DeSoto schools select HOBY leaders

OLIVE BRANCH - Center Hill High School sophomore Chelsea Dilliard will be among thousands of students across the U.S. to represent her school as one of tomorrow’s leaders at the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership seminar this spring.

Dilliard, daughter of Johnny and Amy Dilliard of Olive Branch, was among a pool of about 25 sophomores at her school nominated for the honor by teachers and staff.
“I think she is an outstanding young lady,” said CHHS counselor Nancy Josey. “She has upstanding character and is well-respected by her peers and teachers. She will be a great representative for our school.”

CHHS principal George Loper agrees.

“She is a wonderful student and serves as a good role model for others,” he said. “I wish I had 1,130 other students here at Center Hill High School just like her.”

The HOBY Leadership seminars bring together a select group of high school sophomores from public and private high schools throughout each state in the nation to interact with groups of distinguished leaders in business, government, education and other sectors to discuss present and future issues.

Dilliard said she is excited about the opportunity.

“This is the first time I have been selected for something of this enormity,” she said. “I’m excited. It’s truly an honor.”

Dilliard, along with other DeSoto County School District HOBY representatives including sophomores Hayden Davis of Lewisburg High, Lauren Hamm of DeSoto Central High, and Mary Myers of Horn Lake High as well as others throughout the state, will attend the HOBY Leadership seminar at Millsaps College in Jackson May 29-31.

Olive Branch, Hernando, and Southaven high schools are still accepting nominations for their HOBY representatives.

Christian Bale says rant 'inexcusable'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Christian Bale says he acted like a "punk" and that his profane tongue-lashing on the set of "Terminator Salvation" was inexcusable.

In Friday remarks on a Los Angeles morning radio show, Bale said he never intended to get physical with cinematographer Shane Hurlbut. He also said he was likely channeling too much of his character, John Conner.

Bale also told the "Kevin and Bean" show on KROQ 106.7 that he and Hurlbut reconciled and worked together for another month following the tirade.

The outburst, which occurred last year on the set in New Mexico, was posted this week on the celebrity gossip site TMZ. It has become an Internet sensation, inspiring a music remix, spoofs, and punch lines for the "Kevin and Bean" show.

A-Rod reportedly tested positive for steroids

NEW YORK (AP) — As Barry Bonds prepares to defend his name, the slugger who may eventually surpass him as the all-time home run leader has become ensnared by the Steroids Era: Alex Rodriguez.

Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids during his MVP season with Texas in 2003, Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site Saturday.

The New York Yankees star has long denied using performance-enhancing drugs. He declined to discuss the tests when approached by SI on Thursday at a gym in Miami.

"You'll have to talk to the union," he said.

Major League Baseball and the players' union issued statements Saturday, refusing to confirm or deny the report, citing player confidentiality.

An e-mail from The Associated Press to Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, was not immediately returned. The Yankees and Rangers declined comment.

The SI revelations come at a time when baseball's focus on drugs has concerned Bonds and the legal maneuvering leading to the start of his trial March 2. The government is trying to prove Bonds lied when he told a grand jury he never knowingly took performance-enhancing drugs.

Phelps suspended for 3 months for pot photo

Michael Phelps' return to competition for the first time since the Beijing Olympics is on hold. The swimming superstar has been suspended for three months and had his training stipend revoked by USA Swimming.

It's the latest complication for the 23-year-old Olympic great since a photo surfaced showing him inhaling from a marijuana pipe at the University of South Carolina last fall.

He also lost a high-profile sponsor Thursday when Kellogg Co. said it wouldn't renew its deal with Phelps that expires later this month.

Phelps recently resumed serious training in his hometown of Baltimore with the goal of qualifying for this summer's world championships in Rome. But the suspension will cut into his racing schedule.

"This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero," the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based national governing body said in a statement.

"Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust."

Phelps won a record eight gold medals in Beijing and returned to America as one of the world's most acclaimed athletes. He made headlines of a different kind, however, in the wake of the photo, published Sunday by News of the World, a British tabloid.

Val Kilmer ponders run for NM governor in 2010

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Holy hornet's nest, Batman! The New Mexico governor's mansion?

Fresh from the inauguration, actor Val Kilmer is pondering running for governor in 2010, when two-term Democrat Bill Richardson will be forced from office by term limits.

"I'm just looking for ways to be contributive," Kilmer told The Associated Press on Thursday. "And if that ends up being where I can make a substantial contribution, then I'll run."

But there's no decision yet.

"It's really day to day," he said over tea at a local restaurant.

Kilmer, 49, grew up in Los Angeles but has called New Mexico home for more than two decades. He's currently registered as a Democrat and said he cast a ballot for Barack Obama from Bulgaria, where he was filming.

A Kilmer candidacy could throw a monkey wrench into the well-oiled Democratic machine of Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who's already running for the job.

Kilmer's screen credits include Batman in "Batman Forever" in 1995, brash fighter pilot Lt. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in the 1986 hit "Top Gun," and rock icon Jim Morrison in the 1991 Oliver Stone film, "The Doors."

Kilmer said if he ran it wouldn't have to be a conventional campaign. While the actor decides, he's getting out and about and has been listening to people — something he says he's pretty good at.

"What I do for a living is listen," he said, making a bold prediction: "If I run, I'm going to be the next governor."

Black Eyed Peas launch Grammy weekend with benefit

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Black Eyed Peas kicked off the Grammy Awards weekend with a festive fundraising show at the Conga Room.

The group rocked the new downtown club Thursday during their annual charity concert benefiting the Peapod Foundation, which provides music and arts education to children across the globe.

Fergie, will.i.am, Taboo and apl.de.ap performed during a high-energy set that featured guest appearances by Lupe Fiasco, Nikka Costa and Boys II Men.

"Music penetrates through all types of boundaries and crosses all kinds of barriers," said will.i.am before the show. "It gives us a commonality through rhythm and melody. Music has brought the world together."

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accepted the Peapod Leadership Award, presented in honor of his commitment to arts education in the city.

"I believe in what the Peapod Foundation is about," the mayor said as he awkwardly linked arms with will.i.am. "When you've been blessed, you've got to bless others. The Peapod Foundation is all about giving back."

The organization has provided free concerts in Africa and music education and equipment at its Peapod Academy in South Los Angeles.

"For people without the means or a place to go, it feels good for us to give them opportunities," Fergie said.

The Black Eyed Peas will release a new album in June, will.i.am said.

"We really, truly reinvented ourselves," he said. "So look out for the reinvention."

The 51st annual Grammy Awards will be presented Sunday at the Staples Center. The show will air live on CBS.

James Franco wins Harvard Hasty Pudding award

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — James Franco, who won recent acclaim for playing both a goofy pot dealer and Harvey Milk's lover, has been named Harvard's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year.

Franco will receive the award at a roast Feb. 13 by the Hasty Pudding — the nation's oldest undergraduate drama troupe.

The 31-year-old actor was nominated for a Golden Globe for his supporting role in "Pineapple Express" and starred opposite Sean Penn in "Milk." He has appeared in TV's "Freaks and Geeks" and the "Spider Man" trilogy and portrayed James Dean in the TNT biopic.

Renee Zellweger will be honored as the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year on Thursday. Last year's honorees were Christopher Walken and Charlize Theron.

Jolie asks Thailand to help Burmese refugees

GENEVA (AP) — Angelina Jolie has called on Thailand's government to give more freedom to tens of thousands of Burmese refugees it has kept locked inside camps for up to 20 years.

The Academy Award-winning actress and goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Refugee Agency visited Thailand's Ban Mai Nai Soi refugee center Wednesday.

"I was saddened to meet a 21-year-old woman who was born in a refugee camp, who has never even been out of the camp and is now raising her own child in a camp," Jolie was quoted as saying by UNHCR in a statement released Thursday.

She asked Thai authorities to give around 110,000 refugees in northern Thailand greater freedom to move around and seek higher education, because they are unlikely to be welcomed back anytime soon to Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Myanmar's military junta has been accused of gross atrocities against ethnic minorities, forcing thousands to flee to neighboring countries.

Jolie, 33, sat down in a two-room house on stilts and talked with a female refugee. She then met orphans at a boarding school and heard from teenage girls worried that they might be sent back to Myanmar.

"I hope we can work with the Thai authorities to speed up the government admissions process and that you will not be forced to go back to Burma if danger remains," Jolie said.

UNHCR says Thailand has yet to give refugee status to 5,000 Burmese that fled to Thailand in 2006-2007, when there was significant fighting across the border in Myanmar's Kayah state.

Her visit comes amid an uptick in the arrival of migrants from Myanmar, who often travel on rickety vessels to escape violence or harm.

DeSoto high schools moving to block schedule

All DeSoto County high schools will be changing over to block scheduling next year, the same system used by the top five high schools in the U.S.

The new modular schedule, commonly called “4 x 4,” consists of four blocks of time and four classes per semester.

Under the alternative schedule, classes will generally last about 90 minutes, nearly doubling the district high schools’ current class time of 47 minutes.

The new scheduling allows students to earn a year’s credit in 18 weeks by extending the class time in each subject. This means students can earn eight credits per year as opposed to seven for an additional four credits over four years of high school.

The eight-semester sequence also allows more advanced students the opportunity to complete higher-level courses and to earn college credits through dual enrollment.

Also under the new schedule, the number of credits required for graduation will rise to 24 for next year’s entering ninth-graders.

Girl sends 32,063 texts per month

A recent study found that on average, teens send and receive more than 1,700 messages every month. Rachel Schwartzbard, 15, from Edison, N.J. was recently recognized by the NY Post for her excessive texting. Her highest month was 38,000. Click for full story

Mom: Runaway teen met man through Xbox chat

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — The mother of a 16-year-old Michigan girl who was missing for three days after flying to Puerto Rico says the teenager was lured there by a man she met chatting online through her Xbox 360.

Stacey Rieberger told ABC's "Good Morning America" program on Wednesday that her daughter, Jasmine, was lured to the island with promises of becoming a boxing champion.

Jasmine Rieberger left her Pittsfield Township home Saturday and flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico, after destroying her computer and Xbox to cover her tracks.

She was found Tuesday in Bayamon. A 26-year-old man was detained.

The Ann Arbor News reports she is with her father and grandfather in Puerto Rico after being questioned.

Pittsfield Township is in Washtenaw County, about 35 miles west-southwest of Detroit.

King blasts 'Twilight' author

LOS ANGELES - Stephen King's opinion may drive a stake through the heart of "Twilight" author, Stephenie Meyer. Click for full story.

Bringing home the gold

SOUTHAVEN — DeSoto Central High School theater students returned home this week with the school’s first-ever state win in drama.

Students Ben Bickley, Lexi Gabel, Victoria Metts and Sydney Hudspeth were named top winners of the Mississippi Thespian Conference in Gulfport this past weekend for their performances in “Two Rooms,” a dramatic one-act play about an American hostage being held by Arab terrorists and his wife back home in America. The play was written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize nominee Lee Blessing.

The students performed at the state competition under the direction of DCHS drama teacher David Boone as part of Troupe 7261, a group of nearly 60 DCHS students committed to excellence in theater. “I was extremely pleased with their performances,” Boone said of his students. “I thought it was great. It is our first state championship in drama. We performed the play at previous competitions this year and listened to what the judges had to say and went back and reworked it.

“And I think our play was stronger."

The students were eligible to compete in the state competition this year as members of the International Thespian Society, an organization of young actors that emphasize excellence in the fine arts and, in particular, theater.

The students will go on to represent the State of Mississippi at this year’s International Thespian Festival June 22–27 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The competition will feature more than 50 productions presented by schools from throughout North America and abroad.

There, the students will also have the opportunity to engage in workshops presented by theatre professionals, individual performance events, a student playwriting program, audition for college and university representatives and for thespian scholarships, and hang out with about 2,000 other thespians.

Boone said sponsorships to send the students to the summer festival are now being accepted.

MHS student killed in vehicle accident

SENATOBIA — A car accident Sunday morning on U.S. 51 in Tate County ended badly for two Magnolia Heights School students.

Colby Mason, 17, of Senatobia, was killed and Mac McDonald, of Hernando, was injured.

Sgt. Leslie White with the Mississippi Highway Patrol said the accident occurred at around 12:30 a.m. Sunday between Senatobia and Coldwater near Merryhill Ranch Road.
The students were traveling northbound on U.S. 51 in a 2003 Ford F150 at the time of the incident.

According to police reports, Mason was driving the vehicle when it went off the road to the right, traveled down an embankment and then re-entered the highway and came to a rest on the left side of the road.

White said the cause of the accident is being investigated.

Funeral services for Mason will be at 10 a.m. today in the MHS gym, according to the school’s Web site. All of the school’s elementary and high school classes are canceled.

Interment will be at Senatobia Memorial Cemetery on Highway 51 South, just south of the school. McDonald is listed as a pallbearer.

Dope-smoking among teens down in many countries

CHICAGO (AP) — Kids on both sides of the Atlantic are smoking less pot and going out less often with friends at night, a study of 15-year-olds in 30 countries found.

The double declines occurred in the United States, Canada and mostly European countries from 2002 to 2006. The trends are likely related, since other research has found that kids who spend many evenings out are more likely to smoke dope than homebodies.

Since few parents approve of marijuana use, teens are most likely to use the drug secretly away from home, said lead author Emmanuel Kuntsche of the Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Problems.

Reasons for the declines are unclear. But the researchers said drug prevention efforts and technology may have contributed.

Instant messaging, e-mail and cell phones "may have partly replaced face-to-face contacts, leading to fewer social contacts in the evenings," Kuntsche said.

The United States ranked third in 2006, with 24 percent of boys and girls each reporting marijuana use. That was down almost 12 percent among boys and 2 percent among girls, echoing previous reports of declining pot use among U.S. teens.

Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow; winter to continue

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — The world's most famous groundhog saw his shadow Monday morning, predicting that this already long winter will last for six more weeks.

Punxsutawney Phil emerged just after dawn in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses, many dressed in black and gold to celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl victory the night before.

"There's significant buzz from the Steelers win and quite a few Terrible Towels floating from the crowd," said Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary for tourism in Pennsylvania.

The annual ritual takes place on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, a borough of about 6,100 residents some 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced the forecast in a short proclamation, in which Phil acknowledged the Steelers' 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

According to German superstition, if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says, spring will come early.

Since 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 97 times, hasn't seen it 15 times, and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. In reality, Phil doesn't see much of anything. The result is actually decided in advance by 14 members of the club's Inner Circle, who don tuxedos and top hats for the event.

Phelps in hot water again after pot pic surfaces

Michael Phelps is unbeatable in the water. It's on dry land where he runs into trouble.

Phelps has embarrassed himself again after a triumphant Olympics, this time getting his picture snapped as he inhaled from a marijuana pipe. The photo wound up in a British tabloid Sunday, forcing Phelps to publicly apologize and his handlers to deal with sponsors who are surely none too pleased about the swimmer's choices away from the pool.

"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps said in the statement released by one of his agents. "I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."

It all sounded so familiar, with good reason. After the 2004 Athens Games, an underage Phelps was arrested for drunken driving, pleaded guilty and apologized to his fans, saying he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

This was different, to be sure, but it could have the same damaging impact on Phelps' image and reputation, which were riding high after he won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games.

"Michael is a role model, and he is well aware of the responsibilities and accountability that come with setting a positive example for others, particularly young people," the U.S. Olympic Committee said in a statement. "In this instance, regrettably, he failed to fulfill those responsibilities."

News of the World said the picture was taken during a November house party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina. During that trip, he attended one of the school's football games and received a big ovation when introduced to the crowd.

While the newspaper did not specifically allege that Phelps was smoking pot, it did say the water pipe is generally used for that purpose and anonymously quoted a partygoer who said the Olympic champion was "out of control from the moment he got there." Phelps and his advisers did not dispute the authenticity of the picture.

Idaho program aims to end teen dating violence

NAMPA, Idaho (AP) — Idaho high schools can take part this month in helping to reduce violence against teenagers who are in dating relationships.

The Idaho Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Project has created an education and prevention strategy to end the cultural acceptance of teen dating violence in the state.

Organizers say 13 percent of Idaho high school students reported being hit, slapped, or punched by their dating partners within the past 12 months.

Organizers also found that 11 percent of high schools girls say they had been forced to engage in unwanted sexual contact.

Size doesn't matter in Prescott weightlifting club

PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — To the casual observer, the diminutive Teddy Dwiggins and Elias Sanchez of the Prescott Area Strength Club do not fit neatly into the stereotype of the prototypical weightlifter.

But don't be fooled.

As soon as one watches them strut their stuff in the weight room and takes a closer look at the recent feats they have accomplished in benching, dead lifting and curling, it becomes much easier to throw away any preconceived notions.

Dwiggins, a 2007 Prescott High School graduate and former wrestler, is a mere 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds. Yet in late November, the 20-year-old lifted 105 pounds with both arms in the strict curl, setting a world record at the 100 Percent Raw Power Lifting Federation's Single Lift World Championships in Norfolk, Va.

A new power lifting event, the strict curl requires competitors to lift with their shoulder blades and buttocks pressed against a wall.

In his 20-24 age group and 165-pound weight class, Dwiggins finished first in the bench and the curls. In the overall weight class, he snagged top marks in curls and runner-up in the bench.

Sanchez, a one-time Prescott High grappler who graduated with Dwiggins, is a more puzzling anomaly at 5-4 and 145 pounds.

In his age and weight class, Sanchez, 19, ranks third in the world rankings for the bench press at 132 pounds.

"It's not so much that we're trying to gain muscle mass," Dwiggins said. "Not to brag, but you see a lot of guys who are big and strong, and you put them in here against guys like me and Elias, they can't hack it."

Credit their skill and work ethic. Credit their determination and will to succeed. Credit 55-year-old Paul Gillott, their 5-5, 148-pound coach, and his guidance and expertise.

Just don't misjudge or knock their size. Picture former NBA point guard Muggsy Bogues, all 5-foot-3 of him, blocking a 7-foot center's shot.

"Us little guys like being able to go in the gym and out-lift these great big, bloated guys," Gillott said. "Being able to lay down on the bench and push more than they can is kind of cool."

Gillott, an assistant coach for PHS's varsity wrestling team, installed a more intense strength program for the Badgers squad in 2003. Ever since, lifting has elevated the Prescott wrestlers to a higher competitive level, helping them even the playing field while making athletes stronger, healthier and less injury prone.

"Strength is one thing you can control. Four years ago, we wrestled (Class 4A-II stalwart) Mingus High School, and we didn't win a single match," Gillott said. "We wrestled them earlier this month, and they beat us by one point. We looked like we belonged."