Faces & Names: UMD prof gets honorary doctorate from Swedish U

The head of UMD’s Biology Graduate Program has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden.

The Swedish University cited Professor John Pastor’s exceptional work in the field of forest sciences and his expertise in the study of boreal forests, according to the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Pastor will travel to Sweden on Oct. 9 to receive the award.

Brown back on top

Chris Brown is back to a familiar place — the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts.

The 21-year-old’s latest song, the goodbye groove “Deuces,” hit the top spot of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart this week.

Since Brown’s February 2009 altercation with then-girlfriend Rihanna, he has not had much success musically. He released his third album, “Graffiti,” in Dec. 2009 and it’s his lowest-selling CD to date. Only two songs from the album hit the charts; the first single “I Can Transform Ya” peaked at No. 20 on the pop charts.

“Deuces” appears on Brown’s mixtape, “Fan of a Fan,” and it features rappers Tyga and Kevin McCall. Brown also stars in the heist thriller “Takers,” which debuted on top of the box office last week.

Lady A's guitarist needs a date

Lady Antebellum guitarist Dave Haywood still needs a plus-one for the CMA Awards.

He told the Associated Press that he asked his mom to go with him over Twitter, because “she loves Twitter for some reason.” But it turns out she can't go.

The group is up for five awards at the Nov. 10 show, including entertainer of the year and album of the year.

Haywood tweeted from the group's account Wednesday: “SO humbled by the nominations!!! Very excited. Would be more excited if my mom (at)SCLadyA would be my date for the show. Mom?” Haywood said he's “bummed” his mom can't attend, but now he's “in the hunt.” He thinks his dad will likely come up.

Singer Charles Kelley says, “You know we're in a new age, a new era when you're asking your mom over Twitter to go to an awards show. That is awesome.”

Cage lawsuit dismissed

Court records show a lawsuit in which Nicolas Cage accused a former business manager of mismanagement has been dismissed.

A counterclaim by the manager, Samuel J. Levin, also was dismissed.

The 46-year-old Cage sued Levin for $20 million in October, claiming the accountant led him on a path to financial ruin.

Levin countersued for unpaid fees and alleged the actor didn’t listen to his advice. Court records indicate both cases were dismissed Monday. No other details were available.

O’Brien’s new show? It’s ‘Conan’

There’s Madonna, Oprah and now ... “Conan.”

Conan O’Brien took the simple approach Wednesday in announcing the name of his new talk show on TBS.

“Conan” will kick off Nov. 8.

He posted a YouTube video announcing the show’s name to his fans. He scrawled the name on a white sheet of paper using a black marking pen.

O’Brien has finished a comedy concert tour. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his short-lived stint as NBC “Tonight” show host that ended amid much drama in January, but lost to Jon Stewart and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”

Douglas treating throat tumor

Michael Douglas is vowing to beat cancer.

The 65-year-old “Wall Street” star said in an interview with People magazine that he expects to make a full recovery after a walnut-sized tumor was found on the base of his tongue in early August. Douglas is undergoing an eight-week course of radiation and chemotherapy in New York. His doctors said there is no evidence the cancer has spread.

“I’m treating this as a curable disease,” he said. “It’s a fight. I’ll beat this.”

Douglas said Tuesday during an appearance on David Letterman’s “Late Show” that he had just finished his first week of radiation and chemotherapy.

He said a biopsy found he had late, stage-four cancer, “which is intense, and so they gotta go at it.”

However, Douglas said, the cancer remains above the neck and that means expectations are good, with an 80 percent or better chance of recovery.

Lohan says ‘dabbling’ led to her mistakes

Lindsay Lohan wants your respect.

In the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair, the 24-year-old actress admits making mistakes in the past and “dabbling in certain things.”

But in a July interview with the magazine before she served 14 days in jail followed by 23 days of inpatient rehab, she defended her actions, saying she was young and curious and was associating with the wrong people.

“So many people around me would say they cared for the wrong reasons,” Lohan said. “A lot of people were pulling from me, taking from me and not giving. I had a lot of people that were there for me for, you know, the party.”

Lohan says she used to get her news from tabloids, which she now calls “scary and sad.”

“I would look up to those girls ... the Britneys and whatever,” she said. “And I would be like, I want to be like that.”

Push-ups or lawsuit for ‘Twilight’ star

An RV dealer sued by Taylor Lautner over a custom vehicle is denying wrongdoing and has proposed a way to resolve the case — a push-up contest.

Lautner sued McMahon’s RV a week ago, claiming it failed to deliver a vehicle in time for use on the “Twilight” star’s latest movie.

Brent McMahon owns McMahon’s RV in Irvine, Calif. He said he tried to resolve the dispute with Lautner out of court, but that the actor’s camp demanded $40,000 as a settlement.

McMahon said he’s willing to pay the 18-year-old the money — if the actor beats him in a push-up contest.

Hilton: Not my coke

Paris Hilton had an explanation for Las Vegas police: The rolling papers, $1,300 in cash and several credit cards were hers, but not the purse they were in.

And definitely not the bag of white powder that fell out of it Friday night.

Believing it to be cocaine, an officer asked her who it belonged to.

“She said she had not seen it but now thought it was gum,” Las Vegas police Lt. Dennis Flynn wrote in a report made public Monday.

Hilton told police the purse belonged to a friend. But the friend was never identified.

The 29-year-old celebrity socialite was charged with cocaine possession and freed without bail before dawn Saturday.

Bullock marks Hurricane Katrina anniversary at clinic

Five years after Hurricane Katrina, Oscar-winning actress Sandra

Bullock returned Sunday to the New Orleans high school she helped rebuild for the opening of an on-campus health clinic.

Bullock, whose adopted son was born in New Orleans, joined a host of educators, school supporters and politicians, including U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter and New

Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, for the clinic’s

ribbon-cutting ceremony, which coincided with the storm’s anniversary.

“We’re here to celebrate an anniversary and though that might be hard for some, I choose to emphasize the word ‘celebrate.’ Sometimes tragedies bring out the very best in people and it’s one of the reasons why we stand in this school of excellence today,” Bullock told about 100 people gathered in the auditorium of Warren Easton Charter High School, which was rebuilt after Katrina swamped the campus.

In addition to a contribution from Bullock, the $700,000 medical and dental clinic received grants from the Kellogg Foundation and the San Francisco 49ers Foundation. It’s set to open in the fall and will provide services ranging from flu shots to emergency care.

Bullock previously donated money to Easton, the city’s oldest public high school, for renovations, scholarships and supplies including new band uniforms.

Judge grants restraining order sought by DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio has been granted a temporary restraining against a woman he said claims to be his wife and carrying his baby.

Court records show Superior Court Judge Carol Boas Goodson granted the order Wednesday against Livia Bistriceanu, 41, of Chicago.

“Given this obsessive and harassing behavior, I am frightened of Ms. Bistriceanu and feel that my personal safety, and the

personal safety of those around me, is in jeopardy,” DiCaprio wrote in a sworn declaration.

An e-mail message sent Friday to Bistriceanu seeking comment was not immediately returned.

DiCaprio’s request included statements from the actor and his security team claiming Bistriceanu had traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles at least twice to try to meet DiCaprio at his home and business office. She refused to leave the properties and acted aggressively, the court filings state.

Hilton arrested on cocaine charge

Paris Hilton was arrested late Friday after a police motorcycle officer smelled marijuana smoke wafting from a black Cadillac Escalade driven by her boyfriend on the Las Vegas Strip, then found cocaine in her purse, authorities said.

A crowd quickly gathered when Hilton and Las Vegas nightclub mogul Cy Waits were stopped about 11:30 p.m. Friday in the vehicle near the Wynn Las Vegas resort, police said.

The 29-year-old celebrity socialite was taken into the hotel “to keep her safe” during the initial investigation, police Lt. Wayne Holman said.

Police Officer Marcus Martin said the motorcycle officer pulled the Escalade over on Las Vegas Boulevard after noticing smoke that smelled like marijuana. Police later found a substance in Hilton’s purse that tests showed to be cocaine, Martin said. He didn’t say how much of the drug was found.

Hilton was arrested on suspicion of felony cocaine possession.

Waits, 34, was arrested on misdemeanor suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Both were booked into the Clark County jail, where Martin said Hilton was released without bail about 2:45 a.m. Saturday.

Swift debuts ‘Mine’ music video in Maine

Country music star Taylor Swift has returned to Maine for a half-hour television special to introduce her latest music video.

The 20-year-old Grammy winner premiered “Mine” on Friday in Kennebunkport, where the video was shot last month.

During the cable TV special, Swift discussed the music video locations and showed behind-the-scenes footage.

Afterward, Swift met with former President George H.W. Bush, who lives nearby and came out with his grandchildren to see her. She then surprised the hundreds of fans gathered outside St. Anne’s Church by performing five or six songs with her band.

Iglesias takes the plunge after 20 years

Spanish singer Julio Iglesias has married Dutch model Miranda Rijnsburger, his partner for the past 20 years.

The 66-year-old singer announced the marriage in a statement to Spanish newspapers.

The wedding took place at the Virgen del Carmen church in the southern jet-set resort of Marbella.

Rev. Roberto Rojo Aguado, one of three priests who celebrated the ceremony, told the Associated Press on Friday that the couple were married Tuesday.

He said the ceremony was attended by two witnesses and the couple’s five children. Rijnsburger is 45.

Have an event that just happened that you’d like to share? Pictures, perhaps, or other goings-on from the Northland to Hollywoodland? Send them to facesandnames@duluthnews.com.