My Fox Atlanta

At Atlanta pizzeria is receiving both cheers — and jeers — for the notice it recently printed on its menus asking parents of noisy children to take their kids outside.

After Donnie Parmer, co-owner of Grant Central Pizza, got an abundance of complaints (both in person and on the review site Yelp) about screaming or unruly children in his restaurant, he added the following notice to the bottom of his menus:

Dear all present and future patrons: GCP is proud of its reputation as a family restaurant, a title that we will work to keep. Unfortunately a number of our diners have posted unpleasant experiences because of crying and unsupervised children. To ensure that all diners have an enjoyable lunch or dinner with us we respectfully ask that parents tend to their crying tots outside.”

Parmer says that while he likes kids and Grant Central Pizza is a family establishment, it’s not fair for little ones to disrupt the entire dining room. He cites an incident in which a child hit an adult patron in the head with a toy as the last straw that made him print the public notice.

While some parents are offended, saying “noise is just part of the experience in a family restaurant,” other customers applauded the gesture and said it’ll make them more likely to visit the restaurant.

[My Fox Atlanta]

Henry S. Dziekan III, Getty Images/GQ

Anyone picked up the latest issue of GQ? Well, this time around you should ’cause Trey Songz got himself a nice little spread in there, looking suave as hell. The photos aren’t available online yet, so now’s the time to run to a newsstand and find out exactly what we’re talking about. (Or, we suppose, you can just wait that extra week or so until it hits the web.)

Trey’s GQ pics were a much needed reminder of how sexy he is. We already knew this, but lately he’s been getting upstaged in the news by Chris Brown and that singing president of ours. He’s also proving himself to be quite the style icon. (Maybe even more stylish than Kanye West. Is that blasphemous to say?)

Vibe Magazine

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Twitter, @treysongz

Andrew H. Walker/Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Obama has just finished thanking all the musicians who attended the concert, which included Jeff Beck, B.B. King and Mick Jagger, when legendary blues man Buddy Guy goaded him into singing the blues classic. “I heard you singing Al Green,” Guy said. “You’ve started something. You’ve got to keep it up now.”

At first, Obama tried to refuse. But then, Jagger passed the microphone and the POTUS launched into a surprisingly tuneful rendition. What do you think? Could Obama have a second career as a blues singer?

Watch Obama perform ‘Let’s Stay Together’ below.

Source: TheFW.com

YouTube

It’s been fifteen years since “Waiting To Exhale” hit theaters and stole the show, and the sequel — which is based on the 2010 book written by author Terry McMillan entitled, “Getting To Happy” is still in early production. Many wondered if the film was still going to be created with the recent death of Whitney Houston, and Fox film execs say that the Waiting To Exhale sequel will still go on despite Whitney Houston’s death.In the 1995 film, “Waiting To Exhale”, actresses Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, and Angela Bassett are signed on to do follow ups to their character’s lives. Loretta as “Gloria”, Lela as “Robin”, and Angela as “Bernedine”. We all know and fell in love with these characters, but the big question is, will they replace the character “Savannah” with another actress or will they write out her character completely. In the book, Gregory Hines character was written out because of his passing.

Regarding if the masses would be upset about the remake, Elizabeth Gabler, President of Fox 2000 Pictures stated in an interview:

“I don’t think she would want it to” be dropped. It’s almost in her honor that we think to soldier on.”

Check out this Oprah Winfrey Interview with The cast of “Waiting to Exhale” (1995)

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

Facing huge budget shortfalls, the United States Postal Service has proposed solutions including closing hundreds of post offices and eliminating Saturday deliveries. Now it may be considering jacking up the price of stamps, too.

The popularity of internet services like online bill pay have led in part to a 1.7 percent decline in mail volume, causing the USPS to anticipate losing $14.1 billion in 2012 — with bigger losses expected in the years to come.

In response, postal officials sent a letter to Congress last Thursday in which they recommended several changes, including the possibility of increasing the price of a stamp from its current 45 cents up to 50 cents. While stamp prices have gone up four times since 2006, chief financial officer Joe Corbett said, “Clearly, we’re [still] underpriced [and] would like the ability to move that price up.”

The USPS says the extra nickel, which would likely be added in one or two-cent increments until 2015, would raise revenues by $1 billion annually. Although taxpayers don’t foot the bill to keep the postal service running, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe told Congress that failing to help the organization limit its losses would result in a “long-term burden to the American taxpayer.”

[Time]

Tyler Area Builders Association

The Tyler Area Builders Association is holding its 32nd Annual Home Products Show this weekend at Harvey Convention Center in Tyler. Go check out the newest products and latest trends in home products for inside and outside your home.

Tickets are $5 for adults and children 12 and under are free. Food donations will be collected for the East Texas Food Bank and door prizes will be given away every 30 minutes.

This year’s theme for the Home Products Show is “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

“Spring training is just getting started, which means it’s also time to start thinking about those spring projects on your to-do list,” said Libby Simmons, executive vice president of TABA. “Our theme this year is ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’ which we hope offers fun for the whole family. In fact, we have reduced the price for families to attend the show by choosing not to charge for kids 12 and under.”

Hours for this years show are:

• 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25

• 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26.

Tickets will be available at the door. For more information, visit the Tyler Area Builder’s Association’s website or call 903-561-3694.

It took jurors less than an hour Tuesday to convict Jeffery Allan Maxwell, 59 on the two counts of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.

Maxwell faces up to life in prison.

Rains County Woman Guilty of Firearms Violation

TYLER, Texas - A 53-year-old Emory, Texas woman pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas.

Margaret Lanette Gunter pleaded guilty on Feb. 21, 2012, to engaging in the business of selling firearms without a federal firearms license before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie.

Information presented in court , revealed more than one hundred weapons, as well as a large amount of ammunition, were recovered.  Gunter admitted to assisting a co-defendant who was selling firearms at public markets in Quinlan, Texas and at the First Monday Trade Fair in Canton, Texas.

Gunter faces up to 5 years in federal prison.  A sentencing date has not been set.

by nateOne,flickr

Road Closure Advisory

TYLER - Smith County Road and Bridge Crews have temporarily closed a portion of County Road 132 in the Flint-Gresham area for maintenance. Details on when the County Road will reopen to the public will be made available as soon as possible. Motorist are being asked to find an alternative route.

Longview Police Dept.

Coffee with a Cop

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Dept. will host their first “Coffee with a Cop” program Thursday night.

Longview Police Chief Don Dingler says the new outreach program will give citizens a chance to sit down with local officers and ask questions about the law and neighborhood issues.

The first meeting will be held at Chick-fil-A located at Gilmer Road and Loop 281 at 7:00 to 9:00am on Thursday February 23^rd.

East Texan Guilty of Federal Drug Charges

TYLER - A Carthage Woman has pleaded guilty to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.

According to information presented in Federal Court in Tyler, 31 year old Christine Stephens Carroll purchased cold pills containing 2.40 grams of pseudoephedrine from a Brookshire Bros. store in Carthage. Carroll also admitted to purchasing cold pills on 64 different occasions from Oct. 22, 2008 to Apr. 15, 2010, which amounted to approximately 137.78 grams of pseudoephedrine, with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.

Carroll faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

Man Formally Declared Innocent of Murder

DALLAS — A state district judge will formally declare a Dallas man innocent of murder and attempted murder after he spent 14 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Richard Miles has been free on his own recognizance since a judge recommended that he be declared innocent in 2009.

Texas Weather Attracting Bats

AUSTIN — A biologist says recent mild winters may eventually attract vampire bats to parts of South Texas. The animals live in South and Central America and Mexico and could resettle in Texas in the next 50 years, causing headaches to ranchers.

Man Formally Declared Innocent of Murder

BEAUMONT – A 27-year-old Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex offender. Bernard Vertral Jackson lived in a trailer park in Beaumont from Jan. 31, 2011, to April 20, 2011, without registering as a sex offender.

Jackson had previously been convicted of sodomy in 2001, in San Bernardino, California.

Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Whitney Houston may have had one of the most recognizable voices in pop music, which brought her great success, fame and fortune. Apparently, the singer’s financial resources may have dwindled down to almost nothing, since her family sold footage of her celebrity-attended funeral to a variety of global media outlets.

Apparently, the family elected to sell the footage in order to raise money for the singer’s sole heir, daughter Bobbi Kristina, 18. That’s why it would seem that Houston didn’t leave much behind.

The funeral took place on Saturday, Feb. 18 in Houston’s Newark, N.J. hometown. She was eulogized by her ‘The Bodyguard’ co-star Kevin Costner and serenaded by Alicia Keys. The funeral aired on CNN and several online outlets via The Associated Press, but all footage was offline and non-viewable the very next day.

A spokesperson for the family told TMZ that the executors of Houston’s estate “agreed to license footage to several media outlets for customary fees.” Those “customary fees” are being set aside to “maximize the estate for the benefit of Bobbi Kristina.”

Hmm, that sounds like jargon-heavy way to say that Houston was broke and/or didn’t leave much behind for her only child in terms of money. Why else would the family need to sell private footage on Bobbi Kris’ behalf?

At least this money-making endeavor is for a good cause, since Bobbi Kris is in a lot of pain over the loss of her mother at such a young age; Houston was just 48. However, an auction of Houston items is set for next month, and that feels a little tacky and entirely too soon after the pop diva’s death, even though the auction house claims that their sale is helping to preserve the singer’s legacy and history.

Yeah, there’s a better way to preserve Houston’s legacy and history. Those are called albums.

Source: PopCrush.com

Thinkstock

A new Nielsen poll finds smartphones are becoming less of a luxury and more of a so-called necessity — at least for younger people.

Nielsen gathered data to learn more about the age, income and demographics of the typical US smartphone user. Specifically, the firm wanted to know if lower prices are making the devices more popular among those who earn less money.

Turns out more than half of people between 18 and 24 who make less than $15,000 per year are smartphone owners, compared to 43 percent of those aged 25 to 34 and just 31 percent of folks between 35 and 44 years old.

While researchers don’t know if the people surveyed, especially those in the younger group, have outside financial help (parents, spouses, etc.), it’s clear that even the respondents on limited budgets are making room for smartphone ownership.

But what researchers found most interesting is that although the younger set deems the devices a necessity, older people consider them more of a luxury — which is valuable information for developers, publishers and advertisers.

[TechCrunch]

YouTube

R&B songstress Ashanti has hit the scene with new fresh new music! Her latest single, “The Woman You Love” is a very different sound.  Check it out and tell us what you think? Keep an open mind, listen to the track, and weight in!

What did you think? Should we jam this song on Hot 107.3 Jamz, or should we tell Ashanti to stick to acting?

Scott Gries, Getty Images

The world will finally get a taste of the highly anticipated ‘Birthday Cake’ remix. Rihanna snagged former flame Chris Brown to feature on the track, much to the chagrin of the brass. While we can’t speak for their potential romantic reunion, their musical one may not be such a bad idea.

The ‘Birthday Cake’ remix is three times the length of the original brief ‘Talk That Talk’ track. The raunchy bedroom anthem is extra steamy considering the couple’s rollercoaster history. Based on rampant rumors of their downlow hookups, when Breezy sings, “Girl I wanna f— you right now / It’s been a long time / I’ve been missing your body,” you believe him.

Rihanna is just as reminiscent, rapping, “Remember how you did it? / Remember how you fed it? / You still wanna kiss it? / C-C-Come and get it.”

Breezy’s own ‘Turn Up the Music’ remix was released today, also featuring RiRi. While critics and fans were both wary of the collaborations (and understandably so), from a purely musical standpoint, they duo makes an effective team.

Whether you believe or agree with the allegations of a reignited romantic flame, the heat between these two is undeniable. We blame the birthday candles.

Listen to Rihanna feat. Chris Brown ‘Birthday Cake’ Remix

Source: PopCrush.com

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Self hate is a terrible thing, isn’t it? On TLC’s “My Strange Addiction”, a young lady named Candice constantly bleaches her skin. She has a fear of her skin becoming too dark. She thinks dark skin is ugly and will stop at nothing to make and keep her skin as light as possible.

Not only does this young lady need serious help, but she also needs a dermatologist to share how bad this is for her overall health. Wow. Do you know someone with a strange addiction?

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

Chris Brown isn’t known for his gender sensitivity and Us Weekly aren’t known for their reliable reporting, so when the two sides came together last week, the result was one of the more eyebrow-raising rumors we’ve heard in awhile: an unnamed woman claimed that Brown asked for her number and used “I promise I won’t beat you” as his pickup line. Brown says the whole thing is untrue, however.

“That is absurd and absolutely not true,” said Brown in a statement. “I did not say that nor would I joke about that.” His denial follows comments from his PR rep, who told reporters, “I’d be surprised if Chris said something like that.”

It’s been a wild week for the quick-tempered Brown, who found himself under fire after angering Grammy viewers who felt his performance during the ceremony was in poor taste and responded by tweeting a profane outburst (since deleted) that basically boiled down to “Neener neener, I have a Grammy and you don’t.”

Brown’s detractors responded by starting a rumor that he’d died — and his own mother reportedly told him to “grow up.”

So yeah, Chris Brown has been in the news a lot lately, and most of the coverage has been decidedly negative. Denying you used one of the worst pickup lines of all time has to be considered a PR victory at this point, right?

Source: PopCrush.com

Paul Zimmerman, Getty Images

In yet another sad turn of events in the light of Whitney Houston‘s death, her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, allegedly got high following her mother’s funeral.The Daily Beast reports that while Houston’s family and friends gathered a restaurant following the memorial service, it was all too much for Bobbi Kristina, who “simply disappeared,” and was found later on in her hotel room “getting high.” It is unclear what drugs she may have been using.

“Everyone was freaking out and calling Bobbi Kristina’s cell,” a family friend told the Daily Beast. “It was so much commotion and activity after the funeral that Bobbi Kristina just slipped away. Ms. Cissy [Houston, Whitney’s mother] was beside herself.”

A family spokesperson denied the claims, but admits Bobbi Kristina slipped away. “There was some confusion about Bobbi Kristina’s whereabouts last night for a short time, but she’s OK,” the rep said. “She needed some time alone.” The rep said that Bobbi Kristina isn’t on drugs, but is understandably emotionally fragile. “She is going through a very hard time as you can expect.”

While we certainly hope Bobbi Kristina is on the straight and narrow, recent reports have suggested otherwise. Family and friends desperately want Houston and Bobby Brown’s daughter in rehab, but are giving her time to grieve her mother before beginning an in-patient treatment.

Bobbi Kristina was hospitalized twice immediately following her mother’s death, once for stress and once for mixing alcohol with prescription sedatives — the same combination that likely killed Houston. There were even reports that Bobbi Kristina had an eerily similar bathtub incident before her mother’s passing.

Bobby Brown released a statement on his Bobbi Kristina’s health following her hospitalizations. “Today my daughter did visit with doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles,” he said of her hospitalization. “She has been released and is presently with my family, including her siblings. Obviously the death of her mother is affecting her, however, we will get through this tragedy as a family. Again, I ask for privacy during this time.”

One good thing Bobbi Kristina has to her benefit? Her grandmother, Cissy Houston. “She had the people she loved and love her the most around,” a source said of Bobbi Kristina at the funeral. “Ms. Cissy was holding on tight and watching her every move.”

“It’s a horrible situation for everybody,” the family friend continued. “They tried to save Whitney, and it didn’t work. Now with Bobbi Kristina, they fear the same thing is happening again and they won’t be able to stop it either. Bobbi Kristina is all Ms. Cissy has left of Whitney. She’s so tired, but she’s ready to fight again to save her grandbaby.”

Source: PopCrush.com

Jamie McCarthy / Larry Busacca, Getty Images

After being caught allegedly inhaling last week in New York, R&B singer Robin Thicke decided to cover Whitney Houston‘s 1995 ballad ‘Exhale (Shoop, Shoop)’ from the ‘Waiting to Exhale’ soundtrack. The song was Nippy’s 11th No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won her a 1997 Grammy for Best R&B Song.

On Thicke’s stripped-down version, he simply croons the song’s uplifting lyrics in his whispery falsetto over soft piano keys. “For every win / I’m going to fail / But there comes a point when / When I will exhale,” he sings. Thicke concludes the song with a beautiful piano solo and stirring gospel-esque refrains of “shoop de shoop.”

If you are familiar with Whitney’s original version, the ballad is about never letting your failures impede your path in life. Thicke’s rendition gives the song a much somber tone about love and heartbreak.

“This is my tribute to the great Whitney Houston,” he told fans on his Twitter page. “Sending my prayers to her family.”

Great work, Mr. Thicke.

Listen to Robin Thicke, ‘Exhale (Shoop, Shoop)’

Source: PopCrush.com

ETMC

For the second time in less than a month, a woman is robbed of her purse and injured during a holdup outside a Tyler hospital.

Tyler police said around 10:40 p.m. Monday night, an employee of East Texas Medical Center was leaving work when she was approached by a man armed with a knife. As he tried to steal her purse, the suspect stabbed the woman in the arm. The suspect then fled on foot with the victim’s purse. She was treated and released for her injury.

The suspect is described as a thin black male approximately 5-foot-8, weighing approximately 140 to 150 pounds.  The suspect was wearing a black hooded coat, red shirt, dark pants and tennis shoes.  The suspects head appears to be shaved.

An image of the man was captured by a security camera. Anyone with any information on the identity of the suspect is asked to call the Tyler Police Department.

Art Chance,  Vice President of Operations for ETMC Tyler has released the following statement:

East Texas Medical Center Tyler is taking steps to increase its level of on-campus security, including the immediate deployment of more security staff members.

With recent events, the security department has also evaluated on-campus security associated with cameras and lighting. To that end, we have made improvements to our overall system and will continue to upgrade our security technology. In both incidents that occurred recently, clear video images of the assailant were obtained, which are assisting law enforcement investigations.

Maintaining a safe environment requires that everyone remain vigilant and on guard. Employees and visitors should be aware of their surroundings at all times and report any suspicious individuals loitering on campus.  ETMC security escorts to and from vehicles are available to anyone on request.

Anyone wishing to report a suspicious individual may contact the ETMC security department at 903-531-8800 or call the Tyler Police Department.

Hawkins Woman Guilty of Federal Drug Charge and Mail Fraud

TYLER – 38 year old Stacy Dianne Campbell entered the guilty plea today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love in Federal Court in Tyler.

According to information presented in court, on Dec. 2, 2010, Campbell purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a WalMart in Mineola, and made numerous other purchases on other occasions, for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine .

Also presented in court was information regarding Campbell’s 2008 charges of stealing mail from mailboxes and attempting to either cash or deposit the money contained within the mail into an account fraudulently set up under a fictitious name.

A sentencing date has not been set. Campbell faces up to 20 years on the drug charge and up to 5 years for the mail charge.

Got a Warrant? Get it Taken Care Of!

TYLER – Tyler is participating in a statewide warrant sweep that runs through March 4.

More than 250 agencies across Texas are taking part in the effort to resolve outstanding warrants.

Tyler is extending its hours to make additional arrests through the end of March.  The court will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. to accommodate the increased number of persons needing to appear at the court window to pay their warrants.

Rusk County Drug Bust

MT. ENTERPRISE, Texas – A weekend drug bust in Rusk County has led to the arrest of seven people and netted officers more than 18 ounces of marijuana and over 10 grams of crack cocaine, prescription drugs, firearms and cash.

The seven suspects arrested were  Charles Ray Lewis, 54, of Mt. Enterprise, charged with Manufacture Delivery of a Controlled Substance, a first degree felony, Possession of Marijuana, Class B Misdemeanor, and Possession of Controlled Substance, Class A Misdemeanor, with bonds totaling $30,000. Brodrick Demon Hall, 39, of Mt. Enterprise, was charged with Manufacture Delivery of a Controlled Substance, first degree felony and Possession of Marijuana, State Jail Felony, with bonds totaling $20,000. Sheldon Ramon Starling, 34, of Mt. Enterprise, with a Parole Violation, and charged with Possession of Marijuana, State Jail Felony, bond set at $10,000.

Others arrested at the scene were Xavier Fitzgerald Bryant, 22, Quillan Demon Moore, 20, Nico Dekeith Jones, 20, all of Mt. Enterprise, and Anthony Benard Frazier, 19 of Marshall, all were charged with Possession of Marijuana, State Jail Felony, with all bonds set at $10,000 each.

DNA Experts to Testify at Torture Trial

WEATHERFORD — Testimony will resume today in the North Texas trial of a man who’s accused of torturing his former neighbor on a deer-skinning device and chaining her to a bed. DNA experts are expected to testify at Jeffrey Maxwell’s trial.

The 59-year-old faces up to life in prison.

Irrigation Water Likely Won’t Be Released

LISSIE — With Texas in one of the worst droughts in its history, water officials are widely expected to announce March 1 they won’t release irrigation water for thousands of farmers in the state’s rice-growing region.

The three counties likely to be affected by the Lower Colorado River Authority’s decision — Wharton, Colorado and Matagorda — are among the poorest in the state, with poverty levels above the national average.

Final Weeks Not Good for Rick Perry’s Checkbook

AUSTIN — Campaign finance reports show that in the final three weeks of his failed presidential campaign, Rick Perry raised $389,000 — but spent nearly $3.3 million.

It was a spectacular collapse for the Texas governor, who raised more than $17 million in donations

When do we start handing out tickets for stuff like this? On live TV, no less!

Woman Falls While Texting on Live TV Newscast

YouTube

The title says it all. This 90-year-old grandmother is a huge Whitney Houston fan, and she wanted to pay tribute to the late queen of pop by doing a little dance to “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

Granny’s got some skills. You can also like her page on Facebook!

Watch This 90-Year-Old Grandmother Dance to Whitney Houston