Faces & Names: State trooper to sing national anthem

State trooper to sing national anthem

A Minnesota State Patrol based in Grand Marais will sing the national anthem at the Minnesota Vikings game this weekend.

The Vikings are honoring law enforcement and emergency responders during Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay

Buccaneers. Trooper Leah Carpenter will be singing the national anthem just before the noon kickoff at Mall of America Field (aka the Metrodome).

Carpenter has been with the State Patrol for more than 15 years and comes from a long line of troopers, said Duluth district Capt. Steve Stromback.

Her late father, Jim Erickson, was a trooper stationed in Bagley, Minn. Her brother, Trooper Joe Erickson, is currently stationed in Bagley and another brother, Karl Erickson, is a deputy with the Polk County (Minn.) Sheriff’s Department.

The Vikings game is scheduled for broadcast on Fox TV (Channel 11 on Duluth cable or Channel 21 on the rabbit ears).

Oprah, Rosie unveil sign outside studio

Oprah has made way for Rosie.

Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O’Donnell unveiled a sign Thursday in front of Chicago’s Harpo Studios. It reads: “Harpo Studios. The Rosie Show. Former Home of The Oprah Winfrey Show.” O’Donnell has started work in the same studio where Winfrey taped her talk show until it ended in May after 25 years.

“Top billing for you girl,” Winfrey told O’Donnell.

O’Donnell’s one-hour talk show debuts next month on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

“Not a lot of people get a second shot and this is a second shot that is even bigger than the first shot,” said

O’Donnell, who won Emmy awards for her talk show of six years that ended in May 2002.

Winfrey said there was much discussion about the future of Harpo Studios, on Chicago’s west side, when her talk show ended.

O’Donnell said she has bought a Chicago home, and Winfrey says she still keeps an office at Harpo Studios. Winfrey said the pair “collaborate on everything.”

Does that mean Winfrey be the first guest when

O’Donnell’s show debuts?

“I mean really, please,” Winfrey said. “We’re more creative than that.”

Court orders ‘Bruno’ scene suit tossed

A lawsuit accusing Sacha Baron Cohen of causing injuries to a woman during the filming of “Bruno” should be dismissed because the comedian was exercising his right to free speech when the mishap occurred, an appeals court has ruled.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal said Monday that the finding prevents Baron Cohen from being sued by the woman who tried to force him and his crew from an event being filmed.

Richelle Olson sued Baron Cohen in June 2009, claiming she fell and hit her head moments after struggling with the comedian and his crew as she ordered him to leave a charity bingo game.

Her injuries were serious enough to require Olson to use a cane to walk, according to the lawsuit.

Olson initially allowed filming at the game in Lancaster, Calif., but ordered Baron Cohen to leave after he started equating the numbers with the homosexual relationships of his character in the film about a gay Austrian fashionista.

The court ruling states that the comedian’s behavior was protected because the comedian was trying to offer commentary on gay stereotypes, culture and homophobia.

Sheen quiet after manic spring

Charlie Sheen says his life’s a lot calmer now.

The actor and former star of CBS’ “Two and a Half Men” told NBC’s Matt Lauer that he didn’t really know what happened this spring when he was fired from the show and began a manic round of media appearances talking about his “tiger blood” and “winning.” Lauer’s interview will air on the “Today” show on Friday, and NBC released excerpts on Wednesday.

“It was one of those things where the planets were aligned, perfectly or imperfectly. I said some stuff and then it caught such traction globally and instantly that I couldn’t really put out the fire,” Sheen said. “I had to keep fueling it.”

Sheen said the experience “was like being shot out of a cannon into another cannon and then being just shot out of that one. It was like from one moment to the next I didn’t know what was going to happen. It was pretty exciting.”

The actor said he was sober but couldn’t tell Lauer the last time he took drugs or drank. He said he didn’t believe in keeping track of the sober time because “if you’re walking around hanging on to your time, it’s only a matter of time before it goes.”

Johnston writes of Bristol Palin’s pregnancy

Levi Johnston writes in his upcoming book that his ex-girlfriend Bristol Palin was so angry about her mother’s pregnancy with son Trig that she wanted to get pregnant, too.

Johnston says when Bristol found out her mother, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, was expecting a baby she responded she should be having a baby, not her mother. He says she told him in March 2008, “let’s get pregnant.”

His book, “Deer in the Headlights: My Life in Sarah Palin’s Crosshairs,” comes out Sept. 20. The Associated Press bought a copy on Monday.

In Bristol Palin’s own book, “Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far,” released last June, she says she lost her virginity to Johnston on a camping trip when she got drunk on wine coolers.

Johnston, who has feuded often with the Palin family, says in his book if that’s when Bristol first had sex, he “wasn’t there.” He says they did camp with friends but it was “well after” the two, who began dating in 2006, were sexually active. He says he remembers an instance in which Bristol wanted to get alcohol but he was against it because she would “lose her judgment” when drinking.

Johnston says he had “been too dumb” to use protection while dating Bristol but knew having a baby was “what she wanted.”

Bristol Palin, who has been featured on ABC’s TV dance competition “Dancing With the Stars,” became pregnant at age 17 and had their baby at 18.

Naomi Campbell to be honored for charity work

Naomi Campbell has made plenty of headlines for her bad behavior, but next month, the spotlight is set to shine on the model for something positive — her charitable work.

Campbell and her boyfriend, Russian billionaire Vladislav Doronin, are going to be honored at the annual Angel Ball, which supports cancer research.

“She really is amazing woman and she does a lot for charity. She has her own charity. She raised a lot of money this summer for Haiti and for AIDS relief,” said Denise Rich, the songwriter who started the Angel Foundation after her daughter, Gabrielle, died of leukemia.

Rich spoke about Campbell during a party hosted at her home Saturday night. It was co-hosted by Jade Jagger. Tina and Solange Knowles also were in attendance, as was Rich’s best friend, singer Natalie Cole.

Cole said people should not be shocked that Campbell, who has pleaded guilty several times to assault, is being honored, and that the model is misunderstood: “She has been behaving herself. She is a good girl. I think there are just certain people who get on her nerves and I understand that.”

Foxx to host Jackson tribute concert

Jamie Foxx has been named to host the Michael Jackson tribute concert planned for October in Wales.

Foxx’s spokesman said Monday that the Oscar-winning star of “Ray” would host “Michael Forever — The Tribute Concert.” It is scheduled for Oct. 8 in Cardiff, Wales.

Christina Aguilera, Smokey Robinson and Cee Lo Green are among the show’s announced performers.

The show is not affiliated with Michael Jackson’s estate, but Jackson’s mother, Katherine, and other Jackson family members are scheduled to attend.

Organizers had to rescind an offer to the band Kiss last month after fans and Jackson’s estate noted that singer-bassist Gene Simmons had harshly criticized the pop singer over the years.

Oprah chats on Facebook Live show

Oprah Winfrey got plenty of ‘likes’ on Facebook last week from fans who tuned in to watch a live online chat with the social networking site.

The TV personality gave a one-hour interview to Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg at the company’s Palo Alto, Calif., headquarters. The chat took place in front of an audience of Facebook employees who cheered and took photos on camera phones when she walked out.

Winfrey covered a variety of topics including how Rosie O’Donnell has done some remodeling to Harpo Studios in Chicago. (O’Donnell will host The Rosie Show for Winfrey’s OWN network beginning in October.)

“One of the first things she wanted was...the walls taken down...everybody’s out in the open and her offices are dogs and kids and music is playing and there’s a candy bar and a cookie bar.”

Gibson to produce film on Jewish hero

Mel Gibson, who reportedly made anti-Semitic remarks during a drunken driving arrest five years ago, is now producing a film about the life of Jewish hero Judah Maccabee.

Gibson’s publicist, Alan Nierob, told the Associated Press that Gibson is working on a deal with Warner Bros. to develop the film through his company, Icon Productions. What Gibson’s exact role will be — whether he might direct or even star in the film — hasn’t been determined.

“Warner Bros. would like him to direct,” Nierob said. “He is the first choice for the studio to direct it, but until there’s a deal in place and a script that’s finished, it will be his choice as to whether to direct it or not.”

But Gibson’s involvement with bringing Maccabee’s story to the screen in any form has angered some Jewish leaders. Maccabee, who’s acclaimed as one of the greatest warriors in Jewish history, helped inspire the celebration of Hanukkah.

“We would have hoped that Warner Bros. could have found someone better than Mel Gibson to direct or perhaps even star in a film on the life of the Jewish historical icon Judah Maccabee,” Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement. “As a hero of the Jewish people and a universal hero in the struggle for religious liberty, Judah Maccabee deserves better.”

Paltrow loves ‘Glee’ character but skips Emmy ceremony

Gwyneth Paltrow said she was “totally thrilled” to be nominated for an Emmy for her guest starring role on “Glee,” but she won’t be at the ceremony this weekend where the winner will be announced.

The 38-year-old actress said she just reunited with her children in London and couldn’t return to Los Angeles for Saturday’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards, where TV guest roles are honored.

Paltrow would, however, return to “Glee” to reprise the free-spirited substitute teacher Holly Holliday, if invited. She says she “loves doing that show” and Holly is “probably the most fun character I’ve ever gotten to play.”

Meanwhile, Paltrow has been busy promoting her latest film, “Contagion,” where her role was probably NOT the most fun character she’s ever gotten to play. She’s Patient No. 1 in a killer pandemic.

Winehouse’s dad thinks detox-related seizure killed her

Amy Winehouse’s father says he believes she died after suffering a seizure related to alcohol detoxification and “there was nobody there to rescue her.”

The soul diva, who had fought drug and alcohol problems for years, was found dead in bed at her London home on July 23. Her family says toxicology reports indicated there was alcohol in her bloodstream but it was unclear whether this had contributed to her death at age 27.

Mitch Winehouse said Friday during a taping of Anderson Cooper’s new syndicated talk show that traces of the prescription drug Librium, which is used to fight anxiety and withdrawal symptoms of alcoholism, were found in her body.

“Everything Amy did, she did to excess,” he said on the show, which is to air as Cooper’s debut Monday. “She drank to excess and did detox to excess.”

He said he regretted that his daughter — whose most famous song, “Rehab,” has her answering “no, no, no” when told to go to rehab — was trying to kick her alcoholism without a doctor’s help. He said “the periods of abstinence were becoming longer, and the periods of drinking were becoming shorter. It was heading in the right direction.”

Mitch Winehouse said he blamed the singer's ex-husband, a music industry hanger-on, for introducing her to hard drugs but did not blame him for her death. He said she had not taken drugs since December 2008.

Bono a proud American on 9/11

As the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks arrives, U2 frontman Bono admits he’s “a very proud American on 9/11.”

He said “it’s just too big a moment in all our lives. Even if you’re not American, everyone became an American that day.”

The Irish-born rocker made the comments on the red carpet for the U2 documentary “From the Sky Down,” which opened the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday night. The film chronicles the band’s recording of their seminal 1991 album, “Achtung Baby.”

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