Massachusetts

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― The Jacksons were crowned icons at the BMI Urban Awards, but the King of Pop was an absentee.

Janet Jackson presented her music-making brothers — Michael, Tito, Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine and Randy — with the lifetime achievement BMI Icon award following a musical tribute at the award show celebrating R&B and hip-hop’s top hitmakers. While Tito, Jackie, Marlon and Randy reunited Thursday to accept the award, Jermaine and Michael didn’t attend the Wilshire Theatre ceremony.

Where was the Moonwalker?

“I don’t know,” Marlon told The Associated Press before the show. (Read the full post about ‘Jacksons Reunite At BMI Urban Awards’…)

NEW YORK (AP) ― David Spade is the father of Playboy playmate Jillian Grace’s newborn daughter, Spade’s representative said Thursday. The baby girl was born Aug. 26 in Missouri, and Spade plans to visit her on his first break from filming the CBS sitcom “Rules of Engagement,” publicist Meredith O’Sullivan said.

No further details were provided.

The 44-year-old comedian told TMZ.com earlier this year that he had a brief relationship with Grace, and would accept responsibility if confirmed to be the father of her child.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

(Read the full post about ‘David Spade Is The Father Of Playboy Pinup’s Baby’…)

MINNEAPOLIS (CBS) ― Even with all the hoopla at the Xcel Energy Center and all the parties and events around the Twin Cities, the hottest ticket in town this week was Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” taping.

It took 20 minutes to sell out all four shows, yet somehow, CBS station WCCO-TV in Minneapolis figured out how to get in to check out a little Indecision 2008.

On Thursday, the lines to see the “Daily Show” were moved inside.

“Because of the potential protests, you know, riots that could happen in the streets, so we’ve been watching cops line up,” said “Daily Show” fan Jessica Horwitz. (Read the full post about ‘Jon Stewart Likes St. Paul Better Than Denver’…)

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (AP) ― A high-end clothing store in Brookfield, Wisconsin, is suing Oprah Winfrey’s mother for failing to pay her bill.

The civil complaint says Vernita Lee of Milwaukee owed Valentina nearly $156,000 for purchases and interest as of July 1 and has failed to make the monthly minimum payment of $2,000.

Store attorney Joseph Niebler Sr. says his client tried to resolve the matter with Lee before filing the lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit says Lee told store officials she doesn’t think she owes the money. (Read the full post about ‘Luxury Clothing Store Suing Oprah’s Mother’…)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Kathy Griffin, who shook up an Emmy ceremony last year with her rowdy acceptance speech, is bringing her act to this year’s prime-time awards show.

Griffin and Don Rickles, a comedian who’s legendary for his combative style, will team up as presenters at the Sept. 21 ceremony airing on ABC, the TV academy says.

“As we near the telecast, there will be more sets of presenters that will surprise almost everyone,” executive producer Ken Ehrlich said in a statement

Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris, who helped announce the Emmy nominations in July, will join again to present an award, the academy said Thursday.

Conan O’Brien of NBC’s “Late Night,” Christian Slater (NBC’s upcoming “My Own Worst Enemy”) and Kate Walsh (ABC’s “Private Practice”) also were included in the third set of presenters selected for the ceremony.

Broadway star Chenoweth is a nominee for ABC’s “Pushing Daisies,” while Harris received a nod for CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother.” Don Rickles earned a nomination for HBO’s “Mr. (Read the full post about ‘Kathy Griffin Bringing Act To Emmy Awards’…)

BOSTON (AP) ― Gov. Deval Patrick is turning down a request from the Mashpee Wampanoags to start formal talks on a state compact allowing a $1 billion tribal casino in Middleboro.

The tribe asked for the talks in a letter on Tuesday.

On Friday, the state released its response that it’s “premature” to begin gambling talks before the federal government acts on the tribe’s application to place the casino land in trust.

Tribal spokeswoman Amy Lambiaso said it looks forward to continuing talks, and still hopes to begin the casino discussions as soon as possible.

The state isn’t obligated to negotiate until the land trust application is approved. (Read the full post about ‘Patrick Nixes Casino Talks’…)

BOSTON (WBZ) ― Boston police Commissioner Ed Davis was in the right place at the right time when he spotted a suspected shoplifter fleeing a grocery store in West Roxbury.

Davis and another police officer were pulling into the Roche Bros. on Centre Street to get some groceries Wednesday evening when Davis spotted store security chasing a man.

Davis and his officer drove after the suspect and found him hiding in a bush near Belgrade Avenue, police officials said. 

According to the Boston Herald, when the shoplifting suspect, 26-year-old Christopher McSherry, realized who was arresting him, he asked, “Are you the commissioner?”

Davis responded, “Yes, I am. (Read the full post about ‘Commissioner Davis Nabs Suspected Shoplifter’…)

BOSTON (WBZ) ― A longtime Department of Conservation and Recreation worker has been suspended for allegedly selling scrap metal from the same state labor yard that the Longfellow Bridge’s historic metal trim is missing from, WBZ’s Kathy Curran has learned.

The employee, whose name is not known, is accused of selling metal from a yard in Stoneham. According to sources, the worker allegedly used the money from the metal sales to fund a party for co-workers. He has been suspended for eight days.

His suspension comes as officials are trying to figure out what happened to 2,300 feet of the Longfellow metal trim stored at that same yard. (Read the full post about ‘DCR Worker Accused Of Stealing Scrap Metal’…)

BOSTON (WBZ) ― Gov. Deval Patrick is requesting federal disaster aid for shellfishermen hurt by this year’s red tide outbreaks.

Between April and July, high levels of the toxic algae closed more than 600,000 acres of shellfish areas between the North Shore and Cape Cod.

The state estimates an overall economic loss of $7 million, which has affected about 1,100 commercial shellfish harvesters.

Patrick on Friday asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to declare a commercial fishery failure.

That would make the shellfishing industry eligible for federal disaster assistance. Patrick said the money is needed to prevent a local collapse of the industry. (Read the full post about ‘Patrick Requests Disaster Aid For Shellfishermen’…)

BOSTON (WBZ) ― Both lanes of the Longfellow Bridge are again open for Boston-to-Cambridge traffic, and large trucks are again being allowed to cross the bridge in that direction.

State Department of Conservation and Recreation officials say repairs to that side of the bridge have been completed. On June 28, the inside lanes in both directions of the Longfellow were closed, and trucks weighing 20 tons or more were prohibited from the bridge.

Repairs to the Cambridge-to-Boston side of the bridge continue. The inside lane remains closed, and large trucks are still prohibited from crossing the Longfellow in that direction. (Read the full post about ‘Longfellow Repairs Competed In One Direction’…)