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Rapper 'Tim Dog' Reportedly Faked His Own Death To Avoid Paying Thousands Of Dollars In Restitution

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:08:00 EST

A Mississippi woman is claiming that a popular 1990s rapper faked his own death to get out of paying her thousands of dollars.

On Feb. 14, rapper Timothy Blair, better known as "Tim Dog," reportedly died from a seizure following a battle with diabetes. Rolling Stone reported this news via a report from The Source, but that link is now disabled. Southaven, Miss., native Esther Pilgrim may know why such news disappeared. She is claiming the rapper actually faked his death to swindle her out of $32,000.

JOSE CANSECO Flirty Pic With Accuser Hours Before Alleged Incident

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:39:00 EST

Just hours before Jose Canseco allegedly committed rape ... the alleged victim posed for a very flirty pic with J.C. in a Vegas casino and joked that they had just gotten married, TMZ has learned.

The pic was taken on the floor of the MGM Casino at 2:51 AM on May 10 -- with the woman cozying up for a couply shot with Jose ... with her open right hand placed on the center of his exposed chest.

The person who took the photo says he's a huge Canseco fan (apparently those still exist) ... and had recognized Jose strolling around the casino with a female companion.

The fan asked Jose if he could snap a shot -- and Jose obliged, striking a pose with the woman while she giggled and told the photog she and Jose had just tied the knot.

For the record -- we've done some digging, but couldn't find any proof of a Canseco marriage.

The photog told us the two seemed happy ... no signs of distress.

Of course, things changed -- 'cause the woman reportedly told police Jose drugged and raped her later that day.

Jose has denied the allegations -- claiming his accuser is making up the story for publicity.

Source:TMZ

Judge declares mistrial in penalty phase of Jodi Arias trial

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:36:00 EST

Jurors who spent five months determining Jodi Arias' fate couldn't decide whether she should get life in prison or die for murdering her boyfriend, sending prosecutors back to the drawing board to rehash the shocking case of sex, lies and violence to another 12 people.

Judge Sherry Stephens gave a heavy sigh as she announced a mistrial in the penalty phase of the case Thursday and scheduled a July 18 retrial.

Source:Bossip

Urban Renewal? Big US Cities Showing Strong Growth

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:26:00 EST

Washington (AP) - Most of the nation's largest cities have enhanced their allure, showing strong population growth for a second consecutive year.

New census estimates show big cities surpassed the rate of growth in their surrounding suburbs at an even faster clip last year. It's a sign of America's continuing preference for urban living after the economic downturn quelled enthusiasm for less-crowded expanses.

Growth in outlying suburbs known as exurbs slipped to the lowest level in more than a decade.

Economists generally have played down the recent city boom, saying young adults in the recovering economy will be back on the move after years of staying put in big cities. But the 2012 numbers indicate that young people are still playing it safe in dense urban cores, where many jobs are.

Source:Wham13

Police Say Man Picked Up Young Boy and Slammed Him To the Floor In Walmart

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:24:00 EST

A Warsaw man faces charges of child endangerment and harassment after witnesses say he threw his son to the floor and yelled at him inside a Batavia Walmart.
Christopher Cummings, 28, was arrested after troopers say a witness inside the store reported seeing him pick up his seven-year-old son, lift him over his head, and slam him to the floor.

Cummings, a woman and their three children quickly left the store Thursday afternoon after being confronted.

Witnesses came forward quickly after a surveillance photo of Cummings was posted online.

Police say his son wasn't hurt but was taken to a local hospital to be examined.

In a statement to police, Cummings said his son was arguing with him about a package of cards, and then opened them. He said he slapped his son and then threw him down.

Cummings said he knows he has anger management problems and needs to get some help.

He is being held in the Genesee County Jail.

Law Would Link Student Loan Rates To Financial Markets

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:16:00 EST

Washington (AP) - House lawmakers are ready to pass legislation that links student loan rates to the financial markets in spite of a veto threat from President Barack Obama.

Supported by Republicans, the bill would avoid a rate increase for students with new subsidized Stafford loans if lawmakers pass it, as expected, on Thursday. Democrats generally opposed the measure, which would provide some students a deal in the first years of the new system before ratcheting up interest rates later.

"As the economy continues to recover and at a time when market interest rates are at historic lows, more than 7 million students who rely on these loans to finance postsecondary education should not be burdened with additional college debt as they seek to graduate, launch a career or a business, start a family or buy a house," the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a memo announcing its opposition.

The top Republican on the Education Committee, Rep. John Kline of Minnesota, said Obama was standing against many of the ideas he included in his own budget.

"The legislation is based on the president's own proposal and provides a solid basis for negotiation through the legislative process," Kline said.

Interest rates on new subsidized Stafford loans are set to double, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, for new loans on July 1. Lawmakers said they wanted to avoid that but were divided on how, exactly, to accomplish that. With most lawmakers set to leave Washington for the Memorial Day holiday, time is running short.

Source:Wham13

Boy Scouts Approve Plan To Accept Openly Gay Boys

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:10:00 EST

Rochester, N.Y. - It was the reason Joel Helfrich turned in his scouting medals. The anti-gay policies of the Boy Scouts of America became too much for the former Eagle Scout to bear.

Thursday, as the Boy Scouts of America lifted its ban against membership for gay boys, Helfrich - who is straight - smiled.

"I think there is going to be a number of people who join the Boy Scouts because of this," said Helfrich.

In a statement, the Boy Scouts of America said the following:

"Today, following this review, the most comprehensive listening exercise in Scouting's history the approximate 1,400 voting members of the Boy Scouts of America's National Council approved a resolution to remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone. The resolution also reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether heterosexual or homosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting. A change to the current membership policy for adult leaders was not under consideration; thus, the policy for adults remains in place. The BSA thanks all the national voting members who participated in this process and vote."

The policy change will go into effect on January 1, 2014 as the group said it needed time to implement the changes within its roughly 116,000 Scouting units.

Local Scoutmaster Jason Patterson said he can see both sides, and that the issue has opened a wound for many in the scouting community.

"My thought on that is this is a private organization and it should remain that way, they should be able to govern themselves," declared Patterson.

"It does an awful lot of good to the youth and you know, we want to be inclusive, I don't think anyone would disagree with that," said Don Hensel, Lighthouse District chairman.

In a phone conversation with 13WHAM News, Executive Director Stephen Hoitt said the following of Thursday's vote:

"It's probably not going to have a big impact in Rochester," said Hoitt. "Simply because in our five county area we've already had this policy in place--where it's conduct based--and you'd only get removed if it was something inappropriate."

Source:Wham13

Cuomo: Weiner NYC Mayoral Win Would Be A 'Shame'

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:01:00 EST

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says it would be a "shame" if Anthony Weiner was elected mayor of New York City.

Speaking to editors at the Syracuse Post-Standard newspaper Wednesday, the governor, who also leads the state Democratic Party, weighed in on a Weiner candidacy for the first time.

Weiner is back on the political scene two years after a series of raunchy text messages ended his congressional career.

Asked how he'd react if Weiner won, Cuomo answered: "Shame on us."

Earlier Wednesday, he pointedly stayed away from the topic. Asked to comment on Weiner's candidacy, he answered: "None. No reaction. None."

A spokeswoman for the Weiner campaign did not comment.

Weiner is among several Democrats trying to succeed Michael Bloomberg.

Source:Wham13

Memorial Day Movie Weekend Heats Up

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:49:55 EST

The crew is back for Fast & Furious 6. Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez, the actors reprise their roles for the action-packed Universal franchise. The latest installment finds Dom Teretto (Diesel) and former FBI agent Brian O'Conner (Walker) agreeing to assist Luke Hobbs, played by Johnson, to track down some European car thieves. Dom's biggest motive to help comes from realizing that Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez), who has teamed up with the criminals, isn't dead. The car-chasing flick is directed by Justin Lin.

Another franchise film to hit theaters this week comes from Todd Phillips' and his third installment of The Hangover. Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms return with another epic adventure to Vegas. The popular series also features Ken Jeong and John Goodman with a cameo from Melissa McCarthy as Alan's (Galifianakis) newfound soulmate.

Meanwhile, the family-friendly, animated film Epic follows a teenage girl transported to a whimsical forest. The Chris Wedge-directed film is voiced by Beyonce, Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried and Aziz Ansari.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Five RCSD Schools Will Expand School Year

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:01:00 EST

Rochester, N.Y. - Five Rochester elementary schools will expand their school day next school year. The schools were selected by a national program that will allow them to provide extra instructional time by adding 300 hours of school time for the year.

That's equivalent to eight extra school weeks.

That means students will see an extra 60 to 90 minutes to each school day, depending on the needs of the students in each school.

RCSD Superintendent Bolgen Vargas hopes the move will help bridge the gap between city and suburban schools.

According to the district, city elementary students get 972 hours per year of instructional time.

Compare that to 1,052 hours for suburban students and 1,735 hours for charter school students.

"We believe that this approach to expand the school day will allow us to meet the needs of the teachers and students in a way that we haven't been able to do in the past," Vargas said.

School 46 is one of the schools that will have a longer day.

"We'll start at eight in the morning and approximately go until 4:10 which also allows for extra time for parents and family time in the evening and we'll get our kids when they're nice and fresh in the morning," Principal T'Hani Pantoja said.

The schools were chosen for the program based on their success in completing a rigorous and comprehensive planning process.

That process involved a fully collaborative planning among teachers who voted for the program, community members, union officials, parents and administrators.

In addition to the core curriculum, students will have extra-curricular activities such as knitting, French class and participating in a step team.

The district said it has already had success at School 9 where the school day was extended to 5 p.m. this school year.

Staff told 13WHAM News that attendance at the school was at its highest and students say they're more engaged.

"First I was unhappy because I didn't want to stay in school for that long," said student Trenice Young, "but we get to learn extra stuff for the next year."

"I know they're going to start with, 'oh we have to be in school longer' but once they see what they're going to be doing, they will learn so much and gain so much more, Robert Burns of the Expanded Learning Program said.

Schools 9, 10, 23, 45 and 46 will take part in the program next school year.

Vargas said he hopes to add more schools in the future.

Source:Wham13

Bridge Collapse In Washington State

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:49:00 EST

Mt. Vernon, Wash. (AP) - The Washington State Patrol says the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River at Mount Vernon has collapsed, dumping vehicles and people into the water.

Trooper Mark Francis said the four-lane bridge collapsed about 7 p.m.

Three people were taken to the hospital. Dive teams searched on for hours to be sure they didn't miss anyone who might be still stranded in the water.

The Washington State Transportation Department is looking into whether an over-sized truck may have struck the bridge.

Source:Wham13

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks State of The County Address

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:25:36 EST

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks touched on some familiar themes in Thursday night�s state of the county address. One of those themes was related to where the speech was delivered.

The county exec gave her speech in the Theatre on the Ridge building at the Eastman Business Park. Brooks says that she picked that venue for a specific reason...

"Eastman Business Park to me represents our community's ongoing transformation form a big box image capital to a hub for innovation and technology."

Besides talking about successes at the business park, Brooks also defended the way the county nursing home, Monroe Community Hospital, is operated. She says even with a state report critical of one particular incident, staffers at that facilities are extremely dedicated and provide quality care.

The minority leader of the Monroe County Legislature, Carrie Andrews, says Brooks can deliver a speech well, but she wasn't too impressed with the content�

�Honestly I think the speech sounded more like a pep rally than an actual assessment of the state of our county. I was deeply disappointed that she didn't mention any plans for actually closing the county's structural deficit of 50-million dollars. "

Brooks says that structural deficit is due to Medicaid and other mandated programs.

The Republican majority in the legislature as well as the county executive have been at odds with Democratic lawmakers in recent weeks on a number of issues, including funding for some projects, and the fallout from the controversy at the county nursing home.

In her speech, Brooks also announced that she has selected Dr. Byron Kennedy, who is the county's deputy health director, to replace Dr. Andrew Doniger, who is retiring.

Source: WXXI News

French Montana "Excuse My French"

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:25:00 EST

French Montana's much anticipated album, "Excuse My French," dropped this Tuesday right before his concert Saturday, May 25th at the Main Street Armory! The album contains various artists such as The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Rick Ross, and even Max B who sets off the album their song "Once In Awhile."

After listening to the album, it was definitely what I expected, a whole list of hood anthems lined with his new saying that is taking the world by storm, HAAAAANNN!!! My favorite song on the album, besides "Freaks," would have to be "Gifted" featuring The Weeknd mostly because it sounds different from the rest of the tracks on the album.

All in all, it is a pretty good album. Most of the songs on the album have already been released with videos, so there are not many tracks that haven't already been heard. I am more of a fan of his Coke Boys mixtapes than this album to be honest. If you are feeling hesitant towards whether or not you should buy or download the album, preview the entire album at our website, only on WDKX.com!

Rick Ross Live

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:42:00 EST

Sat. June 15th, 20 13
7p door/9p show

Rick Ross Live
Main Street Armory - 900 E. Main St. Rochester, NY.

Tickets are $40 ($60 VIP)
Available at:
Mad Flavors; His & Hers; Chells Liquor & Xquisite.
In Buffalo @ Doris Records - 986 Ferry St.
In Syracuse @ Villa - 317 S. Salina St.

Ladies 18+/Fellas 21+

Tropical Blendz Take Over @ Water Street Music Hall

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:19:00 EST

Fri. June 7th, 2013
9p door/11p show
Tropical Blendz Take Over @ Water Street Music Hall - 204 N. Water St.

Performances by:
Shaggy; Lady Saw; I-Octane; Gyptian; Mighty Mystic.

Advance tickets are $40 ($55 for VIP)
Available at: Mad Flavors; Xquisite; His & Hers; and 761 Records.

Ladies 18+ Guys 21+.

Mackin' Burgers, Charles Ramsey Rewarded With Burgers For Life

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:01:00 EST

Ohio Hero Charles Ramsey will receive burgers for life in his hometown of Cleveland.

Ramsey has a burger named after him at the restaurant where he worked as a dishwasher, but dozens of eateries throughout the city felt a bigger tribute was in order.

Charles Ramsey will be given a "Chuck Card" when he arrives home from traveling.

For more on this story follow the link below:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/23/ohio-kidnap-case-hero-big-mac-eater-charles-ramsey-gets-free-burgers-for-life/

Terror in London: Bloodied Attacker on Camera

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:11:00 EST

London (AP) - The British government's emergency committee has met today after yesterday's attack by two men near London's military barracks.

An active duty British soldier was killed.

One of the attackers went on video to explain the crime, waiving his bloodied hands with a meat cleaver near the body that lay in the street.

Police shot and wounded both suspects.

Prime Minister David Cameron says there are strong indications the attack was terrorism.

Source:Wham13

Cuomo: No Taxes For Businesses That Open Near Colleges

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:42:00 EST

Albany, N.Y. - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a plan Wednesday that would shelter new businesses from taxes - as long as they are within a certain distance of a SUNY or private college.

In the plan, which he calls "Tax-Free NY", Cuomo called for no property, sales, business, or corporate taxes for new businesses that are willing to locate within 200,000 square feet of a SUNY or community college campus, or within three million square feet of a private college.

According to Cuomo, "companies with a relationship to the academic mission of the university" will be eligible for the tax-exemption.

"We have unnecessary regulation, we have an oppressive tax structure, and people didn't leave Upstate New York - we chased people from Upstate New York, and this is about getting us out of our own way," Cuomo said Wednesday at SUNY Albany.

The plan still needs the support of the State Legislature, but Cuomo's plan has already gained support from Senator Dean Skelos, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and Senator Jeff Klein.

State leaders say jobs that come to the state will outweigh the loss of tax dollars.

"This program will enhance the academic missions of our colleges and universities, ensure that local graduates can find rewarding opportunities at home, and promote the advancement of emerging technologies," said Silver.

Formal legislation has yet to be introduced.

Anthony Weiner Wants Comeback

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:38:00 EST

New York, N.Y. (AP) Anthony Weiner's run for a renaissance is on.

The ex-congressman who resigned over raunchy tweets said late Tuesday that he's in the New York City mayoral race. He had said last month he was considering it.

The Democrat is jumping into a crowded field for September's primary. He's arriving with some significant advantages, including a $4.8 million campaign war chest, polls showing him ahead of all but one other Democrat - and no end of name recognition.

But he also continues to contend with questions about his character and the scandal that sank his career just two years ago.

After a photo of a man's underwear-clad groin appeared on his Twitter account, he initially claimed his account had been hacked. He eventually owned up to exchanging racy messages with several women.

State of Monroe County - 7 p.m. Thursday

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:32:00 EST

Rochester, N.Y. - Monroe Co. Executive Maggie Brooks will deliver her 'State of the County' address Thursday at 7 p.m., May 23.

Last year she reviewed recent years of progress, recognized those active in the community, reviewed taxes, business, schools and even Medicaid decisions.

She praised the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency for helping the county grow.

She said Rochester is "a community poised for greatness."

13WHAM News will cover the event and bring the highlights to you at 10 and 11 p.m.

Source:Wham13