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Snow Showers Likely Through Monday Night

I’m sure you’ve noticed the colder than normal weather the past few weeks. Now, forecasters are calling for a chance of snow Sunday night and Monday. The official WGNS Weather Eye forecast is calling for a 70% chance of snow in Rutherford County during the period. Our team of meteorologists remind us that predicting the amount of snow is very difficult to do, until closer to the event. Stay with WGNS and wgnsradio.com for updates on the approaching winter weather.

View the forecast from the WGNS Weather Eye Weather Center

STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE…

LIGHT RAIN WILL REDEVELOP IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE THIS EVENING AS COLDER AIR FILTERS IN FROM THE WEST. AS THE RAIN AREA OVERSPREADS THE MID STATE TONIGHT IT WILL BECOME MIXED WITH SNOW BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL SNOW LATER TONIGHT. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE LATE TONIGHT… MAINLY ON GRASSY AREAS. SNOW SHOWERS ARE LIKELY DURING THE DAY MONDAY… BUT WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 30S IT MAY BE HARD FOR THE SNOW TO ACCUMULATE DURING THE DAY… EXCEPT ON GRASSY AREAS. THE BEST TIME FRAME FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW APPEARS TO BE FROM LATE AFTERNOON MONDAY THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME FRAME IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. MOISTURE PULLS EAST RATHER QUICKLY MONDAY NIGHT BUT THE PLATEAU COULD STILL SEE SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW EVEN LATE MONDAY NIGHT. THE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE TRICKY WITH THE PLATEAU GETTING THE MOST WITH AROUND ONE INCH BUT ISOLATED AREAS ALONG THE PLATEAU COULD SEE MORE.

Santa To Light Christmas Tree On Square Friday…Bring New Blankets For Homeless

Santa arrives on the historic Murfreesboro square this coming Friday night (12/5/08). Event Coordinator Amy Byars told WGNS News, “There will be two stages at the courthouse. Puppet shows from First Baptist Church begin at 5:30 and a variety of Christmas music and dance numbers will begin at 6:00.” She noted that the Jolly Man In Red arrives shortly afterwards to help Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess and Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg light the community Christmas tree. (Photo: Last year, thousands surround the huge tree as Santa throws the switch)

WGNS’ Bart Walker will again emcee the welcoming of St. Nicholas to the ‘Boro. As you recall, your Good Neighbor Station collects new blankets for local homeless persons each winter. This year, you are encouraged to bring new blankets to the square Friday night and place them in the WGNS truck. It will be parked in front of Big B Cleaners.

Walker said, “Each year I feel as if I have stepped into a living Norman Rockwell Christmas card. You look into a sea of excited children and adults, all enjoying really great Christmas performances. You can’t be a part of an event like this without getting into the spirit of the season.” There are horse and carriage rides, members of First Presbyterian and St. Paul Episcopal Church will be singing favorite carols, story tellers paint a holiday picture in your mind, many of the stores and restaurants will be open, plus hot cider and cookies will warm even the coldest night.

5A Blue Cross Bowl on WGNS!

Oakland vs. Ooltewah Highlights

Player of the Game Interview

Oakland 35 - Ooltewah 0! Ready For State Football Championship?

If you were listening to WGNS Friday night (11/28/08), you heard the Patriots tackle Ooltewah live from from East Tennessee. OHS crushed the Owls 35 - 0.

In the TSSAA Class 5-A playoff game, Precious Valentine had 72 yards rushing and scored 2 touchdowns. And wow–B. J. Nelson scored on a 32 yard fumble return for the Pats.

That means that WGNS will have the honor of broadcasting a home game for 13 of the past 15 TSSAA State Football Championships. Tune to WGNS next Saturday night as Oakland faces Franklin High School from neighboring Williamson County in the TSSAA Blue Cross Bowl live from MTSU’s Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium.

Home Win: MTSU Lady Raiders 77 - Arizona 57

Middle Tennessee connected on seven 3-pointers among its first 10 shots to pull away early and dominate the perimeter in a 77-57 home triumph over Arizona in the final of three-straight home games Friday evening inside the Murphy Center. The Blue Raiders finished with a team season-high 13 triples against the Wildcats in a matchup, which featured the first Pac-10 Conference opponent to visit Murfreesboro.

Sophomore Anne Marie Lanning (left photo) helped carry Middle Tennessee (4-1) to its third-straight win with her career-high 21 points on 7-of-12 attempts from 3-point territory. The seven made treys and 12 attempts are also career bests for the local product. She now has averaged 17.7 ppg since being inserted into the starting lineup for the Indiana game with 14 of her 17 field goals in the stretch coming from behind the arc. She has scored at least two triples in every regular-season contest this season.

Junior transfer Alysha Clark, the reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week, matched Lanning for game-high scoring honors and added her second MT double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The 40th double-double of her career, including 38 while playing two seasons at Belmont, was earned when she grabbed a defensive carom with 5:56 to play. It marks the fourth time in five games while wearing the Lady Raider uniform in which Clark has topped the 20-point barrier.

Jackie Pickel, a classmate of Clark’s, joined the pair in double-figure scoring with 10 points, including three additional treys, moving her into an 11th-place tie with Paula Penttila (2000-03) with 100 career 3-pointers.

Middle Tennessee Lady Raiders will step outside of the Murphy Center for only the second time this season and travel to Baton Rouge for a 1:00 o’clock Sunday afternoon contest at LSU. The Blue Raiders defeated the then-No. 8 Tigers, 67-56, Dec. 28, 2007, inside the Murphy Center. WGNS is your Blue Raider connection (FM 100.5;  FM 101.9;  AM 1450;  over-the-air TV channel 11; worldwide on the internet at www.WGNSradio.com).

High School Football Playoff Scores

Oakland           35

at

Ooltewah        0

Final

LIVE! on WGNS FM 100.5, 101.9 & AM 1450

RCSO Lieutenant Sharp Graduates From FBI School

Rutherford County Sheriffs Office Lieutenant Bill Sharp has completed an intensive 10-week course at the FBI School in Quanitco, Virginia. This in-depth leadership program focused on applied criminology as well as managing organizational change. It also included stress management, executive leadership, along with applied behavioral science for law enforcement. As you recall, Detective Lieutenant Bill Sharp and Sergeant Dan Goodwin operate the sheriff’s very successful Cold Case Unit. Again–WGNS congratulates Rutherford County Sheriffs Lieutenant Bill Sharp for graduating from the FBI School.

Session On Hiring People Who Have Served Time

When the WGNS talk shows turn to topics about crime, the question keeps coming-up about how can a person with a record get a job? It seems when the time is served and the resident is out, they’re unable to pay those parole costs without a job. Here’s good news! There will be a special program on Saturday, December 6th at the North Boulevard Church of Christ. Local business leaders and those who operate temporary employment agencies are encouraged to attend this two-hour information session.  New Bethel AME Church Pastor Kenneth Odom told WGNS News, “There are incentives for businesses to hire people who have served time.” The Saturday morning, December 6th, gathering at the North Boulevard Church of Christ will also offer guidance to people who have a record. Odom noted, “There will be guidance on how to get your records expunged, or to secure reprieves or pardons.” This free program will be Saturday morning, December 6th, from 9:00 to 11:00 o’clock at the North Boulevard Church of Christ at 1112 North Rutherford Boulevard.  

Good Black Friday In ‘Boro

The day after Thanksgiving is known as “Black Friday”. For businesses, being “in the red” means you’re loosing money. A check of a cross-section of local merchants shows Black Friday was healthier than anticipated here in Murfreesboro. But that goes along with the WGNS “Man On The Street” where we asked if you were going to buy less, about the same or more than last Christmas? Eighty per cent of the responses indicated they would spend the same or more than last year. Responses also showed more people planned on shopping locally. That proved accurate with the “Black Friday” sales results here in Murfreesboro. With the digital TV transition coming in February, the new high-definition sets appear to be hot items. Once again, “Black Friday” in Murfreesboro was a success. It has lifted the spirits of merchants and customers alike.

Friday Swap’n Shop

For Sale: miniature ponies; boat-trailer; Wants: junk cars  563-9844

For Sale: Sear’s cordless drill $40; stainless steel sink; Mustang shifter in box  809-5359

For Sale: Haverty’s sleigh bed  867-9142

For Sale: 51-inch projection TV(needs some work) $100; dehumidifier $25; Service: makes fishing lures 796-862

Service: gutter cleaning  578-1400

For Sale: 1994 Saturn and Chevy pickup  931-252-3065

Service: shoes horses and frame houses 294-1572

For Sale: furniture; 1948 Plymouth coupe (partially restored); 1964 VW Bug  243-7736

For Sale: self-cleaning electric stove $100  410-7935

For Sale: large George Foreman rotisserie over (like new) $25  890-0707

For Sale: firewood; old records  895-1258

For Sale: 1986 full-size Chevy van  719-5942

Free:  8 adult Muscovey ducks  278-6665

Free:  furniture for missionary   335-1831

Landlord nightmares for one Murfreesboro home owner

Ever had this problem before? You evict someone from a house you own and the tenants not only take their stuff but, they also take your property too. More specifically, your washer and dryer that you provided for them to use as long as they live on your property and pay you rent… Well, this story is just one nightmare that landlords face. AND, it happened this past week to a local rental property owner. The victim called police after noticing that her evicted tenants took with them the washer and dryer. The value of the theft, over $1,000. No arrests have been made.

Day after Thanksgiving shopping begins… How will you shop?

Despite the current state of the economy, 53 percent of consumers have already begun their holiday shopping, illustrates the AAA Show Your Card & Save (SYC&S) Holiday survey. Even though 62 percent of shoppers say they expect to spend less this year on holiday gifts compared to what they spent last year, they’re still spending money.

“The weakened economy has shoppers decidedly spending less on gifts this holiday season, but the gift-giving spirit is still strong,” said Belinda Dabrowski, managing director of member benefits, AAA Auto Club South. “However, more shoppers than ever will take advantage of the convenience, flexibility and competitive deals offered online.”

Consumers can use the Internet to their advantage for holiday shopping this season to find the some of the best offers and promotions. The Internet will influence 33.6 percent of holiday purchases, up from 30.2 percent last year and 28.9 percent in 2006, according to the National Retail Federation.

In the SYC&S survey, shoppers said the top three reasons for shopping online versus in a store are: convenience, flexibility, and finding the lowest price.

Survey Results - Why you like to shop online?:

72% - convenience, like to avoid crowds
70% - can shop 24/7, always open
49% - easier to find the lowest price
39% - can save money on fuel
32% - greater selection
30% - special online incentives
4% - other
4% - none of the above

So, the question: How can local retailers match up to the advantages of shopping online?

The answer: Have great customer service and be willing to deliver, sell on your website, sell on Ebay and Craigs List, and be open longer hours. Longer hours is especially important during the holiday’s. Beat the competition - is the name of the game!

Another tip: Advertise. Not only on WGNS but, find a unique way to brand your service or store!

More Positive Economic News: More People Employed

There’s more positive economic news here in Rutherford County. The October unemployment figures show more people had jobs. Tennessee’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed the number of workers unemployed dropped to 6 per cent last month. September’s data for Rutherford County showed four-tenths of a percent more were out of a job. Neighboring Williamson County again led the state with the most people employed. Their figures were 4.7 per cent, an improvement of three-tenths of a per cent. The national figure was 6.5 per cent for October. It’s evidently not a one or two county trend. Here in the Volunteer State, the job picture improved in 53 of the state’s 95 counties. Perry County had the greatest segment of the workforce unemployed with 17.4 per cent. This West Tennessee county’s seat is Linden.

Standoff In Mubai Ended…2 Nashville Women Shot

Two Nashville residents were injured in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. A Nashville holistic medicine provider and a female book illustrator had been in India on business for about a week. Country music producer Santos Lopez received a phone call from his wife on Wednesday (11/26/08). Andi Varagona said she and children’s book illustrator Linda Ragsdale were eating dinner in the Oberoi Hotel. Around 11:00 o’clock Wednesday night armed gunmen blasted their way into the ballroom. Her voice was shaking as she told her husband that wounds to her arm and leg brought a need for surgery. While Varagona was talking, she was being wheeled into the operating room. Reports indicate that her friend, Linda Ragsdale, was shot in the back. A spokesperson at the hospital later said that one bullet was removed from Varagona’s back, and a second bullet pierced her arm and grazed her neck. The condition and name of the other woman has not yet been released. Lopez and Linda’s husband Ben, first flew to Washington for emergency visas, and then to Mumbai to be with their wives. By the way, Andi Varagona runs a holistic clinic on 12th Avenue South in Nashville and is best known by customers as Rudrani Devi. Over a hundred people were killed and 300 wounded in the terrorist attacks that are believed to have been targeting Americans, Britts and Jews. Mumbai is the new name of India’s largest city that was formally known as Bombay.

The U.S. State Department has a special hotline for families to call about relatives believed to be in the area: 1-888-407-4747.

Thanksgiving Shooting At Duds & Suds On Bradyville Pike

Around 9:00 o’clock Thanksgiving night (11/27/08) a shooting occurred at the Duds & Suds Laundromat on Bradyville Pike. One man was pistol whipped and then shot in the arm. Murfreesboro Police indicate robbery appears to have been the motive, but only $4 was taken. The victim reportedly was inside trying to get some change, when three Black teens wearing hoodies, entered and demanded money. Instead of handing over the cash, the man confronted the suspects. They allegedly also tried to take his keys and car, but the man was determined not to give that up. The relatively severe cut to the head came about when the three Black males pistol whipped him. Paramedics treated the victim at the scene and took him to the ER at Middle Tennessee Medical Center. Officials say the man did not have life-threatening injuries.

Read more

Linebaugh Library…THANKFULL!

It’s Thanksgiving, and we have so much for which to be thankful.  Linebaugh Library’s Heather Lanier shares her list:

When I was a small child each year at Thanksgiving, we had to go around the table and each person had to name what he or she was thankful for. We were not an exceptionally wealthy family and the blessings we counted may have been small by many standards. My mom’s eyes shone with tears every year when she invariably said, “I am thankful for my children and having them here with me.” Not to sound like a Dolly Parton song or anything, but in difficult times, it often helps (adds a little perspective) to list the good things in your life.

So, I looked back over this year with Linebaugh Public Library System. Although we are incredibly short on square footage (according to the state minimum standards) and we could always use more money for additional programming, staff, and materials…I discovered that we have a lot to be thankful for. I surveyed the staff (and I might add, this is what I’m most thankful for — I honestly believe we have the most helpful and hardworking staff around!) and they listed some of our blessings from the previous year.

Some things we are thankful for:

• Best Buy of Antioch for their generous grant of $10,000 used for CDs & DVDs, summer reading prizes, and supplies for the various library branches;
• Local restaurants (Aya Sushi, Bangkok Thai Cuisine, Bellacino’s Pizza & Grinders, Captain D’s, Chuck E. Cheese, City Café, Clay Cup, Donut Country, DQ Grill & Chill, Goodness Gracious Café, Heavenly Ham, Maggie Moo’s, & Sir Pizza) who supported our National Library Week Fundraiser with nearly $2000;
• Local bookstores (Barnes & Nobles and Boro Book Warehouse most notably) who are kind enough to partner with us in our many ventures;
• Our wonderful volunteers who donate so much of their time so that our facilities can operate;
• And our patrons, that by visiting, give us a job and share kindnesses that make our days memorable.

Swap and Shop for Thanksgiving

For Sale: Deer Rifle and a 12g. shotgun and want junkers 893-1114For Sale: 1993 Starcraft Van and a 1995 Silverado truck call 568-2477

For Sale: Sega Genesis and a digital camera and Russian
ammo 962-0362

For Sale: Large George Foreman oven for $45 and more 890-0707

For Sale: Large box on a wooden pallet full of stuff $50 -785-0910

For Sale: Small two wheel trailer 4′X8′ ($200) - and
selling donkeys 848-3590

For Sale: 1995 F-150 and a 2006 28′ camper and weights -
893-3382

WANTED - Round table 904-0591

For Sale: Hearth for a fireplace for $30 and selling
tires and wheels for a Honda car 15″ and a fold down wire
dog house 217-4938

For Sale: Cattle river squeeze shoot and have firewood to
be cut. 896-9729

For SalE: 1994 z-28 Camaro 615-907-0773 Tim

WANT HANDYMAN WORK - Will also clean houses - 896-8346

 

New drug that hit streets in LaVergne SEIZED by POLICE

It was a good day for the LaVergne Police Department. The LaVergne Police teamed with the D-E-A recovered about 300-pounds of Khat, a relatively new drug to hit the streets in Middle Tennessee. The drug, that has been around for centuries in East Africa, resembles dried up plant stems and leaves. It is typically chewed like tobacco. The drug is a stimulant similar methamphetamine.

LaVergne Police say the estimated street value of the Khat they recovered was approximately $250-thousand dollars. The drugs were seized at an address on Brian Drive off Waldron Road. Authorities seized the drug directly after the shipment was delivered. So far, no arrests have been made but, the investigation continues.

(MORE):

What is Khat or Qat?

A stimulant. For centuries, khat, the fresh young leaves of the Catha edulis shrub, have been consumed where the plant is cultivated, primarily in East Africa and the Arabian peninsula. There, chewing khat predates the use of coffee and is used in a similar social context. Khat has been brought into the United States and other countries for use by emigrants from the source countries. It contains a number of chemicals among which are two controlled substances, cathinone and cathine. As the leaves mature or dry, cathinone is converted to cathine, which significantly reduces its stimulatory properties.

How is it used?

Khat is typically chewed like tobacco. The fresh leaves, twigs, and shoots of the khat shrub are chewed, and then retained in the cheek and chewed intermittently to release the active drug. Dried plant material can be made into tea or a chewable paste, but dried khat is not as potent as the fresh plant product.

Khat can also be smoked and even sprinkled on food.

What are its short-term effects?

Compulsive use may result in manic behavior with grandiose delusions or in a paranoid type of illness, sometimes accompanied by hallucinations.

Source:

Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) — Khat is classified as a Schedule IV drug.

Massive investigation into child porn suspect in Nashville

A 34-year-old Nashville man is jailed in connection with what appears to be the most expansive child pornography operation the Metropolitan Police Department has seen to date.

Jason Pate, a registered sex offender who has a 1997 federal court conviction in Michigan for exchanging child pornography over the Internet, is, for now, charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

After receiving information about Pate’s potential illegal activities, Sex Crimes detectives executed a search warrant last Wednesday at Pate’s Rainwood Drive home. They found two laptop computers networked together that were linked to a computer tower that contained multiple internal and external hard drives. The tower appeared to act as a computer server for the alleged purpose of sending and receiving massive amounts of child pornography. The police department’s initial analysis of Pate’s computer equipment revealed hundreds of thousands of images, videos, and erotic stories involving the sexual molestation and/or exploitation of minors, including infants and toddlers. The complete forensic analysis of Pate’s computer system will take several weeks.

On Friday, detectives went to Pate’s place of employment, a computer software development company. They learned Pate suddenly and inexplicably quit his job the day before. Detective Rob Carrigan immediately obtained an arrest warrant and took Pate into custody late Friday afternoon at his residence.

“From all of the evidence recovered thus far, this man appears to be a major distributor of child pornography to any deviant person in the world who has access to a computer,” Chief Ronal Serpas said. “The excellent work of Detective Carrigan and our computer forensics team has stopped any distribution of a multitude of repulsive and sickening images from Rainwood Drive. Unfortunately, there are untold other persons engaged in this activity in the United States and around the world.”

Pate, who refused to be interviewed by detectives, is being held in lieu of $250,000 bond. Additional charges against him are expected. Federal authorities are also being briefed on the case given its magnitude and Pate’s prior federal conviction.

State Troopers will have 50-Sobriety Checkpoints Thanksgiving - Sunday

Thanksgiving is just another work day for state troopers. The official holiday travel period started Wednesday night at 6 and continues through midnight Sunday. During that time, troopers will conduct more than 50 sobriety and driver’s license checkpoints statewide. Motorists are reminded to buckle up, obey posted speed limits and stay sober.

Last year, 13 people were killed in crashes on Tennessee’s roadways during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. That’s down from 20 the previous year. THP Colonel Mike Walker says he’s pleased with the decline. He adds that he won’t be satisfied until the number of lives lost is zero.

MTSU Professor chimes in on Obamanomics

An MTSU economics professor says two key members of President-elect Obama’s economic team meet the criteria for the positions they would hold in the administration. Dr. Bill Ford, who holds the Weatherford Chair of Finance, says Tim Geithner (GIGHT-ner) is a good choice for Secretary of the Treasury.

Ford also says former Harvard University President Lawrence Summers can handle the job of director of the National Economic Council. Obama also nominated University of California at Berkeley economist Christina Romer to head the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

How to Find Old Friends on the Internet

If you have fond memories of someone and you want to talk again, or if you simply want to see how they are and what they have done over the years, you will find that the internet is a great resource.  Whether they are old friends, old classmates or even old army buddies, you will find that you can use the internet to track them down.   Read more

Small gadgets make life easier, sometimes more stressful

Americans love love love their devices that make life so much easier. And when they break, they hate hate hate them.

A survey by the Pew Research Center reveals that 15 percent of respondents claim that they’ve had gadgets stop working over the past year that they’ve been unable to get fixed.

Cell phone breakdowns are even more common and frustrating. Twenty-five percent of owners say they’ve haven’t been able to get busted phones repaired. Malfunctioning computers are another source of anger, according to study author JOHN HORRIGAN.

He says, quote, “You’re talking about close to one in four cell phone users and one in five computer users saying, ‘Hey, I can’t cope with this any longer. I’m done!’”

Companies that make the gadgets are actually enlisting the services of online communities to find tech-savvy customers who can help people solve problems with multiple devices, according to LYLE FONG of Lithium Technologies Inc.

For example, Fong says such advice would come in handy when someone needs to get a firm’s computer to work with another company’s printer.

Still, going online for help when a device breaks is practically worthless. Pew found that only two percent solved these problems online, while 38 called customer service, 28 percent fixed it themselves and 15 percent received help from relatives or friends.

 

Teachers may be just a chapter ahead of students

To many of those who felt stupid in math class, take solace: your teacher may have been struggling to keep up too.A new report by the children’s advocacy group Education Trust finds that some teachers are actually only one chapter ahead of their students in today’s math classes.

This happens more frequently in schools with poor and minority children.

Education Trust looked at teachers that neither possess an academic major nor certification in the subjects they’ve been asked to teach.

The findings were bleak, to say the least. Forty percent of math classes in high-poverty schools have teachers without a college major or math certification. A third of schools with high black or Latino populations suffer from the same problem.

Even worse, this situation occurs most often in grades five through eight when kids are supposed to be making the leap from arithmetic to mathematics. Without the proper guidance then, it could make children math-illiterate.

Video games kids should not play (gifts to watch out for)

Kids, you’ll have to come up with some sort of scheme if you want to play adult-themed video games this holiday season. The National Institute on Media and the Family released its annual video game report card yesterday, indicating that teenagers have an easier time gaining entry into an R-rated movie than buying a “mature”-rated game. The institute credits the video game industry’s ratings system, which is featured on the box of every game.

However, the institute does caution parents to avoid ten games that are not appropriate for kids under the age of 17.

They include:

Blitz The League II is not your friendly football video game. Players can target which part of their opponent they wish to demolish. Steroid and drug use is encouraged, and wins are celebrated with hookers in a hotel room. The game is rated M for blood and gore, strong language, suggestive themes, use of drugs and violence. Available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Dead Space is one of the latest titles in the survival horror genre of video games. The setting is hundreds of years in the future after mankind has used all of earth’s natural resources. During the mission players, stranded on a crippled vessel, must destroy nightmarish creatures while trying to rescue any survivors and escape the ship. If caught the creatures will not just kill you, but dismantle your limbs and decapitate you. Dead Space is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence and strong language. Available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Fallout 3 is set in a post-nuclear world. The survivors must navigate their way through a world with giant insects, raiders, slavers and super mutants. Player’s kill whatever is in their path with guns and explosives. This game is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, strong language and drug use. Available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Far Cry 2 is set in an unnamed African country being torn apart by two warring groups. The gamer’s mission is to kill The Jackal, an arms dealer who is supplying to both sides of the conflict. Blowing peoples heads off is a regular occurrence in this game. The game is rated M for blood, drug references, intense violence, sexual themes and strong language. Available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Gears of War 2 finds Marcus Fenix and the Delta Squad battling the Locust Horde for the survival of humanity. The game’s main weapon is the Lancer Assault Rifle, which combines a rifle with a chain saw. The game is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence and strong language. Available on Xbox 360.

Left 4 Dead finds the player in a city where a new and highly powerful rabies virus is quickly spreading. Victims become grotesquely disfigured and launch vicious attacks on the uninfected. In this co-operative multiplayer action game the gamers fight for survival. The game is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence, and language. Available on PC and Xbox 360.

Legendary is the story of Charles Deckard, a thief who breaks into a New York museum and opens what turns out to be Pandora’s Box, unleashing all of the world’s evil and destroying all humans in its path. Deckard must defeat the newly unleashed beasts and reseal Pandora’s Box to make society safe once again. Legendary is rated M for blood and gore, and intense violence. Available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Resistance 2 finds Nathan Hale fighting the same Chimera alien race he did in the original Resistance game. This version is set in the United States instead of Europe. The Chimera obliterates cities and kills civilians by the thousands. The game is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence and strong language. Available on PlayStation 3.

Saints Row 2 is the second edition to the open-world, gang-affiliated, shoot ‘em up game series. This game has expanded with new locations to explore and new vehicles to steal including motorcycles, boats, helicopters and planes. In the game, the player can choose to beat up strippers, slit rival game members throats, shoot cops and more. Saints Row 2 is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence, sexual content, strong language and use of drugs. Available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Silent Hill: Homecoming is a “first-person shooter” game. The gamer plays Alex Shepherd, a recently discharged soldier who returns home to Shepherd’s Glen. He finds that people are disappearing, the streets are shattered and strange creatures are roaming the town. Near the end the player is faced with a choice to shoot his mother in the head or let the rack rip her in half. The game is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence, language and sexual themes. Available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

TURKEY FACTS: Does it really make you sleepy? Your questions answered!

Let’s talk turkey. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the National Turkey Federation is doing just that by coming out with a list of interesting facts about the little gobblers. Here are a few:* Approximately 46 million turkeys will be eaten at Thanksgiving, with another 22 million set to scarfed down at Christmas.

* When buying a whole turkey, make sure to buy at least one pound of uncooked turkey per person. This will provide enough for your meal, as well as plenty of leftovers. Read more

Thanksgiving Weekend Safety Tips

WGNS’ Bryan Barrett talked with Laura Sanchez-Slate with the Heart of Tennessee American Red Cross, who has some Thanksgiving weekend safety tips…

Governor says no 24% tuition hike

Governor Phil Bredesen has recommended about 15-cuts in funding for universities like MTSU throughout our state. The 24% jump in tuition hikes that we told you about on Monday - won’t happen. At this point, it is not known what the actual tuition hike will be. Governor Bredesen stated that he did not want the students to feel the pinch of the funding cuts.

Is it in the cards? A new business on S. Church

Is it in the cards? The Rutherford County Board of Zoning Appeals will meet on Wednesday, December the 10th to discuss a conditional use permit for a Psychic Reading - Horoscope Business on 231 South. The business would be located in a home about 600-yards past Food Lion towards Shelbyville.

Former Detective for County gets 2-years

The former Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department Detective, Sgt. Mark Warf, has been sentenced to two years behind bars after pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft. Sgt. Warf stole the identity of 17-victims in an effort to use their credit to his benefit. He purchased over $20-thousand dollars in goods while using the stolen identities. Warf resigned from the Sheriff’s Department in 2007. The courts say that Warf has already re-paid the victims in restitution by about $10-thousand dollars. On a side note: when he is released from federal prison in two years, he will be under court supervision.

(MORE) Actual Release from US Dept. of Justice:

Edward M. Yarbrough, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Inspector in Charge Martin D. Phanco of the Atlanta Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, announced that Mark Warf, formerly employed as a detective with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, was sentenced today to two years in federal prison for using the identities of other persons in furtherance of credit-card fraud.

Warf had entered a guilty plea to Aggravated Identity Theft in April 2007. In connection with that guilty plea, Warf admitted that between December 2006 and August 2007, while employed by the Rutherford Sheriff’s Office, he obtained and used names, social security numbers and other identification information belonging to other persons to fraudulently open approximately 17 accounts in their names, on which he placed charges. At the sentencing hearing conducted today by Senior District Judge Robert Echols, Warf provided receipts which showed that he had already paid over $10,000 in restitution to the victims of his frauds.

Warf will be subject to court supervision for one year after leaving prison, and could be sent back to prison if he violates the conditions imposed. “The Department of Justice and our office recognize that Identity Theft is a real and continuing problem for defrauded merchants, as well as the innocent people whose credit can be wrecked when their identities are stolen,” said U.S. Attorney Yarbrough. “We will continue to utilize the tough sentences contemplated for such crimes when we have sufficient evidence to support federal prosecution.

This case unfortunately demonstrates that no one is immune to the lure of stealing, including those who have been entrusted to enforce the law, and is an example of the harsh consequences of doing so in violation of federal law.”

The investigation was conducted by the Nashville office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hilliard Hester.

Swap and Shop for Wednesday

For Sale: Round black dining room table 890-7914For RENT: 3br 2ba home South of Murfreesbro $750 mo - 427-9488

For Sale: 2-cell phones (pay as you go) $10 each,
mountain bike, 995-2374

For Sale: Kodak EZ Share Digital Camera, 962-0362 FREE
DEER

For Sale: Deer rifle and a shotgun and an ElCamino 893-
1114

For Sale: Set of tires 185-65-14 on wheels for $150 556-
3093

For Sale: Antique Wall Clock and Roger Bros. Silverware
and a bike 893-0680

For Sale: Deer rifle with scope - Mouser $225and WANT 9
or 10mm GLOCK pistol and selling 16″ sadle 653-3680

For Sale: 2-compound bows 542-0448

For Sale: rocking chair and want to clean gutters 424-7240

For Sale: Gas cooking stove (FREE FREE FREE) 631-3372

WANT Exercise Machine (Elliptical) and need a bed and
chest of drawers, recliner 542-4378

For Sale: 1986 Full Size Van $485 - runs good, also selling coffee table 410-7021

For Sale: Antique table and a fake Xmas tree - very nice
for $25 - 848-0463

For Sale: 303 Deer Rifle for $150 - 459-5364

For Sale: Fire Wood (less than $50 a rick) 785-0385 WILL
DELIVER

 

Tuesday Roundball: Lady Raiders 73 - UT Chattanooga 65

Middle Tennessee may not have played its most complete game of the season but the Blue Raiders did enough and held off an attempted comeback to defeat visiting Chattanooga, 73-65, Tuesday evening inside the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., in in-state women’s basketball action.

Middle Tennessee (3-1) built a seven-point halftime lead and would stretch the margin to as high as 19, but the Lady Mocs never quit and came as close as six late in the contest.

Jackie Pickel hit her second of three 3-pointers on MT’s opening possession of the second half to kick-start a 7-0 run in the period after Chattanooga (1-2) tallied the final two field goals of the opening stanza. As part of the spurt, reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week Alysha Clark had a put-back layup following an Anne Marie Lanning miss as the shot clock nearly expired. The markers were two of her second-half 19 points, which alone would have outscored all players by themselves.

Middle Tennessee will conclude its three-game homestand with a Friday night tip-off at 7:00 o’clock against Arizona inside the Murphy Center. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-888-YES-MTSU.

Obama says he wants to trim the fat

In what is becoming one of the most unusual transfers of power in U.S. history, President-elect BARACK OBAMA yesterday said that he had a, quote, “mandate to move the country in a new direction” as it faces an economic emergency the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the Great Depression of the 1930’s.

At a news conference in Chicago Tuesday, Obama said he and his team must be thinking about the long-run and the short-term:

Read more

Pro-Football Hall of Fame Member Raymond Berry Speaks To Rotary

On Tuesday (11/25/08) Pro-Football Hall of Fame member Raymond Berry told the Murfreesboro Rotary Club, “Whatever you get involved in–always give it your best.” He said coaches used to tell him not to catch passes with his body. Barry noted, “I used my hands, body, nose–I used everything to catch passes…if it works…do it.” He led the NFL in receptions three times, and was selected to the Pro Bowl six times, from 1957-61 and in 1965. He also made the all-NFL team from 1958-1960. When asked what he thought was the problem with today’s players getting into so much trouble, Berry commented, “It’s the team owners running the NFL. The players get away with anything, because they make money for the owners. If I was in there, you would see big changes quickly!” This wide-receiver played with the Baltimore Colts during their two championship NFL wins. He later had a career in coaching, highlighted by his trip to Super Bowl XX as head coach of the New England Patriots. Berry became a permanent starter on the team by his second NFL season, and didn’t miss a single game until his eighth year in the league. Berry was considered the very identity of the great Colts’ teams of the 1950s and 1960s (along with Johnny Unitas). Now, Raymond Berry is retired and calls Murfreesboro home. These days his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren keep him busy. They live next-door to each other.

Note: The Murfreesboro Rotary Club meets Tuesday’s at noon in the main ballroom of the Stones River Country Club. The local club was chartered on October 1, 1919.

MTSU Coach Peterson Underwent Quintuple Heart Bypass

Head Middle Tennessee baseball coach Steve Peterson underwent quintuple bypass heart surgery on Monday (11/24/08).

Family members indicated the surgery was successful and Peterson is recovering at a local hospital.

MTSU Athletic Director Chris Massaro said, “The Middle Tennessee community is keeping Coach Peterson and his family in their thoughts and prayers and will do everything to ensure he recovers from this surgery 100 percent. We ask that you respect Coach Peterson and his family’s privacy and not visit him at the hospital while he is recovering.”

Hard Times: Family wins $800,000 in lottery

Mike Byrum was enjoying such a string of good luck during the past few days that he told his best friend he “was going to win the lottery.” Turns out, Mike, of Mt. Juliet, was absolutely correct!

“You just can’t believe how lucky I’ve been,” he said, describing one example of how the price of the gas he was purchasing was lowered just at the moment he began to pump. “This is just incredible. We are truly blessed,” he said of his family, which includes wife Tammy, daughter Brittney and son Dallas.

Mike won $800,000 by playing Power Play when he purchased his Powerball ticket for Saturday’s drawing. For an extra dollar per play, Power Play means any prize but the jackpot will be multiplied from 2 to 5 times depending on the multiplier drawn before each Powerball drawing. Mike’s ticket matched five of five white balls, which is a $200,000 prize; and with the 4 that was the Power Play number for Saturday, Mike’s prize was quadrupled to $800,000!

Mike, 41, recently had to close his motorcycle shop “because of hard times” and plans to use the money to pay bills and establish a solid future. He purchased his winning ticket at Exxon Mobil, 125 N. Mt. Juliet Road in Mt. Juliet.

About the Tennessee Education Lottery

The Tennessee Education Lottery operates entirely from the revenue it generates through the sale of its products. Net proceeds from sales of Lottery tickets, currently averaging over $5 million per week, fund specific education programs, including college scholarships, pre-kindergarten and after-school programs. Since the Tennessee Lottery began selling tickets on Jan. 20, 2004, it has raised more than $1.2 billion for these programs, and returned to Tennessee communities more than $2.7 billion in prizes and nearly $308 million in retailer commissions. For more information, please visit www.tnlottery.com. For information about Lottery-funded scholarships, visit www.collegepaystn.com.

Creditors of McLean won’t see one penny of life insurance policy

It was a little over one year ago today that Robert McLean committed suicide behind a Shelbyville Church. McLean was the Murfreesboro man accused of stealing millions of dollars from local residents in what is called a Ponzi scheme. On Monday, it was learned that McLeans creditors and the people he stole from will not see as much as one penny of his $1-million dollar life insurance policy. That according to the Tennessee Supreme Court. The policy lapsed on September the 5th because McLean failed to pay the monthly premium. McLean shot himself 20-days later.

During McLean’s life, he took in and eventually lost approximately $50-million dollars. That money was trusted to him by residents who thought they were making sound investments.

NASHVILLE: Plane crash reported on Monday – Update

Three persons were killed at 10:45, Monday morning when their twin-engine plane crashed into a wooded area off Laws Road in Whites Creek have been tentatively identified as pilot Greg Secrest, age 67, 49-year old Rodney “Nick” Tillman and his wife, Rebbecca Ann Tillman, age 42.

All three victims resided in Hot Springs, Arkansas, from where the airplane took off this morning en route to Nashville International Airport. Whites Creek, where the crash occurred, is between Joelton, TN and downtown Nashville.

Nick Tillman was a co-owner of Earthbound Trading Company and was coming to Nashville on a business trip. There is an Earthbound store in Opry Mills off Bradyville Pike.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.

Are lottery sales and gambling increasing with bad economy?

As economic woes continue, gambling problems worsen.
Just a generation ago, most people with gambling problems were men.

While that remains true today, the number of women addicted to gaming has grown in leaps and bounds. And as a result, many women turn to crime to feed their habit.

KEITH WHYTE, head of the National Council on Problem Gambling, says, quote, “There’s a societal shift. Women didn’t used to do this. Women are catching up to men.”

Economic hard times certainly don’t help matters. As it is, the largest growing segment of women becoming problem gamblers are seniors. AND today gambling is easier then ever. There are even Tennessee Lottery automated ticket machines in grocery stores all over the state. And of courNot to mention Metropolis is about an hour and 30-minute drive from Murfreesboro… Tunica, about 4-hours away.

As far as those going over the edge, one of the names would include Ohio resident MICHELLE PALUGA, who stole a combined $178,000 from her employer and the PTA so that she could keep gambling. Paluga is now serving 18 months in prison.

ARNIE WEXLER runs a national problem gambling hotline. He recalls that about a quarter of the calls he took at the Council of Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey were from women. That was ten years ago.

Now, women make up about half the calls to his national hotline, 1-888-LASTBET.

Wexler says women like slots and machine games were the rules are easy and the stakes are low. At least, they’re low initially.

WGNS’ Lauren Love will have more on this story next week (December 1st).

Tuesday Swap’n Shop

For Sale: 8 x 12-foot shed with loft; electricity generator; 3 x 3-foot  691-2107

Moving Sale: this Friday and Saturday at 1311 Dawson Place (near K-Mart)  714-2887

Service: will do any type of handyman jobs (rake leaves, house cleaning, etc.)  896-8346

For Rent: 3 BR, 2 bath, $750 per month 427-9488

For Sale:  bicycle $30; cell phone (pay as you go) with charger $10  995-2374

Wants: turnip greens  890-0954

For Sale: set of Honda car tires (135 x 65 x 14)  556-3093

For Sale:  10-foot camper awning $40; Sear’s cordless drill $40; stainless steel sink $40  809-5359

For Sale: DVD’s  995-1094

For Sale: Russian ammo; Kodak digital camera with software; Christmas lights  962-0362

For Sale: seasoned firewood  893-3217

For Sale: catering and entertaining supplies $75  848-0463

For Sale: 2 kid’s dirt bikes (PW 80 Yamaha; PW 50 Yamaha)  225-8680

For Sale: black round dining room table and chairs $125; FREE: built-in dishwasher  890-7914

Wants: diamond plated metal; For Sale: Whirlpool bath tub (like new) 6-foot long and 4-feet wide with 8 jets $375  525-1968

For Sale: 850-light 7-foot Christmas tree $20  896-5843

For Sale: 1986 full-size Chevy van $500;  1996 Jeep Cherokee 4×4 $2,800; wood coffee table with glass on top $10  410-7021

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