Happy New Years Eve Everyone!

 

Teen girl charged with arson in $7M fire at Sparta Walmart (Sparta, WI)

 

 A 17-year-old has been arrested for arson and recklessly endangering safety after starting a fire inside the Sparta Walmart on Tuesday.

On Tuesday morning at 10:46 AM, the Sparta Area Fire District was dispatched to a fire at Walmart located at 1600 West Wisconsin Street. Sparta Fire arrived just 45 seconds after the call and observed customers exiting the building in heavy smoke. Everyone inside was able to exit the building without injury.

A 17-year-old has been arrested and is being held in Monroe County Jail. The suspect faces multiple charges including arson and recklessly endangering safety.

The preliminary estimate of the damage is well over 7 million dollars. Walmart is expected to remain closed for the next several days.

The Wisconsin DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation is assisted at the scene. Sparta Police expect to make an update related to this incident later in the week.

Story Source: WKBT News8000 or CLICK HERE

Here Are Some Fun Facts About The New Years Eve Ball Drop In New York's Thyme Square

Just some facts about New York Time's Square New Years Eve Ball Drop!

The modern day ball stretches 12 ft. (three and a half meters) in diameter and weighs 11,875 lbs (5,386 kg).

the four numerals to spell out 2024 together also weigh approximately 1,160 lbs (526 kg). The “0” weighs in at 380 lbs. (172 kg), the “2” at 250 lbs. (113 kg), and the “4” at 280 lbs. (127).

This year, 200 sanitation workers are expected to hit the streets and take about six hours to clean up the confetti and trash left behind by the crowds.

The ball is covered with 2,688 crystal triangles, made by Waterford Crystal, measuring between four and six inches (10 to 15 cm) per side, according to the Times Square website. They are then bolted to 672 LED modules and illuminated by 32,256 LEDs.

Each crystal triangle has a special pattern with a different meaning, featuring 192 each of nine symbols—the Gift of Love overlapping hearts, the Gift of Wisdom a wheel, the Gift of Happiness a sun image, the Gift of Goodwill three pineapples, the Gift of Harmony a small rosette, the Gift of Serenity butterflies above a meadow, the Gift of Kindness a circle of rosettes, the Gift Of Wonder a faceted starburst and the Gift of Fortitude diamond cuts on either side of a crystal pillar.

The remaining 960 Gift of Imagination triangles are a series of intricate wedge cuts.  

Story Source:  Time Magazine/News or CLICK HERE 

British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Michael Clayton’, dies at 75

 

 Tom Wilkinson, the Oscar-nominated British actor known for his roles in “The Full Monty,” “Michael Clayton” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” has died, his family said. He was 75.

A statement shared by his agent on behalf of the family said Wilkinson died suddenly at home on Saturday. It didn’t provide further details.

Wilkinson was nominated for a best actor Academy Award for his work in 2001′s family drama “In The Bedroom” and in the best supporting actor category for his role in “Michael Clayton,” a 2007 legal thriller that starred George Clooney.

He is remembered by many in Britain and beyond for playing former steel mill foreman Gerald Cooper in the 1997 comedy “The Full Monty,” about a group of unemployed steel workers who formed an unlikely male stripping act.

Wilkinson was born in Yorkshire in northern England in 1948 and spent part of his childhood in Canada. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the 1970s.

He starred in dozens of other TV dramas and movies, from “Rush Hour” and “Batman Begins” to “Shakespeare in Love,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Valkyrie.”

He most recently reunited with his “Full Monty” co-stars, Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy in a Disney+ series of the same name.

“He’ll be sorely missed by everyone who had the pleasure of working with him,” Carlyle said in a statement. “Such a huge performer, a real titan of an actor, one of the greats of not only his, but of any generation.”

Wilkinson was recognized for his services to drama in 2005 when he was appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire.

He also won a 2009 Golden Globe and 2008 Emmy for his role as Benjamin Franklin in the HBO series “John Adams.”

Wilkinson married actress Diana Hardcastle in 1988. The couple had two daughters.

Story Source: WEAU 13 NEWS or CLICK HERE

Burger King to give out free bacon cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches over New Year’s weekend

Ring in the new year with Burger King freebies.

The cheeseburger chain had been giving out free food throughout the month of December to its Royal Perks members on the BK App. As the month wraps up, here is how to claim the last couple of free food items before the year ends.

On Friday, Dec. 29, Burger King is giving free original chicken sandwiches when they spend $1.

On Saturday, Dec. 30, people can get a free bacon cheeseburger with a $1 purchase.

To get the free sandwich and bacon cheeseburger, people must activate the offer in the “offers” tab on the BK App or bk.com before placing the order online or at the fast food restaurant.

Burger King had a special deal for every day, all month long. When announcing their Tis’ the Cheeson promotion, they also shared that they would be bringing back some BK fan-favorite items, as well as adding a new menu option. 

Story Source: Today or CLICK HERE

Pursuit Leads to Arrest for 4th OWI in Sparta, WI

(Sparta, WI) 

On 12/29/2023 at approximately 1:56 AM, a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Sergeant

attempted to stop a vehicle for traffic violations on Highway 16 near Hammer Road, just west of
Sparta. The suspect vehicle fled at speeds in excess of 100 MPH and led law enforcement on a 3.29
mile pursuit. The pursuit started on Hammer Road and was terminated at 1:59 AM on County
Highway BC, just north of Highway 16. Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputies, Sparta Police Department
Officers, and Wisconsin State Patrol Troopers flooded the area and began searching for the vehicle.
At 2:10 AM, a Monroe County Deputy located the suspect vehicle on County Highway BC near
Garden Ave. The deputy initiated a second traffic stop and the vehicle pulled over without further
incident. The driver was identified as Steven M. Pierce, 39 years old, from Tomah. Steven was
subsequently arrested for:
346.63(1)(a): Operating While Intoxicated 4th (Felony)
346.04(3): Fleeing/Eluding an Officer (Felony)
346.62(2): Reckless Driving Endangering Safety
Steven was booked in and held at the Monroe County Jail. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was
assisted by the Sparta Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Monroe County 911
Communications Center.

Story Source: WWIS Radio or CLICK HERE

Pets Perish in Sparta, WI Residential Fire, Originating in Kitchen.

 

 A house fire in Sparta, Wisconsin, on Saturday afternoon resulted in the death of 2 dogs and 3 cats.

• The homeowners discovered the fire upon returning home around 5:20 p.m. but could not enter to save the animals.

• The Sparta Area Fire District reported heavy smoke and flames from the house, with the fire most intense at the front, back, and through the roof.

• The origin of the fire is believed to be the kitchen, but the exact cause is still being investigated.

• The house suffered extensive damage from the fire, smoke, and water, with firefighters on the scene for approximately 5 and a half hours.

The secret life of gift cards: Here's what happens to the billions that go unspent each year

 

Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday, according to the National Retail Federation

Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don't stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays.

Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Restaurant gift cards are the most popular, making up one-third of those sales.

Most of those gift cards will be redeemed. Paytronix, which tracks restaurant gift card sales, says around 70% of gift cards are used within six months.

But many cards — tens of billions of dollars’ worth — wind up forgotten or otherwise unused. That’s when the life of a gift card gets more complicated, with expiration dates or inactivity fees that can vary by state.Here’s what to know about the gift cards you’re giving — or getting:

LOVED, BUT LOST

After clothing, gift cards will be the most popular present this holiday season. Nearly half of Americans plan to give them, according to the National Retail Federation.

But many will remain unspent.

Gift cards get lost or forgotten, or recipients hang on to them for a special occasion. In a July survey, the consumer finance company Bankrate found that 47% of U.S. adults had at least one unspent gift card or voucher with an average value of $187. That’s a total of $23 billion.

THE GIFT OF TIME

Under a federal law that went into effect in 2010, a gift card can’t expire for five years from the time it was purchased or from the last time someone added money to it. Some state laws require an even longer period. In New York, for instance, any gift card purchased after Dec. 10, 2022, can’t expire for nine years.

Differing state laws are one reason many stores have stopped using expiration dates altogether, says Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at Bankrate.

USE IT OR LOSE IT

While it may take gift cards years to expire, experts say it’s still wise to spend them quickly. Some cards — especially generic cash cards from Visa or MasterCard — will start accruing inactivity fees if they're not used for a year, which eats away at their value. Inflation also makes cards less valuable over time. And if a retail store closes or goes bankrupt, a gift card could be worthless.

Perhaps consider clearing out your stash on National Use Your Gift Card Day, a five-year-old holiday created by a public relations executive and now backed by multiple retailers. The next one is Jan. 20, 2024.

OR SELL IT

If you have a gift card you don’t want, one option is to sell it on a site like CardCash or Raise. Rossman says resale sites won’t give you face value for your cards, but they will typically give 70 to 80 cents per dollar.

THE MONEY TRAIL

What happens to the money when a gift card goes unused? It depends on the state where the retailer is incorporated.

When you buy a gift card, a retailer can use that money right away. But it also becomes a liability; the retailer has to plan for the possibility that the gift card will be redeemed.

Every year, big companies calculate “breakage,” which is the amount of gift card liability they believe won’t be redeemed based on historical averages. For some companies, like Seattle-based Starbucks, breakage is a huge profit-driver. Starbucks reported $212 million in revenue from breakage in 2022.

But in at least 19 states — including Delaware, where many big companies are incorporated — retailers must work with state unclaimed property programs to return money from unspent gift cards to consumers. Money that isn’t recovered by individual consumers is spent on public service initiatives; in the states' view, it shouldn't go to companies because they haven't provided a service to earn it.

CLAIM IT

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have unclaimed property programs. Combined, they return around $3 billion to consumers annually, says Misha Werschkul, the executive director of the Washington State Budget and Policy Center.

Werschkul says it can be tricky to find the holders of unspent gift cards, but the growing number of digital cards that name the recipient helps. State unclaimed property offices jointly run the website MissingMoney.com, where consumers can search by name for any unclaimed property they’re owed, including cash from gift cards.

Story Source: WXOW News 19 or CLICK HERE

Study seems to confirm secret ingredient for better coffee

 

 Coffee connoisseurs have long held the belief that adding a little water to the beans before grinding them could make a difference. A new study by researchers at the University of Oregon seems to confirm exactly why.

The research explored how the technique, which started as an attempt to address the often messy coffee-making process, also affected flavor.

“When you grind coffee, it goes everywhere,” said study coauthor Christopher Hendon, an associate professor of computational materials chemistry at the University of Oregon. “Dust comes out of the grinder, it’s like a plume that covers everything. But if you add a little water, it seems to not go everywhere. It’s cleaner. That was the primary reason people did it.”

The mess is caused by static electricity, which is created by friction when the beans are smashed together. This static charge then makes the particles of ground coffee repel each other — like magnets of the same polarity — sending them off in every direction.

Water acts like an insulator, dampening this effect — a process known as the “Ross droplet” technique. “It was first proposed by some enthusiast on a home barista forum,” Hendon said. “The idea has been around for several years, and originally it was borrowed from the materials production industry, like wood pulping.”

However, what started out as a way to reduce mess slowly morphed into a more sophisticated way to obtain a better brew — or at least so people thought. The theory was that by reducing static electricity, water not only kept the ground coffee from flying around or sticking to the insides of the grinder, it also prevented microscopic clumps from forming during brewing.

Why are clumps bad? Because water flows around them, leaving untouched coffee — and therefore flavor — behind. In barista parlance, they decrease extraction yield, or the amount of coffee that ends up in the cup, dissolved in the liquid.

“If you have clumps forming, there’s going to be significant amounts of void space, kind of like when you stack watermelons,” Hendon said. “As a result when you push water through you end up with less surface area touching the water and therefore lower extraction.”

The study, published December 6 in the journal Matter, tested this more subtle, harder to see potential benefit of adding water to the beans: getting rid of flavor-robbing microclumps.

Putting ‘Ross droplet’ to the test

The research team included two volcanologists, who repurposed a tool usually employed to measure electric charges on wildfire and volcanic ash. They weighed coffee before adding water — using a pipette for precision down to the microgram — and then ground it in a professional grinder, one of the fastest on the market and a popular choice in cafes.

“The addition of small amounts of water — ranging from one droplet upwards — passivates, or turns off, the static charge and it does it in a way that the coffee exits the grinder never having been charged,” Hendon said. It’s unclear what exactly the water is doing, but he said it’s perhaps absorbing the charge or changing the temperature inside the grinder, reducing the effects of friction.

“If you add a sufficient amount of water, you can also remove the formation of the clumps,” he added. “You will in principle achieve higher extractions or less waste. That’s exactly what this does, because you’re now providing more available surface area for the same amount of water.”

To continue reading this interesting story about Coffee Please CLICK HERE

A Look Ahead

 

On the 31st of this month of December I bet this will never happen again! LOL

Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year!

 Merry Christmas! 

I hope your Christmas Day goes well!

Peace on Earth!

Bring My Dad Home For Christmas "Santa" And Other Videos, For Inspiring Videos. (40 Minutes)

 

Story Source: On The Road With Steve Hartman Or Click Here

The Gift Of Giving To Others In Need On Christmas! (Secret Santa)

 

Barry Gibb reflects on remarkable career

 

Barry Gibb was celebrated as a 2023 Kennedy Center Honoree for his poignant songwriting and one-of-a-kind vocals. CBS News' Anthony Mason talks to Gibb about The Bee Gees' legacy, finding peace after losing his brothers Robin and Maurice, and the landmark career moment that he'll never forget.

Below is where to watch the video. Just click on the link below. Thank you. Blog Management.

Barry Reflects Video From CBS News

90-year-old woman becomes oldest person to earn master’s degree at university

 

DENTON, Texas Thousands of graduates will cross the stage at the University of North Texas to receive their degrees this weekend.

Among them will be Minnie Payne who completed a master’s program in interdisciplinary studies at the age of 90.

Payne is making UNT history with the achievement 73 years after graduating from high school.

“My grandson will be accompanying me across the stage,” she said.

It’s a moment she couldn’t have even dreamed of growing up in South Carolina.

“My mother and father were uneducated textile workers,” Payne said.

She was able to spend one year at junior college before she started working.

Marriage and children soon followed.

“I always wanted to improve myself. When I retired at age 68, I wasn’t doing anything constructive. And it’s my philosophy to constantly be doing something constructive,” Payne said.

The 90-year-old says doing classwork alongside students who were decades younger than her didn’t faze her one bit.

“I was 73 when I earned my undergraduate,” she said.

She’s now the oldest person to ever earn a master’s degree at UNT.  And she plans to put what she’s learned into practice.

Payne recently got a new job working at a magazine in Houston.

“It’s not my intention to stop work,” she said.

Payne says her guiding philosophy is to continue to be doing something constructive.

Story Source: 2 FIRST ALERT Green Bay, WI Local News or CLICK HERE

People dreaming of a white Christmas may be in for a rude awakening

 

Halls are decked and trees trimmed. As many enjoy the magical beauty of the season indoors, they may wonder when it will begin to look like Christmas outdoors.

The holiday season is underway. Neighborhoods are aglow with colorful lights and trees have been transformed into the twinkling centerpieces of houses from coast to coast. As many enjoy the magical beauty of the season indoors, they may wonder when it will begin to look like Christmas outside, with snow-covered hillsides and picturesque scenery akin to a holiday movie.

While those dreaming of a white Christmas will get their wish in some areas of the United States, AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok warns that a "green Christmas" could be a common sight as the sun rises on Monday, Dec. 25.

How often do people in the United States have a white Christmas?

A white Christmas is a year when there is at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Dec. 25, and despite what some holiday songs suggest, a snowy Christmas is not too common for large areas of the country.

For more than half of the contiguous United States, there is less than a 50% chance of snow on the ground on Christmas Day, according to historical weather records.

For folks in the Rocky Mountains, part of the Midwest and northern New England, a white Christmas is more common than one without a blanket of powder covering the ground.

In the South, the chances of a white Christmas are almost zero, especially in Florida, southern Texas, southern Arizona and parts of California.

What are the chances for a white Christmas in 2023?

Snow lovers may have to keep dreaming of a white Christmas this year, as AccuWeather forecasters say that only a few areas of the United States have a high chance of snow on the ground as the calendar flips to Dec. 25. This includes most of the Rockies and a few pockets of the interior Northeast.

Some snow will be possible in part of the High Plains and north-central U.S., as well as the Upper Midwest and areas downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

However, a lack of snow does not mean that calm weather is in the offing on the days leading up to the holiday.

More than 115 million Americans are expected to travel this holiday season, making 2023 the second-busiest after 2019, according to AAA. Due to the weather, millions of pre-Christmas travelers could have a bumpy ride on their journey.

"California will see an increase in wet weather mid to late [this] week," AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said. He added that a storm will track from the Southwest into the Plains around Dec. 22-23, but it will deliver mainly rain to the Plains. However, some fresh snow will be possible across the north-central Plains.

The stormy weather could put a damper on pre-Christmas travel at several major travel hubs, including those in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston.

By Saturday, Dec. 23rd, a portion of the Southwest U.S. can be categorized with poor travel conditions as a potential storm pushes across the region. Parts of Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Arizona can have active weather that may create poor conditions for motorists.

Long-range forecasters already have concerns for people planning to travel in the days following Christmas.

"There could be a period of rain and wet snow after the holiday [in the Northeast]," Pastelok said.

Continue to check back with AccuWeather in the coming days for further details about potential travel-altering weather, the potential for snow leading up to and on Christmas Day, and the chance for stormy weather leading up to New Year's Day.

Story Source: AccuWeather or CLICK HERE

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle release virtual Christmas card

Prince Harry and Meghan have released their holiday card – this year, a virtual one sent via email from the couple's Archewell organization. The card includes an image of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Invictus Games and links to the Archwell Foundation's Impact Report – which highlights the projects they've done between 2022 and 2023.

"We wish you a very happy holiday season. Thanks for all the support in 2023," the card reads.

Archewell has three components: a foundation, a production company and an audio company. According to the Impact Report, one of the foundation's efforts helps women who left Afghanistan resettle their lives, and another is a support network for parents whose families have been "impacted by online harm."

It is customary for members of the royal family to share holiday cards, often with their nuclear families. In the past, Harry and Meghan have shared cards with their children, Archie and Lilibet, often posting the images on social media.

This year's unconventional card was released the same day Britain's High Court ruled that Prince Harry was the victim of phone hacking. Harry sued Mirror Group Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mirror tabloid, alleging 33 articles they published were the product of illegally gathering his information through methods like phone hacking. The judge determined 15 of the articles in question were based on illegally gathered information and awarded Harry 140,600 pounds, about $180,000 U.S. dollars, in damages.

The couple has launched legal proceedings against the U.K. media several times and opened up in their Netflix docuseries about the media scrutiny they faced. They said the royal family was not supportive – even when Meghan faced racism from the media – and that is one of the reasons they left the country and moved to the U.S. in 2020. 

Since moving to the U.S. the couple launched Archewell, which produced the Netflix series and Meghan's podcast. It was reported this week that the foundation side of the organization saw a $11 million decline in donations in 2022 compared to last year.

The couple has been largely estranged from the rest of the royal family, but Harry did attend the coronation of his father, King Charles III, who was crowned earlier this year. 

Buckingham Palace also released the king and Queen Consort Camilla's Christmas card, featuring a photo of the two at the coronation. Harry's brother, Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, also released their family's card – a black and white snapshot of them and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

Story Source: CBS NEWS (World) or CLICK HERE