BUYING HISTORY: Former Air Force One Could Be Yours for $50G

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Federal officials at the General Services Administration are set to hawk an extraordinary item this week: a plane that once served as Air Force One.

The plane flew every president from Ford to George W., VPs and VIPs -- and it can be yours for as little as $50,000.

“It's not often we get to sell a piece of history like this, but GSA Auctions is selling this plane that flew Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton & Bush (as well as the Vice-President, First Lady, Cabinet secretaries, 4-star generals, admirals, foreign dignitaries and more), writes a GSA official on the department’s Facebook page.

“Anyone got $50K…?” wrote one wise-cracker in reply to the social-media-borne advertisement. “We could buy it and fly to work every day and avoid the Beltway or Metro!”

“Not sure I want to fly on a 40-year-old plane,” wrote one more. “If it would fit into my garage, I might have a dinner party on it on occasion.”

The auction – which includes the vessels, vehicles, space-shuttle parts, real estate, heavy machinery and scientific items now considered surplus, or excess, federal equipment -- is set to begin Wednesday at 11 a.m. (EST), with the minimum, or starting bid, pegged at $50,000, according to the GSA’s site.

 The DC9-32, with tail number N681AL, is currently stowed at Phoenix/Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz., although GSA officials caution that inspections of the property are “by appointment only,” and that the successful bidder better have a way of removing the plane from the site.

“Successful bidders are cautioned that they will be responsible for loading, packing and removal of any and all property awarded to them from the exact place where the property is located,” reads the advertisement on the GSA’s website.

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Public viewing held for former Kris Kross rapper Chris Kelly

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  Feb. 23, 2013: In this file photo, Chris Kelly of Kris Kross performs on stage at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta during the So So Def 20th Anniversary Concert.AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTA –  An uncle of former Kris Kross rapper Chris Kelly was among the mourners Wednesday at an Atlanta funeral home and said his nephew was a good person who loved his family and was very devoted to his mother and grandmother.

"He will be very missed, especially within our family," Lemar Williams said outside the Murray Brothers Funeral Home. "To the world he was Kris Kross, but to us he was just Chris."

The 34-year-old was found dead May 1 of a suspected drug overdose. Williams and Kelly's mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, told authorities Kelly had a history of drug abuse and experienced similar episodes in the past, according to a police report.

Kelly loved music from an early age and would listen to Michael Jackson and mimic his dance moves, Williams said. He loved Atlanta and never wanted to live anywhere else.

Kriss Kross was introduced to the music world in 1992 by music producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri after he discovered the pair at Greenbriar Mall in southwest Atlanta. Kelly performed alongside Chris Smith, who known as "Daddy Mac."

The duo wore their clothes backward as a gimmick, but they won over fans with their raps.

Their first, and by far most successful song, was "Jump." The hit, off their multiplatinum 1992 debut album "Totally Krossed Out," featured the two trading verses and rapping the refrain, the song's title. The duo had surprising maturity in their rap delivery, though the song was written by Dupri. It would become a No. 1 smash in the United States and globally, and one of the most popular of that year.

Williams declined to speak about any recent troubles his nephew might have had, but said Kelly was preparing to make a comeback. Earlier this year, Kris Kross performed together to celebrate the anniversary of Durpri's label, So So Def.

Ojeifua Sanni, a fan of Kris Kross, remembered getting his first CD ever on his 12th birthday -- Kris Kross' "Young, Rich & Dangerous." Sanni had been revisiting Kris Kross' music recently during a period of nostalgia.

"When I heard he died, it way too close to home," Sanni said.

Kelly's funeral is scheduled for Thursday at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church in Atlanta.

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Deanna Durbin dies; Former child star was 91

Published May 01, 2013

TVGuide

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  Deanna Durbin is seen on movie covers.FNN

1930s child star Deanna Durbin has died, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 91.

Durbin's death was initially reported by her son, Peter H. David, in the Deanna Durbin Society newsletter. No specific details were given.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada as Edna Mae Durbin, she was first signed by MGM in 1935. After appearing in the short, "Every Sunday" with a 13-year-old Judy Garland, Durbin was dropped and re-signed by Universal, which changed her name to Deanna.

Remember other celebrities we lost this year

Durbin made her feature film debut at the age of 15 in the film "Three Smart Girls." She went on to appear in 100 Men and a Girl, which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Durbin's musical talents were further showed off in the 1938 movies "That Certain Age" and "Mad About Music." The following year she and Mickey Rooney were given miniature Academy Awards for "significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth."

Durbin transitioned to more adult-type roles, including playing a girl who falls for an older man in 1942's "Nice Girl?" and a nightclub singer in 1944's Christmas Holiday.  According to The New York Times, in 1946 Durbin's salary of $323,477 from Universal made her the second-highest-paid woman in America behind Bette Davis.

In 1948, Durbin officially retired from acting. She was married twice before she wed Charles David, who died in 1999. She is survived by her son Peter and a daughter, Jessica Jackson, from her second marriage to Felix Jackson.

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Former porn star Jenna Jameson arrested for alleged battery

Published April 07, 2013

Associated Press

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. –  Police say former adult film star Jenna Jameson has been arrested after a report that she attacked someone at an Orange County home.

Newport Beach police Lt. Evan Sailor says the alleged victim put Jameson under citizen's arrest until police arrived at the home on the upscale Balboa Peninsula on Saturday night.

The 38-year-old Jameson, born Jenna Marie Massoli, was given a court date to face a misdemeanor battery charge and released on her own recognizance.

In May, Jameson was arrested for drunken driving after hitting a light pole in Westminster. She pleaded guilty in August was sentenced to three years' informal probation.

Jameson was among the biggest stars in porn when she left the industry in 2008. An email sent to her company seeking comment was not immediately returned.

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Former Sen. Domenici admits having son outside marriage with colleague’s daughter

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. –  Former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico is acknowledging he fathered a son outside his marriage three decades ago.

Statements released by the Republican and the son's mother, Michelle Laxalt, of Alexandria, Va., identify Domenici as the father of Las Vegas lawyer Adam Paul Laxalt, The Albuquerque Journal reported Wednesday.

"I deeply regret this and am very sorry for my behavior," Domenici, 80, said in his statement. "I hope New Mexicans will view that my accomplishments for my beloved state outweigh my personal transgression."

Michelle Laxalt's statement said she and Domenici had agreed to keep his fatherhood secret because he and her father, ex-Nevada Gov. Paul Laxalt, were senators.

"One night's mistake led to pregnancy more than 30 years ago," Michelle Laxalt said in her statement, adding that she chose to raise her son as a single parent.

Both Domenici and Michelle Laxalt indicated in their statements that were disclosing his fatherhood because they thought somebody might soon attempt to make it public, with her statement saying she thought someone would shop it to the media to smear Domenici.

In his statement, Domenici said he was sorry that he caused hurt and disappointment for his wife and other family members. Domenici is the father of eight children with his wife, Nancy. He said he disclosed the situation to his family several months ago.

"I have apologized as best as I can to my wife, and we have worked together to strengthen our relationship," Domenici said.

Domenici told the Journal his son participated in the drafting of his statement. But it was unclear if the two had a prior relationship.

Laxalt's statement said her interaction with Domenici "consisted of telling him my decision, asking that he avail himself for health-related purposes, and asking that he agree that this remain private between the two of us."

Reached at his Washington home Wednesday morning, Domenici told The Associated Press he had nothing more to say.

Domenici served six terms, making him the longest-serving senator in New Mexico's history. He was known for his unflagging support of the state's national laboratories and military installations. In Washington, he became a power broker for his work on the federal budget and energy policy. He also was an advocate for insurance coverage for mental health.

Domenici declined to seek a seventh Senate term in 2008, saying he had been diagnosed with an incurable brain disorder. 

The website for Adam Laxalt's law firm, Lewis and Roca, said he is a former U.S. Navy officer and lawyer who served in Iraq. He also worked for then-Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and as a special assistant to an undersecretary of state, according to the website.

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