Your WX:  Good luck dodging a rain chance.  Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely nearly every afternoon and evening through the weekend.  Hi today 80. Tomorrow 74. Sunday 73.  Monday 74.  Tuesday and Wednesday, back to the 80s.  Thursday, upper 70s.

A GREAT time in Elmwood Park last night for the kick-off of BB&T's Party in Elmwood. The Swingin' Medallions were FANTASTIC!!!  Next Thursday, it's The Holiday Band.  We set up beside the library with the stage in the corner at Elm and Jefferson.  Great dance floor too.  Can't wait to get back over the hill.  THAT looks wonderful. Come out for Downtown's Beach Music Thursday next week.

Powerball Jackpot for Saturday is $550 Million.  That's a lot of jack.  **Win that - and you won't even have to call in sick Monday.   Virginia expects to sell 4.7 million Powerball tickets on Saturday alone. A single ticket is $2.

VDOT urges caution as drivers get use to the new I-81 traffic pattern near Christiansburg.  The detour was removed Thursday morning at the Dixie Caverns exit (mile marker 132) of Interstate 81 south.

We're getting closer to Memorial Day weekend, so keep your eye on the pump.  Gas prices in several Midwestern states have surged up to 27 cents in past week

Graduations:

Va. Tech - Friday - Lane Stadium - 12n

Hollins University - Sunday - 10a - Front Quadrangle

University of Virginia - Sunday - 10a - lawn, JPJ arena if it rains

Sports

Baseball: Carolina 5, Salem 4.  Frederick 11, Lynchburg 7.

Red Sox host Frederick.  Tonight at 7:05, Saturday at 6:05, Sunday at 4:05 at Lewis Gale Field.

Carolina visits Lynchburg.  Tonight and tomorrow 6:05,  Sunday 2:05.

Red Sox are going PINK  in the Park this weekend. Tonight is Pink t-shirt night. Tomorrow is the Pink Jersey auction and Pink Tuxedo t-shirt night, then Sunday - bark in the park and post game autograph session.  Raising funds and awareness for the Susan G. Koman Foundation. 

Sad news for race fans.  Retired race car driver Richard "Dick" Trickle died on Thursday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at a North Carolina cemetery.  He was 71.  He had lived in Charlotte since the early 1990s.  His skill as a short-track driver earned him the title of "Winningest Stock Driver in America." 

Preakness is Saturday in Baltimore.   Come on Orb, show us some horsepower.

The Dish

American Idol crowns a new champ and the third time was the charm for Candice Glover.  She's the Queen of Season 12.  

(Photo: Fox)

She auditioned for the show twice before in Seasons 9 and 11. The 23-year-old from St. Helena Island, S.C., won the viewer vote over country singer Kree Harrison, 22, in what was Idol's second all-female finale and the first since Season 3.

Some GREAT performances last night on the American Idol finale' from Mariah, Psy, Adam Lambert, Keith Urban, Keith and Randy, Jennifer Hudson, The Band Perry, Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull,  Aretha Franklin, Frankie Vallie (who still has it) and others.

EW.com is reporting Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green are to serve as judges of the fall season of the U.S. reality series "The Voice".

Soccer's global superstar - David Beckham - will retire after the season.  He says he wants to go out on top.

New episodes of the soap operas "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" will air online two times a week instead of four.

Monday in the Celebrity Dish,  highlights from Sunday nights Billboard Music Awards from Vegas baby.

News from Nashville

American Idol Finale ~ Kree, Urban and Randy by HumanSlinky

Kree Harrison may the Season 12 runner-up on American Idol,  but she "blew the roof off" of the Nokia  Theatre as Keith Urban joined her for "Where the Blacktop Ends".  

The Band Perry Perfroms With Janelle - American... by IdolxMuzic

Also on the Idol finale' last night, The Band Perry joined top five contestant Janelle Arthur on their current single ‘Done.’  How does Kimberly walk down stairs in those heels?

American Idol Finale ~ Keith Urban by HumanSlinky

Keith - who was performing all night on Idol - treated the crowd and viewers to his new single "Little Bit of Everything.   BTW:  Keith says he would like to return as a judge on "American Idol" for a second season.  OK guys, there's a keeper.

Just like her song says, she is the "Fastest Girl in Town".  Miranda Lambert grabbed a nomination Thursday when MTV, VH1 and CMT announced the categories and nominees for the fourth cycle of its O Music Awards.  The winners will be announced during a 24-hour live streamed party beginning June 19 at 7 p.m. that celebrates and honors the artists, innovators and fans impacting music, technology and counter culture.  More than 50 bands will perform during the event.

Trace Adkins recently said on "All-star Celebrity Apprentice",  if he'd had some hits recently,  he wouldn't be doing the show.  He's still there and he's got some hits on his latest - out this week - entitled "Love Will".  Go get 'em Trace.  The finale' - Trace vs Penn Gillette - airs this Sunday on NBC.

The date has been set for Carrie Underwood to play Maria Von Trapp - in the TV version of The Sound of Music.  It's Dec 5 and will kick off the holiday season. 

Charles says "we didn't have a plan going in"...that makes the fact that Lady A's "Golden" at #1 its first  week out even sweeter.  Congrats Lady Antebellum.

Josh Turner will perform a prerace concert before the 29th annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday (May 18) at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  He replaces Billy Currington.

Catch Jason Michael Carol tomorrow night at Phase 2 in Lynchburg.   Nothing like hearin' "LIVIN' OUR LOVE SONG" live.   That will be a great show if you DON'T have tix yet.

I know it's a bit early but, George Strait will celebrate his 61st birthday on Saturday.  Happy Birthday George.  He's still hoping to get 60 Number One singles BEFORE his birthday.  Whadda say we give it all we got?

Finally, this Sunday night is the BIG night on CBS.

Tim McGraw's ACM special "Tim McGraw's Superstar Summer Night" airs.  Check out this on-stage combo of vocal power: Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, John Fogerty, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan.  Wow!

The special,  which benefits the ACM's Lifting Lives charity, features performances by Taylor Swift, Ne-Yo, Pitbull, Dierks Bentley,  Brantley Gilbert, Faith Hill, Florida Georgia Line with Nelly, Lady Antebellum and The Band Perry. Catch it at 9P.

Today in country music history:

2009 - Barbara Mandrell, Roy Clark and musician Charlie McCoy were officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

2005 - Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" won Single and Song of the Year at the 40th Annual ACM Awards in Las Vegas.

2005 - Toby Keith's album Honkytonk University was released.

2001 - The new Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened in downtown Nashville. Among those on hand: Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Diamond Rio, Martina McBride, Bill Anderson, Charley Pride, Brenda Lee and Kitty Wells.

1993 - Johnny Cash began four days of recording in producer Rick Rubin's living room in Los Angeles. It was the first session for his American Recordings album.

1983 - Bill Monroe was a guest at the White House, where President Ronald Reagan recognized him as the only living American credited with creating an American music form.

1975 - B.J. Thomas went to number one on the country chart with "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song."

1974 - The number one song in the nation was "The Streak" by Ray Stevens. Wasn't that a GREAT day?   Love it.

1967 - Glen Campbell recorded "Gentle on My Mind" at Capitol Recording Studio in Hollywood.

Washington Has Cleanest Language  

 A Seattle company said its analysis of recorded telephone  calls between customers and businesses indicated Washington state residents use  the cleanest language.

Advertising firm Marchex said it used “call mining”  speech recognition technology to analyze more than 600,000 calls from the past  year to businesses in 30 industries and discovered customers from Washington state were the least likely to use profanity during calls, with only one out of  301 callers using a curse word.

Callers from Ohio were found to be the most likely to use profanity, with one out of 147 phone calls featuring salty  language.

Meanwhile, the analysis found South Carolina callers were the most likely  to use “please” and “thank you” during calls while Wisconsinites were the least  likely to use polite language.

Cicadas — The Other, Other White Meat?
He already has cooked dishes featuring Mexican grasshoppers and a fried rice meal made with meal worms and crickets. So it should come as no surprise that Connecticut chef Bun Lai already has his eye on the red-eyed cicadas that will be popping up from the ground any second now.

Lai tells the New Haven Register that when the billions of bugs emerge from the ground to mate, he'll be ready.  He hopes to catch as many as he can and freeze them for future eating.

You're probably asking yourself, HOW (or maybe WHY) do you repair a "cicada dish"?  Lai says you can steam or boil the cicadas — but DO NOT deep fry them.   Because of all the nutrition cicadas pack, it would be wrong to fry them.

**OK, that should take care of any unexpected dinner guests just dropping by unannounced for a long time...say 17 years?  

Secret To Making Better Decisions

According to the Journal of Consumer Research, putting some space between yourself and the choices you're considering will help you pick faster and be happier with your decision than if you lean in close.

Creating physical space provides psychological distance, too - which helps you see the BIG picture and the BEST choice more easily.  That's some smart thinkin'.

(Source: Woman's World)

Talking On Cell Phones Raises Blood Pressure

Findings of a study presented at the 28th Annual Meeting  of the American Society of Hypertension suggest that mobile phone calls could  be the cause of a rise in blood pressure.

Italian researchers found that  subjects’ blood pressure readings jumped to 129/82 from 121/77 while they were  on mobile phone calls. For those who were involved in more than 30 calls each  day, the rise in systolic (the top number) blood pressure was less dramatic,  however.

The scientists did not identify cause and effect and merely speculated  that those who made so many calls were apt to be younger patients used to  telephone intrusions. They also cited the possibility that someone who makes more than 30 calls feels reassured by the knowledge that the phone is working and that missed calls are unlikely.

Stop Thief!

If you take some Post-It notes from your office to use at home, is that stealing? Well, it's not prison time...yet, but Post-It notes are costing companies a bundle, because everyone STEALS THEM! Here are the top 10 office supplies you steal:

 #1.) Post-It notes

#2.) Tape

#3.) Scissors

#4.) Toilet paper (???)

#5.) Copier paper

#6.) USB memory sticks

#7.) Notepads.

#8.) Pens

#9.) Staplers

#10.) Highlighters

 Ever rat out an employee for stealing stuff? If you saw someone stealing a couple boxes of paper, would you squeal?

What Causes Fights on road trips

Anew survey came up with the top things we FIGHT about during ROAD TRIPS.   Driving skills came in first . . . the temperature in the car came in second . .  . and directions came in third.  (Your  Tango)

Why do women live longer than fellas?  

Scientists have finally figured out why women live longer than men.  Turns  out as we get older, men's bodies produce fewer T-cells to fight infections, and  fewer B-cells to produce antibodies.  **NOTE LADIES, THAT'S "T-CELLS" NOT BRAIN CELLS.   (BBC / Jezebel)

Lookin' Back 

May 17th is the 137th day of the year. There are 228 days remaining until the end of the year

Today is Pack Rat Day, National Cherry Cobbler Day and National Bike to Work Day

--1620, the first merry-go-round was set up at a fair in Turkey

--1845, the rubber band was invented

--1875, Aristides won the first Kentucky Derby.

--1985, Bobby Ewing died on the season finale of Dallas

--1993, the first computers using Intel’s new Pentium processor were introduced

--2011, Maria Shriver left Arnold Schwarzenegger after she found out he fathered a baby with a member of their household staff. The staff member, Mildred Baena, worked for the family for 20 years.

--2012, Donna Summer died

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Cuttin' Cake

American Idol singer Kree Harrison (23)   Twilight star Nikki Reed (25)    Derek Hough (28)    Eva Longoria's ex-husband, Tony Parker, (31)    Jordan Knight (43)    Craig Ferguson (51)   singer Enya (52)    sports announcer Jim Nantz (54)    Bob Saget (57)    Sugar Ray Leonard (57)

Joke of the Day

Where do penguins go swimming? ans - The South Pool

Weird News Today

A guy was bowling in Florida on Tuesday night, and had his GUN in the pocket of  his shorts.  As he swung back the bowling ball, it brushed the gun . . .  made it FIRE . . . and the guy took a bullet STRAIGHT to the thigh.  He was  hospitalized, but his injuries aren't life threatening and he won't be facing  any charges. 

On Monday afternoon, a 61-year-old man in Texas borrowed his mom and dad's car,  which is pretty embarrassing.  And it's especially bad since he borrowed it  to go ROB a Subway.  He got about $80, but the employees took down the  plate number.  The cops went to his parents' house, they IMMEDIATELY turned  on him, and he was arrested for robbery. 

Smarter Than Question 

Since 1953,  almost 135,000 of these have been stolen. What is it?  

Tell Me Something Good 

Roanoke's Steak n' Shake just opened at Crossroads yesterday,  but a server at the Indianapolis Steak 'n Shake recently got the surprise of her life.   CeCe Bruce recently received a $446 tip on a $5 order. She says she will use the cash to pay bills. ''All the worries that I have are kind of like out the door for the day, you know. I couldn't believe it. Miss Jo is such a nice person. It's just incredible.''  I love those random acts of kindness.   There's one waiting for you today.  Make it happen.  You'll feel GREAT!!!!

Lar's Thought of the Day 

Some measure their success by money, positions, or gems. Other's measure it by the amount of smiles we can produce. Which means more to you?

Your Wx:  Is it May or August?  Partly sunny today thru Saturday.  A chance of showers and storms thru next Wednesday.  Best chance is Sunday. Hi 84 today. Highs mid to upper 70s thru Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday, low 80s.

At least six killed in Texas tornadoes.  A subdivision near Grandbury - just west of Dallas-Fort Worth -was destroyed by Wednesday night twister.

No winner!  Powerball jackpot for Saturday soars to $475 million.  The second largest jackpot in Powerball history. Wednesday nights numbers:  2, 11, 26, 34, 41 and a Powerball of 32.

IRS commissioner resigns.  Obama calls the IRS actions "inexcusable".

The Consumerist claims airlines raked in $6 billion in baggage fees last   year

If you're in the Star City and you're craving a steakburger; the Steak ‘n Shake at Crossroads Mall opens today.  Open 10 to 10.

Alexander's on Jefferson Street has made the Open Table's website top 100 list because of its quality and number of positive customer reviews.

FloydFest readies for its 12th year.  More than 70 acts will play on 10 stages.  It's quiet now, but come July 25-28, some 15,000 will attend the four day musical festival near hte Floyd/Patrick Co line.  Old Crow Medicine Show, Lumineers "Ho Hey"

Graduations:

VMI - today at 11a

Va. Tech - Friday - Lane Stadium - 12n

Hollins University - Sunday - 10a - Front Quadrangle

University of Virginia - Sunday - 10a - lawn, JPJ arena if it rains

Baseball:  Salem 5, Carolina 4.  Lynchburg 3, Frederick 2. TONIGHT: Red Sox @ Carolina.  Salem returns home tomorrow.  Frederick @ Lynchburg 6:05.  Carolina hits town Friday.

Congrats to William Fleming.  They edged P.H.  141 to 143 to take the Western Valley District Track Championship. Halifax was 3rd.

The Dish

On American Idol - Kree Harrison battled Candice Glover.  The judges have apparently decided on who they'd like to win.  How will America vote?  The two duke it out over three rounds of songs: Idol creator Simon Fuller's selections; the singles they would release if they won; and their favorite covers from the season.  Will this be Candice's year?  She was cut from "Idol" twice before in seasons nine and 11 or will in be a Kreedom moment?  Tonight the Thursday reveal.

UsMagazine is reporting Nicki Minaj is leaving "American Idol" after one season on the judges' panel

Angelina Jolie's doctor is revealing details of her surgery.  She says Brad Pitt "was on hand to greet Ang as soon as she came around from  the anesthetic, as he was during each of the operations." 

People magazine claims Angelina Jolie is planning to have her ovaries removed because she has a 50% chance of ovarian cancer

Robin Williams will star in a new CBS sitcom called The Crazy Ones about an advertising executive, who works alongside his daughter, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.

The 'Angry Birds' movie will hit theatres in 2016

The executive producer of the U.S. soap opera "The Young and the Restless" says the late Jeanne Cooper's role of Katherine Chancellor will die on TV.

Now HERE'S a house

Jennifer Lopez has dropped a cool $10 million on a mansion in the Hamptons that recently RENTED for $425,000 over the Summer for only 3 months.  What do you get for that price tag?  Eight-bedrooms, seven-and-a-half baths over 8,500 square feet on three acres with a theater, sauna, steam room pool, pool house, and two adjacent lots.  There are two words in this listing that most of us wouldn't associate with a $10 million home:  "Incredible value."

News from Nashville

Shania Twain, Kid Rock, Florida Georgia Line, Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Nashville star Hayden Panettiere have been confirmed to present awards during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (May 19) in Las Vegas.

Lady Antebellum's "Golden" is No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, Billboard.com.    Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 is the soundtrack to the film "The Great Gatsby," followed by the "Now 46" compilation CD at No. 3, Michael Buble's "To Be Loved" at No. 4 and Pistol Annies' "Annie Up" at No. 5.

Carrie Underwood is on the new cover  of Marie Claire Magazine!  In the June issue of the  mag, Carrie opens up about her struggles with fame, which were really bad  after she won American Idol.  She tells the magazine she "used to have panic attacks."

While George Strait says his Cowboy Rides Away tour has been one of the most fun tours he's done, it's also pretty sad.  "It's a little bittersweet knowing that some of these places I'll never go back to and play again," Strait says in a video interview. "And I've been doing 'em for over 30 years." So it sounds like he's trying to fill up his memory bank with all the good times. "I'm taking it all in. I'm soaking it up."  That's what you call, giving it all you got.

(Photo: Arista Nashville)

Brad Paisley made a promise to Lee Feldman, of Ephrata, Penn. - who was stricken with pancreatic cancer - last Fall.  That promise was to use Feldman's gift of a prized custom-made guitar on Paisley's new album, 'Wheelhouse,' and to not let the guitar lay unused and forgotten. He got the guitar during a meet and greet.   Brad didn't let his biggest fan down either.  Toward the end of recording ‘Wheelhouse,’ he brought the guitar into the studio.  He found the perfect song for it.   That’s what plays the guitar leads on ‘Officially Alive.’ As the album ends, it’s one of the last things you hear.”

Tim McGraw is on Jimmy Fallon tonight.

Hunter Hayes is the dream date of thousands of high school girls, but he says he'd make a terrible prom date. The 22 year old even turned down Lauren Alaina to be her prom date. He says, "I’m a terrible dancer and terribly shy naturally anyway,” Hayes spills. “Whoever would take me to prom would actually regret it greatly.”  Really?