3 NEW CASES OF SWINE FLU ON THE SOUTH PLAINS

From the City of Lubbock:

Three New Positive Cases of H1N1 Flu

Three new cases of H1N1 flu have been confirmed in the South Plains region.  The three new cases are: a 35-50 year old female from Bailey County, a school-age male from Dawson County, and a school-age male from Arizona visiting relatives in Lubbock.  Healthcare professionals have notified the families of the diagnosis of H1N1 Flu.

Health officials remind you that H1N1 flu is a mild strain of influenza, and if you are exhibiting flu-like symptoms please follow the same precautions that you would for the seasonal flu.

DYLAN, MELLENCAMP, NELSON TO PLAY AT JONES STADIUM IN AUGUST

A concert… at the Jones? On August 8th, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, and Willie Nelson will be bringing their show to Lubbock at Jones AT&T Stadium. Tickets will cost you anywhere from $40-$70 something bucks for the night. Here is the story from Kerns and the AJ:

Three American music icons — Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp — will appear in concert together Aug. 8 at Texas Tech’s Jones AT&T Stadium.
One or two more bands, possibly local, are expected to be signed as openers, according to promoter Gary Boren. The show will open at 5 p.m.
This concert will mark Dylan’s second appearance in Lubbock, and Mellencamp’s Lubbock debut. Nelson has performed many times in Lubbock, including a headlining appearance at a benefit concert on Sept. 8, 1987, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
That was the last time Tech had approved use of the stadium for a concert; the 1987 stadium concert benefited the Tech athletic department.
The Aug. 8 concert will not be played to the full stadium. Instead, the stage will face the west stands, with the sound board about100 feet from the west wall and 2,400 seats set up on the turf between the stage and the west wall.
Capacity for the concert will be about 16,000, said Boren, and that number will include 2,400 floor-level seats and the club-level seating.
Tickets eventually will be placed on sale at the general public at Select-A-Seat outlets.
However, the first tickets will be offered to the three artists’ fan clubs, and to Red Raider Club members, Tech football season ticket holders, and to club suite ticket holders, said Boren.
Ticket prices have not been confirmed; however, Boren estimated that the top ticket price will be in the $70 range and the lowest price ticket in the $40 range.
The primary concern of Tech athletic director Gerald Myers, said Boren, was protection of the field turf.
Boren said, “We are hiring a Texas company that has a national track record of high-quality turf protection products for outdoor venues for concerts. We will use approximately 33,000 square feet of their decking to cover the field for the event.”
Nelson, 76, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993.
Dylan, 68, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, presented by Bruce Springsteen.
Mellencamp, 57, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, presented by Billy Joel.

(link)

Two 11 year-olds victims of bullycide: suicide caused by bullying

The following is from Intern Toni:

For many students, school is like a second home because they are there so often. Most of our lives are spent in school, from kindergarten to high school but the rise of bullying, harassments, and assaults are inclining at an alarming rate in Public School Systems.

Sure, everyone has had their fair share of being teased and has run into an encounter with a bully, but now with youth’s generation, there are more creative ways to harass students and make it public.

Being bullied builds character, to an extent. I learned to tolerate, I learned to ignore, I learned about self confidence. When I was in first grade, I received my first pair of glasses and was the only child in my class to have needed them. I got picked on by the boys and ‘four eyes’ was an ever popular joke but my parents told me to shrug it off. I can vividly recall lying in between my parents, on their bed explaining why I did not want to go to school and how things would be better off if I weren’t here. Now that I look back, I think, ‘Wow, I was only six years old and just confessed to my parents that being alive was not worth the criticism I was receiving for being nearsighted’.

Obviously, my parents handled the situation and I returned to school. The teasing never ceased; in fact, as I got older teasing became more like a routine. They would find new ways to ‘poke fun’ at me. Since I am female, I spell my name with an ‘I’ and for some reason people could not comprehend, even some teachers, that a young girl was named after her father despite it typically being a name for a male. This was particularly hard for me to overcome. My name is Toni, there is nothing wrong with being named after my dad, but it took a lot of self confidence to finally over come that.

I was lucky, I have a sister who is two years older than I and she was always and still is on my side, ready to back me up. She got in fights because of me, she protected me, and she shielded me because she saw what my parents couldn’t. Some students, unfortunately, aren’t so lucky.

I was heartbroken to hear that two young boys, both 11 years of age, committed suicide within ten days of one another. Neither of the two separate deaths is connected but what is similar, are their stories.

Last month these two young students decided that death was a better option as opposed to returning to school and facing constant disapproval. They hung themselves in their closet. In the stir of their death, Congress introduced a bill which is set out to protect all students – including gay or transgender – from harassment. These two young children were accused of being ‘gay’.

The ever growing popularity of texting and social network sites are adding to the torment of students along with old fashion name-calling and physical bullying.

With so many school shootings in the past, I feel the lives of these two boys could have been saved. The mother of one victim repeatedly complained to school officials that her son was being taunted by names such as ‘gay and ‘snitch’. This young student was even put in a sleeper hold in the school bathroom. Apparently, not enough was done to prevent these ‘bullies’ from tormenting this young boy again. The school recently released an internal report stating that the boy was not subjected to more teasing than his peers but the school system only acknowledged five out of the eight complaints the mother gave.

I view it as allowing the bullies to win because if the schools took time to investigate the situation in further detail, both these deaths could have been preventable. Even with the new bill being passed, it is still not enough because it does not help students to cope with the low self-esteem and depression they encounter. When a student takes his or her life due to bullying, psychologists have dubbed this bullycide. It is very real and does not have any signs of slowing down. I know it is difficult to monitor bullying but school systems need to find a better way to protect their students and to deal with situations like these before another life is lost. This 11 year old could have been saved, he should have been protected, and not enough was done.

I could only hope that their deaths spark an endemic of change to protect the students, to provide them with the comfort and safety they deserve. I wish for the much success of the federal anti-bullying bill, which would require schools receiving funding from the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to execute inclusive anti-bullying policies.

AUDIO FROM OUR INTERVIEW WITH COL. OLIVER NORTH

If you missed today’s show trust me you missed a classic. We had Col. Oliver North call in LIVE this morning at 6:35 and we discussed his new book, national security, President Obama, and torture. We replayed the interview again at 8:35 because some of you don’t have to wake up before 8. For those of you who missed the replay as well or you want to listen again or send it to family members, the audio is now up on my podcast site. (LINK CLICK HERE)

You will also find audio from when Liberal Tom (listener) called in and called North a felon(not true) and the listeners called in to pile on Tom. One caller even slammed our competitor, which brought a smile and a tear to my eye. So go by the podcast site and take a listen.

COL. OLIVER NORTH ON FRIDAY’S SHOW

Coming up on Friday’s edition of Lubbock’s First News, we will visit with Col. Oliver North at 6:35am. If that’s a little early for you, have no fear because we will replay the interview at 8:35am and have it up on the Podcast site later that day.

Col. North will join us to discuss his new book, American Heroes. We will also discuss the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and national security.

SWINE FLU IN LUBBOCK… ALCOHOL SALES VOTE BLAMED.

From the City of Lubbock:

Positive Case of H1N1 Flu in Region 1

One case of H1N1 flu has been confirmed in Lubbock County.  The case is a small child, less than five years old (not school age).  A healthcare professional has notified the family of the diagnosis of H1N1 Flu.  The child has been treated with Tamiflu and is recovering at home.

The Lubbock Health Department continues to advise everyone to take the following precautions to prevent the spread of any illness:

Wash hands frequently and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds using soap and warm water especially before handling food, after touching potentially contaminated surfaces, and after being around someone who may be sick.
If soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Cough or sneeze into a facial tissue (then dispose of tissue) or into your shirt sleeve if a tissue is not available.
Stay home if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms to prevent spreading the illness to others, or seek medical attention if your symptoms worsen.  Due to overcrowding at emergency rooms, please visit your private physician or an urgent care clinic before trying the emergency room.

So there ya go. Glad the kid is doing okay. Panic if you must.

LUBBOCK COUNTY WET, BUT…

Well it looks as though the election was legal, but of course there are some people out there still trying to cause problems for all of us heathens that would like lower prices and the ability to buy wine at the store. Here is the latest from the county:

No previous elections conflict with the wet status of any area in Lubbock County, according to an opinion sent from the county’s civil division to the clerk’s office.
John Grace, an assistant criminal district attorney in the county’s civil division, wrote in a letter released Monday afternoon that “all areas of Lubbock County should now be considered ‘wet’” for the sale of off-premise alcohol and mixed drinks.
“I note specifically that I can find no record of any election to prohibit any type of alcohol by any jurisdiction within the county,” Grace wrote.
Issues in the state’s alcohol code and a recent attorney general’s ruling had called the wet or dry status of some areas into question after May 9’s landslide vote to allow alcohol sales.
County commissioners certified the results of that vote at a special morning meeting.
The letter refers to a request by County Clerk Kelly Pinion for an analysis on the county’s wet and dry status. (link)

Sounds great right? Time to kick this thing off and start giving out licenses! Wrong. Remember the Strip? Well they are still in negotiations with the City of Lubbock regarding zoning and building size. Should the stores be able to be larger than 3,000 sq. ft.? Maybe, but that’s not MY issue right now. Here is the latest regarding the lawsuit by the strip:

Medina approved a 90-day extension to the temporary restraining order against alcohol licenses he gave in early May. Both sides had agreed to the extension last week.
The lengthy extension covers the amount of time it could take to approve new zoning rules. The ordinance could go before Lubbock’s planning and zoning commission in early June and before the council by July. (full story)

So, it could be August or later before Lubbock starts seeing alcohol sold in stores. Of course the Strip wanted 90 days to figure everything out because they still want the money (I don’t blame them). If you wait until July before the City Council decides anything then the Strip has been able to cash in on all the Summer sales. Memorial Day, 4th of July, weekends at the pool, etc., nice isn’t it? The City of Lubbock needs to get this zoning deal hammered out fast. No one on the Council has any reason to want to see this play out for months. The people of Lubbock have spoken, and it’s time for the City to act. At the end of the day the Mayor nor any of the council members would benefit from the Strip raking in more money while they draw this thing out.

Or could they?

GAYS IN THE MILITARY

This morning on LFN we took the entire 8 o’clock hour to discuss gays in the military and whether “don’t ask, don’t tell” should be done away with. Most of the callers that called in said they had no problem with gays in the Military, and personally neither do I. If I’m being shot at the only thing I care about is if the guy standing next to me can shoot straight.

What I found the most interesting was the generational breakdown of those who didn’t want gays in service vs. those who didn’t care. We had many former military guys that called into the show and those that were over 60 were opposed based on the moral arguement. The whole, “I don’t want them checking me out” deal that people were really afraid of back in the day. Those that were former Military and under the age of 45 didn’t care and didn’t serving with gays as a big deal.

If you missed the discussion, be sure to check it out on iTunes or on the podcast site, HERE.

SOME STILL DON’T GET IT

Lubbock County is now wet thanks to the voters and also to the Chamber for getting the ball rolling on a petition drive. From day one I was pro-vote and pro-sales, and I never tried to hide the fact that I felt that way. To some this was a problem and all of a sudden I became an outspoken activist. The problem is, the people who thought that way obviously have no idea what my philosophy is when it comes to radio.

There are many different types of radio show hosts. Some depend solely on callers and giveaways while others hardly ever take calls and really don’t care about your opinion. Other shows take calls when they can and hopefully the callers can mesh with the show. Personally, I like taking calls if they are on topic and the caller can bring something to the show. Hopefully you, the caller, can bring a new idea and some insight into what we are talking about.

Now, alcohol sales in Lubbock. Yes, I was for it and very happy that it passed. Was I harsh to the TAAS people? Possibly at times, sure, but at the end of the day it’s politics and that’s what happens. I saw a group that told people they were trying to represent the moral and religious part of the community, yet at times they lied and deceived people. I was called a “drunk” and an “outspoken activist” by one Baptist minister in town and I had never met this person. I wasn’t surprised though, I knew the stance I took on the election would be unpopular to some, but I don’t do a show that is meant to be fair and nice to everyone. I don’t always want everyone to agree with me. I was even told by people in our company that there was no way I could win with people. I disagree.

Lubbock’s First News and The Chad Hasty Show were the 2 most outspoken shows in Lubbock when it came to this issue. My goal is to provide an entertaining, thought provoking radio show that debates ALL the issues. Some shows tried to skate around the election, but not me. LFN and The Chad Hasty Show will always talk about the issues that matter, and it doesn’t matter how controversial the topics are. Sure, I might have made some of listeners mad by taking a stand, but anytime a host takes a stand on an issue someone is going to disagree with you. Last week the AJ didn’t endorse either side of the alcohol debate and in my opinion, any local media outlet that didn’t sound off on this issue lost credibility. LFN showed that we aren’t afraid to discuss the issues and I can tell you right now that we will continue to bring you blunt, honest opinions and take yours as well. Something you should also remember, I don’t have to be fair. Sure the name of the program has the word “news” in it, but it’s not a news show. It’s an opinion show.

There are some who say that to them this wasn’t an important issue. I don’t buy that. If you live in Lubbock County, than this election effected you and every election is important. Some say we spent too much time talking about the election. I don’t agree. This was one of the biggest elections for Lubbock County in years. This election split people, churches, friends and neighbors. How could this not have been big news? How could I just ignore it?

I wasn’t an out spoken activist for the FOR side in the election. I am the host of 2 radio shows that aren’t afraid to talk about the issues that matter. I don’t regreat a word I said during the election. I provided entertainment, opinion, and information, oh and we provided a place for you the listener to either agree or disagree with us. Oh, and just incase you forgot, 64% of people agreed with at least some of what I was saying.

Yes, the FOR side won, but so did we. LFN and The Chad Hasty Show won because we weren’t afraid to talk about this and I wasn’t afraid to take the heat from some people out in the community and some within my own building. I gave my opinion and so did many others. It just goes to show that LFN is the show to listen to for REAL opinions on ALL the issues. We will continue to do it no matter how unpopular it may seem to some people. LFN will continue to entertain, inform, and give you a chance to voice your opinion. THAT’S my philosophy. It’s also the reason why LFN and The Chad Hasty Show continue to grow and get more listeners. It’s the reason why LFN is the number 1 morning talk show.

As always, thank you for listening. Now it’s time for Lubbock to move on and focus on the next fight.

Celibacy and the Church: Alberto Cutié

The following is from LFN intern Toni:

On May 7th breaking news broke out about a popular Miami Beach priest, Alberto Cutié, being caught in a scandal as a swarm of paparazzi snap very incriminating photos. Once again I am reading a story that deals with some allegation involving the Roman Catholic Church.

Cutié, pronounced koo-tee-AY, took an oath on celibacy but during the course of three days, he was caught in hypocrisy as pictures found him with an attractive woman kissing at a bar. One photo even reveals the over friendly priest with wandering hands fondling this mystery woman’s rear end.

It is understandable that Cutié was partaking in affection that is purely human impulse but what is baffling is that this affair was ongoing for two years. Cutié has spoken on CBS’ Early Show and was ‘deeply’ apologetic but is he only apologetic because he got caught by a Spanish tabloid? If these pictures were not made public, would Cutié still be hiding this romantic relationship while breaking the oath that he took more than 22 years ago? He has been dubbed ‘Father Oprah’ because of the attention and impact he provided for the Spanish community but now he is unsure of his future as he stepped down as president from his 24 hour Catholic radio station and is no longer the head of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church.

In order to serve God in the Catholic Church, priests take a vow of celibacy which suggests that these men are “the bride of Christ” which eliminates any form of sexual conduct. The purpose of this oath is that it allows complete dedication to God and the Church with no distractions. This policy has been unchanged for the past 900 years but of course it has sparked several debates on whether or not this rule should be changed to keep up with modern times.

Evidently, Cutié was unable to uphold that promise. The Catholics have spent quite a few decades being surrounded in sexual abuse, parish embezzlement and doctrinal intolerance.

It is saddening to know that the catholic clergy deny communion to gays, divorcees, and anyone who violates the litany of “non-negotiable” rules and then pick up a newspaper and read plots to conceal evidence, moving offending priests from parish to parish rather than having them permanently removed from priesthood, and failure to report any criminal acts. Often times I wonder, when the Catholic Church will run out of the millions they keep spending to suppress bad press?

What other headlining news pertaining to the Catholic Church will we see later this year?

The Catholic Church has some serious thinking to do on this debate involving clerical celibacy because this concept seems to be collapsing rapidly.

According to the interview he gave with the Early Show, Cutié believes celibacy should be optional and seemed remorseful for having breaking it… only after he was caught.

TVnotas was the magazine that printed the photos with about two dozen images taken of the Popular Priest.