The Sunrise Lowdown

A story of survival and one of celebrity politics.

A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER SAVES A MAN’S LIFE: I had to fill-in to anchor our 11pm show this past Friday night and was amazed to see the story of Sampson Parker, the Camden, SC farmer who got his arm stuck in a corn picker and had to actually cut his own arm off to get out of the machine.  While all this was happening, the machine caught on fire so he had to either cut off his arm, or burn to death.  Now to the good part of this bad story, volunteer firefighter Doug Spinks was driving by and saw Parker on the ground and broke into action.  Spinks wrapped up Parker’s arm and called for help, and the rest is history, Parker is alive tanks in big part to Spinks doing his duty when not even on the payroll.

NOW THE PART OF THIS STORY YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT: Parker did a live interview on Monday’s edition of NBC’s Today show.  Matt Lauer asked Parker about the time suffering near the roadside, and how several motorists simply drove by and didn’t help him.  I will not add any editorial comments here but simply repeat this fact: several motorists drove by and did not bother to stop and help Parker.  I recently profiled the shortage of volunteer firefighters across the state and how these folks are underappreciated.  Perhaps this story will prove if it weren’t for volunteer firefighters, their skill and passion for helping folks, Sampson Parker may not be alive today.

HOW ABOUT POLITICS AND PRO RASSLIN’ Yes, the two professions seem to have some things in common.  Both rely on people who are good talkers and can come up with a good line or catch-phrase.  Pro wrestlers have good nicknames and so do politicians. One could argue politics and their accompanying rallies are well staged events, much like how rasslin’ in staged.  Well, both professions came together this past weekend as grappling legend Ric Flair endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee prior to the Clemson Carolina game.  I checked Huckabee’s website this morning and it did not make any mention of this endorsement.  The Associated Press story did quote Flair as saying Huckabee has the best vision for America, in part because Huckabee “likes to see people enjoy life,” Flair said Saturday.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER WRESTLERS: Who is Bobby “The Brain” Heenan endorsing?  Since he was a great manager, apparently Mr. Heenan will want a presidential candidate not afraid to pull out the “foreign object” if things get tough.  Other wrestling endorsements still being sought after by the candidates include Kamala the Ugandan Giant, Jake The Snake Roberts, The Missing Link, The Bushwackers, The Undertaker, George the animal Steele, The Freebirds and of course, Randy “Macho Man” Savage.

  Then again let’s not laugh too much at this wrestling and politics marriage.  Former wrestler Jesse Ventra was elected Governor of Minnesota you may recall!

DO CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS MATTER TO YOU? Let me know and we might even use your comments on WIS Sunrise!  Remember, Dusty Rhodes and Hillybilly Jim’s endorsements are still out there!

OPRAH  WANTS SOME LOVE TOO: This just in, Oprah Winfrey is going to be making some campaign stops with Barak Obama on Dec 8-9.  Times and dates are stil TBA.  How's this for another question, which celebrity would you rather see at a political rally, Ric Flair or Oprah?

Some Good Iraq News & Crazy Thanksgiving Happenings

THIS STORY TOOK JUST 15 SECONDS ON TODAY’S SUNRISE: but it’s darn important, especially for our brave folks at Fort Jackson and Shaw Air Force Base.  Our 15 second blurb reported that US Military officials say violence in Baghdad, Iraq has dropped 55% since the summer troop surge.  Certainly we’d all love to see that violence drop 45% more, but certainly the families of our troops can get some good news from a place of the world that many of us can imagine being shipped off to.  Since we primarily focus on local news, I thought this story needed to be re-emphasized.

LET’S TALK THANKSGIVING: Yes, that time of the year when families get together, a time when joy is in the air, when turkey is piping hot and the stuffing is light and fluffy!  Wait a minute, that’s no fun.  Come on, Thanksgiving is the time when your crazy Uncle Larry makes everyone sample his homemade moonshine, it’s a time when kids are relegated to the card table and get scraps while the adults feast.  Thanksgiving is a day when we’re all forced to watch the Detroit Lions on TV.  This is a holiday where a friend of mine who has a food allergy for poultry is still served turkey for the holiday by his family (must be a hidden message there).  Thanksgiving is also when us TV folks always seem to show people stuck in airports, complaining about the delays or crowds.  Ah yes, Thanksgiving, pass me a little more stuffing and maybe I’ll sample crazy Uncle Larry’s moonshine with dessert if my flight home isn’t delayed!

SERIOUSLY, THANKSGIVING IS GREAT IF YOU’RE A KID.  Think about it, you get 2 days off from school; you don’t have to worry about cooking or having to entertain family and friends.  Thanksgiving as a kid is far less costly than as an adult.  This past weekend, the lovely and talented Mrs. DeRoy went to the grocery store and doled out nearly $200 bucks!  I hope my turkey has some gold plating for $200! Yes, kids have a whole lot more fun at Thanksgiving than us adults…when was the last time a kid asked how may calories the gravy or stuffing has? 

I DO HAVE A TRUE THANKSGIVING STORY WE CAN ALL RELATE TO: last year, the afore mentioned lovely and talented Mrs. DeRoy called me (I was working that day, reporting news in Raleigh, NC)  and she was in a panic, lamenting the oven stopped working!  Yeah, great time for the oven to take a holiday, on a day when we were supposed to be cooking a big meal for Mrs. DeRoy’s parents who were arriving from out of town.  When an appliance gives out on Thanksgiving, you’re stuck, nothing is open and the grill won’t fit all the fixings.  Suddenly the lovely and talented Mrs. DeRoy became the grumpy and panicked Mrs. DeRoy!  Good for us we were dog sitting our next door neighbors so we hauled everything over and used their oven (thanks Bill and Karen!!)  As for the oven, turns out it was the electric coil on the bottom (you know, that thing that heats up all red), it needed to be replaced. 

WHAT’S YOUR THANKSGIVING HORROR STORY? Sometimes it’s best to remember and laugh off crazy happenings around the holidays, so think of this question as a little pre-holiday therapy!  Click below and let me know any wild and wacky Thanksgiving stories! 

Enough Toy Recalls & Saluting A Classy Guy.

WHAT, COME AGAIN: Every now and then when going through a 2-hour morning newscast there are things that catch my attention for one reason or another, but due to time restraints either myself or Hannah are unable to comment on the given story.  Perhaps that’s a good idea so I don’t go out and blurt out something stupid on live tv.  But, this story really stuck out at me yesterday, read the below sentence from the actual script and see what you think.

“China’s product safety watchdog has now admitted that toy beads, said to have made at least nine kids sick in the US do have a substance that can turn into a date rape drug if swallowed.”

WHAT, CHINA HAS A PRODUCT SAFETY WATCHDOG? I wonder if this person has been on vacation for say, the past few years, as we keep getting all of these recalls about toys with too much lead in the paint or just otherwise being sloppily made.  As a fairly new parent, I have enough to worry about than if the toy my 8-month daughter is chewing on is going to make her sick, I’m sure y’all can agree about this.

WHO IS THIS WATCHDOG? My research department has been busy trying to track down this supposed watchdog.  We’ve narrowed the list to these watchdogs, 1. “Triumph the insult comic dog” (since the Hollywood writers strike, he’s looking for work these days) 2. That Taco Bell dog (I think he’s looking for work these days too) 3. Spuds McKenzie (any dog that can wear a bow tie and sunglasses rocks…kids, this dog was popular in 80’s beverage commercials, do a google search, no more time to explain him)  4. Duane “Dog” Chapman, he’s looking for work these days too, although he might be a little rough around the edges to be inspecting Chinese-made toys.  5. Eddie from Fraiser, since the show’s only in re-runs, he needs a job too. 6. McGruff the Crime dog, haven’t seen as much of him since I was growing up, maybe he’s been outsourced to China too?

US COMPANIES, NOT CHINA ARE ULTIMATELY TO BLAME: so not to be accused of picking on China, the real problem with all these toy recalls are the US companies that are outsourcing their jobs and trying to find the cheapest option possible.  Certainly consumers could also play a role in this by demanding better made toys and how’s this, ones that are made in the US by workers who have kids that might get these toys themselves.

A QUICK NOTE ON A CLASSY GUY: To drastically change gears, congratulations to former NHL player Ron Francis, who was inducted to the Pro Hockey Hall of Fame this past weekend.  Francis spent much of his career with the Hartford Whalers and then Carolina Hurricanes.  In my few dealings with him, he was always professional and courteous.  Something from his retirement press conference will always stick in my head, when he was asked what he wanted to be remembered as.  Francis said he hoped folks would remember his longevity, work ethic and that he was “a nice guy.”  What, a multi-million dollar athlete caring about what the public thinks of him?  Do you think Terrell Owens or Tony Stewart hope the public thinks he’s a “nice guy?”  Congrats Ron, here’s a little more info on him.

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=342985

MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS ABOUT TOYS: I am new to this parent thing and my lovely 8-month old daughter Clara loves to play with about anything that's lying around.  Her favorite items include banging around pie tins and using a paint can as a drum.  With that in mind, what's your favorite NON TOY STORE TOY, that's also safe for your kids?  Let's hear your comments and I might air some of them on WIS News Sunrise!

Thanks for the memories, Moolah. 80's Wrestling Memories!

GOODBYE TO A COLUMIA LEGEND: In my brief travels of the Columbia area, I recall going past a Moolah Drive near Fort Jackson and wondered to myself, “that’s an interesting name, it reminds me of the old-school wrestler the Fabulous Moolah.”  Well, little did I know the street is named for the woman herself.  Unfortunately she passed away Friday, she was 84 years young.  Moolah’s career began in in the 1950’s and I sure remember watching her on TV as a kid during wrestling’s heyday’s of the 1980’s.  Here’s the link to the story about Moolah’s passing.  http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7307726

MOOLAH’S PASSING HARKINS US BACK TO THE 1980’S: when old school pro wreslting was king on TV especially for kids like me and many of you growing up.  Unlike now, back in the 80’s, the weekly wrestling shows were often done in TV studios with just a couple of rows of fans.  Better yet, the interviews were always great and high on the cheesy value.  Wrestling was also very regional, the then-named WWF gained it’s foothold in the late 80’s, but the regional shows had some of the biggest stars before the WWF raided them.  Now as a parent, perhaps the big thing about 80's wrestling compared to now is that it was PG rated.  My parents didn't mind me watching pro wrestling as a kid, but today the WWE relies a story lines and material that is way above the PG-13 rating, and that has ultimately hurt it's overall popularity in my view.

SINCE I DIDN’T GROW UP IN THE SOUTHEAST: my regional wrestling outlet was the American Wrestling Association.  It featured some of the biggest names in wrestling such as Bobby The Brain Heenan, Hulk Hogan, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, The Road Warriors, Curt Henning, Mad Dog Vachon, Jerry Blackwell, and so many more. It was a ritual to watch the AWA on TV Sunday mornings at 10am on the local station.  I was so hooked I even watched that same episode of wrestling when it was repeated the following Saturday.

BY FAR MY FAVORITE WRESTLER IS JESSE THE BODY VENTURA: who was a big star in the AWA before jumping ship to the WWF, like so many other big names.  He had the best lines in interviews and what was really cool, he owned a gym in an old 7-11 store just down the road from my house in Minneapolis, MN.  Talk about a thrill for a kid riding around the neighborhood on his “banana seat” bicycle and getting an autograph from Jesse outside of his gym.  As we all know by now, Jesse went onto become a legend in Minnesota, first being elected mayor of a suburb of Minneapolis before being elected Governor in a 3-way race against 2 big names from the Republican and Democratic parties.

SO, BESIDES RIC FLAIR, NAME ME YOUR FAVORITE OLD SCHOOL, 80’S WRESTLER.  Yeah, I liked Ric Flair too, I just didn’t get to see as much of him in the 80’s since my parents didn’t have cable (still don’t for that matter)  Toss your comments on the link below, and let’s remember Moolah too!

Lexington is taking on, and taking away from Columbia

SOME NOT VERY NICE WORDS: Were aimed at both the city of Columbia and it’s mayor this past weekend during the SC BBQ Association’s Q-Cup.  SC BBQ Assoc. president Lake High, Jr smiled when he told the crowd that Lexington wanted this multi-day event and simply rolled out the welcome mat far more than did the city of Columbia.  In addition, Mr. High chastised Columbia Mayor Bob Coble for not attending the event as a form of regional support.  The event was held for the first time at Hendrix Farms in Lexington and attracted 60 BBQ cookers and a pretty sizable crowd to sample and enjoy the cooking during this competition.  (Congrats to Columbia’s “redneck cookers” for winning the whole hog event) 

LEXINGTON HAS ANOTHER FEATHER OVER COLUMBIA’S HAT: This time we’re talking about Lexington County and the decision to help build a new arena for the Columbia Inferno hockey team.  The arena will be a little more than 5,000 seats for hockey and is being touted as an ideal facility for medium-sized concerts and other shows that may not want to pony up rent for a night at Columbia’s Colonial Center.  My sources tell me the city of Columbia did not make much of an effort to keep the Inferno in town.

2 SMALLER EVENTS MIGHT NOT MEAN MUCH RIGHT? WRONG: Cities and towns all across the nation are in competition with each other for economic development events.  Why do you think the city dished out big bucks to build a convention center and rolled out the red carpet for a new Hilton Hotel next the facility?  Let’s do the math on just 2 events being in Lexington instead of Columbia.  For the Q-Cup, folks had to shell out $5 on Friday and $10 on Saturday to attend and eat to their heart’s desire.  If just 4000 people attended over the 2 days, that’s around $60,000 in revenue for just admission.  Toss in people buying beer, soda, and other entry fees and that’s way more than $100,000.  Obviously some of that money will come back to any town in the form of sales tax revenue and in this case, Lexington is the winner.  As for the Inferno, fans pay for tickets, concessions, parking and other merchandise.  Again, that’s sales tax money that will eventually be going to Lexington County instead of Columbia and Richland County.

A RECENT WIS EDITORIAL: said that Columbia could move forward if the city would have a strong mayor system of government.  Right now, Mayor Coble cannot make much happen unless the city council fully backs it and the city manager approves it.  Perhaps Columbia should look to  Raleigh, NC.  The “Triangle” of North Carolina has become one of the fastest growing areas of the nation and it maintains a highly rated education system.  With that said, both Raleigh and Durham have the exact same form of governments as does Columbia.  As in government, we look toward the top and forget that the dirty work and often the forward ideas come from city councils, state legislatures, congress and not a Mayor, Governor or President. 

MY QUESTION OF THE DAY IS SIMPLE: Give us your ideas on how to improve Columbia.  Click on the comments link below and let’s see if we can help out city hall!