tulsa bank robber. A masked man walked into the Arvest branch at 15th and Utica at about 4 p.m. He pulled out a small black revolver and demanded money. The tellers told police the suspect apologized for being so demanding but then got irritated because they were taking so long. The suspect is described as a black male, 25-35 years old. He is 5'8" tall and weighs about 175-200 pounds. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and a gray stocking cap underneath. He had a fleece covering over his face, dark pants and black shoes with white around the soles.  He also has freckles or liver spots under the eyes and around the nose. It is the fourth bank robbery in Tulsa in 2011.
  2. AP - Oklahoma health officials say another death associated with influenza has been reported. The Oklahoma State Health Department said Thursday the fourth flu death reported since Sept. 1 was a Logan County resident in the 25-49 year age range. Health officials say 304 flu-related hospitalizations have been reported to the agency and 90 of those came between Jan. 16 and Saturday. Officials say since Sept. 1, 51.7 percent of specimens tested by the Health Department positive for influenza. About 84.6 percent tested positive for influenza A; 1.9 percent for swine flu, or 2009 H1N1, and 13.5 percent for influenza B. Several school districts in the state have canceled classes or postpone activities because of high absences due to the flu. Those districts are Binger-Oney, Dewar, Porum, Stroud and Thomas-Fay-Custer.
  3. PJ Lassek - TULSA WORLD - Tulsa County Associate Judge Dana Kuehn halted a legal challenge to the downtown ballpark assessment district, ruling Thursday that the City Council had a "rational basis" for creating the district. "We are pleased with today's verdict," said Stan Lybarger, the chairman of the Tulsa Stadium Trust. "All along, we have had the support of a vast majority of property owners." Kent Morlan, the attorney for the plaintiff - Marc Price, the owner of Better Price Warehouse Sales Co. - said he planned to appeal the ruling. Price, who owns property downtown, sued the city over the assessment. Kuehn issued the decision in the non-jury trial. The only issue for her to decide was whether a "rational basis" existed for the council to think that the special assessment district would produce a reasonable benefit for the properties within it.
  4. KJRH - On Thursday, a Tulsa County judge threw out another lawsuit against the City of Tulsa. Marc Price, who owns the Better Price Warehouse downtown, sued the City in 2008. He argued that an increased property assessment fee to pay for ONEOK Field, the Drillers' new ballpark, was unconstitutional because his business would not receive any direct benefit. Gerry Bender, the City's litigation division manager, told 2NEWS that the Plaintiff had to prove City Councilors did not demonstrate "rational basis" when creating the stadium assessment district. Bender said Price did not bear that burden of proof. Regarding the suit's dismissal, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett said, "We are gratified by the decision of Judge Kuehn in directing a verdict in favor of the City, former Mayor Taylor and the interveners and believe the verdict is fully supported by the facts and the law. One only has to walk the streets of downtown to see the new hotel, restaurant and construction activity taking place since the Tulsa Stadium Improvement District was put in place."
  5. KJRH - Police are investigating a shooting that sent two men to the hospital Thursday afternoon. Police say a fight broke out during a basketball game at the Lacey Park recreation center near North Peoria and East Apache Street. Police located more than 40 bullet shell casings. The victims are 16-and 20-year-old males, police said. One suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, the other victim suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, police said. The names of the men have not been released. Police are still investigating as to what led to the shooting and whether there were multiple guns involved.
  6. NEWSOK.COM - State Board of Education member Herb Rozell on Thursday said a pregnant woman hired as the legislative liaison for the Education Department would be "worthless" to them if she has her baby in May. The comment was made during newly elected state schools Superintendent Janet Barresi's first meeting. She attempted to have five members of her transition team approved by the board, but she was met with opposition, and the employees were quizzed about their qualifications. Immediately after the meeting, Rozell's comment was condemned by Gov. Mary Fallin, Barresi and a number of lawmakers. "As a pregnant woman myself who ran for the state Legislature in 1990 and had a baby between sessions, I can say women can be pregnant and get the job done," Fallin said during a news conference at the state Capitol. "Shame on them for making fun of a pregnant woman. It's really disgusting to hear those kinds of comments being made." State Sen. John Ford, R-Bartlesville, and Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, called for Rozell to publicly apologize and resign from the post he was appointed to last year by former Gov. Brad Henry. "I thought it was archaic, misogynistic and deplorable," Jolley said.
  7. KTUL - There's a serious confrontation when the state school board meets with the new superintendent Janet Barresi or the first time. One board member called her a "dictator" and the board also refused to approve the hiring of 3 employees at Barresi's request. Board member Tim Gilpin of Tulsa and Barresi had several loud exchanges and it was Gilpin who referred to Barresi as a dictator. Another board member and former state Senator Herb Rozell questioned the hiring of a pregnant woman calling her at one time "worthless."
  8. NEWS RELEASE - OKLAHOMA CITY - House Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Hickman (R-Fairview) issued the following statement regarding the actions of State Board of Education members at their first meeting today with newly elected State Schools Superintendent Janet Barresi.  "I am disappointed by unprofessional and inappropriate behavior of members of the State Board of Education. I don't know of any classroom teacher who would tolerate the behavior of these board members today. In fact, there are many teachers who would wash Board Member Rozell's mouth out with soap. "To tell a woman that she is 'worthless' because she is expecting a child is deplorable and perhaps indicates that Mr. Rozell is unfit for the position he holds. The people who voted State Superintendent Barresi into office fully expect her to hire a staff and implement her plan to improve Oklahoma schools for our children. The obstructing efforts of this board warrant immediate legislative review of its authority and membership to determine if changes should be made to better serve Oklahoma's students."
  9. Senators John Ford and Clark Jolley are calling for a member of the State School Board to resign from that post. Jolley, a member of the Senate Education Committee, said he was appalled by reports that former State Senator and current board member Herb Rozell had referred to State Superintendent Janet Barresi's legislative liaison as "useless" because she was pregnant and her baby is expected to be born during the legislative session.
  10. KTUL - Its been almost two years since Katilyn Finnegan was shot to death by a friend. Theo Fleming was convicted last month of her death and today was sentenced to 30 years in prison and more than a twenty-two thousand dollar fine. Theo Fleming made a statement today for the first time saying he was sorry this had happened and he doesn't want to hurt either family any longer. But the Finnegan family says today is bitter sweet. "I mean we lost our child, she will never be back. Mr. Fleming is going to be in prison for 30 years. His family will be affected too. We aren't jumping for joy over this we are just satisfied that this part is over," says Jim Finnegan. The Finnegan's say their family and friends have gotten them through this tough time.
  11. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled today that Rahm Emanuel can stay on the ballot for mayor of Chicago,  saying in a unanimous decision that he meets the state's residency requirements despite spending most of the last year as White House chief of staff. The decision came without a moment to spare; early voting for the Feb. 22 city election begins Monday, Jan. 31.
  12. NBC - Okay, Gil Meche hasn't been great since signing a big contract with the Kansas City Royals. But not many players would feel so badly about their performance that they would walk away from a guaranteed $12 million. Meche announced last week he will retire, giving up the payday due on the last year of his deal. Meche has always been known for his integrity, according to The New York Times, but this move left the baseball world stunned. Meche said he just didn't like the idea of not earning his keep. "When I signed my contract, my main goal was to earn it," Meche told the paper from his temporary home in Lafayette, La. "Once I started to realize I wasn't earning my money, I felt bad. I was making a crazy amount of money for not even pitching. Honestly, I didn't feel like I deserved it. I didn't want to have those feelings again." Meche made more than $50 million playing baseball, with most coming in the five-year, $55 million deal he signed with the Royals when he left Seattle in 2007.
  13. HONOLULU - Five Hawaii Democratic representatives want to pass a law making President Barack Obama's birth records public and charge $100 to see them. The bill, introduced this week, would change a privacy law barring the release of birth records to anyone unless they have a tangible interest. The measure hasn't been scheduled for a public hearing yet, and can't move forward until that happens. Its primary sponsor, Rep. Rida Cabanilla, says she wants to end the controversy surrounding Obama's birth by handing over official state records to those who will pay. She says the fee would help offset the extra work by state employees who handle frequent phone calls and e-mails from people who believe Obama wasn't born in Hawaii. Hawaii's health director has said she's verified Obama's original records, and notices were published in two newspapers within days of his birth at a Honolulu hospital.
  14. WAPO - President Obama has chosen former journalist Jay Carney to replace press secretary Robert Gibbs, a longtime loyalist, when he leaves the post in mid-February -- one of a number of staff changes announced today by White House chief of staff Bill Daley. Carney, now the communications director for Vice President Biden, is the marquee move as he will assume perhaps the most high profile staff job in the White House. He came to the Administration in 2008 after a long career in journalism that included serving as Washington bureau chief of Time magazine. Carney is married to ABC News' correspondent Claire Shipman.
  15. President Obama's new slogan is "Winning the Future." To Sarah Palin, it's "WTF." Palin used the acronym at least three times last night in discussing Obama's State of the Union speech on Fox News. WTF is also a phone text-driven phrase used to avoid spelling out the f word; it stands for "what the (blank)." "There were a lot of WTF moments through that speech," the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate told Fox's Greta Van Susteren.
  16. Washington (CNSNews.com) - The Obama administration's waivers to temporarily exempt certain companies, unions, and charities from rules established by the new health care law are a "perfect example of special interests" having influence in the administration and will be looked into  by Congress, Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee told CNSNews.com.
  17. The poll numbers continue to improve for Republicans. A new USA Today/Gallup Poll shows that the public has a net positive rating for the GOP for the first time since 2005. Forty-seven percent of those surveyed said that they had a favorable view of the GOP, with 43-percent saying they held an unfavorable view.
  18. Time for that big-screen TV? A new survey from the National Retail Federation predicts that come Feb 06, Super Bowl partiers are willing to upgrade their viewing experience than they were a year ago: some 4.5 million say they'll buy a new TV for the event, compared with 3.6 million who said they would last year, and the 2.7 million who said they would in 2009. And Best Buy says it is offering its best deals of the year, marking as much as $1,400 off some of its higher-end Sony sets.
  19. Alzheimer's disease could well be the defining disease of the Baby Boomer generation. A new report from the Alzheimer's Association explains one in eight boomers is expected to develop the disease over the next 20 years as that generation hits age 65. The report goes on to say more than ten thousand people a day will turn 65 beginning this year, and ten million Americans between 1946 and 1965 will either die with or from Alzheimer's. Health researchers estimate the cost of Alzheimer's disease over the next 40 years will reach $20 trillion dollars in the U-S alone. That's enough to pay off the nation debt and still send a $20 thousand dollar check to every single person in America. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Those with it typically suffer memory lapses, confusion, emotional instability and progressive loss of mental ability.
  20. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Charlie Sheen, America's highest paid TV actor, was hospitalized with severe abdominal pains on Thursday after he reportedly laughed too hard at the television during a marathon party. In the latest apparent instance of rabble-rousing that has threatened production of his CBS hit comedy "Two and A Half Men," Sheen was carried by stretcher to an ambulance early on Thursday morning. Sheen's spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, told Reuters the actor has a long-standing hernia condition, although he was not sure if that was the direct cause of his latest hospitalization. "All I know is, he was having severe abdominal pains and went to the hospital," he said. But a friend of Sheen's told celebrity TV show "Extra" that the pains were the result of a hernia injury that worsened when the 45-year-old Hollywood bad boy laughed too hard at a television show. It was not known what the show was. "I'm not dying", Sheen was said to have told his friend Steve Bordersen, according to "Extra."
  21. STUDY: 26 PERCENT OF WORLD POPULATION TO BE MUSLIM BY 2030: A new study from the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life found that more than one in four people around the world will be Muslim by 2030. The Muslim population will increase by 35 percent in the next 20 years, according to the study, growing by nearly one billion people. If the trend holds, Muslims will make up over 26 percent of the world's total projected population of 8.3 billion in two decades. In the U.S., the Muslim population is expected to grow from 0.8 percent to 1.7 percent in 2030, which the Pew Research Center is about equal to the percentage of Jews or Episcopalians in the U.S. today.
  22. LOS ANGELES (AP) -- NBC Universal is now NBCUniversal -- without the space, the peacock or the globe silhouette. That was part of the message delivered to the company's 25,000 employees at a town hall gathering on Thursday that featured top executives from prospective new owner Comcast Corp. The bird will remain part of the brand of NBC, the broadcaster, while the spinning globe will still be part of the graphic for Universal, the movie studio and theme park operator. And officially, the company's name is still NBC Universal. But the space-less corporate logo is meant to represent the unity of its two main divisions as it is set to be taken over by cable operator Comcast in a deal that is to close on Friday.
  23. The economic downturn has claimed another victim: Thank U Berry Munch Girl Scout cookies. In an effort to cut costs, several Girl Scout councils are cutting the types of cookies they sell. Among the brands on the chopping block: Thank U Berry Munch, Dulce de Leche, and several more. The goal is for the Girl Scouts to simplify their sales process and, in the process, make more money (tutoring from sales professionals probably won't hurt, either). An article from The Wall Street Journal explains that it's not just the roster of cookies that's being trimmed; the Girl Scouts are also cutting back on the packaging. At least one variety will come in plastic packaging instead of the familiar cardboard box. The WSJ writes that this change will "save on the cost of 150 tons of paperboard."
  24. WASHINGTON - Social Security will post nearly $600 billion in deficits over the next decade as the economy struggles to recover and millions of baby boomers stand at the brink of retirement, according to new congressional projections. This year alone, Social Security is projected to collect $45 billion less in payroll taxes than it pays out in retirement, disability and survivor benefits, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. That figure swells to $130 billion when a new one-year cut in payroll taxes is included, though Congress has promised to repay any lost revenue from the tax cut. Last year, Social Security posted its first deficit since the program was last overhauled in the 1980s. The CBO said at the time that Social Security would post surpluses for a few more years before permanently slipping into deficits in 2016.
  25. Columbus Dispatch - Twenty-five years ago today, John Glenn stood in a room at Cape Canaveral, struggling to find words of comfort for the stunned family members of the seven astronauts who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger. "It was a very memorable day," the former astronaut and senator recalled. Among the most-poignant memories, he said, was his conversation with June Scobee, whose husband, Challenger commander Dick Scobee, died in the explosion. "The first thing that June talked about that day was that we couldn't let this end the space program," Glenn said. The explosion that killed astronauts Scobee, Michael Smith, Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair and Gregory Jarvis and teacher Sharon Christa McAuliffe 73 seconds after liftoff was played over and over again on television. The disaster spurred an investigation and a series of safety changes that were repeated in 2003 when seven astronauts died during the shuttle Columbia's disastrous re-entry. "NASA has learned hard lessons from each of our tragedies, and they are lessons that we will continue to keep at the forefront of our work as we continuously strive for a culture of safety," NASA administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. said in a statement yesterday. As NASA officials laid wreaths yesterday and offer speeches today to honor fallen astronauts, including the Apollo 1 astronauts who died in 1967 in a launchpad fire, a curtain will fall on the shuttle program this year.
  26. AOLNEWS - He was juiced. Memphis Grizzlies player O.J. Mayo was suspended for 10 games today after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, a hormone that converts into testosterone and is believed by some athletes to help build muscle mass. A naturally occurring hormone produced in the adrenal gland, dehydroepiandrosterone is sold over the counter in the United Sates, but has been outlawed by the Olympics, the NFL and the NBA.
  27. KTLA - QUEENS VILLAGE, N.Y. -- In what may have been a planned attack in hopes of Internet popularity, a gang of teenage girls attacked a worker in a Queens Village Wendy's, capturing the whole thing with cell phones. Michelle Ortiz, 42-year-old mother of five, was working at the Wendy's on Springfield Ave. Friday night when a food fight turned into an all-out fight and she decided to intervene. The girls turned on her and began slugging Ortiz in the face while her manager remained behind the counter. Students from Martin Van Buren High School told the PIX 11 News that the fight was planned in order to post it online in hopes that it would go "viral". "I have five kids, they don't need to see this on Twitter and YouTube," Ortiz said, "they made a movie and I was the victim of it."
  28. HuffPo - Apparently humans aren't the only ones who know how to multi-task. Ambam, a Western Lowland Gorilla, has recently become famous for walking upright on his hind legs, MSNBC reports. Phil Ridges, a keeper at Britain's Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, speculates that Ambam may have begun walking on his hind legs when he had his hands full with logs - the gorilla probably discovered that he could both walk and carry items at the same time. It's also possible that Ambam wanted a height advantage to peer over the wall and spot when keepers were bringing him food. Lastly, Ridges suggests that by standing upright, Ambam's hands don't get wet when it's raining. Quite good reasons indeed.
  29. TNT wasted no time apologizing for Tracy Morgan's suggestive comments about Sarah Palin on Thursday night. Morgan, star of NBC's 30 Rock sitcom, said during an appearance on TNT's Inside the NBA that he fantasized about the former U.S. vice presidential candidate and Alaska Governor. TNT's Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith laughed nervously while Ernie Johnson quickly tried to change the subject. "It's unfortunate Mr. Morgan showed a lack of judgment on our air with his inappropriate comments," said Turner spokesman Jeff Pomeroy in a statement.
  30. It turns out that a movie called "Captain America: The First Avenger" wouldn't go over big in international markets, and thus Paramount Pictures and Marvel Comics have decided to alter the movie's title to just "The First Avenger" in countries such as Russia, Ukraine and South Korea to try and sell more tickets, the LA Times reports.
  31. (Newser) - A recently retired Baltimore cop has sued the city and its police department for forcing him to shave ahead of a visit from then-President-elect Obama. The entire department was ordered to be "clean-shaven" for Obama's arrival, but the officer, Anthony Brown, has a skin condition called pseudofolliculitis barbae, or "razor bumps," that can cause scarring or infection as a result of shaving, the Baltimore Sun reports. Brown brought in a note from his dermatologist saying he "should be exempted permanently from any type of shaving requirement." But Brown's supervisors were unmoved. They gave the 51-year-old a disposable razor and shaving cream, and ordered him "to shave right there in front of everyone without the use of water and/or a mirror," the lawsuit alleges. This, the suit says, resulted in "tremendous humiliation, embarrassment and mental anguish" as well as "tremendous physical pain, discomfort and disfigurement." He's seeking $17 million in damages.
 
 

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