Steven Curtis Chapman (Maria) Update

The Chapman family (Steven Curtis Chapman, wife Mary Beth and surviving children) is so grateful for the incredible outpouring of love and support at this difficult time. The Chapman's youngest daughter (Maria) was tragicly killed in an accident at the family's home on Wednesday afternoon.

Here is the official place to send condolences: http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/inmemoryofmaria/

By mail:
The Chapman Family
PO Box 150156
Nashville, TN 37215

In lieu of flowers, gifts should be directed to Shaohannah’s Hope

Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Breaking News:
Our prayers are with the Steven Curtis Chapman family this morning:
Maria Sue Chapman, the youngest daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman and wife Mary Beth was accidentally hit by an SUV driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of the family’s home near Nashville, Tennessee yesterday afternoon. Several family members witnessed the accident. Police reports say that Maria was rushed to the hospital but died of her injuries.
-Steven and Mary Beth have promoted international adoption through Shaohannah’s Hope.
Maria (age 5) was one of three adopted daughters from China. The Chapman family has 3 biological children as well. Maria had just graduated from the church preschool.
There is a link to SCC’s message board on Tami’s Blog.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24766629/from/ET/
www.stevencurtischapman.com/

Do you plan on flying over the summer? American Airlines will soon be charging to check a single piece of luggage. Passengers will have to pay $15 dollars each way for the first piece of checked luggage after June 14th. The fee does not apply to passengers who pay full-price for tickets or people traveling overseas.
http://finance.myway.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?section=news&feed=ap&src=601&news_id=ap-d90ql6700&date=20080522

The death toll from last week's earthquake in China has risen to over 51,000. The 7.9-magnitude quake has left more than 5 million homeless. Chinese officials saying that more than 4,000 kids have been orphaned by the quake.
www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/22/china.earthquake/index.html

President Bush will make a stop in Fort Bragg today. On the agenda: a tour of the 82 Airborne facilities and the President will attend a memorial service.
www2.journalnow.com/content/2008/may/22/president-bush-attend-fort-bragg-memorial/

Duke Energy has agreed to buy more than 16 megawatts of electricity produced by a solar farm that's under construction in Davidson County. SunEdison, the largest solar-energy company in the nation, is building the plant which is expected to provide enough power for 2,600 homes.
www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2008/05/19/daily38.html?ana=from_rss

The state’s largest gathering of homeschool families comes to the Triad.
The 24th annual NCHE Homeschool Conference and Bookfair starts this afternoon at the Benton Convention Center in Downtown Winston-Salem. The conference runs through Saturday. Lots of workshops, keynote speakers, great deals on educational supplies and curriculum and more. Information: http://nche.com/conference/index.php
Local number during the conference: (336) 727-2976

And the new American Idol is…David Cook. Cook edging out David Archuleta becoming the winner of season 7. Regie Hamm, a songwriter from Nashville won this season’s
"AMERICAN IDOL" Songwriting Competition with his song, "The Time of My Life." The song will be released as a single. Reggie’s songs have been recorded by Mercy Me, Rebecca St James, Jaci Velasquez and Joy Williams. Reggie also helped write the Clay Crosse hit “I Surrender All”.

The ringmaster of Lowe’s Motor Speedway (President and GM) Humpy Wheeler is retiring after Sunday’s big race (the Coca Cola 600) in Charlotte.

“Click-it or Ticket” now underway. Highway Patrol out and about.

The DOT will suspend most road construction along interstates and highways during the Memorial Day Weekend starting Friday afternoon through Tuesday morning. Work zone penalties still apply, even though workers aren't there. The penalty for speeding through a work zone is $250 dollars.

Your WBFJ Family Station Forecast:
Today: Mostly sunny…High near 80
Tonight: Partly cloudy…Low 55
Friday: Mostly cloudy with a shower possible…High 75

Memorial Day Weekend: Lots of sunshine and warm
Getaway Forecast:
The Beaches: (Myrtle Beach) Mostly sunny…High 78
Northern Mountains: (Boone) Mix of sun and clouds…High 75

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Crude oil prices have hit a new record high…$130 dollars a barrel. Oil futures are now selling for about twice what they were just a year ago. Gasoline prices also moving up: The national average for regular unleaded is $3.80 a gallon. (AAA)

Starting early next year, Japanese automaker Honda will start selling a new, improved and affordable gas-electric hybrid in the U.S. Honda leaning on new "green" cars, especially hybrids, for sales over the next three years.

Leaders in Burma is still refusing to allow US naval ships to deliver emergency aid. The oppressive military government fears that the US wants to overthrow the country's government and seize its oil.

Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Usual course of treatment includes radiation and chemotherapy The diagnosis comes after the 76-year-old Democratic senator suffered a seizure over the weekend.

Due to rising labor and food prices…Members of the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina (the lobbing group for public school cafeteria workers) are requesting $20 million dollars (or about 25 cents per meal) to meet new nutritional standards required under state law. Elementary schools have been given until June 2009 to implement the healthier standards.

A NEW STUDY FINDS THAT GREEN TEA MAY HELP PROTECT THE BRAIN FROM THE EFFECTS OF SLEEP APNEA. The study is published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

And the crown goes to…Kristi Yamaguchi defeated Jason Taylor to win "Dancing With the Stars". Yamaguchi becomes the first woman to win the title since show's first season

David or David? Who did you vote for? David Archuleta or David Cook?
American Idol…The Finale tonight on FOX.

From the 'Say What?' file:
Chris Kronenberg landed something that he wasn’t expecting.
Police say afour foot iron beam slammed through the windshield of Chris’s vehicle on Business 85 at the Surrett Drive overpass Sunday morning landing dangerously close to his 4-year-old son.
Chris suffered a broken wrist and cuts on his face. The son is OK…
His 4 year old son was asleep in the backseat with his legs tucked up in the car seat. EMS workers said if the boy's legs had been dangling, the beam would have likely cut them off. Chris and his family were traveling toward Gibsonville, when the accident happened. http://www.digtriad.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=103827&catid=216

How high is too high? The city of Canton, Ohio wants to keep lawns manicured legally. The Canton City Council wants to beef up its existing high-grass and weeds law by making a second offense a fourth-degree misdemeanor (punishable by a fine of up to $250 and up to 30 days in jail). In the spring and summer, it's not uncommon for council members to field complaints from residents about overgrown lots owned by individuals or banks and corporations that ignore the law and notices in the mail. According to city law…Grass higher than 8 inches is a no-no.
First-time violators now face a minor misdemeanor, which carries up to a $150 fine and no jail time.

Traffic Reports:
“Click-it or Ticket” being enforced through the weekend. Highway Patrol out and about.

The DOT will suspend most road construction along interstates and highways during the Memorial Day Weekend starting Friday afternoon through Tuesday morning. Work zone penalties still apply, even though workers aren't there. The penalty for speeding through a work zone is $250 dollars.

Memorial Day Weekend: Lots of sunshine and warm.

Summer vacations

Michele Zavatski (The Family Travel Mom) NC trips...
Revised book: Kids Love North Carolina http://www.kidslovetravel.com/
FYI: One of the most requested books on the WBFJ Morning Show! There are 12 other states available on her website.

Also...
Great Getaways under a $1,000 with Gale Adouli (Great Getaways Travel)
336-778-0349
http://www.greatgetawaystriad.com/
E-Mail: gadouli@triad.rr.com

Come and visit me Gale this weekend at the Arbor Run Clubhouse, Ridge Gate Drive in Lewisville 27023 (next to pool) from 2-5pm!! Prizes and brochures to give away! Hope to see you there....

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

An alarming 70% of Americans now believe that divorce is morally acceptable. That’s according to a recent poll by Gallup’s 2008 Values and Beliefs survey. While the recent poll reveals a steady rise in the acceptability of divorce, more than 70% of Americans continued to rate suicide, cloning humans, polygamy, and adultery as morally unacceptable.
http://christianpost.com/article/20080519/32435_Survey:_70_Percent_of_Americans_Find_Divorce_

The Christian legal defense group ‘LIBERTY COUNSEL’ will file a 57 page ‘brief’ with the California Court of Appeals in a highly publicized homeschool case. Back February 28, the California Court of Appeals ruled that parents who lack teaching credentials do not have the constitutional right to school their children at home. www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14102&AlertID=837

Tragic accident in Tyro: Brandon Craver, a senior at West Davidson High School, was killed late Sunday night in a motorcycle accident on Swicegood Road. Brandon was 18 years old and a volunteer firefighter with the Tyro Volunteer Fire Department. (WXII / FOX 8) Pray for the family, friends and fellow firefighters.

Two of six suspects charged in connection with the shooting of a Triad convenience store clerk last October will face the death penalty. Prosecutors said Keith Jackson Jr. and an accomplice, Ronnie Covington, fatally shot store clerk Josh Sweitzer during a gang related hold up last October. (News 14Carolina)

Primaries in Kentucky and Oregon today. Barack Obama is looking to secure a majority of pledged Democratic delegates in the presidential contest.

THE U.S. SUPREME COURT YESTERDAY UPHELD CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR PROMOTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. In a 7-2 decision, the High court referencing part of a 2003 law that also prohibits possession of such material.

Charles Barkley has paid a $400,000 dollar debt to the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas. Barkley racked up the debt during a gambling trip in October. Barkley apologized to family and friends stating that he is not going to gamble for the next year or two.

Got milk with that cookie spill? Police say a trailer loaded with 14 tons of double-stuffed Oreos overturned on I-80…50 miles south of Chicago on Monday. Oreos were spilled all over the roadway. Illinois State Police say that the truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into the median.



NBA: San Antonio Spurs take Game 7…beating the New Orleans Hornets (91-82)

Jon Lester, the 24-year-old lefty with the Boston Red Sox,
pitched the first no-hitter of the major league season…shutting down Kansas City last night…7-0. Lester has accomplished a lot in the past few years… pitched a World Series clincher for the Boston Red Sox and he is a cancer survivor.
http://sports.myway.com/news/05192008/v9344.html

Your WBFJ Family Station Forecast:
Today: Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms possible. Windy…High 78
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms ending…Low 52
Wednesday: Mostly sunny…High 74

Looking ahead: Lots of sunshine with temps in the mid 70’s through Friday

Monday, May 19, 2008

No more steroid testing of student athletes in Winston-Salem / Forsyth County school system. The Federal grant that paid for the steroid testing will run out at the end of the school year. Good news: no students tested positive for steroids over two and a half years. (WS Journal)

Greensboro police are investigating a robbery that happened in broad daylight Saturday afternoon. According to police, a man was walking down Phillips Avenue near Woodbriar Street when three men approached him. One of the suspects struck him in the head, while another suspect cut him before taking his wallet. The victim was taken to Moses Cone Hospital for treatment. (Fox8 news)

China has begun three days of national mourning for the victims of last week’s 7.9 magnitude earthquake. 158 relief workers in China have been buried by a mud slide while repairing roads damaged by last week’s quake. The official death toll is now more than 32 thousand, but is expected to surpass 50 thousand. CNN

Willing and waiting in Burma: Relief ships from the US and France are in the area loaded with much needed supplies, but Burma’s military leaders are still refusing to allow the cargo into the country. The UN Secretary General will travel to Burma on Wednesday.

FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MIKE HUCKABEE IS MAKING HIS SALES PITCH TO BE JOHN MCCAIN’S RUNNING MATE. Mike Huckabee, appearing yesterday on NBC's "Meet the Press," said besides himself, he was rooting for McCain to be the presidential nominee. Huckabee also eluded that if the VP position is still open…he is available. Two more state primaries on Tuesday: KENTUCKY AND OREGON

Senator Edward Kennedy was rushed to the hospital over the weekend after suffering a seizure. The 76-year-old Massachusetts is undergoing more tests.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" dethroned "Iron Man" at the box office. Prince Caspian brought in $56 million dollars over the weekend. The third of the series, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader," is set for release in the summer of 2010. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080518/D90O7GFO0.html
FYI: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is rated PG
and not recommended for younger viewers.

Franklin Graham, the head of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, is catching some heat from other Christian organizations for a statement made during a recent visit to China. Franklin saying that he is against groups ‘evangelizing’ because it's against Chinese law. The president of Open Doors USA saying that "He is not to criticize a brother, but would say the Gospel has always been preached in places where governments did not want it preached. God's Word says we should be ready to share the Gospel in any season." www.mnnonline.org/article/11241 www.christianpost.com/article/20080510/32318_Franklin_Graham_Visits_China_Ahead_of_Olympics_.htm

Your WBFJ Family Station Forecast:
Today: Sunny…High 75
Tonight: Mostly cloudy…Low 55
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms…High 75

Friday, May 16, 2008

The California Supreme Court ruling that a law defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman is “unconstitutional,” allowing same-sex couples to marry within the next 30 days. The ruling struck down Proposition 22, a voter-approved statute protecting traditional marriage. ProtectMarriage.com, a pro family coalition is working to place a constitutional marriage amendment on the California ballot in November. http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000007441.cfm

In China, the focus is now shifting from search and rescue…to burying the dead. A strong 5.5 magnitude aftershock has triggered landslides, blocking roads, covering cars and knocking out phone service near the epicenter of this week's powerful 7.9 earthquake. 10 million people in southwestern China have been affected by the 7.9 magnitude earthquake on Monday.

THE PENTAGON IS CALLING ON BURMA'S LEADERS TO "PUT THEIR PRIDE ASIDE" AND ALLOW MORE INTERNATIONAL HELP FOR VICTIMS OF THE CYCLONE THAT HIT THE COUNTRY 12 DAYS AGO. So far, there have been 13 U.S. military flights from Thailand to Burma carrying water, tents, blankets and other relief supplies.

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is urging Congress to help boost research on Alzheimer's disease. O'Connor’s husband suffers from Alzheimer's and is encouraged on recent legislation to ban discrimination based on genetic testing results. More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's.www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=615528

The North Carolina State Fair will open its gates a day early. For the first time in 22 years officials have added days to the State Fair. The State Fair will run Oct. 16-26 at the State Fairgrounds. http://www.ncstatefair.org/

Sports: WS Warthogs over the Hillcats (4-3) in 10 innings. http://www.warthogs.com/
Warthogs at home this weekend…Fireworks Friday (7pm) Saturday (5pm) Sunday (2pm)
-Check out the progress on the new stadium at www.baseballdowntown.com/

WBFJ sponsored West Yadkin Yankees (little league baseball) . Yankees will play tonight at 6pm

Your WBFJ Family Station Forecast:
Today: Mix of sun and clouds. Slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Breezy…High 80
Tonight: Mostly cloudy and breezy…Low 50
Saturday: Mostly sunny…High 75
Sunday: Partly cloudy. An afternoon shower possible…High 75