Trending This Mornin'
Wind Advisory until 12n. Wind gusts could reach 45 mph. Sunny and breezy today. Hi 40. Mostly sunny tomorrow. Hi 47. Cold rain and sleet early Friday, before temps climb to 37 for the high. Early shower Saturday. Hi 47. Sunshine for Sunday. Hi 52. Partly sunny Monday. 50. 60% chance of showers Tuesday. Hi 52.
Clifton "Chip" Woodrum, who represented Roanoke in the House of Delegates for nearly a quarter-century, died Tuesday in Florida. He was 74.
Jamey Singleton's family reports to WSET that while his condition remains serious, he is alert and communicating. Jamey had some surgery last night and more to come today. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Singleton hit a Schwan's delivery truck head-on yesterday morning around 10A on Route 122 neartMoneta Road and Stony Fork Road. Singleton was cut out of the vehicle and airlifted to Roanoke Memorial Hospital. That happens to be a section of road VDOT wants to improve.
The Virginia Senate has approved legislation making it illegal to secretly use an electronic device to track a person's movements.
Roanoke City Council paved the way for the old Huff Lane school to become two new hotels and a restaurant on Tuesday night.
Roanoke's Fox Broadcasting Co. affiliate has been blacked out for Dish Network viewers, just five days before the network is set to air NASCAR's historic Daytona 500 race featuring the first female driver to start on the front row. The two sides can't reach an agreement over retransmission fees.
Diamond heist goes down like an action movie. Armed robbers dressed in police uniforms carried out a precision heist on the runway of Brussels Airport, stealing one of the largest shipments of diamonds ever in under five minutes with no shots fired.
With 5.7 seconds left Tuesday night, the No. 2-ranked Miami Hurricanes beat Virginia 54-50 to remain unbeaten in the ACC.
EVENTS TO HONOR VA. TECH SHOOTING VICTIMS
Lookin' Back
Today is Love Your Pet day...
1962- John Glenn made space history when he orbited the world three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes. He was the first American to orbit the Earth. He was aboard the Friendship 7 Mercury capsule.
1980- The era of "Billy Ball" (a style which included aggressive base running) began in Oakland with the hiring of manager Billy Martin for a meager $125,000 a year.
1974- Cher filed for separation from Sonny Bono in Santa Monica, California after 10 years of marriage. Not long afterwards, she filed for divorce.
1998- American Tara Lipinski, at age 15, became the youngest gold medalist in winter Olympics history when she won the ladies' figure skating title at Nagano, Japan.
Cuttin' Cake
Charles Barkley turns the big five-oh, J. Geils of The J. Geils Band – 67, Cindy Crawford is 47,Andrew Shue from Melrose Place is 46, Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys turns 38, Rihanna is 25, Sidney Poitier (In the Heat of the Night, To Sir With Love) - 86
Joke of the Day
What did the dentist give the marching band? ans - a tuba toothpaste
Weird News Today
Police in the Cayman Islands say a woman drove off an intruder by biting him. It cost her a tooth, though.
Police Chief Inspector Robert Scotland says the woman was home alone when she woke up to find a man standing over her bed. Scotland told The Associated Press on Friday that the woman bit the intruder when he put his hand over her mouth. He then fled.
He said the woman was treated at a hospital and that police are still looking for the intruder. **Fortunately for the intruder, she didn't have a guard dog.
Smarter Than Question
Doing this for one minute burns six calories. What is it? Stephanie got it. The answer is "kissing".
Entertainment Dish
Robin Roberts is back on Good Morning America this morning.
The house Kim Kardashian was living in while filming "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" has been sold. E! Online reports she bought it for $3.4 million in 2010 and was asking $5 million for it. A month ago, Kardashian and Kanye West paid $11 million for a home in Bel-Air.
Spitsville: 'Survivor' alumni Ethan Zohn and Jenna Morasca split after 10 years according to People .com
Extra and X-Factor host, Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza confirm baby #2 on the way.
Former "Mummy" star - Brendan Fraser - may be broke. He went to court the other day to try and redcue his annual $900,000 child support payment to his ex-wife.
And the winner is ... we'll find out this coming Sunday. It's the biggest night in Hollywood as the Oscars are handed out. The official Academy Awards app will give you a behind-the-scenes view of the ceremonies. You'll be on the Red Carpet as the celebs walk past. You can also vote for your favorites with an Academy Awards virtual ballot and see how your picks compare to this year's winners. The Official Oscars App is a free download on Apple's App Store, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore for Android.
Tonight on TV
ABC: The Middle, The Neighbors, Modern Family, Suburgatory, and 20/20 are all new
CBS: Survivor: Caramoan - Fans Vs. Favorites, Criminal Minds and CSI are all new
NBC: Whitney, Guys with Kids, Law & Order: SVU, and Chicago Fire are new
FOX: Idol - semifinals part 1 - girls perform
CW: Arrow and Supernatural are new
News from Nashville
Carrie Underwood signed up for the online photo-sharing network Thursday (Feb. 14) and already has more than 52,000 followers.
Former Dixie Chick lead singer - Natalie Maines - is set to do a solo tour this summer. Natale’s new album, Mother, will be out May 7th.
Lady Antebellum will release a new album titled Golden on May 7 on Capitol Nashville. They'll appear that day on Good Morning America.
(Photo: Nashville/ABC)
More country stars are headed to "Nashville." Vince Gill, Kip Moore, and Pam Tillis are all slated to appear on next week's episode of the ABC drama. They will be portraying themselves in scenes surrounding the surprise birthday party for Deacon, actor Charles Esten's character.
George Jones has invited Dierks Bentley, Montgomery Gentry, Kenny Rogers and Josh Turner to take part in his final Nashville concert at the Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 22. Catch him Saturday, April 20 - 7:30P at the Salem Civic Center.
March is going to be a BIG month for NEW country music! Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves, Thompson Square, Maggie Rose and Ashley Monroe ALL have new albums dropping in March
Lar's This & That
A Song Stuck in Your Head For 3 Years. Yikes
It's one thing to have a song stuck in your head for a few hours or even a day or two, but most of humanity surely has no idea what Susan Root is dealing with. The Telegraph reports that the 63-year-old British woman has had the 1950's classic "How Much is that Doggie in the Window?" stuck in her head for three years, with no end in sight. She suffers from "musical hallucinations" or earworms.
What You Eat Affects Your Dreams
A study looked at how what you eat- and when- affects your dreams. The majority of dreaming happens during the rapid eye movement, or REM, stage of the sleep cycle, which occurs about every 90 minutes. Since the brain is active during REM sleep, this is when nightmares happen.
In general, eating anything too close to bedtime can cause more dreaming because it heightens your metabolism, leading to increased brain activity. Experts say it’s possible certain heavy or spicy foods could trigger particularly strange or scary dreams, since digesting them can interfere with the sleep cycle. **Maybe this explains why I dreamed of Taylor Swift last night. I know...it's got to stop because she'll tell you, we're never ever getting back together.
Are You Addicted to Lateness
A new study finds 17% of people are chronically late . . . and they all share traits, like trouble with self-control, which shows that lateness might be ingrained in your personality. (Yahoo)
Best Time To Do Everything
The Book of Times is out. See if you agree.
Best time to do anything you don't want to do: People are happiest in the morning. (And not to do it: midday, when people are unhappiest.)
Best time to enjoy yourself: Evening, when people are back to being content again.
Best times of the year: The happiest daysof the year are holidays: Christmas Day was #1..
Best time of your life: People aged 60 to 70 have the highest levels of happiness.
Cleared For A Landing
A study finds that "helicopter parenting" – the name given to overly-involved, controlling parent behavior – is linked with depression and anxiety in young adults! College students who reported lower levels of perceived independence and competence due to their parents’ micro-managing were more likely to be depressed and anxious, and less satisfied with their lives.
The Germiest Places Around Your Home
There are a lot of places in our house that can hold germs. The number one place is the underside of rugs. That is followed by window blinds, and credit cards. Not exactly what you're thinking right?
One of the tips to get rid of the germs under the rug is to flip it over and vacuum it. Check out the list:
1. Underside of Rugs
To remove dust and dirt that's gone deep down into the rug, simply flip it over and vacuum the underside.
2. Blinds
The material they're made of - metal, wood, or fabric - determines how you dust them. For metal blinds, wipe with a sock lightly dampened with water or multi-purpose cleaner. For wood blinds follow the same procedure using only a little tap water. Do not overwet the wood and be sure to buff dry right away. For fabric blinds, go over the blinds with a dry microfiber cloth.
3. Credit Cards
These everyday essentials get handled by lots of people, and germs can lurk in the crevices around the numbers. Give debit and credit cards a quick cleaning with an alcohol wipe and let them air dry before placing them back in your
wallet.
4. Kitchen Trash Can
Clean your can or the plastic liner in your utility room sink, the shower, or outside. (Be sure to disinfect the sink and shower afterwards). Thoroughly spray the trash can with a cleaner that contains bleach and let it stand for 10 minutes. Rinse and wipe clean. Before adding a new garbage bag, be sure the can is completely dry.
5. Plants
Outdoor plants are cleaned off by the rain, but houseplants become caked with dust. Spiff them up with water and a soft cloth, like an old t-shirt. Don't forget to inspect the dirt for mold. Overwatering plants can cause mold to
develop on top of the soil. If you notice any, replace the soil.
6. Purse
Spot clean fabric bags with a gentle detergent solution like Woolite and flip the purse inside out to wipe down the inner lining. On finished leather purses, use a leather conditioning cleaner - I love Guardsman Leather Wipes. And, if you place your purse on the floor in a restaurant or even worse, in the ladies' room, never put it on your kitchen table or countertop.
7. Top of the Refrigerator
I guess it's true what they say: "out of sight, out of mind". This definitely applies to the top of the refrigerator. Don't forget to wipe it down when you do the sides and handles.
8. Toothbrush Holder
Soak the holder in a solution of 1 part bleach to 3 parts water and rinse. Then air dry upside down. Or simply wash on the top rack of your dishwasher.
9. Vacuum Cleaner Brushes & Attachments
You clean out the dust container or replace the bag routinely but when was the last time you cleaned the vacuum upholstery tool or brush roll? Check your manual for the how-to. Using scissors, cut off any carpet fibers or hair entangled around the brush.
10. Yoga Mat
After a few sessions, you probably notice that your sweaty hands and feet are leaving dirty marks on your mat, which can lead to yucky bacteria growth. Most mat manufacturers recommend occasionally hand cleaning their products with water and mild soap. All-purpose cleaners can eat away at the material
If only golf were this interesting to watch...
The latest vid to go viral: The PGA management program at Campbell University has a competition between the different classes. The January competition was to see how many people could line up and make a putt at the same time. The winners this month was the Senior Class with nine people!
Good News Story 
The next time you catch yourself crying on a street corner, just hope that Maria Sanchez is taking clandestine photos of you.
Last week, Dave Thomas, a San Bernardino man, was briefly jailed for failure to appear in court for traffic violations, leading to the impoundment of his dog on Feb. 13.
Upon release, Buzz Lightyear, a 2-year-old pit bull mix, was waiting for him at the San Bernardino City Animal Shelter. But Thomas couldn't pay the $400 to get his pet back. Just as Thomas found out he couldn't get his dog back, Maria Sanchez, a photographer at the shelter who happened to be watching, captured the scene on camera.
"He was pouring water into his dog's water bowl, his dog sat there and licked up the water for about a minute, he sat down next to him and started weeping." She posted the photo to Facebook, where strangers pledged to help the man.
But Thomas hadn't left a phone number or a name at the facility, Sanchez needed to identify him. She made phone calls and posted calls for help online. She drove around town posting flyers. She received a traffic ticket and had her car sideswiped. On Monday night, Thomas was identified and put in touch with Sanchez, who told him the cost of getting Buzz back was covered.
His response, "God bless you darling." People doing nice things...it's catching on.
Lar's Thought of the Day 
When you help, you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul. --Rachel Naomi Remen
