Connecticut

LOS ANGELES — He was the comedian who actually said the seven words you can never say on television, but close friends and family members remembered George Carlin as a man who, when he was off stage, had only a kind word for everyone he met.

At a private memorial service Sunday attended by some 150 people — “That was as small as we could keep it,” chuckled Carlin’s daughter, Kelly Carlin McCall - her father was memorialized by comedians Bill Maher, Garry Shandling and others as someone who had no enemies, in part because he was nice to everyone he spoke to.

“What everyone said tonight is if you spent time with my father, whether it was five seconds or five hours, he was kind, attentive, very connected to you, compassionate,” said Carlin’s daughter.

Among those who spoke at the service, which was closed to the public and news media, was Shandling, who told of being a teenage college student when he sought out Carlin nearly 40 years ago. (Read the full post about ‘Stars Memorialize George Carlin’…)

NEW YORK — Lindsay Lohan may have a 13-year-old half-sister, if the claims a woman is making about about her illegitimate child prove to be true.

The actress’ father, Michael Lohan, is looking into a claim by a woman who said that she had a daughter by him.

Michael Lohan said that he once had a relationship with a woman named Kristy, but he hadn’t seen her in 12 years.

He said the two were seeing each other while he was separated from his then-wife, Dina Lohan.

Michael Lohan said that the woman contacted him years later, convincing him that he was the only person she was with and that she had his child.

He said that his lawyers will sort it out.

Michael Lohan has written a blog for OK! (Read the full post about ‘Lohan’s Dad Fathered Another Child?’…)

LOS ANGELES — The head of the Screen Actors Guild doesn’t want to hear the s-word as a deadline for contract expiration looms.

“We have taken no steps to initiate a strike authorization vote by the members of Screen Actors Guild,” Union President Alan Rosenberg said in a statement Sunday. “Any talk about a strike or a management lockout at this point is simply a distraction.”

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has taken out an advertisement in trade publications calling a strike “harmful and unnecessary.” Citing $2.8 billion in lost wages, the ad says “We’ve completed four equitable and forward-thinking labor agreements. (Read the full post about ‘SAG President Downplays Talk Of Strike’…)

LOS ANGELES — A lonely little robot made millions of friends during the weekend. And “WALL-E” also earned top spot at the box office with its $62.5 million in ticket sales.

The Pixar Animation tale of a robot toiling away on a long-abandoned Earth finished ahead of Angelina Jolie’s assassin thriller “Wanted.” Its second place take was $51.1 million.

Rounding out the top five: “Get Smart,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “The Incredible Hulk.”

The top 12 movies took in over $179 million, up 22 percent from the same weekend last year, when Pixar’s “Ratatouille” opened with $47 million. (Read the full post about ‘‘WALL-E’ Takes Box Office Crown’…)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A federal safety official said accidents involving medical aircraft have reached a “disturbing” level.

National Transportation Safety Board chairman Mark Rosenker made the comments Monday in reaction to the latest deadly incident — the collision of two medical helicopters Sunday in Flagstaff, Ariz., that left six people dead.

Only one person on board survived — a nurse, who was critically injured.

The NTSB said there have been nine serious accidents with emergency medical aircraft this year, including six involving helicopters.

This was the second medical helicopter crash in the past two days in Arizona. (Read the full post about ‘Medical Plane Crashes At ‘Disturbing’ Level’…)

ST. LOUIS — Expect high corn prices to drive up some food prices this year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said farmers expect to harvest 78.9 million acres of corn, down 8.7 percent from the 86.5 million harvested last year, in part because Midwest flooding has damaged a portion of the crop.

An agriculture economist with Iowa State University said the USDA report shows that farmers planted more corn than they had anticipated, but that some of it was washed away in the floods.

The report said spring rainfall totaled 20 inches or more from eastern Oklahoma into the lower Ohio Valley, disrupting planting and other spring field work.

It said unfavorable wetness also hampered soybean planting efforts.

Corn futures jumped from $6 a bushel in early June to $7.55 for the July contract on Friday.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service said the swollen Mississippi River was about to crest at just under nine feet above flood stage at St. (Read the full post about ‘Waterlogged Crops Mean Higher Food Prices’…)

Check out the slate of new laws going into effect on Tuesday (July 1). Included:

• No more out of school suspensions, a bad law that takes away local control.
• An act making cigarettes fire safe, or self-extinguishing.
• Major criminal justice reform, which includes the law making home invasion a felony

And many more. Go check out the list!

The Courant today ran a front-page story about high gas prices affecting workers in the inner city, many of whom commute to jobs in the suburbs. What caught my eye was this:

The spike in fuel costs has, for many, become the difference between a road trip and a weekend at home. For Powell, who cleans hotel rooms in Windsor Locks to support a husband and daughter, it is the difference between driving to work and taking an hourlong bus ride to save money for food.

She is the face of an inner-city workforce struggling to live in the affordable pockets of Hartford and other cities and traveling 40 miles or farther for jobs barely more than minimum wage.

(Read the full post about ‘Another Argument for Better Mass Transit’…)

LANCASTER, Ohio — Authorities have arrested a southeast Ohio man accused of stalking and threatening teen actress-singers Aly and AJ.

Lancaster police said 42-year-old Rex Mettler is charged with felony menacing by stalking.

Police said that he made violent threats against 19-year-old Alyson Michalka and her 17-year-old sister, Amanda Michalka.

Aly starred in the former Disney Channel series “Phil of the Future.” Both appeared in the Disney Channel’s 2006 movie “Cow Belles.”

No attorney is listed for Mettler. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Fairfield County Municipal Court.

A message left with a Disney spokeswoman wasn’t immediately returned Thursday.

Aly and AJ are scheduled to perform Friday night at National City Pavilion in Cincinnati. (Read the full post about ‘Man Accused Of Stalking Disney Channel Sisters’…)

PHOENIX — This November, Arizona voters will again vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

A similar proposal in 2006 was defeated.

A 16-to-4 vote in the state Senate Friday night put the gay marriage issue back on the ballot. It was approved earlier by the House.

The 2006 ballot measure was tougher because it would also have stopped Arizona from recognizing civil unions of same-sex couples.

Arizona law already prohibits same-sex marriages. Supporters said the constitutional amendment is needed to keep judges from ever overturning that law.

State Sen. (Read the full post about ‘Gay Marriage Ban On Ballot Again In Arizona’…)