Playlist Preview: 2007 Part 2

You saw the first 10 last week. Now check out the remaining 10 top songs that helped define 2007 later this week in The Star.

Read the next Playlist in Thursday's paper - then come back to the blog to watch music videos. of each.

Bobcats vs. Hornets

The Hornets returned to Charlotte Friday night, their former hometown, to face the Bobcats.

It was a fun game but that 20-point lead that New Orleans kept throughout the first three quarters had fans going home early. The final score was Hornets, 99-85.

New Year's Plans

I'm typically not a huge fan of New Year's Eve. I mean, yeah, I'm all for the year changing. I just don't get super into it like others. Holidays known for fireworks and heavy drinking haven't done much for me. ... But I'm open to change.

So as I consider my options for next Monday night, I'm curious as to what's going on locally. Anything exciting planned that I don't know about, considering I've been out of town two weeks?

The Playlist: 2007

I'll be back at work tomorrow after 12 days off. I thought I might ease back into it by posting this week's Playlist a few hours early. Enjoy!


It was the year K-Fed became the better parent, Martin Scorsese finally won an Oscar and ‘The Sopranos’ went swimming with the fishes.

Brit went bald, Paris did time and Amy Winehouse wasn’t the only one having troubles with ‘Rehab’ (Lindsay Lohan immediately comes to mind…).

To celebrate the year that was 2007, I will be spending this and next week recapping what I believe are the top 20 songs of the year. Feel free to chime in as to whether or not you agree with the picks.

In no particular order …

Nickelback - Rock Star

Surprisingly, theirs was the best concert I saw all year, even among the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billy Joel and Dave Matthews Band. The Canadian rockers used this song to close their stop at Charlotte’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in August, leading the crowd into a sing-along as still photos of rock legends like Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith and Metallica appeared on the giant video screen behind the band.



Carrie Underwood – Before He Cheats

The American Idol winner began 2007 by winning a pair of Grammys and her success continued with one of the biggest songs of the year. They say crime doesn’t pay but Underwood proved that singing about committing crimes – specifically destruction of personal property – can get you the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year. Underwood’s crossover appeal led to the song being nominated for both CMT and MTV awards.



Maroon 5 – Makes Me Wonder

A band I’m still hoping to see in concert… It took five years before Maroon 5 released a follow up to 2002’s hugely successful ‘Songs About Jane.’ The debut single from ‘It Won’t Be Soon Before Long’ helped the album debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and earned the band its first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Interesting note: the song broke a record previously held by Kelly Clarkson’s ‘A Moment Like This’ for having the biggest jump to Billboard’s top spot (from 64 to 1).



Rihanna – Umbrella

At this point, it’s hard for me to hear someone say ‘umbrella’ without adding my own “ella, ella – eh, eh, eh” to the mix. I might need counseling. The popularity of the song not only sent it to the top of the US charts but also simultaneously made it the No. 1 song in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and half a dozen other countries. And to top it off, led to Rihanna selling her own brand of umbrellas through her Web site. Let’s see if we can start a trend on songs about inanimate objects. Maybe next year’s top song will be ‘Toaster,’ or ‘Lamp,’ or maybe ‘Trash Can.’



Kanye West – Stronger

What a year it’s been. A feud with 50 Cent, a hugely successful album, a blow up at the VMAs and then his mother dies of complications of cosmetic surgery in November. Say what you will about West’s worldview – and even I’ll admit it’s very much on the bleak side – but he’s a long way from reaching his potential as a musician and producer. ‘Stronger’ was named the record of the year by Spin Magazine and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Pop and Hot 100 charts. And the nod to ‘Akira’ in the music video was kinda cool too.



Pink – Who Knew

Who knew Pink had a soft side? The former Alicia Moore from Bucks County, Penn. plays up her vulnerable side in this second single from the ‘I’m Not Dead’ album. According to Pink, the song is about "the death of friendship. You're best friends forever, and then three years later you haven't seen each other in two years — what happened? You grow apart and people come in and out of your life for different reasons, seasons."



Nelly Furtado – Say It Right

What a difference a year makes. Up until 2006, Furtado was a singer-songwriter lost in the mix somewhere between Michelle Branch and Vanessa Carlton. And then she let hit-maker Timbaland produce her third album, ‘Loose.’ Fast forward to today and ‘Loose’ – influenced by R&B, hip hop, rock and a 1980s style – has produced five hit singles, including this track released in January. Some may criticize the change in Furtado’s image since 2001’s ‘Whoa, Nelly!’ but there’s no arguing the success she’s enjoyed as a result. And as a side note, I'm trying to get Timbaland to produce my album too...whenever I get around to having musical talent.



Colbie Caillat – Bubbly

MySpace isn’t just for child predators anymore. The networking site is credited with getting the 22-year-old’s name out there enough for fans to latch onto her surprise breakthrough hit. Though ‘Bubbly’ has only been on the charts a few months, with added momentum from continuous airplay on VH1, Caillat is on a path to achieve even greater success in 2008. Interesting note: Colbie’s father, Ken Caillat, co-produced Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ and the groundbreaking ‘Rumours’ album in the late 70s.



Feist – 1234

Have you recently bought one of those new colored iPod Nanos? You can thank this song, used in the commercial, for brainwashing you. And Feist can thank the commercials for turning her song into a surprise breakout hit. ‘1234’ has also been used in recent TV advertising for HBO, Urban Outfitters, eBay and the Lifetime Network. Other singles by the Canadian indie singer-songwriter are being used by Lacoste perfume and Verizon Wireless.



Beyonce – Irreplaceable

You know what I think when I read Beyonce was born one month to the day after me? ‘Wow, I’m super lazy. I could be up there singing ‘Bootylicious’ too if I just applied myself.’ The second single from 2006’s ‘B’Day’ album was Beyonce’s fourth solo single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and her eighth if you include her work with Destiny’s Child. And much like ‘Umbrella,’ a few of the lyrics crept their way into pop culture this year. Am I the only one who added “To the left, to the left” into everyday conversation? I don’t think so.



That’s what I got for this week. Check in next week for the last 10. Agree or disagree with my choices? Shoot me an e-mail at grahamcawthon@shelbystar.com.

T-Minus 3 Hours

Thought I might finally get a photo of the tree on here.

Kinda hoping Santa brings me real estate tomorrow : )

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Santa You Don't Want in Your House

It may look like your average run-of-the-mill Santa. But it's not.

Push a button and he sings. And dances.

And if that doesn't scare you away, he sings and dances to Ricky Martin's "Livin Da Veda Loca."

Except the words are different.

"Here comes Santa ... bringing the presents to ya ..."

For 3 minutes it goes non-stop. And then my mom pushes the button again and I leave the room.

This is perhaps the worst thing ever associated with Christmas.

Well, either this or the Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978.

If you haven't seen it, be thankful. But if you want to sit through the first 10 minutes of the 2-hour special - which only aired once because it was just so bad - here goes.

I saw it for the first time last night and when it was over I was angry at the world. That's how bad it is.

I Hate DC Traffic

I know what you're thinking...

'Why did he take a picture of his speedometer?'

I took the photo Friday evening as I was driving into DC. I was on I-95. The speed limit is 55.

I figured a photo of this would tell the story of how bad traffic was better than a photo of slow moving cars ...

This is what happens the Friday before Christmas. Everyone's going home at 5 pm and you're going 15mph on an interstate.

One-Man Star Wars Show

Went back out to DC last night to catch a performance of ... well, if you can't read the poster to the left, a one-man performance of all three Star Wars movies.

Charles Ross has apparently been doing this show around the country for a few years and it's become so popular that every showing for the remainder of his run at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre is sold out.

It was hilarious. In a little more than an hour, he did the music and special effects sounds, acted out the scenes, jumped around the stage pretending to have a lightsaber fight...

And as entertaining as it was, there was a moment halfway through where I thought to myself, 'You know, I bet if you gave enough sugar to a 5 year-old, it would be close to the same performance...'

For more information on his one-man shows (apparently he does a 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy as well), check out the website here

A clip of the show I found on YouTube:

Out and About in DC

Caught the metro up to Rosslyn, Va. earlier to have lunch with fellow Radford University '05 graduate, Bryan McBournie.
Bryan and I both worked for the college paper, The Tartan. In fact he was the editor of the editorial section back when I was a weekly columnist.
He recently grabbed a reporting job with SNL Energy in Arlington.
(He doesn't really look like that, I told him to cheese it up)

Stopped by Pentagon City Mall on the way back (which, oddly enough, is right next to the Pentagon).

More crowded than Shelby's Wal-Mart after church...

I did buy something, but for the sake of the joke I'll say the only thing I got was claustrophobic.

Playlist Preview: 2007 - The Year in Music

It was the year K-Fed became the better parent, Martin Scorsese finally won an Oscar and ‘The Sopranos’ went swimming with the fishes.
Brit went bald, Paris did time and Amy Winehouse wasn’t the only one having troubles with ‘Rehab’ (Lindsay Lohan immediately comes to mind…).













To celebrate the year that was 2007, I will be spending the next two weeks recapping what I believe are the top 20 songs of the year. You can check out the first 10 in Thursday’s Star and be sure to come back to the blog to watch performances of each and chime in as to whether or not you agree with the picks.

The Playlist: Christmas Songs Round 3

It’s less than a week away. The presents are under the tree. There’s still a small chance we might see something resembling snow (trying to be optimistic here). And the lucky ones, myself included, are enjoying some much-needed vacation time.

For the past two weeks I’ve shared some of my favorite contemporary Christmas songs. And if you missed out on either list, you can read about them here and here. Now here are the final five worth hitting the ‘repeat’ button for this holiday season.

Kenny G – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (1994)
I don’t want to hear a word. Yes, I realize the saxophonist with the curly-fry hair might not exactly fit into the ‘cool’ category. Despite that, this is perhaps my favorite Christmas song of all time. Having spent my high school years in Alaska, I can easily close my eyes while listening to this and imagine spending a snowed-in evening warming up to the fireplace. Plus, Burgess Meredith is in the video. That alone gets it cool points, especially if you’re a ‘Rocky’ fan, which I am.
















Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band – Santa Claus is Coming to Town

It’s been covered by dozens of stars – from Dolly Parton and Vince Gill to Hillary Duff and Mariah Carey. But perhaps none can match the energy brought out in this version. It was never released as a single but Springsteen’s take on the song that makes Santa sound like a stalker is a radio favorite and if you ever see him in concert around the holiday season it’s probably in the set list.



Ron Sexsmith – Maybe this Christmas (2002)

I had never heard this until I picked up a copy of the ‘Maybe this Christmas’ compilation CD years ago, which features various holiday-inspired songs performed by the likes of Coldplay, Ben Folds, Jack Johnson and Vanessa Carlton. It remains perhaps my favorite Christmas CD in part to this track, which tells of being hopeful that this Christmas and the coming year will be the best yet.

Just as a heads up, the only good video I could find was made by a fan of 'The OC.' I can only assume the song popped up in an episode.













Sarah McLachlan – Happy X-Mas (War is Over) (2006)

Yep, it’s the John Lennon classic. And while the Lennon version deserves praise for being that one ‘Debbie Downer’ Christmas song that has lasted the test of time, Yoko Ono’s voice still makes blood shoot out of my ears. As a good friend of mine often says – ‘We’ve got the technology for George Lucas to add stuff to ‘Star Wars’ yet we can’t remove Yoko Ono from this song?’

Replace John and Yoko with Sarah McLachlan and a bunch of kids and you’ve got a winner.



Josh Groban – O Holy Night

And last but not least... I thought I would leave you with a traditional holiday classic performed by one of today’s top vocalists. Groban’s new Christmas album, ‘Noel,’ was released back in October and weekly sales have gone so high that they’ve even surpassed that of his past two albums. You won’t find this song on the album but it’s worth tracking down as well.



That’s all for this week. Questions and comments are always welcome at grahamcawthon@shelbystar.com. And on that note, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

'A Christmas Carol' in DC

I went into DC last night to see a performance of 'A Christmas Carol.' The production is usually held at Fords Theatre (you know, where Lincoln was shot) and I've seen it twice at the venue since high school. The theatre wasn't available this season, probably because they are preparing for the bicentennial of Lincoln's birthday, so instead the performances this year are being held at the Lansburgh Theatre in downtown DC.
Amazingly the subway ride to King Street, Alexandria, was empty at around 6 p.m. Of course I was heading into DC while everyone else was leaving...

A view of the outside of the theatre. The National Archives and the Verizon Center (home of the Washington Wizards) are located just blocks away.
The trip home included a walk through Old Town Alexandria. Most of the buildings were made in the 18th and 19th centuries. Notice the lights in the trees, kinda like uptown Shelby?

One of the highlights of the night was flipping through the program and seeing an ad for one of the upcoming shows ... An Evening with Scott Bakula.

Yeah, the 'Quantum Leap' guy.

Wow...

I think I'll pass. But I am intrigued.

Playlist Preview: Christmas Songs Round 3

It’s less than a week away. The presents are under the tree. There’s still a small chance we might see something resembling snow (trying to be optimistic here). And the lucky ones, myself included, are enjoying some much-needed vacation time.

For the past two weeks I’ve shared some of my favorite contemporary Christmas songs. And if you missed out on either list, you can read about them here and here.

For the third and final installment, check out Thursday's Star and come back to the blog to listen to the final five holiday songs worth hitting the ‘repeat’ button for this season.

The Holiday Oppossum

'Friends' had the Holiday Armadillo.

What do I have in the guest room at the parents' house, hanging just above my bed?

The Holiday Oppossum.

He doesn't do any tricks. Just kinda sits there. But, hey, at least he doesn't have rabies.

And no, I don't know why there is a red bow on him.

Kung Fu Panda

Just got back from seeing 'I Am Legend.'

Good movie, but it's not the focus of this blog. Rather, it's the movie poster I saw while making my way inside the theatre.

Yes.

That one.

'Kung Fu Panda' is in theatres this coming June, according to IMDB.com. And while I'm usually put off by any film that uses the song 'Kung Fu Fighting' in its advertising and I'm not the biggest Jack Black fan, I'm probably going to see this simply because a panda is the main character.

I'm a fan of pandas. Have been for years. And I think it dates back to this commercial ...


It's true, they do eat bamboo : )

Driving Home for the Holidays

Made the drive up to northern Virginia Friday for Christmas.

I've made the 7-hour trip a few times now. And while I'm no stranger to spending long periods of time in a car, the long stretches on I-85 and I-95 can get a bit boring. Thankfully it wasn't too bad of a drive.

Here's downtown Richmond.

As usual, the congestion didn't really get backed up until I was 10 exits from home. You really don't know how good you have it until you're in bumper to bumper DC traffic and it takes a half hour to move five miles...

I'll try to update as I can while I'm home. On the agenda for tomorrow: getting a Christmas tree.

The Playlist: Christmas Songs Part 2 *BLOG EXCLUSIVE*

Because of a little snafu, The Playlist will not be in Thursday's Star. So the blog is the only place you'll find this week's edition. The column will be back in the paper next week.




If you missed out on last week’s Playlist (and shame on you if you did), I’m in the middle of reviewing my Top 15 contemporary Christmas classics. Some you may have heard of, some you might not. But they’re all worthy background music for decorating a tree or hosting a party this holiday season.

Last week saw U2, Faith Hill, Amy Grant, the Goo Goo Dolls and England’s finest. What about this week? Read on.

Dave Matthews Band – Christmas Song (1993)

“This is a non-denominational tune here. But it may seem otherwise. Take it as you will. It’s just a song I wrote about an amazing man that got screwed. Not an uncommon story but well remembered.”

So says Dave Matthews prior to performing the song as part of the band’s “Live in Chicago 12.19.98” album from the United Center.

With Matthews’ voice and an acoustic guitar his only backup, it’s a beautiful balled about Jesus that gets the spirit of the season across without being preachy. And it borrows from a few Beatles songs too. Can’t go wrong there.



Bon Jovi – Please Come Home For Christmas (1994)

The New Jersey native, a few years removed from any hits of his own, borrowed this Eagles classic in 1994. It was a top 20 hit in 1978 but the Bon Jovi version arguably gets the point of the song across better, especially if you’ve seen the video. I imagine I’d be having a depressing Christmas too if Cindy Crawford just left me…



Mariah Carey – All I Want for Christmas is You (1994)

Written and produced by Carey, this has quickly become a holiday standard. And since I spent an hour in the Kings Mountain Christmas parade – with this song on a constant loop – I don’t feel saying that is much of a stretch. As of 2006, it was the best-selling holiday ring tone in the U.S. and the New Yorker recently referred to it as “one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon.”



Darlene Love – All Alone on Christmas (1992)

Don’t you just love movies where children learn how to booby-trap their homes and attempt to kill and maim intruders? Yep, this is from one of the Culkin Classics and the famed E-Street Band even plays backup to Love’s vocals here. In addition to being featured in ‘Home Alone 2,’ the song was also used in ‘Love Actually,’ another holiday film I highly recommend.



Sarah McLachlan – Wintersong (2006)

A similar tone to ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’ but much softer, the song tells of dealing with loss during Christmas and seeing that missing loved one in everything you do. As always, McLachlan’s voice and piano make for a beautiful and touching combination that leaves a room so quiet you can hear a pin drop. I’m sure the families of soldiers stationed overseas this Christmas can relate to every word.



Two down, one to go. Check back next Thursday for the final five. And feel free to send in your own suggestions at grahamcawthon@shelbystar.com

Shelby Crime Map

UPDATED: 12/12/07

These are incidents and arrests that were recently on file with local law enforcement agencies. Those arrested are innocent until found guilty in a court of law. (M) refers to misdemeanor crimes, (F) refers to felonies.

Addresses are in Shelby unless otherwise noted.

If you have any information regarding any of these incidents, contact Shelby Police at (704) 484-6845, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office at (704) 484-4888, Kings Mountain Police at (704) 734-0444, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (704) 481-TIPS (8477).

Monetary donations to CrimeStoppers can be sent to Fidelity Bank, 331 S. Lafayette St., Shelby, NC, 28150 Attn: Verna McCluney



INCIDENTS

Crime: Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury
Date reported: Dec. 8, 8:35 p.m.
Address: 909 Frederick St. Apt. 1
Description: Keith Ervin told police he was listening to the Shelby High football game on the radio and, at halftime, went outside and was confronted by a man he knew who shot him in both feet.
Agency: Shelby Police

Crime: Breaking and entering of a residence
Date reported: Dec. 7, 10:59 a.m.
Address: 122 Brookhill Road
Description: Margret McSwain told police $1,000 and a gold diamond ring had been stolen after her home was ransacked.
Agency: Shelby Police

Crime: Larceny, damage to property
Date reported: Dec. 9, 2:30 p.m.
Address: Christ for the Nation Church, 409 Polkville Road
Description: A catalytic converter was stolen from one of the church’s vans.
Agency: Shelby Police

Crime: Financial card fraud
Date reported: Dec. 7, 2:36 p.m.
Address: Hibbett Sports, 731 E. Dixon Blvd.
Description: Hannah Gosnell told police her credit card had been stolen at Gardner-Webb University and used twice at the store, totaling over $600 in charges.
Agency: Shelby Police

Crime: Robbery with a dangerous weapon
Date reported: Dec. 8, 10:46 p.m.
Address: Pizza Hut Delivery, 423 E. Marion St.
Description: Employees told police that a man appeared at the business, pulled a gun out and forced an employee to open the cash register. Moments later, two accomplices came inside the business and helped in taking money from the register. They were last seen running toward Cline Street.
Agency: Shelby Police

Crime: Breaking and entering of a residence, larceny
Date reported: Dec. 9, 1:46 a.m.
Address: 102 Hillside Drive
Description: Scott Stachowicz told police he had just returned from Raleigh to find his home broken into and a white laptop, Playstaion 2 console belonging to his sons and several video games had been stolen.
Agency: Shelby Police

Crime: Breaking and entering
Date reported: Dec. 10, 5:51 p.m.
Address: 223 Southfork Drive
Description: Esteban Soto told police his son found the door to their home open and several items missing, including a computer monitor, stereo, bracelets, a modem, clothing and several pair of boots. The estimated value was over $1,500.
Agency: Shelby Police

Crime: Breaking and entering, larceny
Date reported: Dec. 10, 10:14 a.m.
Address: Penastar Mobile Homes, 2104 E. Dixon Blvd.
Description: Ray Workman, an employee, told police someone busted the windows of a model home and stole a dishwasher and two cooking ranges, total value of around $1,000.
Agency: Shelby Police

Crime: Financial card fraud
Date reported: Dec. 10, 2:10 p.m.
Address: Yamato’s Express, 1206 E. Dixon Blvd.
Description: Benjamin Pewitt told police someone used his credit card at the restaurant, charging $24.47.
Agency: Shelby Police

Crime: Damage to personal property
Date reported: Dec. 10, 2:22 p.m.
Address: Keeter Ford, 1775 E. Dixon Blvd.
Description: A total of eight vehicles on the car lot were reported scratched, possibly with a key, causing $1,000 in damages to each.
Agency: Shelby Police

ARRESTS

Name: Derrick Tyrone Logan
Age: 24
Address: 823 North Morgan St.
Date of arrest: Dec. 10, 4:12 p.m.
Charges: Failure to appear – DWI (M) (3 counts), failure to appear (M) (3 counts), possession with intent to sell and distribute cocaine (F), failure to appear – assault (F)
Place of arrest: Ruth Street near Lincoln Street
Bond: $19,000 secured
Agency: Shelby Police

Name: Senora McDowell Brown
Age: 40
Address: 409 Whisnant St.
Date of arrest: Dec. 10, 7:33 p.m.
Charges: Failure to file income tax (5 counts)
Place of arrest: Home
Description: Brown was served with a warrant for her arrest.
Bond: $20,000 secured
Agency: Shelby Police

Name: Thelma Morgan Powell
Age: 47
Address: 819 Floyd St., Unit A, Kings Mountain
Date of arrest: Dec. 10, 7:45 p.m.
Charges: Probation violation (M)
Place of arrest: Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, 100 Justice Place
Bond: $15,000 secured
Agency: Shelby Police

Name: Kelvin Oneil Brown
Age: 30
Address: 846 Churchill Drive
Date of arrest: Dec. 11, 1:38 a.m.
Charges: Possession with intent to sell and distribute a schedule II controlled substance (F), selling and delivering a schedule II controlled substance (F)
Place of arrest: McDonald’s, 206 E. Dixon Blvd.
Bond: $10,000 secured
Agency: Shelby Police

Name: Dudley Skipper
Age: 48
Address: 306 Chestnut Drive, Galax, VA
Date of arrest: Dec. 7, 12:15 p.m.
Charges: True bill of indictment (F)
Place of arrest: County Jail, Lexington, VA
Description: Skipper, one of Shelby’s Top 10 Most Wanted, was transported to Shelby to face charges after he was arrested in Virginia.
Bond: $100,000 secured
Agency: Shelby Police

Name: Jimmy Fransae Hoyle
Age: 44
Address: 210 Maple St.
Date of arrest: Dec. 9, 5:10 p.m.
Charges: Assault inflicting serious injury (M)
Place of arrest: Home
Description: Hoyle was served with a warrant for his arrest
Bond: No bond
Agency: Shelby Police

Name: Keyton Vasson Jones
Age: 33
Address: 904 Buffalo St.
Date of arrest: Dec. 9, 3:13 p.m.
Charges: True bill of indictment – possession with intent to sell and distribute cocaine / selling cocaine (F) (2 counts)
Place of arrest: Highland Avenue
Bond: $2,000 secured
Agency: Shelby Police

Name: Randolph Howard Parrott III
Age: 24
Address: 604 Hillcrest Drive
Date of arrest: Dec. 8, 6:06 p.m.
Charges: Failure to appear – true bill of indictment – possession with intent to sell and distribute cocaine / selling and delivering cocaine (F)
Place of arrest: 1000 block of West Graham Street
Bond: $2,000 secured
Agency: Shelby Police

Name: David Junior Lowe
Age: 37
Address: 1015 Earl St.
Date of arrest: Dec. 8, 2:31 p.m.
Charges: Failure to register as a sex offender (F)
Place of arrest: Toms Street near Buffalo Street
Bond: $2,000 secured
Agency: Shelby Police

Name: Donald Vestus Ellis
Age: 36
Address: 1308 Cambridge Drive
Date of arrest: Dec. 8, 12:26 a.m.
Charges: Breaking and entering (F), larceny after breaking and entering (F), possession of stolen goods and property (F)
Place of arrest: Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, 100 Justice Place
Description: Ellis was served with a warrant for his arrest.
Bond: $5,000 unsecured
Agency: Shelby Police

Playlist Preview: Christmas Songs Round 2

If you missed out on last week’s Playlist (and shame on you if you did), I’m in the middle of reviewing my Top 15 contemporary Christmas classics. Some you may have heard of, some you might not. But they’re all worthy background music for decorating a tree or hosting a party this holiday season.

Last week saw U2, Faith Hill, Amy Grant, the Goo Goo Dolls and England’s finest. What about this week?

(To your left, a clue)

Check out Thursday's Shelby Star for the list ... and come back to the blog later that day for music videos of each.

Come With Me if You Want to Live...

It's been 7 months since I last posted about this, but with the constant ads on FOX the anticipation is growing.

What do you do when the writers strike has killed off all the good shows? Put in some new ones. Specifically put one in about futuristic killer robots.

But 'The Sarah Connor Chronicles' - set to premiere Jan. 13 - is not the end of the Terminator franchise. Before the show has even hit the air, news of a 'Terminator 4' is spreading.

And in the lead role as John Connor, the leader of the human resistance? According to Entertainment Weekly, Christian Bale.

...That Christian Bale.

Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, the first installment of a brand new trilogy, is looking at a 2009 theatrical release.

Sunday at the Biltmore

You know, for amazing as the Biltmore House is, it's sad that THIS was one of the best photos I could get Sunday night during my first trip to the estate.

That's what happens when Asheville gets saturated in fog and you're not allowed to take photos inside the house...

As far as the inside goes, I'm jealous. Even as a servant, I'd be doing pretty well for myself working there.

And I want the 35-foot Christmas tree. Although I don't have a place to put it...