June 19, 2012

Volume 121 / Issue 2

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

SHSU to play former playoff rival EWU for two years starting in 2013

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SHSU Rodeo team wins big in national college rodeo tournament over the weekend

Tuesday, June 19 HI: LOW:

Foul play not ruled out in SHSU student disappearance GEORGE MATTINGLY News Editor In contrast to recent reports, investigators say foul play has not been confirmed in the case of missing Sam Houston State University student Thomas “T.J.” Murray, Jr. According to Lieutenant Dan Norris of the Montgomery Police Department, while foul play has not been confirmed, it has not been discounted as a possibility in Murray’s disappearance.

The 25-year-old has been missing since Oct. 19, 2011. He was last seen leaving the On the Rox sports bar located in Montgomery County, shortly before midnight on Oct. 19.

Officials say Murray called his father’s cell phone at about 12:30 a.m. to let him know he was going to Rookies Sports Bar & Grill. While there, Murray was allegedly involved in a fight with several bar patrons and was asked to leave. He was last seen on surveillance at On the Rox. No one has seen him since.

His pickup truck was found in the bar’s parking lot while his cell phone was found in a ditch nearby.

Norris said the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information should contact Det. Keith Funderburk at (936) 760-5876.

SGA passes bills, aims to increase senate efficiency GEORGE MATTINGLY News Editor The Student Government Association passed three pieces of legislation aimed at improving efficiency within the organization in its meeting last week.

The Senate passed bill SS12-01, the Effectiveness and Readiness Act , which requires all members of the Senate to bring their official senate binders, created by the Department of Internal Affairs to all meetings.

The Senate Transparency act was also passed last week. It enforces the constitutional duty of the secretary to record and distribute Senate minutes.

The bills were written to help SGA be more efficient and transparent for students, according to Vice President Kolby Flowers, who authored both bills.

“The legislation will help keep the senate accountable,” Flowers said. “It’s important for students to know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”

The Senate also passed bill, SS12-03, written by Senator Steven Perry, to make revisions to the homecoming election code. According to Flowers, the bill was passed after recommendations from Brandon Cooper, Associate Director of Student Activities.

Among the changes were the removal of the Duke and Duchess from homecoming court.

“The changes were made to make [homecoming elections] more in line with all other SGA elections,” Flowers said.

The next SGA meeting will be held on June 25 at 5:30 p.m. in LSC 326.

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Bridging the gap

SHSU student looks to improve higher education, provide insight as newest member to THEBC MCKINZIE BROCAIL Senior Reporter A regular course load for a student at Sam Houston State University includes 15 class hours and searching for a part-time job. For one student, the work includes representing more than 1 million college students.

Ryan Bridges was appointed Student Representative of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in Austin by Gov. Rick Perry.

The THEBC works with higher education institutions, the legislature and governor to provide oversight and planning for all public postsecondary education. As Student Representative, Bridges will be providing a student point-of-view on issues presented, as well as represent the higher education interests of Texan students.

Bridges, who received his Bachelor of Business Administration from SHSU and is currently pursuing a Master degree in the same field, is the only SHSU student to have been selected to THECB. Part of his role may be to provide testimony during committee hearings if the need arises due to his term taking place during a legislative session.

“As we approach the 2013 legislative session and continue to face a nationwide economic crisis, it is imperative discussion on sustainability persists in order to ensure the continued success of Texas higher education,” Bridges said.

Last year, he was chosen by Gov. Perry to serve as Student Regent to the Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents.

“After my appointment to the Board of Regents, I began viewing this position as the next step I needed to take if I wanted to continue my involvement in higher education,” Bridges said.

His role as a Student Regent for TSUS put the interests of 78,000 students in his hands, now as the Student Representative the interests of nearly 1.5 million students will be.

“You’ll be hard-pressed to find a student who’s more qualified,” Dean of Students John Yarabeck said. “I knew there was something special about him; when he talks people listen. He mobilizes people.”

He has been involved since the start of his college career. He founded the Kat Krazies, a university spirit organization, and was elected Student Body President for two terms.

“I’ve known Ryan since he was a freshman in the Freshman Leadership Program,” Dean Yarabeck said. “He’ll be great as the Student Representative.

He knows the good things of being a student as well as the frustrations and he can express them to the Regents.”

Bridges is the first student to from SHSU to serve on the THECB.

Rodney King found dead in pool It will be several weeks before the public will have answers as to what caused the death of Rodney King. King, 47, was found in his backyard swimming pool at his California residence by his fiance on Sunday. A video of King being beaten in 1991 sparked the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. King eventually won $3.8 million in a lawsuit against the city.

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New Microsoft ‘Surface’ tablet to rival Apple’s iPad Photo courtesty of THEBC website

FIRST CHOICE: Ryan Bridges is the first student from SHSU selected to serve on the THEBC.

“He is a great first choice,” Vice President Frank Parker said. “That gives him the opportunity to, through his actions and hard work, showcase the quality of the students who attend our university.”

Bridges has been ardent about increasing sustainability and efficiency measures at institutional and system levels in order to counteract the funding reductions.

Much of Bridges’ work involves plans for the future, including his current memberships on the Committee on Closing the Gaps, the Committee on Strategic Planning and Policy, and the Committee on Agency Operations.

“Though I consider higher education to be an investment in the future economic stability of Texas and remain a staunch proponent of increased university funding, I firmly believe individual institutions must be good stewards of the funding they receive and must take steps to ensure future efficiency and productivity,” Bridges said.

Like the idea of founding the rowdy orange and blue, face-painted Kat Krazies, there are many things in higher learning Bridges is animated about.

“Higher education advocacy has been a subject that I’ve grown to be very passionate about,” Bridges said. “I view this appointment as the culmination of my service over the past couple years. I believe everything I’ve learned in my various positions on campus and with the university system has helped prepare me for this role, and I’m excited to face the challenges that this year will bring.”

Bridges’ term began June 1 and lasts until May 31, 2013.

County officials approve to establish burn ban as precaution for dry weather GEORGE MATTINGLY News Editor With summer temperatures on the rise, the Walker County Commissioners Court in its meeting last Monday approved to establish a burn ban if it is needed.

While the county is currently not under a burn ban, it may be necessary later this summer.

Burn bans are established to keep people from accidentally staring fires, which are easily started during severe drought conditions.

Sherri Tegoda, administrative assistant to the county judge, said the Commissioner’s Court monitors the county’s drought conditions using the KeetchBryam Drought Index, a scale available through the Texas Forest Service.

The scale measures dry conditions around the state, ranging from 0 to 800. Tegoda

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June 2011

June 2012 Photo courtesy of U.S. Drought Monitor

ONE YEAR LATER. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows Walker County to be experiencing moderately dry conditions compared to this time last year, with about 65 percent of the state under the highest level of drought.

said a burn ban is usually established when drought conditions reach the early 500s.

However, she added that with the amount of rainfall so far, a burn ban will not be necessary any time soon. According to the KBDI Currently, 82 counties in Texas have established burn bans, most of them in west Texas.

Walker County is between 600 and 700 on the KDBI compared to 722 this time last year.

She warned that although residents should take the proper precautions for dry weather.

“I would tell [residents] to burn old brush and trash ahead of time,” she said. “Also, it’s always good to have water readily available just in case a fire does happen.”

The next meeting for the Walker County Commissioner’s Court will be held on June 25.

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Microsoft officials have unveiled the new Surface tablet on Monday. The tablet will rival Apple’s iPad and is the first commercial PC directly designed and sold by Microsoft.

The Surface is supposedly going to run the newest, and yet-to-bedesigned, version of Windows operating system, Windows 8. It hss many standard tablet specs, including a 10.6 inch highdefinition touchscreen and front and rear facing cameras encased in a 1.5-pound frame.

Poll finds India ranked as worst place for women Police in a northern India state were shocked when a man walked into an outpost holding a sword and his daughter’s head. Oghad Singh claimed his daughter was being indecent with other men while living with them after she went through a divorce two years ago. The Reuters Foudnation recently came out with a poll ranking India as the worst place to be a woman out of the top 19 economies.

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Porn star suspect charged with murder of student The porn-star suspect in the murder of a university student has been extradited to Canada following his arrest in Germany.

Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29, faces first-degree murder and other charges in the May slaying of Jun Lin, a 33-year-old Concordia University student from China.

Police officials say he will be appearing in court sometime this week. Magnotta is believed to have filmed the death and dismemberment and posted the video online. The videois said to show Magnotta engaged in sexual acts involving body parts and cannibalism.

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Viewpoints

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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PAWS UP

PAWS UP to SHSU student Ryan Bridges for being appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

PAWS UP to the SHSU Rodeo teams for winning big at the College National Finals Rodeo competition.

PAWS DOWN

‘Key Words’ are oversaturated, greased up For years Adam Key has been an overwhelmingly instrumental part of this University. Whether during his brilliant time as Coach of the Speech and Debate Team (which thrived under his coaching and leadership) or as a recurring columnist in the Houstonian, Mr. Key has provided a voice to many things people can’t say, or wouldn’t dare to. I can generally agree with Mr. Key on many things – our basic freedoms are highly important to each of us. However, this is one where I need to offer another opinion to the public and the Houstonian.

Adam Key, suggested last week that the new ban on smoking is simply a trademark of “do nothing,” a symbol that the students should be worried that our university is trying to pull the wool over our eyes for some other nefarious plans (i.e. raising tuition, dealings with Higher One, etcetera). He suggests that our leaders of this university are trying to appease its attendants by a simple ban. “I realize that I have done an awful job,” Key suggests, “but hey, I save you from the evil smokers!” While I can’t say that I have any information on either side of this statement, it does seem like Mr. Key is taking this personally, more than anything. Let’s try and shed some light on some of the other information Mr. Key so poignantly distributes to the Houstonian readers.

Mr. Key notes that the previous smoking attack removed smoking inside the building and banned within any normal range of entrances. He is not lying here, this is true. But, what about the practice of this ban? People did not follow this ban, they would still smoke right next to the door creating a wall of suffocation should anyone with minor or acute asthma walk through it. He suggests that the campus was already putting in measures to keep the environment “safe, healthy, and pleasant” to its students. However, this never happened. I am not on a rampage to attack anyone who does smoke – that’s certainly your prerogative. However, when you can, in fact, endanger the lives of other people, it does become a problem. This ban was put into effect because the previous one was simply not working. You know, one bad apple spoils the bunch. After years of still having smokers right outside the doors to most of the buildings, something

RICHARD MCKINNEY Recurring Columnist more needed to be done!

Now, let’s not forget about Mr. Key’s remarks about the safety concern. He states that smoking is the #2 killer of Americans. “But what about the #1 killer?” He says, “Cholesterol and heart disease.” Now, I’m sure being a phenomenal debater, Mr. Key did ensure this was true.

From my research, I can see that heart disease is, in fact, number one (killing about 599,000 people in 2010). For the record, I am looking at the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, let’s go on further: the number two killer – cancer (around 567,000); the number three – chronic lower respiratory diseases (about 137,000); number four – stroke (about 129,000). These are certainly staggering numbers, and a very good sign about some reform that might need to happen. But, what about that greasy, fat-clogging food that Aramark is shoving down our soon to be obese throats? Well, research only indicates links between cholesterol and stroke (the number four killer of Americans). That absolutely cannot be true can it? We’ve been told all our lives that cholesterol is bad, that we need to eat healthy – and while I’m not saying that this isn’t true, the research only indicates correlations between cholesterol and heart disease and cancer. As any research class will tell you, correlation does not equal causation. Let’s take a closer look at what smoking and tobacco can

actually do, though.

Cigarettes help trigger the release of opioids in your brain - these are the ‘feel-good’ chemicals (also triggered by the use of heroin and morphine). Over time, your body starts building up a tolerance and the need for nicotine increases and increases. Nicotine is so fast that is only takes 10 seconds for it to reach your brain after the first hit - and it stays in your bloodstream from 20-40 minutes after the last one. What this does is also stimulate the adrenal glands which produce adrenaline. Over time, with the adrenaline pumping through your body, it will thicken the blood and cause clots, increase your blood pressure, and, obviously, puts at an increased risk of heart attack (the number one killer). It also narrows the blood vessels and arteries in the brain causing an increased risk of stroke (the number four killer). According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer (number two killer) death (in men and women).

Furthermore, cigarette smoking is directly responsible for 87% of lung cancer cases annually. And, as such leads to chronic lower respiratory diseases as well (the number three killer).

Where does that leave us?

Cigarettes and tobacco are linked to all of the top four killers in America.

The greased up, high cholesterol food that Aramark hands out only has a researched link to the number four killer of Americans (stroke). The other connections are simply based upon assumption – no causation has been proven.

I don’t say any of this to attack Mr. Key, or any of the smoking community. However, as someone who does have asthma and the potential to have a severe attack with the walls of smoke in front of every doorway, I think that this policy is great, and necessary to ensure the safety, health, and create a pleasant environment to the university family, guests, and visitors. That being said, I think there is some middle ground – I have been to universities that have smoking shelters on site, where you may smoke inside the shelter. This is a great idea and can help alleviate much of the problems from either side. I think it’s something the university should look into.

Two parties, two different plans of action ROSS RAMSEY The Texas Tribune

PAWS DOWN to loose cords in the Houstonian office that plague our Web Editor.

PAWS DOWN to squirrels and birds fighting and chasing each other on campus!

Texas Democrats are trying to attract voters, financiers and candidates. They’re in the desert, stuck in endless ruminations about what might bring them back. Superstar candidates? Rich ideologues? Fractious Republicans?

Demographic changes?

Texas Republicans are trying to hold their coalitions together, to keep their voters and their financiers and their candidates inside their big tent. They’re in a political land of plenty, fighting one another over the spoils and bickering over who is true to which conservative orthodoxies. Tea Party? Movement conservative? Traditional Republican?

The Democrats are reorganizing. They just elected a new chairman, Gilberto Hinojosa, the first Hispanic to hold the job. He has been campaigning for months. One thing he has been saying that seems to make Democratic activists happy is that the party has spent too much time trying to win over non-Democrats and not enough time appealing to its base — the people who, if energized, might turn the tide. That’s a popular message, as you might expect, with the people who elect the chairman of the party.

The Democratic Party doesn’t have any marquee officeholder bossing the partisans into line, telling everyone what the platform should say. Nobody has much weight to throw around.

Half the conversations at that convention seemed to be about whether the comeback would come from party organization or from hot candidates.

The ruling partisans have all the stars and organization they can stand. Their officeholders dominate all three branches of state government, and the competition comes mainly from inside — from other Republicans.

They argued about who is a real conservative and who is a RINO (Republican in Name Only). They made news at their convention by cheering for this and razzing that. Boos for Mitt Romney and, at least twice, for David Dewhurst.

Go figure: Mr. Dewhurst has been a Republican standardbearer for years, winning four statewide elections in a row and now serving his third term as lieutenant governor.

To anyone outside the walls, he looks an awful lot like

The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is temporarily published weekly on Tuesdays during the summer. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call 936-294-1495. The Houstonian is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

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a conservative. But he is in a runoff with Ted Cruz, who has never held office, in one of those new blood versus old blood races. Mr. Cruz was popular at the state convention, where delegates were in torch-and-pitchfork mode, ready to clobber establishment Republicans. Mr. Dewhurst came out fine, but it was clearly Mr. Cruz’s crowd.

The tribes assembled at the state Democratic convention, meanwhile, were just looking for some good news.

The outgoing state party chairman, Boyd Richie, gave a carnivorous valedictory speech that had some of the audience wondering where that guy had been for the last six years. He served red meat, and they gobbled it up. There weren’t many moments like that. There were more moments when Democrats were talking among themselves about how to revive the party.

Democrats haven’t won a statewide election since 1994.

It makes them sound like the lizards that keep popping up as prospects for the endangered species list. But they were in contention, legislatively, until the 2010 elections undid the gains that had put them within one vote of parity in the 150-member House. The real gloom started there. That election knocked them on their heels, back to what is now a 102-48 Republican advantage. And it happened in the worst year possible, right before the Legislature reworked the district maps — maps that put that overwhelming advantage in place for the next decade.

While the Republicans fight over their riches, the Democrats dream of deliverance. Maybe somebody famous will run on their ticket and put them back into contention.

Or maybe somebody rich, who can hot-wire an election without waiting for the party.

Or maybe the demographic changes in the state’s population will show up at the polls. Democrats hope the growing Hispanic population will vote the way Hispanics vote now. Republicans hope the new voters will share their values.

Hispanics were a common subject of conversation at both conventions last week. Those demographic changes are coming, and everyone sees it. But in the meantime, Democrats are trying to find their way out of the hole they’re in, and the Republicans are trying not to fall into one.

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Football team to play 2010 FSC champions

MOLLY WADDELL A&E/Sports Editor

The Sam Houston State University football team will play Eastern Washington University for the first time since the 2004 Championship in a two game series starting in 2013, according to gobearkats. com.

The first game will be played in Huntsville on Sept. 28, 2013, and the second game will be played in Cheney, Wash. the following season on Sept. 13, 2014.

The last time they met was in the 2004 NCAA quarterfinals where the Bearkats won 35-34 in Washington. That game was voted the SHSU game of the decade in 2010, according to gobearkats.com.

Coach Willie Fritz said the game will show how good our team is at that point.

“It will be good to play a high quality FCS [football championship subdivision] program from another region of the country,” Fritz said. “We will be able to see how we stack up against a high quality opponent, especially early in the season.”

EWU closed the 2010 season as FCS champions with 11 straight wins, according to ewu. edu. They ended the 2011 season with a record of 6-5 (5-3 Big Sky Conference).

SHSU ended the 2012 season with a record of 141, a Southland Conference championship, a number one ranking and a trip to the national championships. After winning three home playoff games, the Kats fell to North Dakota State in the national championship game in Frisco.

Fritz is hopeful this series will help the Bearkats get their own national championship.

“I think this series will help us towards a national championship win because they [EWU] have a national championship win from 2010,” Fritz said.

According to gobearkats.com the Kats have been to the playoffs five times in school history while the Eagles have competed in eight playoff berths.

Eastern Head Coach Beau Baldwin expressed the challenge that SHSU will present to goeags.com.

“Matching up in a non-league contest versus an incredible program like Sam Houston State will be a huge challenge for us,” said Baldwin, who was EWU’s offensive coordinator in the 2004 contest. “The run they went on in 2011 was very impressive, and I know Coach Fritz will keep doing things at a high level. ” “I think it will be cool, they are such a high profile team,” Tim Flanders, SHSU running back, said. “It will benefit both universities.”

When the two teams played in 2004 the Kats came back from being 20 points down in the fourth quarter. They won on the final play where Dustin long hit Jason Mathenia to cap an 8-play, 75-yard drive in the game’s final 43 seconds.

Jessica Gomez The Houstonian

Torrance Williams during the 2011 Championships.

REMATCH.

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Rodeo team wins big at national finals

Roger Clemens found not guilty

MOLLY WADDELL A &E/ Sports Editor

The Sam Houston State University rodeo team walked away with a National Reserve Championship and a third place medal along with other individual awards after attending the College National Finals Rodeo in Wyoming from June 10-16.

“I am very proud of this outstanding group of athletes,” Miller said on Facebook. “They represented SHSU Courtesy SHSU rodeo teams Facebook well.”

RIDE FOR THE WIN. The mens rodeo team stands with their National Reserve The men’s team as Reserve National Champion award at the College National Finals Rodeo.

Champions and the Greeson came in 11th.

The top three students of each women’s team came in third.

Cody Holloway was named event and top two men’s and Liz Combs was named Reserved Champion bull rider. women’s teams from NIRA will National Champion barrel racer Taylor Price was third in the qualify for the CNFR. and had the American Quarter nation in bareback riding.

The rodeo teams standing in Horse Association horse of the Tyler Gibson earned fourth in the NIRA were 1st for both the year, and also came in 9th in the the nation in steer wrestling. men and women’s team which goat tying event.

According to cnfr.com for qualified them to compete at Jeremy Malacon won Reserved SHSU to compete at the CNFR the CNFR. The men’s team had National Champion saddle bronc teams had to compete all year in 5,794.50 points and the Women’s rider. In the same event Sterling one of the National Intercollegiate team had 2,220.50 points, Crawley came in 7th and James Rode Association’s 11 regions. according to collegerodeo.com

SyFy premiers new show, School Spirits MOLLY WADDELL A&E/Sports Editor The SyFy channel is premiering a new show based on hauntings at colleges and universities called School Spirits which premiers Wednesday at 9:00 p.m.

Seth Jarrett and Julie Insogna Jarrett, executive producers, held a press conference on June 13 to explain what the show was all about.

“All of our stories are based on firsthand accounts,” Seth said.

“They’re all students or faculty or alumni. The story is built around their first person storytelling.”

Although they are firsthand stories the stories themselves are done through reenactments.

“While these are first hand stories, we wanted them to feel like movies,” Julie said.

The stories are told through the reenactments, but are narrated by the people that they happened to. The producers also pull in experts who have researched the buildings that these events have happened in and help back up the stories of the witnesses.

while they’re fun to watch, they rely on one story, and one person’s voice,” Seth said.

Seth has noticed a commonality from story to story.

“It does appear that many of the hauntings seem to be connected to some type of tragedy that took place, to Courtesy syfy,com people who passed GHOSTLY EXPERIENCE. The first story takes on earlier than they place at a Michigan State sorority house. should or in a certain unexpected violent With so many paranormal way,” Seth said. shows on air each new one needs When it comes to looking for to have a new spin. Seth explains leads Seth and Julie used the grass what makes School Spirits roots approach which involved different apart from the location putting ads in local newspapers, being schools. alumni newspapers, and school “I would say what we set out newspapers. Seth said 9 times to do is to find multiple voices out of 10 they got responses from for these stories, people who students and faculty involved in corroborate these stories,” Seth the experiences. said. “It wasn’t good enough to Viewers will be taken on a have someone, student or faculty different journey in each episode, sit down and tell us a story.” because Seth and Julie made They had the idea from the sure that the stories they picked beginning that all of the stories involved someone or a group had to have corroboration of people going through a life whether it be another roommate changing experience. who saw the same apparition or a Season one has six episodes historian or professor who could and is on every Wednesday at validate the information.

9:00 p.m.

“I think many of the paranormal shows out there,

Cross Country team recieves academic honor MOLLY WADDELL A&E/ Sports Editor The Sam Houston State University men’s cross country team was awarded the NCAA Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Award on Thursday according to gobearkats.com.

According to NCAA.com the NCAA annually honors teams earning multiyear academic progress rates in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport.

The men’s cross country team had a perfect four-year APR score of 1.000 for the 2010-2011 school year. This is a first for a SHSU team, and the cross country team was the only men’s team in the Southland Conference. The team was also one of six teams total in the SLC to be recognized, according to gobearkats.com.

“We are obviously very excited about that, any time that a team gets academic recognition it’s great,” Coach David Self said.

Only 27 teams in the state of

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909 teams total received the recognition of APR award.

The SHSU cross country place got eighth place at the Southland Conference Championship.

The men’s cross country team only lost one member this year and according to Self, next year is looking good because they are gaining a great transfer and the freshman recruiting class is good.

Courtesy cross country facebook

BALANCING ACT. A cross country team member runs at the Centenary Invitationals.

Texas earned the recognition out of the 954 total that were honored nationally. Out of the 347 Division I colleges and universities a total of 263 schools placed at the top of the APR list.

“The fact they are able to get in there and get their work done is a great accomplishment,” Self said.

Pitcher Roger Clemens was found not guilty on six counts of perjury for lying to Congress during an investigation of steroid use among major league players. The case against Clemens involved one count of obstruction of Congress, three counts of making false statements and two counts of perjury. Although he was not charged using performanceenhancing drugs, but denying drug use was part of the case used against him.

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Simpson wins U.S. Open Championship

Webb Simpson watched former-U.S. Open champions Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk fade down the stretch at the Olympic Club as golf ’s 112th U.S. Open championship fell into his lap. The 28-yearold finished the championship at one over par after shooting 68, 68 on Saturday and Sunday.

Furyk finished over-par for the first time all week to fall three shots behind Simpson.

McDowell then missed his 25foot birdie putt that would have forced a playoff.

King’s band performs final show

Horror novel master Stephen King’s band is all set for one last performance. The Rock Bottom Remainders, a band made up of best-selling authors including King, has prepared for their last show on June 22 in the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. The performance is part of a tribute show to band founder Kathi Goldmark who died of cancer in June.

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Madagascar tops box office chart

“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” topped the box office again this weekend, while “Rock of Ages” and “That’s My Boy” didn’t fare well in their debut on the big screen. Dreamworks’ “Madagascar 3” soared a second time following its $60.3 million start. The CG-animated film dipped 41 percent to $35.5 million this frame. “Madagascar 3” has grossed $120.5 million over ten days, and is headed to a $180 million finish domestically.

Nettle’s expecting first child

Country superstar Jennifer Nettles has confirmed that she and her husband, Josh Miller, are expecting their first child.

Nettles, 37, is a member of country music duo Sugarland and mentor on TV’s “Duets”.

“Thanks for all the love and well wishes from fans, friends and radio friends and industry friends!” the Duets mentor tweeted to all her followers this morning as their congratulatory tweets began pouring in. “Y’all are the best and so supportive!

Love!” Nettles and Miller married last year.

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