Earthquake Map from earthquakereport.com

That earthquake that was felt in East Texas yesterday morning, shook, rattled and even rolled people out of bed. 

The rumblings were reportedly centered around the town of Timpson, Texas, which was also the site of an earthquake a few weeks ago.

The Caddo-Bossier Port Commission has adopted a resolution to join in the recognition of National Maritime Day next Tuesday.  On that day, the Port will once again fly its Maritime flags on the yardarm flagpole at the Regional Commerce Center.  National Maritime Day is designed to honor the maritime industry and the economic benefits it brings to the country.  It also honors the ships and seafarers who make up the maritime industry.

Missing teen

Shreveport Police are asking the public for help in finding a missing teenager.  16-year-old Donicia Jones hasn’t been seen by her mother since last Friday when she left their home on Rasberry Lane — headed for Huntington High School.  After school let out that day, she never returned home.  Police say she has run away from home in the past and, at this point, they don’t think she’s the victim of foul play.  They just want to get her back home safely.  Take a look at her picture and, if you think you’ve seen her, contact Shreveport detectives at 673-7020 or Crime Stoppers at 673-7373.

ABC

Is Jimmy Kimmel the new king of late night? Judging by last Thursday’s ratings coup, Kimmel may soon be worthy of the crown.

‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!‘ bested ‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno‘ by 4% in the 18-49 demo, according to Deadline. Not too shabby considering Kimmel’s show comes on at midnight, a half-hour into Leno’s ‘Tonight Show’ which airs after the eleven o’clock news.

Kimmel’s victorious night didn’t end with Leno, however. ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ also felt the heat of rising competition, as Kimmel trounced Letterman by as much as 60% with adults 18-34 on May 7th and 9th and on the 11th, with a repeat. Ouch.

Kimmel also scored notable wins over late, late night competitors, beating out ‘The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson’ by 48% in adults 18-49 and putting ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon‘ in second place with the demo.

The numbers mark Kimmel’s first in-season win over Leno and his 7th straight win over Fallon. If Kimmel can keep it up, celebrities may have to reconsider whose couch they’ll want to be sitting on to talk-up their next big flick.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

philliecasablanca, flickr

Pop quiz: if one man orders a soy burger and another orders a steak, which guy do you think is more masculine?

If you said the steak-eater, you aren’t alone. A new study indicates people tend to think meat is far more macho than vegetarian choices.

Researchers conducted several experiments to study the metaphors people use about foods meat and vegetables, and found the participants not only used more masculine words when talking about meat, they perceived meat-eaters as more manly.

“To the strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing, All-American male, red meat is a strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing, all-American food,” the researchers wrote. “Soy is not. To eat it, they would have to give up a food they saw as strong and powerful like themselves for a food they saw as weak and wimpy.”

This means health experts who advocate eating less meat may have a tough sell with guys. The study authors say that addressing the metaphors that shape consumer attitudes would help, but something as simple as reshaping soy burgers to make them look more like traditional hamburgers or even putting grill marks on them may make reluctant men more likely to give them a try.

[LiveScience]

Bryan Bedder, Getty Images

Mary Richardson Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert Kennedy Jr., was found dead on Wednesday, and an autopsy has now revealed her cause of death: she died of asphyxiation due to hanging.

Police who went to Kennedy’s home in Bedford, NY on Wednesday afternoon to investigate a “possible unattended death” found the 52-year-old in a building on the grounds.

Mary was Robert Kennedy’s second wife. They married in 1994 and separated in 2010, and she’d struggled for years with alcohol and substance abuse problems. Toxicology tests are still pending and could take months to complete.

A statement released by Kerry Lawrence, her attorney, said, “We deeply regret the death of our beloved sister Mary, whose radiant and creative spirit will be sorely missed by those who loved her. Our heart goes out to her [four] children, who she loved without reservation.”

The death seems to add another chapter to the cursed Kennedy legacy. Robert Kennedy, Jr. is the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. Robert’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, Sr., was shot and killed in 1968.

[The Los Angeles Times]

Mix 108

Love can get messy sometimes. Divorces can get even messier. But, what often gets the messiest is the stuff left behind after the divorce that the remaining spouse must get rid of to move on. This Superior, WI woman seems to have found the best way, and a local radio station got all the photos.

Rather than posting adds for well-priced used items on Craigslist, the woman decided to have a “sale” in front of her home. The good news for interested shoppers was that everything was free. The bad news was that everything seemed to be somewhat destroyed, including a green GMC Yukon covered in vulgar graffiti indicating the former owner of the SUV to be a “cheater.” There was also a pile of charred remains of stuff, clearly the result of a small fire.

The “X-Husband Sale” stopped traffic on the woman’s street as passers-by paused to examine the items and photograph the result of the divorcee’s wrath. The traffic back-up prompted a visit from police, who spoke to someone in the home, but did nothing further with the mess on the front lawn.

Later, the SUV was gone, but the “sale” remained open. When asked, Superior Police Sergeant William Lear explained there is no law against spray painting a vehicle in your own yard. If there’s questionable language on the vehicle, he said, “Depends on the language, there’s a fine line there. If it’s creating a disturbance, if there’s threats, if it’s blocking traffic, we can tow it.”

According to court documents, the couple filed for divorce in July of 2011. A neighbor confirmed that the divorce became final on Tuesday and that set off the preparations for the “sale.” For more photos, including some with objectionable language, head over to Mix 108.

Mix 108

Source: TheFW.com

sblackley, Flickr

Sunglasses don’t just make you look cool, they’re also good for your eyes. But a lot of parents don’t seem to know that rule also applies to their kids.

Research done by the Vision Council found that while three-quarters of adults regularly wear sunglasses, only about half make their kids wear them, too. And California ophthalmologist Paul Michelson says that should change.

“A substantial proportion of people still do not understand that UV exposure is harmful to the eyes as well as the skin,” he said. “Even [in] those who do understand, few understand it is the cumulative exposure that can be damaging.”

Among adults, the top three reasons given for not wearing sunglasses were that they forgot them at home, they break or lose them too often, and they don’t believe their eyes are at risk from sun exposure.

People with light-colored eyes are more susceptible to UV damage than people with brown eyes, but the risks for everyone include cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and cancer of the eye, eyelid or surrounding skin.

[WebMD]

Wayne Wilson, Getty Images

There is some good news being reported about the state of young people in America.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, fewer American teens and young adults are smoking cigarettes than they were nearly a decade ago.

This new report consists of data collected each year between 2004 and 2010 as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Researchers interviewed nearly 158,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 and roughly 159,000 men and women between the ages of 18 to 25.

• The number of children between the ages of 12 and 17 who smoked every day fell from 3.3% in 2004 to 1.9% in 2010.
• Young people ages 18 to 25 years old also reported decreased daily tobacco use – from 20.4% in 2004 to 15.8% in 2010.
• The ranks of young smokers between the ages of 12 and 17 who smoke five or fewer cigarettes a day grew from nearly 37% in 2004 to almost 43% in 2010.
• The largest group of daily smokers between the ages of 18 to 25 who smoked between six and 15 cigarettes a day slightly increased from about 41% in 2004 to roughly 44% in 2010.
• There was nearly a 3% decrease in young adults who smoked 26 or more cigarettes a day.

According to researchers, the downward trend in tobacco use could be the result of anti-smoking laws, tax increases, and tougher laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors.

Researchers also add that while these findings may be encouraging, many kids are still picking up this dangerous habit.

[WebMD]

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

At the end of April, Honolulu County passed a ban that made Hawaii the first state in the nation to ban plastic bags at store checkouts statewide. Of the four counties in the state, three had previously passed bans and the Honolulu County decision officially made the ban statewide.

The Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club has spent two years campaigning for a plastic bag ban. Robert Harris, director of the chapter said, “Passing the bans did take an effort — change always does — but people seemed to understand the need for such an effort.”

He believes that in the end it was easy to go statewide because Hawaii is a marine state. “Perhaps we are exposed more directly to the impacts of plastic pollution and the damage it does to our environment,” he said.

Harris also explained that the group had lobbied for state legislation, but that effort failed. The group used the exposure from it to petition the four counties to make their own bans which would then have an effect statewide.

The Honolulu County Council passed the final ban late last month, but mayor and county executive Peter Carlisle held back his support, feeling that he needed more input from the public because of enforcement and cost concerns. Last Thursday, Mayor Carlisle showed his full support by signing the ban and helping Hawaii earn its first-in-the-nation status.

Retailers have three years to comply with the county law that bans non-biodegradable plastic bags at checkout, as well as paper bags that are not at least 40 percent recycled. The ban will take full effect in July of 2015. You can find a list of other areas that have enacted bans on plastic bags at PlasticBagBanReport.com.

[MSNBC]

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Disco legend Donna Summer has died after a battle with cancer, TMZ is reporting. She was 63 years old.

Insiders say she wanted to keep the disease quiet, and a friend said that as recently as two weeks ago, Summer seemed okay and was even finishing up work on a new album.

The five-time Grammy winner shot to fame in the 1970s with songs like ‘Love to Love You Baby,’ ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Bad Girls,’ and continued her reign on radio airwaves into the ’80s with hits including ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ and ‘This Time I Know It’s for Real.’

Summer was also the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the US Billboard chart.

[TMZ]

Brandon Wade, Getty Images

One of America’s greatest exports isn’t a product, a car or even a tangible object. It’s self-esteem. And by that logic, that means Ritalin and cheap whiskey are also our greatest exports.

So it’s no wonder that despite everything that’s going on in the country and the world, a recent study of the Well-Being Index found that a majority of Americans are feeling quite happy overall. That means there are still some sad sacks out there who need cheering up. Here are some reasons that should help them put a smile on their faces:

1. Not only can you eat 24 hours a day, you don’t even have to get out of your car or put on pants to do it.

2. The closest thing our women have to a burka is a Snuggie.

3. Per capita, we have more wet T-shirt contests than any other country.

4. Using donuts instead of sandwich bread is totally acceptable.

5. The news has more sexual content than most late night pay cable movie channels.

6. Our biggest cars can carry a family of 10 or two average-sized Americans.

7. Bacon isn’t the only thing in the store that’s bacon-flavored — and that includes the pharmacy aisle.

8. Other countries give their women jail time for showing too much skin. We give them drink tickets and awards for ‘Best Buns.’

9. We’re so excepting of foreign immigrants who want to live in our country that we elected one president.

10. Hamburgers and hot dogs are a side dish.

11. “On a stick” is one of our four food groups.

12. Our politicians make us laugh and cry at the same time.

Local 15

When fire engulfed 12-year-old Justin Jackon’s Milton, FL, home on Sunday at 2AM, his mother was at work and his father was out of state. So if anyone was going to save his four younger siblings, it was going to have to be him.

Knowing what he had to do, Allen made three trips back into the burning home. The most harrowing was when he pulled out his three-year-old sister, who remained asleep during the ordeal.

“I had to pick her up and she was real stiff. I was just real scared at that point,” said Justin, who also had to kick a door in to gain clear access to her room.

Not only did he save his younger brothers and sister, but Justin had the presence of mind to let the four family dogs out. (Although, sadly, two still perished in the flames.)

The house ended up burning to the ground, but Justin downplayed talk that he was a hero. “Not really,” he said when asked if he thought what he did was heroic. “I was just helping my family and stuff.”

Justin’s aunt, Cri Jackson, disagrees with his modest assessment.

“He ran back in not once, not twice, but three times to save his siblings,” she said. “He’s our little hero.”

Learn more about Justin — who we have no problem laying the hero tag on — in the video below.

Source: TheFW.com

Andy Lyons, Ian Walton, Brett Deering / Getty Images

Another leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, Europe’s biggest annual soccer event and the NBA and NHL playoffs highlight this weekend’s sports schedule:

Friday, May 18

Baltimore Orioles at Washington Nationals

Nationals Park, Washington, DC; 7:05 p.m. EDT; MASN
Despite the teams’ close geographic proximity to one another, an interleague rivalry has never developed between the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. While each team is normally near the bottom of their respective divisions, the Orioles and Nationals should both be in first place as they open a three-game series in Washington. Jake Arrieta (2-4) takes the mound for Baltimore, while Edwin Jackson (1-1) gets the start for Washington.

Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA; 8 p.m. EDT; ESPN
Behind a dominant performance from veteran center Kevin Garnett, Boston beat Philadelphia, 107-91, in Game 3 of this NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night. The Celtics now have a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 on Friday. The 76ers need guards Evan Turner and Jodie Meeks to score more often, if they are to tie this series up as it heads back to Boston next week.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA; 10:30 p.m. EDT; ESPN
After winning the first two games of this NBA Western Conference semifinal series, Oklahoma City heads west to play the Lakers in a very busy weekend for the Staples Center (the Clippers and the NHL’s Kings will also host playoff games at the arena this weekend). The Thunder have already demonstrated that they can win both close games and blowouts in this series. If someone other than Kobe Bryant doesn’t step up for Los Angeles, the Lakers may not survive the weekend thanks to the spectacular play of Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant. Game 4 is set for Saturday at 10:30 p.m. in Los Angeles. TNT will broadcast that contest.

Saturday, May 19

New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils

Prudential Center, Newark, NJ; 1 p.m. EDT; NBC
With a 3-2 win on the road at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils have stolen home ice advantage from the New York Rangers in the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals. The teams will meet in Game 3 with the Devils hoping that veteran goalie Martin Brodeur continues to stonewall the Rangers. New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist has come up with an impressive performance each time his team has needed a lift in this postseason. He will be called on to do so again.

Chelsea at Bayern Munich

Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany; 2:45 p.m. EDT; FOX
Europe’s top soccer clubs will duel in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final, an event which attracts more global viewers than the Super Bowl. Known by its royal blue color, Chelsea has won three Premier League titles, two League Cup titles and four FA Cup titles since demanding owner Roman Abramovich took over the franchise in 2003. However, Chelsea has never won the UEFA Champions League crown in its 107-year history. Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo will have to overcome the absence of captain John Terry, defender Branislav Ivanovic and midfielder Raul Meireles. Bayern Munich, Germany’s most successful club, has won 22 national titles. They’ll be the underdog on the pitch Saturday, but they could surprise given Chelsea’s injuries.

The Preakness Stakes

Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, MD; 6:18 p.m.; NBC
Trainer Doug O’Neill will have Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another ready to run the 137th Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico outside Baltimore, but it’s Derby runner-up Bodemeister that is the early favorite at 8-5 odds. Eleven horses will compete in the storied race. If I’ll Have Another can come away with another win, the horse will race for the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes on June 9. The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed in 1978.

Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA; 7:15 p.m. EDT; FOX
Though both teams entered 2012 with World Series hopes and loads of baseball talent, injuries and poor play have left both the Phillies and the Red Sox in last place in their respective divisions. They’ll try to get things turned around on Fox’s national game of the week. Boston will send Jon Lester (2-3) to the mound to shut down a Phillies lineup that has had difficulty working deep into counts and scoring runs. Philadelphia counters with Joe Blanton (2-3), who will attempt to keep Boston’s bats quiet.

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC; 7 p.m. EDT; Speed
NASCAR’s version of an all-star game, the Sprint All-Star Race invites winning drivers from 2011 and 2012, plus the past 10 event winners and Cup Series champs, to square off for 90 laps in pursuit of $1 million, but no points are awarded toward a Sprint Cup title. The 28th (XXVIII) edition of the race will have five segments: four 20-lap runs and a 10-lap sprint. The leaders of each individual segment will be allowed to pit prior to the 10-lap final, giving those drivers an edge in lining up best for the last 10 laps and the million-dollar purse. Greg Biffle, the circuit’s hottest racer, is the favorite to win.

Sunday, May 20

Phoenix Coyotes at Los Angeles Kings

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA; 3 p.m.; NBC
Already up 2-0 in the NHL’s Western Conference finals heading into Thursday’s Game 3, the Kings could be going for the sweep come Sunday. Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick has been nothing short of dominant, as the Kings have a 10-1 record this postseason. Phoenix may lose center Martin Hanzal to a suspension for his boarding penalty on Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown late in Game 2. Phoenix could be at an extreme disadvantage against Quick if Hanzal, who is the Coyotes’ first-line center, can’t play on Sunday.

Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN; 3:30 p.m. EDT; ABC
This NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series is tied at a game apiece heading into Thursday night’s game in Indianapolis. If the Pacers can defeat Miami, which is without injured center Chris Bosh, they may get Heat superstars LeBron James and Dwayne Wade into panic mode on Sunday. Indiana plays solid interior defense and uses a balanced scoring attack. Forward David West has led the Pacers in scoring in both games of the series thus far.

St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA; 8:05 p.m. EDT; ESPN
In what should be a battle of two National League division leaders, the defending world champion Cardinals conclude a three-game series in Los Angeles. Kyle Lohse (5-1) gets the start for St. Louis. He’ll try to shut down a Dodgers’ lineup that is without Matt Kemp, Juan Uribe and Juan Rivera. Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley (2-3) must be careful when pitching to hot-hitting St. Louis outfielder Carlos Beltran. He leads the National League in home runs with 13.

San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA; 10:30 p.m. EDT; TNT
The Clippers dropped Game 1 of this NBA Western Conference semi-final series on Tuesday. With Game 2 set for Thursday and Game 3 on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m. EDT; ABC-TV), Los Angeles could easily be down 3-0 by Sunday night. San Antonio has won 15 games in a row and looks nearly unstoppable behind point guard Tony Parker and veteran big man Tim Duncan. Los Angeles needs superstars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to rise to the occasion, or this could be their last game of 2012.

Earthquake Map from earthquakereport.com

You know it had to register  4.3 magnitude on the Richter scale.  The rumblings were reportedly centered around the town of Timpson, Texas, which was also the site of  an earthquake a few weeks ago.

One lady from Center, Texas, told us she felt it while she was at work.

Another man, this one from Carthage, says he woke up and told his wife about feeling an earthquake and she thought he was having a nightmare.

Where I live in Carthage, I was sitting  in my car under my carport, about to back out when I felt my car moving, like it was on a wave.  I wondered if my engine was about to explode.  At that same moment, my 19-year-old daughter, Casey,  called me from her cell phone, and said, “Mom, did you feel that? That earthquake. It woke me up and shook the lamps in my room. I heard there were earthquakes in Timpson, are we going to be okay?”

I reassured her, everything was okay and it was either an earthquake or a gas explosion nearby. (Carthage used to be the gas capital of the U.S.)

 Then, Casey says, “Jill’s up now and in my room. It woke her up, too.” (Jill is my 16-year-old daughter).  There was no word for my husband or 14-year-old son, Shane. I guess guys can sleep through anything.

   In the Bossier-Shreveport area, one woman said she woke up to a tremor.  Others could feel it in Tyler, Nacogdoches and even Grand Cane, Louisiana.

Shape-ups ads featuring celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke. Airing during the 2011 Super Bowl, the Kardashian ad showed her dumping her personal trainer for a pair of Shape-ups. The Burke ad told consumers that the newest way to burn calories and tone and strengthen muscles was to tie their Shape-ups shoe laces.

The answer, which is “magic wand,” seems perfectly obvious to those of us watching at home, but the contestant repeatedly fails to provide the correct response. Instead, he guesses “magic hand,” “magic band,” “magic pand” (?) and a few dozen others. Once the buzzer sounds, he finally gets it, but by then it’s far too late.

“Uh, wow,” said a clearly stunned Pat Sajak. “It’s a weird game and you just never know. I’m really sorry.” Well, we’re not sorry. This guy just made us feel better about shouting answers at the TV during ‘Wheel of Fortune.’

Source: TheFW.com

According to the U.S. Geological Society website, it was centered at Timpson, Texas.  Reports of “shaking” are coming from as far away to the west as Tyler, south to Nacogdoches and west to towns just inside the Louisiana state line.