The DIRT - Thursday

Kenny Chesney: Gears Up To Help Irma Victims:

Kenny Chesney is stunned by the devastation Hurricane Irma has caused in his beloved Caribbean islands.

He's setting plans in motion to do something to help and he's counting on his fans to step up. Kenny writes on social media, "I know the No Shoes Nation is mighty. They’ve dug in before and made a difference. I have a feeling once we have our plans in the place, they’ll be there again."

Kenny spends a lot of time in the Caribbean when he's not in Nashville or on the road.

  


Garth: Ticket Sales For Houston Rodeo Postponed:

Ticket sales for Garth Brooks's opening and closing shows at Rodeo Houston next year have been postponed while the city recovers from the effects of Hurricane Harvey.

Rodeo CEO Joel Crowley says, “While we are all excited for the 2018 Garth Brooks performances, our main focus at this time is to support our fans and our community during the rebuilding process.”

The rodeo is scheduled for February 27th through March 18th.

BONUS VIDEO: THOMAS RHETT ON WITH FALLON:

Last night, Thomas Rhett stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote his album 

"Life Changes" which drops tomorrow. 

Check out his performance of his new single, "Unforgettable"

Jo Dee Messina: Diagnosed With Cancer

Jo Dee Messina has been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer. The announcement was made yesterday by her team on Facebook. 

Her last tour date will be October 7th. All other shows for 2017 will be postponed while she begins treatment this fall.

Jo Dee's team will provide updates on her treatment and conditions through social media.

D.A. Of The Day - Thursday

Cuttin' It In The Buff:

An elderly British man was fined nearly $5,000 for forgetting an important childhood lesson.

Back in February, 72-year-old Robert Fergus, joined by his 69-year-old wife Ruth, got drunk and ran naked, with scissors, through the lobby of a luxury hotel in Perth, Scotland. He trashed a display case and threatened other guests with the scissors before using them to cut phone lines in the lobby. His equally blotto spouse threatened to shoot a hotel staffer who intervened.

At their sentencing this week, their attorney said the couple had "consumed much more alcohol than was sensible" after skipping dinner earlier in the evening. They agreed to pay fines and never return to the hotel in question.

Giraffic Jam:

A police department in Oregon was forced to tweet an important announcement to concerned residents to calm their nerves about an escaped animal on the loose. 

Word spread on social media that a baby giraffe had escaped from an enclosure outside of Portland and was on the loose. The rumor started with a post on Craigslist that read, "Our landscapers damaged the fence and our giraffe calf, 'Raffi' escaped. At this age, they are easily mistaken for a deer or even a llama, as nobody expects to see a giraffe in Beaverton." It added that the animal was probably hanging around by the vineyards because it likes to eat grapes.

Despite how ridiculous a story about an escaped pet giraffe sounds, people believed it and were worried about the giraffe's safety until the Beaverton Police Department tweeted, "Despite social media reports, we are not searching for a baby giraffe. They are cute and we would search for one if they were missing." Police added that if someone really did own a pet giraffe, they would be in a lot of trouble.

Some Fin's Terribly Wrong:

Environmental conservation officers raided a house in New York state on a tip that residents might have been harboring illegal wildlife -- and were stunned to find an above-ground pool in the basement filled with sharks.

Authorities found a 15-foot backyard pool in the house with 10 sharks in it, seven which were alive. They included sandbar sharks, leopard sharks, and a hammerhead shark. Authorities and aquarium staff captured the sharks, tagged them and transferred them to large tanks inside a box truck, which transported them to an aquarium.

No charges have been filed yet. The Department of Environmental Conservation says the case is under investigation.

HOTLIST - THURSDAY

HURRICANE IRMA: Last Flight Out Of Puerto Rico

The last commercial plane out of Puerto Rico became a social media sensation.

Delta Flight 302 risked flying into Hurricane Irma to reach Puerto Rico. That plane was basically empty except for crew, which managed a quick turn-around on the ground and jetted 173 passengers off the island to New York’s JFK International.

An aviation geek named Jason Rabinowitz tracked the flight’s path and tweeted regular updates of Delta’s location in relation to Hurricane Irma.

An airline spokesperson said (quote) “We took a hard look at the weather data. The track of the storm and worked with the flight crew and dispatcher to agree it was safe to operate the flight.”

Satellite images show Hurricane Irma kissing the Puerto Rico coastline as the plane arrived. Daredevil pilots threaded a needle through a sliver of calmer skies. Delta reports, despite a turbulent ride, all the passengers arrived unharmed to JFK.

The Bachelor: Arie Is The Man!

The Bachelor has announced its new main man for season 22.

Arie Luyendyk Jr., a race car driver who was a runner-up on season 8 of The Bachelorette, will be the next Bachelor. The news was revealed earlier today on Good Morning America. The 35-year-old says he had been considered to be the Bachelor in previous seasons but it never worked out until now. The Bachelor's 22nd season will premiere in January.

Aladdin: Disney Catching Heat For Adding White Actor

Disney is being criticized for adding a white character to its live-adaptation of Aladdin. 

Billy Magnussen, a white actor, will play a prince in the remake, a character not in the 1992 animated version, and many social media users aren't happy about it. Some are even calling it whitewashing, even though the rest of the cast, led by Will Smith, are people of color.

Magnussen’s character will be Aladdin’s rival to winning over Princess Jasmine’s heart. Another new character has also been added to the movie, Jasmine’s friend and handmaiden Mara, who will be played by Nasim Pedrad.

The film, directed by Guy Ritchie, does not have a release date yet.