CASPER, Wyo. – A Wyoming coroner says a 5-year-old skier who died in a collision with a snowboarder was wearing a helmet, contrary to officials' earlier reports.
Natrona County Coroner Connie Jacobson says the girl, Elise Johnson, and 23-year-old Craig Shirley died of internal injuries from blunt force trauma.
Witnesses have said Shirley was snowboarding at high speed Friday at Hogadon (HO'-guh-dun) Ski Area when he collided with Elise and her mother. The mother and daughter had stopped in the middle of the run, which is rated as difficult.
The mother was hospitalized. Her name hasn't been released.
The circumstances of the crash are still under investigation.
Shirley's father told the Casper Star-Tribune that the run was covered in ice.
(This version corrects age of second killed skier, per sheriff's office.)
It's not exactly "Lords of Dogtown," the 2005 Hollywood flick that romanticized Southern California's skateboard craze, but Skate 4 Homies is Salt Lake City's incubator for Utah's skateboard culture and community.
Veteran boarder Todd Ingersoll launched the relatively new endeavor in spring 2009 in conjunction with Youth City, a Salt Lake City program that offers after-school and summer activities for youngsters 8 to 14.
"We wanted to show kids there is more to skateboarding than being the fastest boarder or doing the most tricks," said Ingersoll, 31. "We're trying to show them there's a community out there."
An art show and sale Saturday at The Gateway mall will help underwrite the program.
"We've been working hard with the kids and have seen them grow in confidence and skill," Ingersoll said. "We wanted to give them the opportunity to participate in this show, so they can share their experiences from our class and their community."
Ingersoll, who is originally from Maine, knows what it's like to be an avid boarder in a place that gets a lot of snow and where skateboarders aren't always welcome.
"My parents built me a half-pipe in the backyard and people came from miles around," he said. "I wanted to share that."
The Skate 4 Homies program teaches skateboard etiquette, skills, culture and history. It has evolved from an original plan that simply sought to get good equipment for kids who could not afford it, Ingersoll explained.
Story continues below
The course helps young boarders learn about equipment and how to be safe, said John Lyman, program coordinator for Youth City.
"A lot of our kids would rather just go outside and ride around on four wheels," he said. "We've always had skateboard classes, but this takes it to another level."
Skate 4 Homies fosters self-discipline in the sport, Lyman said. "Learning to be an individual is the real take-home of this program."
Fifteen skaters just completed the nine-week class Friday. Another is set to begin in January through Youth City.
One of the kids, Jarrett Molock, 9, said the course was fun and he learned a lot about skating.
"They try and teach us that skateboarding is not just to be cool," he said. "And they take us places and show us things, like how to do an Ollie [a trick where the boarder pops the board into the air]."
Kasim Bakenra, 12, said he wanted to do another nine weeks with Skate 4 Homies.
"I thought it was really fun. We went to the skate warehouse in Midvale," he said. "My favorite thing is landing a new trick, the satisfaction of it."
Robert Nickson Jr., the 28-year-old Delaware County man who made national headlines in September by announcing on Facebook that he was engaged to a 14-year-old girl, has been misportrayed in the news media, his lawyer said yesterday.
Nickson, of Lower Chichester, was not the "aggressor" in the forbidden romance, defense attorney Enrique Latoison said.
"This wasn't a predator-type situation," Latoison said.
Nickson, who has pleaded guilty to statutory sexual assault and corruption of a minor, was arrested in September after he took the teenage girl to a mall and bought her an engagement ring, police said.
Detectives got word of the wedding plans through Delaware County Children and Youth Services, which was tipped off by Facebook postings listing the couple as "in love" and "engaged."
Latoison, however, said his client, who was quietly sentenced Nov. 30 to six months in prison followed by probation, had not pursued the girl.
"You naturally assume a 27-year-old is trying to exploit a young girl. Once all the facts came out, it was not that situation," he said, referring to Nickson's age when he was arrested.
"She was the aggressor, let's put it that way. He was not."
Latoison, who described Nickson as "having the maturity of an 18-year-old," said the girl is still trying to contact his client.
"She hung out with older people and was around those people," Latoison said.
Police say Nickson met the girl, who has not been identified because of her age, through a mutual friend about a month before his arrest. The juvenile told investigators that she had sex with him on at least four occasions at the Lower Chichester apartment that he shares with his father, according to the criminal complaint.
Latoison admitted that his client broke the law because of the victim's age, but said he's not a child predator. Prosecutors dropped charges of aggravated indecent assault and related offenses.
"He was just stupid," Latoison said, "and made a very immature decision."
Rambo? Ancient history. Jason Bourne? Soooo 2008. Forget the dudely heroes of yesteryear; these days, the name of the game is ass-kicking women. This year's movie lineup was rife with smart, sexy, ultra-confident ladies who hang tough, play hard, and fight dirty...and, of course, gleefully murder the unfortunate punks who get in their way. And as we look back on 12 months of fine female leads, the 2010 year-end roundups wouldn't be complete without a countdown list of the Ass-Kickingest Females of the Year. From legitimate superheroes to intellectual heavyweights to vengeful victims, there's no question that these performances carried a serious dose of girl power.
10. Chloe Moretz in "Kick-Ass" Fact: 99.9% of the ass-kicking in "Kick-Ass" comes courtesy not of the same-named main character, but is effortlessly executed by the ruthless Hit Girl. Trained from childhood in the exquisite art of beating the crap out of bad guys, Chloe's character is the one who saves the day—while her male compatriots quietly sit in a corner and pee their pants.
9. Emma Watson in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" A more apt title for this movie might have been "Harry Potter and His Much-Smarter Gal Pal," seeing as Hermione Granger spends pretty much the entire film saving Harry's magical ass. In fact, without her keen intellect and powerful witchery, the hero of the series would have been captured by Death Eaters and avada kedavra'ed into oblivion before he hit puberty. Can we get a "Thanks, Hermione"?
8. Mia Wasikowska in "Alice in Wonderland" It's not just any heroine who could handle a trip through the looking glass—particularly when Johnny Depp's demented Mad Hatter and the terrifying Jabberwocky are waiting on the other side. But Mia's Alice not only slays the monster and saves Underland from the evil Red Queen, she ends the movie with the ultra-empowering move of becoming a tradeship apprentice and setting out to explore the world. Oh frabjous day!
7. Ellen Wong in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" Too bad that Scott was too lovestruck by Ramona Flowers to notice that Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) was about a billion times cooler. Despite starting out the film in the throes of clingy jealousy, Knives is ready to defend the man she loves to the death—and without her bacon-saving appearance at the end of the movie, it's a pretty sure bet that The World would have been victorious.
6. Angelina Jolie in "Salt" Even some serious plot holes couldn't take away from the thrill of seeing Angelina star as a double agent on the run, especially when her role was originally written for (gasp!) a man. Leaping off of buildings, wielding weapons and outsmarting her would-be captors at every turn, Evelyn Salt was an adrenaline-fueled paragon of epic female ass-kickery. LOVE.
5. Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" If you've seen this mind-bending melodrama, you know that Natalie Portman's prima ballerina is a dedicated, intense, ultra-talented girl who will sacrifice anything to give the greatest performance of her life. Of course, she's also certifiably insane...but whatever.
4. Kristen Stewart in "The Runaways" Let's be real: Not all of Kristen Stewart's roles are, er, strong female leads. (*Cough*Bella Swan is a whiner*cough*.) But her turn as real-life rocker Joan Jett in the musical biopic "The Runaways" was so fierce, all is forgiven.
3. Jennifer Lawrence in "Winters Bone" Newcomer Jennifer Lawrence is a possible Oscar contender for her role as Ree Dolly—and Ree Dolly is one tough girl. With a mission to learn the truth about her father's disappearance and save her family from eviction, Jennifer's character doesn't back down and won't give up...even when her quest leads to a serious beat-down and a lost molar.
2. Ellen Page in "Inception" Ariadne the Architect is a (heh, heh) dream of a female lead: smart, self-assured, and ready to defend herself against Leonardo DiCaprio's seriously unstable subconscious. Oh, and she can also fold Paris in half with her mind!
And the number one ass-kicker? Obviously, it's...
1. Noomi Rapace in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and its sequels We're looking forward to the American remake of the thrilling Lisbeth Salander trilogy, but it remains to be seen whether anyone can top Noomi's incredible performance in the titular role. A gifted hacker with a photographic memory and a vengeful streak, Lisbeth spends her free time giving corrupt, sadistic, evil dudes their karmic comeuppance. And she has tattoos. And she rides a motorcycle! Seriously, we'd say "You go, girl!"... but she'd probably kick our teeth in.
Did we miss any of your favorite 2010 film heroines? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!
It's not exactly "Lords of Dogtown," the 2005 Hollywood flick that romanticized Southern California's skateboard craze, but Skate 4 Homies is Salt Lake City's incubator for Utah's skateboard culture and community.
Veteran boarder Todd Ingersoll launched the relatively new endeavor in spring 2009 in conjunction with Youth City, a Salt Lake City program that offers after-school and summer activities for youngsters 8 to 14.
"We wanted to show kids there is more to skateboarding than being the fastest boarder or doing the most tricks," said Ingersoll, 31. "We're trying to show them there's a community out there."
An art show and sale Saturday at The Gateway mall will help underwrite the program.
"We've been working hard with the kids and have seen them grow in confidence and skill," Ingersoll said. "We wanted to give them the opportunity to participate in this show, so they can share their experiences from our class and their community."
Ingersoll, who is originally from Maine, knows what it's like to be an avid boarder in a place that gets a lot of snow and where skateboarders aren't always welcome.
"My parents built me a half-pipe in the backyard and people came from miles around," he said. "I wanted to share that."
The Skate 4 Homies program teaches skateboard etiquette, skills, culture and history. It has evolved from an original plan that simply sought to get good equipment for kids who could not afford it, Ingersoll explained.
Story continues below
The course helps young boarders learn about equipment and how to be safe, said John Lyman, program coordinator for Youth City.
"A lot of our kids would rather just go outside and ride around on four wheels," he said. "We've always had skateboard classes, but this takes it to another level."
Skate 4 Homies fosters self-discipline in the sport, Lyman said. "Learning to be an individual is the real take-home of this program."
Fifteen skaters just completed the nine-week class Friday. Another is set to begin in January through Youth City.
One of the kids, Jarrett Molock, 9, said the course was fun and he learned a lot about skating.
"They try and teach us that skateboarding is not just to be cool," he said. "And they take us places and show us things, like how to do an Ollie [a trick where the boarder pops the board into the air]."
Kasim Bakenra, 12, said he wanted to do another nine weeks with Skate 4 Homies.
"I thought it was really fun. We went to the skate warehouse in Midvale," he said. "My favorite thing is landing a new trick, the satisfaction of it."
PHILADELPHIA — In a test case of whether breast cancer fundraising bracelets that proclaim "I (heart) boobies!" can be banned in public schools, one district is calling the slogan a sexually charged double entendre.
The free-speech case involves Easton Area Middle School, whose seventh-grade principal struggled on the witness stand Thursday when asked if T-shirts with the words "breast cancer" should be permitted on the school's Breast Cancer Awareness Day.
The middle school, a 90-minute drive north of Philadelphia, suspended two girls in October for refusing to remove the colorful rubber bracelets, which have become wildly popular among teens across the country.
The U.S. government's main code-making and code-cracking agency now works on the assumption that foes may have pierced even the most sensitive national security computer networks under its guard.Full story
Some school officials are far less enthusiastic. But the Easton Area School District is the first to try to defend a ban in court, according to the Keep A Breast Foundation, the small Carlsbad, Calif., nonprofit that sells the bracelets to engage young people in breast cancer awareness.
In U.S. court Thursday, a school district lawyer asked the suspended girls, Brianna Hawk and Kayla Martinez, if they wore the bracelets as fashion statements or simply to make waves by defying a school rule.
The girls, whose mothers supported the protest, acknowledged they celebrated with high-fives as they were called down to the principal's office.
Martinez testified they were "proud of standing up for what we believed in."
"Ever since I got that bracelet I've been researching breast cancer," the seventh-grader said. "Anybody that gets this disease ... could die from it. It's very tragic."
The girls were suspended for what the school considered "disruption, defiance and disrespect" — although they were previously told they had violated the school dress code. According to the school district, the bracelets prompted at least two boys to try to touch girls inappropriately.
"Do you think boys would have a natural attraction to girls' breasts?" school district lawyer John E. Freund III asked Hawk in one of the day's more awkward moments.
They do, Hawk agreed. But the confident eighth-grader did not buy his double-entendre theory.
"I don't see a double meaning," she testified.
The girls, who each said they knew someone who had suffered from breast cancer, take part in sports and other activities. They each served a 1 1/2-day suspension.
The discipline came with a longer ban on school activities, but U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin persuaded Easton officials to let them attend a recent dance while the case plays out.
Schools from Florida to California also have tried to ban the bracelets. The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the Pennsylvania girls on free-speech grounds and described them as good students, successfully intervened without filing suit in a few other districts.
The ACLU admits the "boobies" slogan may be irreverent but says it falls far short of the obscene or profane speech the U.S. Supreme Court permits schools to ban.
Hawk testified that where she grew up, "my family, they call (breasts) boobies. Other people might call them other things."
The students want the judge to lift the bracelet ban and expunge their disciplinary records. The judge was not expected to rule Thursday.
The Keep A Breast Foundation has grown from about three employees to seven in the past few years, marketing manager Kimmy McAtee testified. The group spends about 13 percent of its revenues on overhead, and the top salary is $45,000 a year, she said. The foundation gets $1.50 from each bracelet sold by an outside retailer and $4 from its own online or event sales.
The organization tries to raise young people's awareness about breast cancer through art exhibits, a pilot school program and outreach at music and skateboard festivals.
"I see no sexual message in the 'I love boobies' campaign," McAtee said.
However, she concedes the message isn't for everyone.
"Some people don't want to wear the term 'boobies' just as I wouldn't want to wear a Gap T-shirt," she said. "It's very much a personal preference. Some older people may not feel that it resonates with them."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
It seems that Leighton Meester won't be gossiping on the small screen for too much longer. The actress recently dished to E! News that she would be bidding her role as Blair Waldorf a fond farewell and leaving "Gossip Girl" behind after "two more years."
The singer/actress had a really good reason why she has such a specific time frame for exiting the CW show. "Because we're under contract," she explained. The actress, who appears in the upcoming Gwyneth Paltrow flick "Country Strong," added that while she's ready to leave the series behind, she "obviously enjoys working on the show and living in New York."
She maintained that producers are supportive of her decision, as well as the choice of her other castmates to pursue outside interests. "It allows you to be ready for when the show's over," Meester said, adding, "I don't know [if the series will end when I leave,] but I think there's that old saying about wanting to go out on top."
Fellow "Gossip Girl" starlet Taylor Momsen recently was put on indefinite hiatus from the program. The actress, like Meester, has been busy pursuing a music career — with her band the Pretty Reckless — and also is the face of Madonna's Material Girl clothing company and John Galliano's latest perfume campaign.
Meester has a long-simmering solo album in the works, and has several films under her belt, including "Monte Carlo" with Selena Gomez and Cory Monteith and "The Roommate" co-starring lookalike actress Minka Kelly. While her move from the small screen to the big screen is already under way, that doesn't mean she wouldn't consider returning to TV. "Um, I never say never," Meester said. "It would have to be the right show just like it would have [to be] the right movie."
What do you think about Meester's plans to leave "Gossip Girl"? Tell us in the comments.
Justin Bieber only released one new track, "Pray," on his just-released My Worlds Acoustic, but it seems that he is working on some more music. A track called "Latin Girl" leaked online late Monday with no information about where it came from or when it was recorded.
On the track, Bieber pines for a girl, singing, "I was on the beach, yeah/ I was on vacation/ I was doing nothing/ I was just sittin' patient/ Then you walked by/ You caught my eye/ I said, 'Who's this girl? She's lookin' superfly'/ Hey, miss beautiful, I've never seen you before/ And I would like to be the one to show you I am cool and all/ Hey, little momma, what you got on ya/ Looking so good that I just want to telephone her."
Later on, with a club-ready beat pumping on the Latin-flavored track, he sings, "She's my Latin girl/ Ooh, pretty lady, don't you think it's crazy/ She's my Latin girl/ Oh she tries to fight, but she knows she likes it."
There are two rumored inspirations for the song, both of whom have been romantically linked to the singer: Jasmine Villegas and Selena Gomez.
No further information about where the track will eventually end up was available, and a rep for the singer had not responded to MTV News' request for comment by press time.
Bieber has admitted that he is working on new music for an album to be released sometime in 2011. "[It'll] probably [come out] fourth quarter next year," he revealed to MTV News in September. "Drake is gonna be on that album; I'm not sure [who else]. I'm gonna ask him if he can get [Lil] Wayne on there."
What do you think of "Latin Girl"? Share your reviews in the comments!
TAMPA — Two men lay on the ground, one with a gun, the other with a bullet hole in his chest.
There had been a heated dispute over whether a skateboarder should be allowed on a basketball court. A struggle ensued, then a gunshot.
Two 911 calls, released for the first time Monday with other investigative documents in the manslaughter prosecution of Trevor Dooley, recorded the scene that unfolded Sept. 26 in a Valrico neighborhood park.
"I see the blood," the 14-year-old skateboarder said in one phone call, panting. "I saw the gun. I heard it go off."
"Oh, my God," a witness, Michael Whitt, said in another call. "I think this man is dead. … Shot right in the heart. … Please hurry. ..."
In the background, the man with the gun argued with a woman.
"He was laying on my chest!" Dooley said.
"After you pulled a gun on him!" she said.
"Oh, my God," Whitt said again. "All of this over a skateboard. I can't believe this."
"I was walking away from him," Dooley could be heard saying.
"I know you were, sir," Whitt said. "I know. I know you were. I saw it."
• • •
In Twin Lakes, a Valrico subdivision made up of shade trees, manicured lawns and playing children, Trevor Dooley watched for trouble.
The school bus driver, now 70, carried a card identifying him as a volunteer for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, ready to use an amateur radio if a hurricane hit. At homeowners association meetings, he was vocal and opinionated, according to neighbor accounts gathered by investigators.
After someone vandalized neighborhood tennis courts, Dooley kept an extra close eye. It bothered him to watch people skating on the nearby basketball courts, their wheels leaving permanent marks on the ground. Sometimes, he stepped out of his home and walked across the street to tell them to stop. Sometimes, they taunted him.
Neighbor Michael Gaeta, 51, told deputies he was playing roller hockey out there with his son one day seven years ago when Dooley came out and told them they weren't allowed.
Gaeta remembered Dooley. Once, Gaeta had been watching his kids in his backyard pool when Dooley came onto his property and told the children to get out of the pool, warning of an approaching lightning storm. Gaeta intervened, and Dooley left.
Gaeta ignored Dooley's orders to stop playing roller hockey that day and Dooley left, appearing irritated.
Years later, another dad ended up on the court on a Sunday afternoon.
David James, 41, was playing basketball with his 8-year-old daughter, Danielle, when a 14-year-old boy asked if he could share the court to ride his skateboard. James agreed, and the boy started to skate.
That's when Dooley stepped out of his home.
• • •
Michelle and Michael Whitt were playing tennis when they saw Dooley emerge from his garage and yell at the teen to stop skateboarding.
"You're not allowed to skate on the basketball courts," Dooley said, according to the couple.
James hollered back that there were no posted signs saying so, and told the teen to keep riding.
Dooley disagreed and walked across the street.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Michelle Whitt thought she heard James say. It might have been "Oh crap." Either way, it seemed clear he didn't want a fight.
The couple saw Dooley and James exchange words. They saw Dooley lift his shirt, flash a gun —which he had a permit to carry — and yell an expletive before turning to walk away.
James followed him, they said. The husband, wife and skateboarder each recalled hearing James saying something:
"What'd you say to me?"
"Don't you show a gun to me!"
"I'm not done talking to you."
They said Dooley turned back around, his hand on his gun, and James lunged toward him.
The two men wrestled to the ground. Michael Whitt remembers the gun firing as the men fell. Michelle Whitt told a detective the men rolled over and James ended up on his knees with one arm holding Dooley down before the gun went off.
The husband and wife both said James was on top of Dooley when James yelled his last words.
"Call 911, I've been shot!"
He rolled off Dooley and did not move again.
Dooley stood up, staggered and went back down to the ground, they said.
Michael Whitt called 911. He didn't get close to James until Dooley unloaded the gun and tossed it to the side.
"Sir, can you hear me?" Michael Whitt asked James.
He asked twice more.
"His child is out here," he told the 911 operator. "Oh, my God."
Dooley waited for authorities, making no attempt to leave the scene. The man with the gun would be put in handcuffs but not arrested until two days later. He is awaiting trial.
Michael Whitt later recalled something Dooley said before authorities arrived:
"You saw him come at me, right? You saw him come at me."
• • •
A day later, Danielle James sat in a room talking with an interviewer trained to deal with children. Danielle said her favorite color was pink, she had a blue Barbie bike with a basket on the front, and her dad's nickname for her was Chuggabugg.
A box of tissues sat on a table, untouched, as Danielle talked about how her father died.
"I lived with my mom and dad, but I just live with my mom now," Danielle said. "Cause my dad's not here anymore. He died."
"He died?" the interviewer asked.
"Yeah, somebody shot him," Danielle said. "Yeah, yesterday at the basketball court."
"I didn't even see the gun go off. I just heard the noise," she said.
"Danielle, you know that what happened with your dad yesterday wasn't your fault, right?"
"Yeah."
"And you didn't do anything wrong."
"It was the man's fault," the girl said, "cause there was no reason to shoot my dad."
In a girl's words
The Hillsborough State Attorney's Office released audio tapes of 911 calls and a video of an interview with Danielle James, the shooting victim's 8-year-old daughter. To hear and view them, go to links.tampabay.com.
Justin Bieber only released one new track, "Pray," on his just-released My Worlds Acoustic, but it seems that he is working on some more music. A track called "Latin Girl" leaked online late Monday with no information about where it came from or when it was recorded.
On the track, Bieber pines for a girl, singing, "I was on the beach, yeah/ I was on vacation/ I was doing nothing/ I was just sittin' patient/ Then you walked by/ You caught my eye/ I said, 'Who's this girl? She's lookin' superfly'/ Hey, miss beautiful, I've never seen you before/ And I would like to be the one to show you I am cool and all/ Hey, little momma, what you got on ya/ Looking so good that I just want to telephone her."
Later on, with a club-ready beat pumping on the Latin-flavored track, he sings, "She's my Latin girl/ Ooh, pretty lady, don't you think it's crazy/ She's my Latin girl/ Oh she tries to fight, but she knows she likes it."
There are two rumored inspirations for the song, both of whom have been romantically linked to the singer: Jasmine Villegas and Selena Gomez.
No further information about where the track will eventually end up was available, and a rep for the singer had not responded to MTV News' request for comment by press time.
Bieber has admitted that he is working on new music for an album to be released sometime in 2011. "[It'll] probably [come out] fourth quarter next year," he revealed to MTV News in September. "Drake is gonna be on that album; I'm not sure [who else]. I'm gonna ask him if he can get [Lil] Wayne on there."
What do you think of "Latin Girl"? Share your reviews in the comments!
Decked out in a gold bustier, high-waisted pants and a fringe-laden jacket, Hilson brought her saucy, sexpot swagger to the stage. Flanked by four back-up dancers in stylized military jackets that showed a lot of leg, the ladies oozed sassy sexuality as the Atlanta songstress swiveled her hips and cooed, the mass of concertgoers cheering her on.
After giving the soldiers a fun show, Hilson gave a shout-out to the service members, thanking them for protecting Americans at home and abroad.
"You guys are so beautiful. I just want to say thank you so much because if it wasn't for each and every one of you, we could not be here and have the freedom to do what we do," she said.
Hilson reveled in that freedom by putting in work through the event. In addition to her solo set, Hilson got it started with her fellow Divas several times throughout the night. She joined Katy Perry and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles for a rousing, retro opening number, and teamed up with Nettles once again for a rendition of soul great Aretha Franklin's 1968 anthem "Think."
The songbird later broke down her "Divas" experience to reporters, and said participating in the event was "incredible."
"I'm in great company with past Divas, and not only is it about me being here, it's also about what we're doing here, supporting the troops. I took pictures with guys yesterday ... and one of them just said, 'I just want to thank you for coming. Thank you for doing this. Not many people do this and take time out of their schedule to do something like this," she explained. "It's been not only enlightening, it's been very fulfilling. I'm very happy to be here."
What did you think of Keri Hilson's performance at "VH1 Divas"? Let us know in the comments!
Watch bonus performances, browse photos, read all about the most-talked about moments, and find out how you can salute the troops at VH1's "Divas Salute the Troops" hub.
Seven local Girl Scouts are raising money to take an educational trip to Europe next July.
Girl Scout Troop No. 377 will hold a pancake feed and auction Saturday, Dec. 18, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Broadway United Methodist Church, First Street and Broadway, to help the girls with the cost.
The event will feature a pancake feed, bake sale, silent auction and live auction, said Suzie Bruner, troop leader. Auction items will include a small grill, cedar chest, Girl Scout quilt sewn by a Scout's mother, fishing pole, skateboard deck, painting and baskets made by the girls. The live auction will be called by retired auctioneer George DeWitt. The silent auction will offer many gift certificates.
"We would like to thank all the businesses and others that have helped support us," she said.
Girl Scouts offers the girls the opportunity to build confidence to help them become adults, Bruner said. The 17-day trip would include stops in London; Paris; Amsterdam; Venice, Italy; Sweden; and other destinations. The visit would include opportunities for leadership development, managing money and building an understanding of people in other cultures.
The girls include Renae Williby, Angela Sellers, Jordan Brittain, Morgan Pleiss, Rebecca Barker, Ronette Bruner and Taylor Underwood. They want to go before the oldest one graduates from high school, she said.
"These girls have grown up together, and they've taken on the responsibilities of Girl Scouts since Daisies," Bruner said. "They're trying to raise enough money to go on this trip as their last thing together."
The trip is expected to cost at least $4,500 per person, she said.
"They had to earn badges and stuff to be able to go," Bruner said.
They have worked on Budgeting, Life Skills, Travel, Understanding Yourself and Others, Building a Better Future and History badges, among others, she said.
"These girls believe in the three C's: Courage, confidence and character," she said.
The girls will meet other Girl Scouts from Iowa and take their journey with them, Bruner said.
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The parents of a 15-year-old Belleville girl are suing the owners of a St. Louis haunted house, alleging their asthmatic daughter died because of artificial fog and scents in the attraction.
Britney Holmes died Nov. 14 after spending about a year in a vegetative state. The teen visited The Darkness for Halloween in 2009 with her mother, and had trouble breathing on the way home. An inhaler didn't help, and Britney's brain was deprived of oxygen for more than seven minutes by the time she arrived at the hospital.
Britney's father, Durand Tyler, of Anchorage, Alaska, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday in St. Louis Circuit Court against Halloween Productions Inc., which operates the attraction in the Soulard neighborhood.
Britney's mother, Vanessa Neal, of Belleville, had filed a personal injury lawsuit in April, but Tyler said he did not know about the lawsuit until after Britney died. The cases may be consolidated.
Larry Kirchner, president of Halloween Productions, said the allegations are false and declined further comment because of the ongoing legal dispute.
Kirchner referred to a statement on the business' website, scarefest.com, which claims that Britney did not have an asthma attack at the haunted house and the attraction did not cause her condition.
The site also stated warning signs were clearly in place at the attraction advising against entry if one is pregnant, claustrophobic, prone to seizures, heart or respiratory problems.
Tyler said he filed a suit against the business because of the possibility there are dangerous chemicals in the artificial fog, smoke and scents at the haunted house.
"If there is or was something in the haunted house causing the problem, I don't want any other kids or grownups going in there and getting hurt," Tyler said.
The wrongful death suit also alleges the business failed to provide a safe environment for its customers suffering from respiratory ailments and failed to adequately and timely monitor the chemical in the air.
Tyler said he also wants to protect his family financially: Britney's medical bills total more than $1 million.
"I just want to make sure the bills get paid, if the court finds they're liable for it," Tyler said.
Britney had asthma since she was 4, and was allergic to grass, dust, mildew, tree nuts and peanuts.
Tyler said he didn't know if Britney or Neal saw warning signs at the haunted house. Neal could not immediately be reached for comment.
According to Tyler, both he and Neal are retired from the Air Force. Britney lived with Neal, who was based at Scott Air Force Base.
Tyler said his daughter enjoyed skateboarding, fishing and rock music.
"Britney was a free spirit. She was into making little movies and playing jokes on people. She was a strong-willed person," Tyler said. "I didn't get to see everything because of the distance, but what I did see, it was beautiful.
"There are times I just cry because I couldn't be with her all the time because of our situation, and now she's gone."
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