Noah's Ark Theme Park

It's not the park we know and love in Wisconsin Dells. This Theme Park will be built in Kentucky and will include a first-century Middle Eastern village, live animal shows, a children’s interactive play area, a 100-foot replica of the Tower of Babel, a 500-seat special effects theater and an aviary plus a full-size replica of Noah's ark all built with the help of tax payers in Kentucky. Noah's Ark

donate a kidney=get out of jail free card

Two sisters were sentenced to life in prison for a robbery that netted them $11. The governor of Mississippi has granted them clemency on the condition that one sister donate a kidney to her ailing sibling. This case has raised issues from the start and this ruling has continued that trend. story

Worst Christmas gifts

Have any of these under your tree? You might want to brave the long return lines if you do. Here is a list of the worst Christmas gifts.

Tired of the same old Christmas movies?

Take a look at the 5 weirdest Christmas movies...I think weird is putting it nicely. movies

Top FAILS of 2010

Justin Bieber tops the list of people and I'm not at all surprised. To see the rest of the list, check here.

Dome Collapses

The Metrodome was no match for 20 inches of snow Saturday night. The Vikings game had already been postponed until Monday but after the collapse, it's unclear when that game will be played. I-90 was closed along with many other roads around the state of Minnesota. story. I have been snowed in for two days--here's a picture of my front yard.

Glee sings for Simon

The cast of 'Glee' performed on Simon Cowell's X-factor in Britain. They were fantastic as always. Watch their performance here.

Young Star Wars Fan finds support online

Katie is a first grader from Evanston IL and she is a huge Star Wars fan. She carries a Star Wars water bottle to school but has been getting tease relentlessly by the boys because of it. After other Star Wars fans heard of Katie's problem, they rallied to support her. Katie

PETA plays the fool again

PETA is opposed to a game character called "Super Meat Boy." They created their own version called "Super Tofu Boy" and the game's maker has incorporated the character into their PC based game. The makers also pointed out that Meat Boy is not a block of meat but rather a boy with no skin. So PETA once again gives press time and helps a company with it's success. They did the same thing to Dodge recently when they objected to Dodge using a monkey in one of their commercials. Dodge simply digitally removed the monkey and ran the new commercials which became a huge success. Tofu Boy

Idol winners now

What happened to the Idol winners? Did winning really put them on the top? Other than Carrie Underwood, it seems that most Idol winners have fallen in sales. According to Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks; here are the good and bad of past winners:

KELLY CLARKSON (SEASON 1)

THE GOOD:
--She's sold more than 10 million albums in the U.S.
--Her coronation song, "A Moment Like This," went to number one for two weeks.
--She's the only "Idol" winner to score a number-one hit in Britain.
--Her first album, Thankful, debuted at number one and went on to sell 2.75 million copies.
--Her second album, Breakaway, sold more than 6 million copies and spent two years on the Billboard Top 200.
--She's won two Grammys, 12 Billboard Awards, and four American Music Awards, among many other accolades.
--She broke the Beatles' record for biggest leap on Hot 100 with "A Moment Like This," then broke her own record years later with her comeback single, "My Life Would Suck Without You."
--Eight of her singles have sold more than 1 million copies apiece.

THE BAD:
--She was forced to do that silly movie musical From Justin To Kelly with runner-up Justin Guarini, which was a major box-office flop.
--She publicly battled with BMG honcho Clive Davis over creative control of her third album, My December, then suffered a vengeful smear campaign by her own label.
--My December only sold 800,000 copies (a disappointment compared to Breakaway's huge success).
--She canceled her tour and fired her management after the My December debacle.
--Her third album, All I Ever Wanted, has not gone platinum in the U.S. yet (it's nearing the 900K mark), despite it yielding three hit singles.

RUBEN STUDDARD (SEASON 2)

THE GOOD:
--He sold 400,000 copies of his first album, Soulful, in its debut week.
--Soulful has sold nearly 1.8 million copies to date.
--He sold almost 500,000 copies of I Need An Angel (extremely impressive numbers for a gospel album).
--He is fifth-biggest-selling "Idol"-winner ever, with about 2.4 million albums sold.

THE BAD:
--His third album (and second secular album), The Return, sold poorly (238,000); he was subsequently dropped by J Records.
--His independently released fourth album, Love Is, only sold 50,000 copies.
--His greatest-hits album has only sold a measly 3,500 units.
--He's recently resorted to playing small venues with fellow Season 2 finalist Clay Aiken, on this year's perhaps inappropriately titled "Timeless" tour.

FANTASIA (SEASON 3)

THE GOOD:
--Her coronation song, "I Believe," went to number one and was the top single of 2004, going double-platinum; it won three Billboard Awards that year.
--Her first album, Free Yourself, earned four Grammy nominations and sold 1.8 million copies.
--Her Lifetime Network biopic, Life Is Not a Fairy Tale: The Fantasia Barrino Story, became Lifetime's second-most-viewed program of all time.
--Her 2007 single "When I See U" made history by spending an entire year on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
--She received raves for her Broadway performance in The Color Purple.
--Her show "Fantasia For Real" is a reality TV hit; it was the highest-rated VH1 show of 2010.
--Her third album Back To Me is a strong comeback, debuting at number two this year, making it her highest-charting album yet; it has sold more than 300,000 units so far.

THE BAD:
--Her second album, Fantasia, was a sales disappointment; despite good reviews, it barely went gold and stalled at number 19 on the album chart.
--She was sued by dad for $10 million (he claimed she defamed him in her autobiography).
--Her home nearly went into foreclosure due to financial troubles.
--Throat surgery almost put an end to her career.
--Her many missed Color Purple performances burned bridges and earned her a bad reputation in the industry.
--Her first single from Back To Me, "Even Angels," failed to chart, despite a hyped "Oprah" performance.
--Lately she's received more attention for her personal problems (a drug overdose, an illicit affair) than for her talent and music.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD (SEASON 4)

THE GOOD:
--Forbes ranks her as the number-one earner among all "Idol" alums.
--She won a Grammy for Best New Artist, and has won five Grammys total.
--She's won more than 100 trophies at the AMAs, Billboard Awards, Grammys, ACMs, CMAs, People's Choice Awards, and CMT Awards.
--All three of her albums have gone multiplatinum.
--She was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, a huge honor for a country singer.
--She was recently recruited to sing the theme song for the new Chronicles Of Narnia movie.
--And the list goes on and on...

THE BAD:
--Um, there's not much bad to say here; Carrie is always, consistently, the most successful and untouchable Idol. I suppose the one negative is each of her albums has sold approximately one half as much as its predecessor (Some Hearts sold 7 million, Carnival Ride sold a little over 3 million, and Play On's total tally to date is about 1.8 million). But hey, 1.8 copies still ain't too shabby.

TAYLOR HICKS (SEASON 5)

THE GOOD:
--He won during the highest-rated season of "Idol" (and was never once in the bottom three).
--He was named one of People's most eligible bachelors.
--His self-titled post-"Idol" album sold 298,000 copies in first week, debuting at number two, and sold 809,000 total...more than most people realize or give him credit for.
--Until 2009, he was still on the Forbes top 10 list of top-earning Idols, raking in $300,000 a year from his touring and theater work.
--He is the only Idol to be parodied by Weird Al Yankovic, a high honor indeed!

THE BAD:
--To date, he is the only "Idol"-winner to be dropped by BMG after one album.
--He was the only "Idol"-winner who was not managed by 19 Entertainment.
--He was the only winner who didn't get to make a music video while with BMG.
--His independently released follow-up album The Distance has only sold 51,000 copies so far.
--He fell off Forbes' top 10 Idol earners list in 2010.

JORDIN SPARKS (SEASON 6)

THE GOOD:
--Her first album sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.
--Her single "No Air" (with Chris Brown) has had the most paid downloads by any "Idol" contestant, selling about 4 million.
--Four of her singles have sold more than 1 million copies each.
--She is still one of top 10 "Idol" earners, according to Forbes.
--She's the first and only "American Idol" contestant to have all four first singles crack the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.
--She's toured with big names like Britney Spears, the Jonas Brothers, and Jesse McCartney.
--She's won at the NAACP, BET, Teen Choice, AMAs, and People's Choice Awards.

THE BAD:
--Her single "This Is My Now" was the first "Idol" coronation song not to make the top 10 chart. It peaked at number 15.
--Her second album, Battlefield, still has not gone gold, selling less than 200,000 copies to date.

DAVID COOK (SEASON 7)

THE GOOD:
--He won by a sizable margin over supposed frontrunner David Archuleta, scooping up 56 percent of the vote on finale night.
--His single "The Time Of My Life" is the best-selling coronation song in "Idol" history, with 1.3 million copies sold.
--His post-"Idol" album sold 1.3 million, including 280,000 copies in its first week, and debuted at number three.
--The first single from his album, "Light On," went platinum.
--He is the first "Idol" winner to have a large hand in his songwriting on his debut.
--He changed the game for "Idol," opening doors for other rockers and singer-songwriters.

THE BAD:
--He was snubbed for a Best New Artist Grammy nomination, despite industry experts predicting he'd be in the running.
--He's taking way too long to record his next album; in an age of short attention spans and declining "Idol" interest, will people still care by the time he follows up David Cook next year? Let's hope so.

KRIS ALLEN (SEASON 8)

THE GOOD:
--His debut single, "Live Like We're Dying," has sold almost 1.6 million downloads, a very impressive feat indeed.
--He's on the Forbes list of top 10 Idol earners, mainly due to his many songwriting credits and widely aired Ford commercial. (Readers may be surprised to learn Kris had out-earned his supposed rival Adam Lambert as of May 2010, when the Forbes list was released.)

THE BAD:
--He was first winner to have a debut album not premiere in the top 10 (it debuted at number 11).
--Before Lee DeWyze's Live It Up came out, Kris Allen held the record for the lowest-selling "Idol"-winner debut; it sold 80,000 in first week, and a year later it has sold 320,000, not going gold yet.

presumed dead--found alive

Three teens from New Zealand had been missing at sea for 50 days and presumed dead. What was meant to be a short row between islands turned out instead to be a 50 day drift into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. A tuna boat took that route only to save time getting back to New Zealand--it's not their normal route. The boys survived on fish, a seagull, and rain water. Thin and sunburned but with spirits high, they were extremely grateful to see the fishing boat. rescued

Once in a Blue Moon.

November's full moon will be a blue moon even though it's not the second full moon in the same month. A blue moon is actually the 13th full moon of the year. According to monks from long ago; this is why 13 is an unlucky number. One season contains the extra moon which makes it the "blue moon" even though it is not blue in color. This is also where the saying, "once in a blue moon," originates. blue moon

Tigers need to be saved.

If drastic measures are not taken to save tigers, they will become extinct within 12 years according to the experts. Three species of tigers have already gone the way of the Dodo bird and the Dinosaurs. The Bali, Javan, and Caspian have all disappeared within the last 70 years leaving only 6 subspecies of tigers. Countries where tigers live will need to step up enforcement of poaching laws and preserve habitats if tigers are to survive. tigers

Idol sees several changes.

Will the new season of Idol be entertaining or boring? From new judges to doing away with the top 24 (jumping right to the top 12); can it hold it's viewers? J. Lo and Steven Tyler along with In-House Mentor Jimmy Iovine will round out the panel of four. Randy Jackson is the only remaining original member and of course Ryan Seacrest will return as the host. one person's thoughts

Sugarland settles

Kristen Hall helped co-found Sugarland but quit in 2005. She has since sued Sugarland for $14 million saying she is owed that for her contribution to the duo's success. They've settled out of court but terms were not disclosed. story

New Pooh...old style.

A new Winnie the Pooh movie will come out in July 2011 and will not be 3-D or have other special effects. It will go back to the style of the classic short films from the 60s and 70s. All the favorite characters will be back in an adventure to find a new tail for Eeyore and to hunt for a mysterious creature. Pooh

Stranded Cruise ship gets help from US Navy.

The USS Ronald Reagan is on it's way to help stranded travelers on the Carnival Splendor cruise ship. The Ronald Reagan was on maneuvers when it was called upon to help. Ships passengers only have enough food to last through Tuesday so supplies are being airlifted to them. They will also be offered a full refund on their purchase price but some say that they will never go on a cruise again. The USS Ronald Reagan is the ship upon which my son is stationed. Imagine my surprise when I read that his ship was going to be helping. I eagerly await his return to hear how it all went. story

The most wonderful advice for moms...

Be a happy mom with these 10 easy steps.
Find time for yourself
Don't make a happy baby, happier!
Embrace the mess
Make time for your friends
Stop blowing yourself off
Get in the zone
Remember your dreams and goals
Be lighthearted
Bend the Rules
Mind your own business

My favorite is the third one. Read more about each here.

CPR saves dog

Lizabeth's owner performed CPR after he rescued her from the jaws of an alligator. The vet said that it was the CPR that saved the terrier's life. The alligator was later caught and taken to be euthanized. story

'Sister Wives' will be back for another season.

Even though the Brown family is facing charges of felony bigamy, they have been signed by TLC for another 10 week schedule. The season one finale brought in 2.7 million viewers on October 17. Kody married his 4th wife on that episode. sister wives

life-size Monopoly house

A man in Ontario Canada has built an almost replica of a Monopoly house to represent the housing crisis. Canadian artist An Te Liu says that his life-sized Monopoly house is a metaphor, irony, and art. It is his way of drawing attention to the "games" played on Wall Street that caused the whole mortgage mess. Story

From cosmetology school to NASCAR Truck series driver.

Fans will be seeing double at the Truck race in Martinsville. The nieces of Derrike Cope will be making their NASCAR debut. The twins hope to drive well and look good doing it. story

Lady Antebellum plays at a Milwaukee gas station...again.

Three years ago Lady Antebellum played an early morning gig at a gas station near Milwaukee. They claim it was their worst gig ever with only a handful of disinterested deer hunters showing up. Thursday morning they got the chance to play that gig again. This time with over 1,000 showing up and all were very interested. It was a short performance but they enjoyed it and looking back, realized that they enjoyed the first pre-fame performance as well. video

Florida highway closed because of suspicious.......

Kittens? A bomb squad was called out to investigate but when the package was opened, two kittens emerged. One was able to escape--the other one will be taken to a shelter. story

unique birthdays

One family has three unique birthdays for their children. They are 8/8/8, 9/9/9, 10/10/10. As far as trying for 11/11/11; both parents say, "no." birthdays

Gold Monopoly

A Monopoly made entirely of gold is on display at the Smithsonian. It was created by San Francisco jeweler Sidney Mobell. He's made other very expensive games such as Chess, Backgammon, and Dominos. The Monopoly game has only been played once and is now on it's way to the Museum of American Finance in New York City but it's creator says that it is not for sale. gold game

The race must go on.

Charlotte Motor Speedway had a couple of mishaps before the race even started on Saturday night (October 16). First there was a massive sinkhole on the infield and then just two hours before the race started, a stunt went terribly wrong. Luckily no one was hurt but it was scary. Spanky Spangler was driving an RV around the track with, "hold my beer, watch this" painted on the side. He was being chased by a police cruiser that was driven by his son. Explosions were set to occur at certain spots on the track but unfortunately the underside of the RV caught fire and the elder Spangler ended up nose down on a pile of junk cars. He was treated and released from the infield care center so all ends well. NASCAR stunt

Green Fuel for NASCAR

Starting in 2011 NASCAR will begin using a blend of 15% Ethanol and 85% Sunoco gasoline in all three series. It is one more step in NASCAR's journey to go green. story

Clever cat

A cat wants a drink of water and figures out how to get it from a water cooler. video

Ex-manager suing Taylor Swift

Taylor's ex-manager claims that he was fired just so her parents could keep his fees. According to Dan Dymtrow, Taylor gained fame from all of his hard work. He's asking for millions. story

Part of Charlotte Motor Speedway falls into sinkhole.

A sinkhole appeared in the infield at Charlotte Motor Speedway just a little over a week before the next race. The speedway assures fans that the race will go on as scheduled. None of the track itself was near the sinkhole. They are working diligently to get it fixed. story

Now this is sportsmanship!!

Ike Ditzenberger loves football. He shows up at practice every day and works hard with his team. He ends his practice by training for a touchdown. He got to live out that dream when the Lake Stevens' team collaborated with Ike's very own Snohomish's team to allow him that touchdown. Ike has Downs Syndrome and learned to love football by watching his brothers play. Now he has his own moment of celebration--the second in his football career. story and video

New stars in Carrie Underwood video

It's all about who you know. Carrie Underwood give her mother and husband a spot in her new video. 'Mama's song' is about a mother and a new husband so it was only fitting. Story and video here.

Buy the wrong ticket and win $54 million.

Garina Fearon accidently bought a Mega Millions ticket when she had intended to buy a Powerball. It was a lucky twist though because she ended up with a winning ticket. She plans to keep her job but take some days off. She also wants to buy a house for her ailing mother. story

viral video from gamestop in Winona

The debut of Halo Reach had some fans waiting in line. About twenty-five showed up at the Winona store to get their pre-ordered copy including my son. What they didn't expect is to be joined by a drunk and Winona's finest. One young man decided to show up after he'd been drinking and cause problems. The video on youtube shows the drunk speaking to my son, then messing with other customers, and finally arrested and escorted out by the police. story
and youtube video.

Cat Village

Once upon a time Craig Grant didn't like cats but now he has 660 of them. He spends 14 hours a day taking care of them and has built them their own village. It's called "Caboodle Ranch" and is located on 30 acres of a tree farm about 100 miles from Jacksonville. see the town
watch.... video

tickets still available for Klingon Opera

An Opera sung entirely in Klingon opens in the Netherlands. I wonder if Worf will show up. Klingon Opera

unique houses

A house doesn't always have to have just four walls and a ceiling. Here are some odd houses...some are even for sale. Some people live in a shoe, a boat, a barn, a dome, a cave, a church, a firehouse, an earthship, a rotating round house, and even an old military silo. Happy shopping

big dance moves will get the girl

A recent study done at the Northumbria University and the University of Gottingen in Germany found that women are more attracted to men who have some big dance moves. The researchers filmed non-professional male dancers, created computerized avatars (to remove "looks" as a factor), and then had women watch the dancers. Women tended to like the ones that displayed the most dance moves. story

baby found in trashbag

A baby boy was found in the trash after a flight landed in Manila. Thankfully a security officer saw something moving in the bag and discovered the newborn. The little boy is doing well. When the mother is found, she can face some serious charges. The child will be given to relatives or put up for adoption. baby's story

Kids lived in trash.

A single mom is arrested after it's discovered that her three children lived in at least a foot of trash in their home. The mom said that it got out of hand because she was a single mom and just couldn't keep up with working and taking care of the house. story

Lady Antebellum talks about American Idol

The lead singer from Lady Antebellum, Hillary Scott, actually tried out for American Idol twice and didn't make it past the first round either time. Watch video here.

Inspirations

Taylor Swift says that when she was a little girl, Shania Twain was her inspiration. She thought that if she ever got the chance, she'd want to do what she could to say thanks. Dolly Parton was the inspiration for Rascal Flatts. cmt

My Country Jam Session

It took me a while but I finally got on the CC106.3 website and got my Country Jam Session photo. You can still get yours. Go to CC1063.com and relive the memories of Country Jam 2010. cc106.3

they're dropping like flies

American Idol has lost another judge. Kara DioGuardi is stepping down. Ellen DeGeneres left at the end of Season 9 along with Simon Cowell. Steven Tyler has been named as a new judge and Jennifer Lopez is still in consideration. Kara

I've heard of a tiger in your tank...

but a tiger in your suitcase? A woman was arrested at Bangkok's International Airport after a baby tiger was found in her suitcase amongst some stuffed toy tigers. The tiger appeared to be drugged; was dehydrated, and needed oxygen. It was taken to a wildlife conservation center in Bangkok. The intended destination was Iran but the woman is now facing 4 years in prison and a $1300 fine. story

Fake Disney Tickets

Some men in Florida found a way to scam Disney and Universal goers. They purchased used tickets from guests leaving the parks and then sold them to unsuspecting park hopefuls. But when the new owners of the old tickets were turned away at the gate, they promptly told police where the bogus tickets were bought. Since the crooks used real stores to sell the tickets, it wasn't long before there were apprehended. They netted about $400,000 before they were arrested. story

True irony

A man and some friends were waiting on a train trestle in North Carolina for a "ghost train" to appear or be heard. Unfortunately it was a real train that rounded the bend; then struck and killed 29-year-old Christopher Kaiser of Charlotte. story

10-year old shreds with Ozzy

A self-taught 10-year-old guitarist plays on stage with Ozzy Osbourne. Yuto Miyazawa played 'Crazy Train' on his "black-with-white polka-dotted flying-V guitar. " video

Miley Cyrus in the news again.

Liam Hemsworth's people are saying that him and Miley have split up. Miley denies it on her website. They met on the set of 'The Last Song' and became best friends at a time when Miley says that she needed a break from boys. story

fire tornado in Brazil

A fire tornado is very rare but this one was caught on tape. It takes a combination of strong winds, dry fields, and raging flames to create this naturally occurring phenomenon. video

vacation photo captures thief in action

A family visiting Madison WI for a wedding decided to stop and take a vacation photo in front of the capital building. In the background of the photo is a would-be thief stealing things from the family's bags. They contacted Capital Police who found the culprit still nearby and recovered the family's belongings. photo

massive traffic jam disappears

The 9-day traffic jam on the Beijing-Tibet expressway seemed to disappear over night. Reporters drove the whole span from Beijing to Inner Mongolia to report on the traffic jam and only encountered normal traffic flow. update

Zac Brown Band--free CD

The Zac Brown Band has teamed up with Ram Trucks and they're trying to get 1 million letters for US Soldiers. It's called "Letters for Lyrics" and all you have to do is write a letter, drop it off at a RAM dealer, and receive your free CD. This CD is not available in stores. letters

Now that's a traffic jam!

Being stuck in traffic for nine days is the ultimate traffic jam. Drivers heading to Beijing on the Beijing-Tibet expressway are stuck in traffic for days at a time. Local merchants are making a fortune off of the stranded motorists by selling them water and food and charging higher prices. Road construction repairs along with increased truck traffic are contributing to the delays.

gas prices

Gas prices fluctuate all of the time. Some places have gas for 6 cents a gallon and others pay almost $10--so glad I don't live there. gas prices

He returns!

Is it Batman? Is it a Jedi? Or how about a sequel to The Fly? No, it's Brett Favre. After all the talk about retiring, Favre has decided to return to the Vikings this year. Will his 20th year finally be the year he really retires? Favre

PETA and a Dodge commercial

PETA does a lot of good but sometimes they cross the line. One example is when they were upset with the President for killing a fly during a speech. Now they're on the tail of Dodge about one of their commercials. They don't think that a monkey should be used in Dodge's commercial and made that known in a stern letter to the company. Dodge removed the monkey at PETA's request. You have to see it to believe it......both commercials here

Rampage over Chicken McNuggets

An Ohio woman was not please when a McDonald's restaurant told her that they were serving breakfast and she couldn't get Chicken McNuggets. She flew into a rage, punched the worker, and smashed a window. She didn't get her McNuggets but she did get 60 days in jail and a warning not to ever return to that McDonald's. video

No more Cathy

The comic strip "Cathy" will end on October 3. It's creator has decided to stop after 30 years. And even though it's an "excruciating" decision, she looks forward to meeting personal deadlines instead. Cathy

bad spelling at a school

The contractor that painted a sign outside of a NC school might want to check out attending an english course there. They painted "SHCOOL" on the road just outside the school. shcool

Mommy, where do baby frogs come from?

A Wilson Township farmer discovered part of his land had been plowed and planted. He then discovered several 20-gallon barrels buried on the land. All of which contained water and frogs. I never knew that's how frogs were grown lol. A plow was left behind as well so the farmer locked it in his shed and awaits the return of the mystery plower. story

Dancing with Winona stars

On Saturday August 14, 2010, thirteen of Winona’s most talented stars will compete in the Second annual Dancing with Winona Stars Charity fundraiser at Saint Mary’s University Field House! This will be an entertaining and exciting evening you will not want to miss! The stars and instructors have been working tirelessly; the competition is fierce! Last year was fabulous! We packed them in and had a sold out crowd! This year we have moved venues to accommodate demand. We will also be set up a little differently with round tables of 8 and plenty of room to mingle. Make sure to get your tickets in advance before they sell out! Tickets are available at Hy-Vee, Midtown and the Gotta Dance Studios. A $20 ticket includes early admission, between 5:00 and 6:30 pm, plus hors d'oeuvres. Table selections can be made at that time. A $10 ticket includes General Admission to the show itself. If tickets are still available, General Admission tickets will be sold for $15 the day of the event. Your favorite star and/or charity needs your votes!! Half of the stars overall score is determined by votes collected! Votes are obtained by paying $1.00/vote for a designated star or charity. You can cast your vote with the star, charity, or with a Gotta Dance competition student or parent, or send your vote into Gotta Dance/DWWS 1733 Service Dr, Winona, MN 55987. Checks for both tickets and votes should be made out to Gotta Dance.

Annie

Rock Solid Youth Center is putting on 'Annie' on August 19-22. I play the part of Francis Perkins and once again I'm having a great time in rehearsals. The last time I was in this production, I played the dog catcher. We're trying to keep the Youth Center open so we need all the ticket sales we can get. Great show for a great cause.

Harley Davidson may be driving away from Milwaukee

High labor costs are making Harley Davidson consider a move to another state. It's been a Milwaukee icon for 107 years and would a considerable void in Milwaukee. The museum and headquarters would more than likely stay but that may not be enough to keep the tourists coming. Harley's move

Favre says he's not returning for 20th season

He says that there is too much wear and tear on his body and he retiring for the third time. I guess time will tell. favre

Eddie Munster is getting married.

Butch Patrick who played Eddie Munster for years on the "Munsters" is getting married to a long time fan. At age 57, Butch finally met the fan that he'd been corresponding with. They lost touch for a while but Ms. McCall tracked him down on the internet. They agreed to meet at "Dracula Con II" in Philadelphia and the rest is history. Eddie Munster

Yogi Bear comes to the big screen

Yogi Bear and Boo Boo come to life with big name stars as their voices. The movie will be in 3D and comes out in December. The trailer has just been released--watch it here.

owner finds dog after looking for 4 years

Sandra Castillo became ill and was unable to care for her two dogs so she placed them in other homes. She tried to stay in touch with the people that took the dogs but she lost track of one of them over the years. She placed adds on Craigslist and finally in July 2010, got several responses because the MSPCA-Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center had sent out notices to their members. 'Milady' was in bad shape when she ended up at the shelter and it took weeks of cleaning and medical care to get her better. Through it all Milady remained playful and friendly. Milady's story

House will record this summer

The cranky doctor on 'House,' Hugh Laurie is going to record his own album this summer. He's shown off his talents during episodes of 'House' and 'Jeeves and Wooster.' He's so good that he played on Meatloaf's latest album. House

What is Walmart up to now?

Walmart plans to attach high tech tags to some of their clothing items. They can be removed but never turned off. So, even after you purchase your item and take it home, Walmart can scan to see where it is. There are also worries that this technology will be used for other reasons and not all of them are good. story

another sinkhole closer to home

A Milwaukee man survives after his vehicle fell into a sinkhole. He was faced with raging waters and electrical lines. Lucky for him, he had a hero nearby. video

Pink takes a tumble

Something went wrong on stage during Pink's performance in Germany on Thursday. She ended up falling off the stage into a barrier. It happened right before she was to sing her final song in the concert. She apologized to fans for ending the concert early and then was taken to the hospital by ambulance. She's doing fine and nothing is broken. One of her backup dancers also fell but is doing fine as well. video

ship found buried at WTC site

Excavators at the sight brought up curved lumber and discovered that a ship was buried there. It was probably used as fill when lower Manhattan was extended into the Hudson River. It will be tested to see how old it is. An anchor was also found but experts are not sure if it's from the same ship. wtc sight

undercover jewel

Jewel got a fake nose, brunette wig, and business-like clothes and went undercover at a karaoke bar for a show called 'Funny or Die.' She got up to sing some of her very own songs as 'Karen' and no one knew that it was her. She came back later as herself to sing again and some still didn't know that they were the same person until they were told. jewel at karaoke

Sinkhole in Florida swallows car.

In St. Petersburg Florida a sinkhole formed just out side of an apartment building. It was big enough to swallow up a car. video

Beatles fans gaga over piano

Some Beatle's fans are having a fit after seeing a photo of Lady Gaga playing John Lennon's white piano. Sean Lennon posted the picture but ended up taking it down after some of the criticism. He made his feelings known about the subject. white piano

Jimmy Johnson's GM

It's not his car or his dealership. It's his new daughter. Her name is Genevieve Marie. Jimmy says that it is purely coincidental that her initials match that of General Motors. GM story

Paul the octopus has a perfect record

He picks 8 for 8 right. Paul the octopus is a celebrity now and he doesn't even know it. He has guessed all of the winners in the World Cup correctly. Paul

New dinosaur to become extinct already

A man in Vermont decided to get creative with a pile of junk that was laying on his property. He circulated a flyer asking neighbors for help. The rules were that only stuff in the pile could be used and it had to be used as is. What resulted was a large dinosaur. Now neighbors are upset about it and the government is trying to either force him to buy permits or dismantle it. Vermontasaurus

Carrie Underwood weds

The wedding took place this weekend in Georgia. Some of the details had leaked before the wedding but no one knew for sure if they were accurate. Turns out, most were. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher will be going someplace warm for their honeymoon. wedding

Lindsey Lohan is going to jail

Even though Lindsey was vindicated over the alcohol bracelet's mistake, it seems that someone is out to get her. She's been sentenced to 90 days in jail to commence on July 20 for not attending classes stemming from a sentence in 2007. She broke down in tears when she heard the verdict and vows to appeal with a new attorney. Lindsey

An Octopus with a rare talent.....

Paul the Octopus can pick a winner or so it seams. So far he has picked the winners in the World Cup. Is he that clever or is he just trying to keep from being eaten? paul

Shrek sells onion

Sweet Vidalia onions have a new friend in Shrek. They've built a new campaign around a line from the first Shrek movie, "Ogres are like onions, It's not that both might be stinky, make you cry or get all brown in the sun. Rather, it's that we both have layers." Sales are up 30-35% since Shrek started to appear on onion bags and in produce aisles. Shrek campaign

6 year-old on no fly list

The only time a 6-year old should not fly is when they're throwing a temper tantrum. Unfortunately, 6-year old Alyssa Thomas has found herself on the real no-fly list. Her parents think that it's ridiculous and say that she's threatened her sister but don't think that's a reason for her not to fly. Her parents tried to have her name removed from the list but to no avail. They plan to try again. Alyssa

BP to try something new.

Kevin Costner may have the answer for the gulf oil spill. He has invested millions of his ow money to develop a machine that will separate the oil from the contaminated water. He's had a difficult time getting approval for the machine because it does leave some oil behind which was more than was approved by the Federal Government. He appeared before Congress to testify and his machine has been approved for use in the gulf. This may be the relief we've been waiting for. Kevin's Machine

Forbidden Journey really is forbidden for some people.

The Harry Potter ride (Forbidden Journey) at Universal Studios turns away riders because of size and this time it's not a height requirement. If you're thinking about going to Universal Studios and you're a bigger than average person, you might want to think again. People of size are being turned away because Universal made a certain size seat with no room for adjustment. story

Turtle stops plane from taking off.

A small turtle in a cage was the cause of tears and commotion on an AirTran flight from Atlanta to Milwaukee. Employees first let three girls on the plane with their caged turtle but then demanded they get rid of it after bringing the plane back to the terminal. The girls threw it in the trash in the hopes that their father could retrieve it when he returned to the airport. Another employee rescued the turtle from the trash and took it home. AirTran finally decided to get the turtle and fly it to Milwaukee free of charge. The girls' mother contacted PETA who is demanding this be investigated. turtle flies home

Glee star has more than just singing talent.

Chris Colfer who plays Kurt demonstrated his hidden talent on a British talk show. He showed off his martial arts skills while a couple of cast members hid safely behind a couch.

First Carrie Underwood, then Miranda Lambert, and now Kellie Pickler

The three country stars all got engaged recently. Kellie was not ready to get married saying that she was only 22 and not ready to put a husband first but things have changed and she said, "yes" on June 15.