R. Kelly Defense Rests Its Case
Defense attorneys have rested their case in the child pornography trial of R&B singer R. Kelly in Chicago.
The singer looked relaxed as defense attorney Ed Genson rested the case without calling any witnesses for the day.
Jurors sat in court for just several minutes before Judge Vincent Gaughan sent them home for the day. They’ll be back in court Tuesday, when prosecutors plan to call two rebuttal witnesses.
The judge told the jurors closing arguments are likely to begin Thursday.
Kelly has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of videotaping himself having sex with a female prosecutors say was at young as 13.
It’s A Girl For Jessica Alba & Cash Warren
Now there will be two Alba beauties in the world.
Actress Jessica Alba and husband Cash Warren welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Honor Marie Warren into the world on June 7 in Los Angeles, according to People.
The 27-year-old actress recently wed Warren, 31, at a Beverly Hills courthouse on May 19.
The couple, who met on set while Alba was filming “The Fantastic Four” in 2005, became engaged last December.
Pamela Anderson Parts With Viper For PETA
Pamela Anderson may have a need for speed, but her favorite charity has a need for funds.
That’s why the former “Baywatch” babe is selling her prized Dodge Viper and donating the proceeds to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
“I’ve been working with PETA for 15 years,” Anderson told The Associated Press. “They’re kind of my ethical advisers. With them, I see actual results.”
The 40-year-old actress recently held a private estate sale to benefit the animal organization, and she’s planning to personally oversee the sale of her 2000 Viper, which she customized herself with white racing stripes. The car plays a prominent role in Anderson’s forthcoming E! series, “Pam: Girl on the Loose,” but she admitted it was dangerous for her to own such a high-performance vehicle.

cbsnews.com

In this March file photo, the Ontario High School boys golf team (above) plays a match at Ontario Golf Club. The City of Ontario is debating how to pay for capital improvements it is responsible to make at the course.
ONTARIO — As early-summer clouds cast gloom over Ontario, another shadow, this one circling around finances and the city’s golf course, is already growing and there appears to be no easy answers in sight.
Ontario’s elected leaders, though, hope to at least begin to tackle the long-standing golf course saga and perhaps determine the facility’s fate at an emergency meeting at noon Tuesday at Ontario City Hall.
Ontario City Councilman Dan Cummings said the facility’s situation has reached a critical stage, and he urged the public to attend the Tuesday session and provide input. In addition, Cummings said at Monday’s City Council meeting, it is necessary for as many council members as possible to attend, as well as golf course and budget committee members.
“The more we can have at this, the better we’ll be,” he said.
Cummings said the emergency stems from a number of critical needs at the golf course regarding equipment replacement and maintenance supplies, without which, he said, Ontario Golf Club Manager Mark Copley has indicated the golf course cannot succeed.
“Under our contract, we’re responsible for doing that, and we haven’t had the funding to do it,” Cummings said.
Copley estimates the golf course needs approximately $92,000 in equipment, including a fairway mower, a rotary mower, a kitchen hood/fire suppression system and a utility vehicle and 20 used golf carts. That does not include the cost of all the operations supplies, such as fertilizers and more.
“It makes it very difficult to maintain things when you’re fixing things that are broken down all the time,” Copley said. “We’re going to get to a point very soon where the equipment is not going to be functional period.”

argusobserver.com

Deposed Emir of Gwandu and retired military officer, Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo has sounded the alarm on probes of various sectors of the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and how he managed the nations.
The outspoken emir who was ADC to late and former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters in the Obasanjo regime, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, feels that much as the probes going on in the National Assembly would results that would strengthen democracy, they need to be handled with care, as there might be the backlash effect of tearing down and threatening the government of President Umaru Yar’Adua.
In a detailed interview with Saturday Sun, Jokolo pointed out that it was the probe of various sectors of the preceding regime by General Muhammadu Buhari, especially the defence probe, that led to the eventual death of that regime.
His reason is that when probes become widespread in effect and have the tendency of exposing and implicating many past public officers, there is the tendency for the targeted victims to fight back.
Their surest way of fighting back according to the ex-military officer is to gang up to throw up strategies that would lead to the downfall of the government that plans to expose them.
For instance, he believes that if the NNPC probe, like the power sector probe, is allowed to run a full circle, not many who were part of the Obasanjo government would be spared, and such people will find a means of defending themselves even through overt means.
He warns that Yar’Adua should rather watch his back if he wants to remain in power, as he is surrounded by hawks – both those planted by the previous administration to keep him in check, and those thrown up by the last political developments and who also want his job.

sunnewsonline.com

TOWSON, Md.–The Penn women’s lacrosse team battled back from a a three-goal deficit in the second half to claim a thrilling 9-8 overtime victory against Duke in the NCAA semifinal on Friday night at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md. Senior Rachel Manson capped the come-from-behind victory with the game-winning goal with 42 seconds remaining in the second overtime period. The goal came off Giulia Giordano’s free position opportunity and her quick pass to Manson wide open in front of the goal.
“I am really proud of the girls after being down 7-4 and staying composed,” said Head Coach Karin Brower. “We were struggling coming up with the draw but made a couple changes and got the ball so we were able to run our offense and have those opportunities [to score]. I’m really proud of our defense, they did an excellent job.”
Manson’s two goals were bookends for the game as she scored exactly one minute into the game, and with 42 seconds to go in the overtime period. However, after Manson’s tally, Duke’s Carolyn Davis scored the first of her five goals. Sarah Bullard scored just less than a minute later to take the lead. It took Penn nearly 50 minutes to regain the lead.
Duke controlled the ball for a good portion of the first half and held a 4-3 lead at the break. Melissa Lehman scored with 12 minutes to go in the half to close that period’s scoring. Duke had the last shot of the half, but Sarah Waxman made a big save to keep it close going into the break.
Waxman was impressive with seven saves and four of the Blue Devils’ goals coming on difficult free-position shots. Possibly her biggest save of the day came with 24 seconds left in the first overtime. Lindsay Gilbride, who had scored two other goals in the game including the one to send the game to overtime, fired a great shot on goal but Waxman made an even greater stop.

pennathletics.com

Singer Duffy sits next to a clear blue swimming pool on a hotel rooftop patio, the sun setting behind her blond bouffant. She takes a sip of her drink, widens her blue eyes and grins.
“Just like the movies!” she exclaims about the setting — repeating a waiter’s observation.
It all does seem just like the movies, and a long journey for an ambitious gal raised in a tiny town in North Wales who now lives in London. Just hours earlier, she performed her ‘60s-inspired hit “Mercy” for the first time on U.S. television, singing her heart out for a taping of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” A day earlier, she played to a sweaty crowd at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the California desert. Her album “Rockferry” — already a chart-topping smash in England — made its U.S. debut Tuesday.
The 23-year-old — born Aimee Anne Duffy, but known simply as Duffy — is one of several young female singers from the United Kingdom descending on the United States.
Amy Winehouse, whose double-platinum U.S. debut “Back to Black” album won five Grammys earlier this year, and fellow London crooner Lily Allen’s critically acclaimed debut, “Alright, Still,” may have jump-started this so-called British Invasion. But Duffy and others such as chart-topper Leona Lewis, Adele, Kate Nash, Laura Marling, Estelle and Amy MacDonald are mapping out their own paths from Europe to the United States, and the women are all unique.
Still, some have dubbed them the “new Amys.”
Duffy sighs at the comparisons.
“I kind of want to be left alone a little bit, with that. I want to hide. I prefer to be not known than to be known as something completely wrong,” Duffy told The Associated Press during an interview at a Los Angeles-area hotel.

accesshollywood.com

When Eugene, OR, comes up in conversation, several fixations quickly pop to the average mind: rain, forest, hippies, marijuana and Ducks. Easy to miss would be a chubby, middle-aged man with a shaved head who often adorns dark sunglasses. But that, perhaps, may be just how Frank Black likes it.
Leisurely enjoying the morning at his home in the rainy college town, the former leader of the Pixies is on daddy duty. “We all have kind of like this flu thing and my wife is eight months pregnant and she’s just wiped out. I’ve got the babies with me downstairs so we may be periodically interrupted,” tells Black through sounds of toddler babble. Already a father of four, his two youngest, Lucy and Jack, can be heard adjoining his every move. “Oh, I see Jack, okay, all right. Let daddy talk on the phone for a few minutes.”
Born Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV, the self-titled Frank Black has enjoyed a fairytale career of indie success. The Pixies, both in their efflorescence and after, have been embraced the world over, and Black has since sustained an acclaimed solo career over the course of 16 albums. Returning to the proven stage name of Black Francis for 2007’s fall release Bluefinger, Black has continued channeling the powers of old for his newest output; a seven song EP tagged Sv n F ng rs. The process of writing, recording and producing said record took place over just six days, which Black is quick to downplay. “I don’t know if it’s that big of a deal. As long as I’ve got a day or two in the studio [I can] come up with something. It may not be ‘Hey Jude,’ [laughs] but I’ll come up with something.”
The creative burst came from label Cooking Vinyl simply asking for a b-side. Black, typical of his prolific nature, proceeded to hash out six additional cuts in a flurry. Violet Clark (who also happens to be Black’s wife) and Jason Carter, both of whom joined on Bluefinger, make returns to the studio filling out bass and drums respectively. Carter also wears the producer hat, but more to the tune of engineering assistance and relaxed constructive feedback.

synthesis.net

Wacky Jack’s Singing Telegrams
New business offers variety of characters, packages to satisfy all
By Fred Pace
One of Keith Berneburg’s first jobs was with Eastern Onion Signing Telegrams in Pittsburgh. He dressed in various costumes and delivered the humorous telegrams in a musical form.
“I had a blast,” he said. “It was a fun job.”
When Berneburg and his wife, Rhonda, relocated to Beckley they began thinking about starting their own singing telegram business.
“There was nothing like this in Beckley,” Keith Berneburg said. “We did some research and surveying and due to the tremendous amount of requests for this type of entertainment, we decide to start Wacky Jack’s Singing Telegrams.”
Rhonda Berneburg says her husband has always been an entertainer.
“I thought it was a wonderful idea,” she said. “Telegrams have been around for a while, but you don’t see them around as much these days.”
Singing telegrams are historically linked to normal telegrams, but tend to be humorous. Sometimes the artist is in costume or formal clothing. Singing telegrams are often given as a gift.
Western Union, the American telegraph company, began offering singing telegram services in 1933. On July 28, 1933, a fan sent Hollywood singing star Rudy Vallee a birthday greeting by telegram.
According to Wikipedia.com, the Western Union public relations director at the time decided this would be a good opportunity to make telegrams, which had been associated with deaths and other tragic news, into something more popular. He asked a Western Union operator, Lucille Lipps, to sing the message over the telephone, and this became the first singing telegram.
Western Union suspended its singing telegram service in 1974, but independent singing telegram companies, like Wacky Jack’s, specializing in often costumed personal delivery of gift messages, have kept up the tradition.
“The memory of an event like this will never die,” Keith said. “And it’s just as fun to send one as it is to get one.”

register-herald.com

The White House today dashed the hopes of reporters hoping to get a last-minute invitation to the wedding this weekend at President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas.
"I would reduce your level of concern and be assured that there will be absolutely no readout of the wedding, whatsoever," spokesman Gordon Johndroe tells reporters flying with the president to Texas. "This really is a private event for the family. If we can — if the family decides — and I think they may — on Sunday to release a couple of photos of the ceremony, then we will certainly provide those to you. But otherwise, I think the activities of the weekend are going to be a really private celebration for Jenna [Bush] and Henry [Hager]’s family and friends."
USA TODAY’s Maria Puente wrote about the nuptials in this morning’s newspaper.
(White House file photo via AP.)

blogs.usatoday.com

MOULTRIE — Union Baptist Church will celebrate its Mission Anniversary Sunday, April 27, at 3 p.m. Music will be provided by the Mt. Olive Baptist Church Choir of Sale City and the speaker is the Rev. Shirley A. Strawter.
Strawter began preaching in 1987 at various Women’s Day programs and conferences. She served as an usher for more than 40 years at Solomon Chapel A.M.E. in Ty Ty, Ga. She has been active in the A.M.E. church since childhood.
In 2001, she became ordained as an itinerant deacon and in 2003, she was ordained as an itinerant elder.
In 2002, she became the pastor of Miller’s Chapel A.M.E. Church in Sumner, Ga., and is now the pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church in Alapaha, Ga.
An author and poet, Strawter has written numerous Christian poems and stories. She has compiled and written several collection of poems including, “Gathering Leaves,” “Seasoned with Grace,” and “Hands and Hearts for Him.” She has also composed a series of short stories including, “My Plate is Full, But Thank God for the Platter!,” “I Thought I Needed A Miracle, But I Only Needed God” and “The Brick Collector.”
She is a 1978 graduate of Talladega College in Talladega, Ala., and is presently employed with Len Lastinger Primary School in Tifton, Ga., as a physical education teacher. She has been there for 28 years and has been nominated Teacher of the Year twice by her peers, Teacher of Excellence, and Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year.
She is a member of the Ty Ty City Council and a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
She is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. O.Z. Strawter and has three siblings, Bill J. Strawter of Midland, Mich., Deborah J. Strawter of Ty Ty, and Ronnie J. Strawter of Tifton. She is the mother of a daughter, Tori G. Strawter.

moultrieobserver.com

The Jazz hit more low notes than high notes in Game 1, but they did hit every Laker in sight, even Phil Jackson when Ronnie Brewer fell in Phil’s lap.
Percussion? Game 1 looked more like a concussion.
-The Lakers are better than the Jazz and could win the series in five games even if they continue to get murdered on the boards. Wouldn’t be a bad idea, though, to put on the hard hats for Game 2 and push back. A 17-rebound discrepancy is flirting with danger. Heck, LA had only eight more total rebounds than Utah did offensive.
Kobe told the media on Monday: “We ain’t no punks.” Meaning, like Tom Petty, they won’t back down. That’s fine, but they need to body up.
I don’t like Pau Gasol guarding Mehmet Okur on the perimeter. Takes Pau too far from the defensive boards. Put Radmanovic on Memo, Vlad Rad is long enough for that cover.
Okur may be from Turkey but he didn’t play like one, pulling down 19 boards and choking their gizzards on the boards.
-It has Okurred to me that Memo should not be allowed to get 19 rebounds ever again in this series.
-Believe it or not:The scruffy Okur has a hot wife. She’s a former Miss Turkey.
-Do you think playing against D-Will every day in practice for a year helps Derek Fisher in his matchup against
Deron Williams?Fisher’s ability to stay in front of Williams was a huge component in the Lakers’ 11-point win, one pretty overlooked by just about everybody.
The Lakers didn’t box out but one thing they did do was converge on Williams with big bodies once he got into the paint.
Williams looked frustrated. Fish’s six steals were another reflection that after that full year up in Utah, he knows the Jazz almost as well as they know themselves.

sportshubla.com