Wrestling Starlet Chyna in LAPD Beating Investigation
Former WWE wrestler Chyna is allegedly under investigation for her role in a violent altercation in Los Angeles, and according to TMZ sources, the accuser said that the situation became so intense (complete with punching, hair-pulling, etc.) that she felt her life was in danger.
No arrests have been made regarding the incident, and attempts to contact Chyna have gone unanswered.
According to the TMZ report, the Los Angeles Police Department is looking into claims made by Gabriela Targos, alleging that on April 24, Chyna -- whose real name is Joanie Laurer -- asked her to meet up at a motel. However, upon Targos' arrival, the wrestling pro and former 'Surreal Life' and 'Celebrity Rehab' star "immediately snapped and began attacking her for no reason."
During the incident, TMZ reports that Chyna, 39, allegedly punched Targos, beat her with a wire hanger, dragged her by her hair and threatened her life. The incident only came to an end when Targos escaped the motel room, ran down the street and flagged down police officers.
During her time on 'Celebrity Rehab,' Laurer struggled to admit that she had an addiction to steroids or any other substances, and claimed she was on the show voluntarily.
In December of 2008, Chyna was rushed to the hospital after having too many drinks at her own birthday party, where friends found her passed out with cuts on her arms. Upon arrival at the hospital, she was so intoxicated that doctors were unable to perform a psychological test.
Chyna shot to fame in the late '90s during her time with the WWE, where she was known as "The Ninth Wonder of the World" because of her massive frame and muscles. Since she was so much larger than all of the other female wrestlers in the company, Chyna would often face off with men.
She later gained further notoriety when a sex tape she made with a fellow wrestler was leaked.

SANTA BARBARA FAIR & EXPO

Opening Night At SB Fair And Expo, KEYT
(Story Updated: Apr 29, 2010 at 11:31 AM PDT )
"Home Sweet Home" is the theme of this year's 21st Annual Santa Barbara Fair and Expo.
Carnival rides, fair treats and farm animals are just some of the highlights, and that's not all.
Police officers, sheriff's deputies, gang enforcement and undercover officers are all teaming up again this year to ensure a safe, family-friendly event.
The Santa Barbara Fair and Expo runs through Sunday, May 2nd at the Earl Warren Showgrounds.
The fair will be open through Sunday.

Cole Brothers Circus at Rockingham County Fairgrounds

Boys, girls, moms and dads all crowded into the Cole Brothers Circus Wednesday night for the group's opening performances.
Kids enjoyed some circus regulars like clowns, the flying trapeze group and also the human cannonball
They also got to see some different things, like an ATV and motorcycle
show, and also a woman who can balance using only one finger.
Five-year-old Mikey Avila made it clear his favorite part.
"The tiger goes on the colors. The tiger jump on the fire. The tiger stand up on two feets, and then they're in the cage," says Avila.
About 2,200 people attended the two circus shows Wednesday.
The circus's last day in town is Thursday, with shows at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.
© Copyright 2010 WHSV

WINCHESTER RESIDENTS PREPARE FOR THE FESTIVAL

APPLE BLOSSOM FESTIVAL CARNIVAL OPENS

APPLE BLOSSOM FESTIVAL PREPARES FOR BIG WEEKEND

Paul Buckner installs a light fixture on the Wacky Worm roller coaster at the carnival on Tuesday. Dennis Grundman/Daily

Organizers, vendors prepare for anticipated crowds, celebrities

By Alex Bridges - abridges@nvdaily.com
WINCHESTER -- The Bloom may have found some magic this year after all, organizers say.
The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival signed some famous people to serve as guests and kept most of its popular events for its 83rd year -- all despite a bad economy and a slim budget, according to Executive Director John Rosenberger.
Movie actor Val Kilmer, TV star Randolph Mantooth and former Washington Redskin John Riggins top the roster of guests for this year's festival. Rosenberger noted that Kilmer is one of the festival's most high-profile celebrities in years.
But the festival won't feature any major new events this year.
"We're kind of in a bit of a holding because of the economy," Rosenberger said. "We're trying to hold our own and trying to put on as good a festival as we possibly can given the economy, but the economy certainly had an effect. It's just undeniable."
"We just have to work with it but, in a lot of ways, I don't think it shows."
The festival's Thursday Night Fever Disco Dance Party, the Westminster-Canterbury Breakfast Walk and the Prayer Brunch have sold out, Rosenberger said. Tickets are still available for other events, such as the Friday luncheons.

Luke Russell pumps up basketballs at a hoops game at the carnival on Tuesday. Dennis Grundman/Daily

The unit count of Saturday's Grand Feature Parade has passed 200, a number Rosenberger said could be one of the largest in years. Likewise, Friday's Firefighters' Parade will feature more vehicles than usual, despite some local complaints about a ban on sirens, Rosenberger said. Rules for each parade, such as the ban on sirens, are imposed by the organizers of each event. The local volunteer fire and rescue associations placed the ban on sirens for their parade, he said.
The Kids' Mile and the 10K also have increased, Rosenberger said.
Fireworks will return to the festival after a year off for construction on the field at John Handley High School. Rosenberger said he was happy to see this event return, but noted that organizers have to work around construction barriers to have the show go on and allow people to watch.
"And next year, it'll be great," he said. "We can have the whole campus and set it up right."
The absence of the Rock Harbor Tent meant festival organizers had to move events to other locations. The Firefighter's Reception on Thursday will be held at the Greenwood Volunteer Fire and Rescue station on Greenwood Road. The Young at Heart Dance returns to the Sprint Tent on the Winchester Medical Center, and the Queen's Ball will be held at Shenandoah University.
Many of the changes may go unnoticed by festival-goers, Rosenberger said. Some of the changes made last year to events held at Jim Barnett Park went unnoticed then because of the rain that Sunday, he recalled.
"Nobody went so nobody saw the changes," Rosenberger said. "It must've rained 2 inches."
Those changes and more will be in effect this year, including the layout, parking and traffic flow.

Vertigo, a new attraction at the Apple Blossom Carnival, is 109 feet tall. Riders will have their feet 86 feet off the ground. Dennis Grundman/Daily

"Hopefully, we'll get some decent weather and everyone can get out there and see all the changes to Weekend in the Park," Rosenberger said.
The festival has started to schedule some activities inside the War Memorial Building as well as outside, he said. These include cooking demonstrations and a challenge between two local Italian chefs, according to Rosenberger.
Festival organizers already have next year in mind.
"As things unfold you can see where it could be changed or improved, so you're already thinking 'Well, I know what we'll do next year,' so we're already creating the list of things we're going to talk about this summer for next year," Rosenberger said. "During the ongoing festival it might be some of the best times to plan for next festival. That's when you can see what's working and what isn't."The Kids' Mile and the

Adam Pritchard and Jimi Tesar deliver food at the carnival. Dennis Grundman/Daily

COLE BROS CIRCUS AT THE FESTIVAL

The New Cole Bros. Circus
A cast of over one hundred performers and animals will delight and entertain you through seven performances at the Apple Blossom Mall on:
SATURDAY, May 1st10 a.m., 5 p.m. & 8 p.m.
SUNDAY, May 2nd1:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m.
On the 122nd anniversary of Cole Bros. Circus founder W.W. Cole’s first show business venture, “Cole’s Colossal Amusements,” Cole Brothers Circus, Inc. introduces The New Cole Bros. Circus. Cole Bros. purchased the assets of the Clyde Beatty Circus in 1956, and toured as Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus from 1957 through 2003.
The “New” in The New Cole Bros. Circus signifies more than just a name change. One of the great strengths of a circus under the Big Top–the Real Circus, we say–is the proximity of the public to the performers. The audience is right there, part of the scenery and part of the action. Food and non-alcoholic drinks may be purchased from Circus vendors

POWERS GREAT AMERICAN SHOWS AT FESTIVAL

Corky Powers' Great American Midway at the

Apple Blossom Festival thru Sunday

First time I've seen Food & Games coupons offered on a show's website
Great idea!

NEW SHOWFOLKS WEB SITE

Just received an e-mail from Mike Naughton with a link

to the NEW Showfolks web site.

http://showfolksclub.com/

Check it out!

SEAWORLD ON THE CARPET---

Julie Scardina, Animal Ambassador for SeaWorld, told a House Subcommittee that the park's animal shows educate and inspire children and should continue.

Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

Julie Scardina, Animal Ambassador for SeaWorld, told a House Subcommittee that the park's animal shows educate and inspire children and should continue. Congress weighs risks, benefits of killer whale and dolphin showsBy Donna Leinwand, USA TODAYA SeaWorld curator told Congress today that the theme park's killer whale and dolphin shows educate and inspire children and should be continued despite the drowning of one of its trainers by a killer whale Feb. 24."I say the benefits outweigh the risk," SeaWorld curator Julie Scardina testified before the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife on Tuesday.
Critics of such captive animal shows said the animal parks spread inaccurate information and seek to entertain, not educate.
The animals are trained "to do stupid tricks for our amusement. We are beyond that. Our kids are beyond that," says Louie Psihoyos, director of The Cove, a documentary on dolphin hunts that won an Academy Award this year. "There's no education at all involved in a dolphin circus show."
To read the rest of this article go tohttp://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-04-27-seaworld_N.htm

CIRCUS JUVENTAS OPENS WEDNESDAY

Circus Juventas welcomes first audience since bleacher collapse
Highland Park's Circus Juventas will start welcoming audiences Wednesday night in St. Paul with new bleachers.

In August, the bleachers collapsed during a performance, injuring several people.

Wednesday night, the youth performing arts circus will open its doors to an audience for the first time since the collapse. They say they're excited to greet people with a new seating system.

Performances will run through May 8th.

WORLDS SMALLEST HORSE?

Circus elephant captured after escape

Viola, an elephant performing with the Cole Brothers Circus in Lynchburg, is led back to the circus grounds at Presbyterian Homes after she briefly escaped from handlers Tuesday. No one was injured.

Jason Snyder/The News & Advance
Published: April 27, 2010
Disney’s classic movie “Dumbo” drove home the idea that elephants are afraid of mice. If Viola, a female elephant performing with Cole Brothers Circus, speaks for the majority, they’re also afraid of rabbits.
The elephant, who had already performed at Presbyterian Homes and Family Services on Tuesday evening, briefly broke away from her handlers and ended up a few hundred feet from her designated area after a wild rabbit jumped toward her, officials with the circus said.
“She got disoriented and didn’t know which way to go,” said Mark Morrison, vice president of development for Presbyterian Homes.
The elephant ran directly past a line of spectators waiting to buy tickets, sending some running toward the parking lot. Handlers and circus workers chased after the elephant.
Morrison said she broke from the group at about 6:30 p.m., and handlers had her back with the other two elephants about 30 minutes later.
He said few people were in the area at the time, as the show was still going on inside the tent.
No circus goers were in danger at any point during the incident, which lasted about 30 minutes, circus officials said.
City Councilman Michael Gillette, ward representative for this area, said he understood the incident was short-lived and presented no threat to the community.
He said he did not regret voting for the permit that allowed the circus to come to Presbyterian Homes. Some Peakland neighbors had asked the city not to grant the circus a permit to perform in that area.
“We certainly hoped this wouldn’t happen and we hope it won’t happen again, but I’m happy that at no time was anyone in any danger,“ Gillette said.
Elvin Bale, vice president of operations for the circus, said Viola had probably played her last act of the night.
“I think they’re probably going to give her the night off, because she looked a little stiff to me,” he said.
Officials said Viola appeared to have mildly injured herself when she stepped in a hole while loping down an embankment.
Handlers were initially concerned that the elephant might be injured, but eventually determined she was well enough to walk back to her tent under her own power, Bale said.
This was the first time Presbyterian Homes had hosted the circus.
“We’re just glad she’s fine and we’re glad nobody was hurt,” he said.
Alicia Petska and Jason Snyder contributed

PICADILLY CIRCUS

Elephants and aerialists perform Thursday in Piccadilly Circus

An elephant performs in the ring at the Piccadilly Circus.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010By Melissa Miller ~ Southeast Missourian
There's only one place in Cape Girardeau to find a boxing kangaroo, a giant jungle monster and motorcycles flying through the "Chamber of Doom." All this and more will be at the Piccadilly Circus at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Show Me Center. "It's fun, it's exciting, it's hysterical," said Niles Garden of the Piccadilly Circus, based in Sarasota, Fla. "The human feats are just amazing. At the show we did last night, people were standing up in awe."
The show includes more than 25 human performers, many of whom are acrobats. The Alexis Brothers will perform Cirque du Soleil-style aerial moves, Garden said.
Animals featured in the European-style circus show include horses, elephants, monkeys and a kangaroo.
Elephant and pony rides also will be available along with cotton candy, snow cones and other circus treats.

A Russian clown troupe performs in the Piccadilly Circus.

The show's clowns, which at times ride in a comedy car that drives itself, also provide the audience with plenty of comic relief, Garden said. Before the show arrives in Cape Girardeau, it will perform in Jackson, Tenn., today. From Cape Girardeau the circus travels to Carlinville, Ill.
"We're in a new town every day, and we just keep on moving," Garden said.
Free ticket coupons for children ages 13 and younger were distributed at local schools and area businesses. This coupon also may be downloaded at the circus' website, www.thefuncircus.com.
Adult tickets are $37 for VIP seating and $27 for general admission. Child VIP tickets are $15 or $10 for general admission.
For more information, call the Show Me Center box office at 651-5000.
mmiller@semissourian.com

THE "MOB MUSEUM"

PICTURES OFFERED FOR SALE ON E-BAY

SIDESHOW BANNERS BEING OFFERED AT AUCTION

These banners are going to be auctioned May 5th

by Mosley's Auction Co.