The DIRT - 12/8

LADY ANTEBELLUM: Wait 'Til Next Christmas



The Lady Antebellum family is expecting a special gift this holiday season, since Dave Haywood's wife is due to deliver their daughter in less than two weeks. Next year, though, they may be delivering a bundle of joy to fans -- in the form of a new Christmas album.

It's been five years since the trio released their first seasonal set, On This Winter's Night, and Charles Kelley tells PopCulture.comthey're ready to give it another go. He says, "We did talk about it earlier this year. We always look way too far ahead, and at some point we need to add to the Christmas record.

"It really is something that hopefully will be a part of people’s lives for a long long time. That’s kind of a heavy thing, and a really special thing to consider as an artist, that you might be a part of families traditions for years to come, long after you’re gone, so we definitely want to add to that."



MORGAN EVANS: Officially Extraordinary

Morgan Evans is extraordinary -- and if you don't believe that, just ask the U.S. government.

Kelsea Ballerini's new hubby, a rising country star from Australia, tells CMT that his immigration papers officially call him "an alien of extraordinary ability." Morgan says "That’s what’s on my visa. That’s my official title. It takes a long time to gain citizenship. I think that’s what most of the people who are not from America working in the music industry would be considered legally as.”

Morgan and Kelsea got married last Saturday.


DIERKS BENTLEY TO RECEIVE CRS HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Dierks Bentley will receive a special honor during the upcoming Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville, earning the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award for his exceptional philanthropic efforts over the years. Bentley will be presented with the award following the CRS Opening Ceremonies on Monday, February 5, 2018. During his career, Dierks has raised over $4 million for charities through his "Miles & Music For Kids" all-star motorcycle ride and concert, including several Children's Miracle Network Hospitals across the country.

Past recipients of the annual award have included Reba, Zac Brown, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and many others.

CHRIS YOUNG EARNS MORE GOLD




Chris Young has amassed a little more metal this week, as his current single, "Losing Sleep," has just been certified Gold by the RIAA. The song reaches the milestone mark for moving 500,000 units of combined sales and streams, giving Young his 17th career Gold or Platinum certification. The certification also comes as the song climbs into the Top 10 on the country radio charts.

D.A. Of The Day - 12/8

WEIRD NEWS: Vet Saves Pacified Pooch

An Oklahoma family brought their sick dog to the vet and wound up getting to the bottom of a mystery which had perplexed them for weeks.

Dovey, a four-year-old Shar-Pei, was sick and losing weight. So when she vomited up a baby's pacifier, it occurred to the family that she might have been behind the mysterious disappearance of other pacifiers. They brought her to the animal hospital and told the vet they believed she may have swallowed a few "binkies." An X-ray led the vet to suspect there might be as many as seven pacifiers in the dog's stomach. But he was wrong.

A surgeon opened up the pooch's stomach and removed 21 pacifiers! Dovey is recovering well.

WEIRD NEWS: Police Cop-Block Booty Call

A Florida man who was driving to a booty call landed in jail when he ignored the police car on his tail. 

An officer in an unmarked car spotted 18-year-old Ruben Hughes speeding and driving erratically. The officer put on his lights and siren and pursued the sex-hungry speedster for several miles. Hughes refused to stop, so more police officers joined the chase. He was eventually caught and placed under arrest for fleeing and eluding a police officer.

During questioning, Hughes told officers he did not see or hear them following him because he was "trying to meet his girlfriend for relations and he was trying to get there." 

WEIRD NEWS: Package Number-Two Stolen

A fed-up Oregon mother recruited her infant son to fight back against thieves who stole a package from her front porch.

Angie Boliek said she ordered Christmas pajamas for her son Ben, but the delivery to her house was stolen. She devised a plan to fight back. She collected a pile of Ben's dirty diapers and then packed them up in a box with a handwritten note which read, "Enjoy this, you thief!"

Angie says the diapers happened to be especially pungent because Ben had been sick for a few days. She placed the box on her front porch on Sunday and it was gone on Monday. She reported the theft to police, but only then thought to install a security camera on her front porch. 

WEIRD NEWS: Tape Needs Surveillance

You can add one more item to the list of things that duct tape can do -- after a roll of it prompted a woman in Maine to call 911 when she mistook it for a home intruder.

The woman, whose name was not released, called police when her dog started barking at a “thump-thump-thump” coming from her basement. But when cops arrived, they discovered the sound had come from the roll of tape, which had fallen off a high shelf and bounced down the stairs, one thump at a time.

In his report of the incident, Lieutenant Tim Cotton wrote that his department handled the call professionally, but "realized the woman was from Maine, had a dog and a roll of duct tape. She probably could have held her own until we arrived."

HOTLIST - 12/8

MATT LAUER: Divorce Looming

Matt Lauer has lost his job and next it looks like he's going to lose his marriage.

His father-in-law, Henri Roque, says that Annette Roque has taken off her wedding ring and plans to file divorce documents. He told the Daily Mail, "I have no words for Matt Lauer. Everybody feels betrayed. She is not going to stay with him and work it out."

Matt and Annette have been down this road before. A decade ago, while seven months pregnant, she filed for divorce. They reconciled after Lauer reportedly paid her $5 million not to leave him. It’ll take much more than that to make her stay this time. 

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE: Kimmel Ready to Fight Roy Moore  

 

Jimmy Kimmel woke up yesterday to find himself in a Twitter war with Alabama Senate hopeful Roy Moore and the war of words may turn into a war of fists.

Moore challenged Kimmel, "If you want to mock our Christian values, come down here to Alabama and do it man to man." The late-night host accepted the invitation and said "I will come down there." He added, "If you're open to it, when we sit down, I will share with you what I learned at my church. At my church, forcing yourself on underage girls is a no-no."

Kimmel said that if Moore's invitation to "do it man to man" is his way of challenging him to a fight, then he gladly accepts and he will wear a Girl Scouts uniform "so you can have something to get excited about." He even suggested raising money for the fight and if he wins, he'll donate it to the women he's accused of molesting. 

TEEN MOM 2: Adam Lind Arrested

Teen Mom 2 co-star Adam Lind was arrested yet again on Tuesday after violating a no-contact order issued to protect his ex-girlfriend.

Lind was taken into custody in Minnehaha County, South Dakota for trying to contact Stasia Huber -- who obtained the order a couple of weeks ago. The 28-year-old, best known as the baby daddy of Chelsea DeBoer's daughter Aubree Skye, has also been arrested for drunk driving and tested positive for meth on camera.

DeBoer told an MTV producer the drug issue is "very serious...and it's scary." 

TOM ARNOLD: Frankly, He's With Franken

Tom Arnold might not seem like the most likely pal for Al Franken, but he's just stepped up to say he thinks the disgraced Minnesota senator got a raw deal in his most publicized sexual harassment case.

The onetime Roseanne co-star hit Twitter on Wednesday night to say that he knows accuser Leeann Tweeden and has doubts about her story. Tom wrote, "I'm disappointed in my friend Leeann. I've gone to bat for her 100 times this past month hoping she'd reveal her whole truth, but she ghosted me. The only truth about [her] story was the picture. The rest was created by Trump supporter Roger Stone, who coached Leeann for weeks to take Al down."

Tom ended his stream-of-consciousness tweet-storm by saying, “I’m not defending him. I just wanted full disclosure. I always believe the women. There are some bad men trying to take advantage of both Leeann and Al on this one.”

KIM KARDASHIAN: Stay-Away Mom?

How much of a control freak is Kim Kardashian? So much that her surrogate doesn't even want her in the delivery room when her baby is born!

A source close to the baby mama, whose name has not been made public, tells In Touch Weekly, “There will be major tension between them in the delivery room. The surrogate doesn’t even want Kim to be there at this point, but she has no other choice. Everyone is fearful a fight could break out between them!”

The trouble started weeks ago, when Kim refused to invite the woman to her baby shower -- even though she's the one carrying the baby! The same snitch says, "Kim didn't want her to be the center of attention."

The DIRT - 12/7

REBA McENTIRE: Horatio Alger Association Inductee

Reba McEntire will become a member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. 

The Association honors those who've succeeded in their lives despite facing adversities, and who have remained committed to higher education and charitable efforts in their local communities. Reba will join 11 other inductees from various walks of life.

She says, "I always say that you need three things to succeed in life: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone. These qualities have served me well in every part of my life, and I have no doubt my fellow honorees would agree."

The induction ceremony takes place in April in Washington, D.C.

LUKE BRYAN: Celebrating New Album on GMA

Luke Bryan will break in the Opry City Stage -- the Grand Ole Opry's venue in New York City -- tomorrow (Friday) to celebrate the release of his album What Makes You Country.

The performance will air live on Good Morning America.

Luke will also have a pop-up store at the venue, where he'll be selling his new album and other merchandise.

CHARLIE DANIELS: Volunteer Jam 20 on the Books for 2018

The lineup for Charlie Daniels's Volunteer Jam 20: A Tribute to Charlie has been announced. 

He'll be honored with performances by Alison Krauss, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Blackberry Smoke, Bobby Bare, Chris Janson, Chuck Leavell, Eddie Montgomery, Jamey Johnson, Justin Moore, The Oak Ridge Boys and Rickey Skaggs.

Charlie says, "It’s hard to believe that it’s been 43 years since the CDB and some of our friends got together at War Memorial Auditorium for what was supposed to be a live recording session, a one-time happening that took on a life of its own and was to become known worldwide as the Volunteer Jam."

The show will be staged at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on March 7th. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday).

D.A. Of The Day - 12/7

WEIRD NEWS: Copter Catch

A police helicopter pilot hovering over a crime scene in Florida says he was temporarily blinded by someone on the ground with a laser pointer, so he landed the aircraft, got out and arrested the culprit.

Pilot Stephen Bowman was assisting deputies on the ground when his helicopter was targeted by a laser pointer. He says he was blinded for "a couple of seconds," but instead of flying away, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He found a nearby parking lot where it was safe to land, and then walked to the suspected laser pointer's home to arrest the man.

Bowman says 27-year-old Ryan Fluke was stunned when he knocked on the front door. He arrested Fluke for misuse of laser lighting devices. Bowman, who is often targeted by laser pointers, says "it was extremely satisfying" to apprehend a suspect himself.

WEIRD NEWS: Have Wife, Will Carry

Jake Barney of Virginia really swept his wife off her feet on Saturday -- and in the process took home 12 cases of beer and cash.

Jake and his wife Kirsten won the North American Wife Carrying Championships in Newry, Maine. The competition featured 12 husbands carrying their wives on their backs and shoulders through a 278-yard obstacle course consisting of log hurdles, water and mud. Jake and Kirsten Barney were runners-up last year and came came back determined to win. They broke last year's winning time by two seconds. The winning prize was 12 cases of beer and $630.

But they're not done yet. Their win qualifies them for the world championships in Finland next year.

WEIRD NEWS: Luke, I Am Your Robber!


Pittsburgh's police are hoping the force is with their force -- in the hunt for a geeky guy who held up a convenience store while dressed in a Darth Vader costume.

The crook, whose face was obscured by the Star Wars mask, entered the store holding a knife and growling out a demand for cash. As he approached the register, he tripped and fell into a floor fan, then recovered and climbed over the counter to grab money from the register before fleeing the scene.

Safe to say, the force is not strong with this one.

HOTLIST - 12/8

ST. NICK IS NETFLIX BOUND:
It’s beginning to look a lot like next Christmas -- for a Netflix holiday movie starring Kurt Russell as Santa Claus.

The still-untitled flick centers on two siblings who cause jolly ol’ Saint Nick’s sleigh to crash after they try to catch him on camera. It’s set to stream around a year from now.

COMING SOON...

Elle Fanning is in talks to play Patty Hearst in a bio-pic based on the biography American Heiress. The flick would focus on her kidnapping by terror group the Symbionese Liberation Army.

RALPHIE MAY: CAUSE OF DEATH REVEALED

Just-released autopsy results reveal that the death of comic Ralphie May, whose body was found in early October, was caused by heart disease and hypertension. He weighed 400 pounds at the time of his death, but had weighed over 700 at his peak weight.

UPDATE: TRAVOLTA FILM NOT PULLED BY STUDIO:

Despite reports, producers of the John Gotti bio-pic starring John Travolta says the drama was not dropped by Lionsgate. 

The filmmakers bought the movie back from the distributor in order to give it a wide release. The flick had been set to open on December 15th, but will now be moved to next year.

The DIRT - 12/6/17

JUDDS, LBT: Among 2018 Exhibits at the Country Music Hall of Fame

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has announced its exhibition line-up for 2018.

Little Big Town, Ralph Stanley, The Judds and Emmylou Harris will get displays.

Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town says, “Having an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is something we wouldn’t have ever known to dream of for ourselves, it is beyond a dream come true. We are honored to be a part of country music and are so thankful to all our fans, the music community here in Nashville and the museum for this opportunity.”

Also, the American Currents: The Music of 2017 exhibit opens on March 9th and will feature Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Randy Travis and Chris Young, with more to be announced.

KEITH URBAN: Selling Rural Tennessee Home


Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are selling their rural Franklin, Tennessee home.

The home has four bedrooms, four full baths, two half baths and is just shy of 5,100 square feet. The house includes an office and a gym and the property also has a guest cottage.

The property is listed for $3.45 million.

CARLY PEARCE: First Stop, Grocery Shop



Thanks to touring and promoting her debut album, Every Little Thing, Carly Pearce rarely finds time off the road. But when she does get the chance to head home to Nashville, there's one place she always has to go first -- her local produce aisle.

She says, “Grocery shopping is my favorite activity when I get off the road. It’s the first thing I do when I get home. I go to Publix in Nashville. It's always the best.”

The "Hide the Wine" singer says heading to the supermarket keeps her normal.

D.A. Of The Day - 12/6

WEIRD NEWS: Chief of Puh-Leeze!

A Long Island woman saw her hopes of dodging weed possession charges go up in smoke when she showed up for her court date and lit up a joint -- while parked in a space reserved for the town's chief of police.

Arielle Bonnnici, who was scheduled to answer a summons she'd received in May, made quite an entrance, cutting off an unmarked patrol car while talking on her cell phone before pulling into the chief's reserved spot. The officers in the lot got out of their vehicle, approached Bonnici’s Jeep and asked her to roll down the window. According to the police report, "when she did, it was like Cheech and Chong, all the smoke coming out of the car.”

She's due back in court next month to answer both pot charges

WEIRD NEWS: All Signs Point to Drunk

Police in New Jersey pulled over a driverthey suspected of being drunk because there was a hard-to-miss sign that suggested she was.

Cops say the woman was spotted driving with a road sign, and the pole attached to it, stuck through her sunroof. They eventually followed her into a parking lot at a diner, where she told officers that she had no idea the sign was in her car, even though it was just inches away from her head and there was shattered glass all over the place. She explained that she stopped because she heard an unusual sound she thought was coming from underneath the car. 

Police say she struck the sign 16 miles away and continued driving. 52-year-old Maria Vazquez was arrested for drunk driving.

HOTLIST - 12/6

TODAY SHOW: Ratings Way Up After Lauer Firing

Who needs Matt Lauer? For the first time in weeks, the Today show was the nation’s most-watched morning news program, according to Page Six, beating ABC’s Good Morning America by more than 500,000 viewers for the five days ending December 1st.

Lauer was fired on November 29th for sexual misconduct.

After Today's nearly two-decade run at the top, Good Morning America has been the number-one morning show ever since the summer of 2012 -- when the Today show fired Ann Curry.

JERSEY SHORE: Returning to MTV in 2018

Viewers who forced themselves to make it through the premiere of MTV's Floribama Shore got a welcomed surprise when the network announced that its original series, Jersey Shore, will return next year. 

MTV teased Jersey Shore Family Vacation which will star all of the original cast members, except for Sammi Giancola. The others; Deena Nicole Cortese, Paul “Pauly D” Delvecchio,” Jenni “JWOWW” Farley, Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino are all in -- and for some of them, so are their kids. The show will provide a look into how much (or how little) they've all changed since their days as reality show megastars.

CASEY AFFLECK: Divorce Finalized

Casey Affleck is officially on the market. The Oscar-winner has finalized his divorce from Summer Phoenix.

She filed for divorce in July, citing irreconcilable differences, with the date of separation listed as November 2015.

The couple, who wed in June 2006, have two sons -- 13-year-old Indiana and 9-year-old Atticus. They plan to share custody.

The Country Dirt - 12/5

PRATT JOINS STAPLETON FOR CHEESY LATE NIGHT DUET:

Last night, Chris Pratt took over as the guest host on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he was joined by his favorite country music star, Chris Stapleton. While there, the two decided to perform the hit duet from Dirty Dancing, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."

Of course, the performance wouldn't be complete without the iconic dance lift from the movie, which was made possible (and absolutely hilarious) by a few green-screen tricks.



MIRANDA LAMBERT: New Products to Benefit MuttNation
Miranda Lambert's MuttNation Foundation has teamed up with a pet supply company to create a line of plush toys and accessories to benefit homeless dogs.

Miranda says, “All my life I have felt such a strong connection with dogs and never lost that passion for wanting to find homes for them."

The toys are mini replicas of real rescue dogs, including her Chihuahua, Cher. The collection includes collars and beds that feature a guitar strap design. You can purchase them at Amazon.com.

MONTGOMERY GENTRY: Eddie Will Tour

Despite Troy Gentry's death, Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry will head out on tour next year to support the duo's final album together, Here's to You.

He says, “I’m anxious to get back out on the road and play some new music for our friends and fans. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of our band -- we’ve got lots to celebrate and look forward to in 2018.”

The tour kicks off on January 19th in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Here’s to You Tour Dates

1/19/18 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford Premier Center+

1/20/18 - St. Charles, MO - The Family Arena+

2/9/18 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note

2/10/18 - Springfield, IL - Boondocks

2/23/18 - Indianapolis, IN - 8 Seconds Saloon

3/2/18 - Clifton Park, NY - Upstate Concert Hall

3/3/18 - Lynchburg, VA - Phase 2

3/9/18 - Jordan, NY - Kegs Canalside

3/10/18 - Warrendale, PA - Jergel’s

3/16/18 - Medina, OH - Thirsty Cowboy

3/17/18 - Columbus, OH - The Bluestone

3/22/18 - Augusta, GA - Country Club Dance Hall and Saloon

3/23/18 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City

6/2/18 - Marion, KS - Chingawassa Days Festival

7/6/18 - Ft. Loramie, OH - Country Concert at Hickory Hill Lakes

7/13/18 - New Salem, ND - ND Country Fest

7/14/18 - Pierz, MN - Pierz Freedom Fest

7/20/18 - Hillsboro, MO - Jefferson County Fair

7/21/18 - Springville, IN - The Boogie

7/27/18 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse

7/28/18 - Bar Harbor, ME - Criterion Theater

8/2/18 - West Allis, WI - Wisconsin State Fair

8/17/18 - Zanesville, OH - Muskingum County Fair

9/8/18 - Manistee, MI - Little River Casino

9/15/18 - Ventura, CA - Boots and Brews

KELSEA BALLERINI: Says "I Do"

After months of planning, Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans finally tied the knot over the weekend!

On Saturday evening, they said "I do" an intimate ocean-side ceremony, surrounded by family and friends on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Kelsea walked barefoot down the aisle in a simple, yet classic, gown with lace detail, and the happy couple exchanged David Yurman rings customized messages engraved inside.

Morgan had asked several of his friends if things changed after marriage, and he received some great answers. He said, "Everyone keeps telling us, ‘Ah, it gets better.' And so, whatever that means, I’m looking forward to that, and it’s gonna be fun.”

Kelsea says she's looking forward to "everything" about marriage.

  

 

D.A. OF THE DAY - 12/5

WEIRD NEWS: Four Idiots Are Up a Tree

A visit to "the most magical place on earth" will likely be the last for four guys who tried to climb a Disney World landmark.

Witnesses watched as security pulled four men off the iconic Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom park. The climbers had gotten about a third of the way up the enormous fake tree before security arrived and got them down. One witness, who posted a photo of the climbers on Reddit, says they were led out of the park and presumably banned from ever visiting again. It's not known if they are also facing charges.

WEIRD NEWS: The Grinch Tries to Steal Christmas Again

An Evangelical pastor who tried to ruin Christmas last year for kids waiting to see Santa at a mall in Texas, played the role of Grinch again last week in Alaska.

Pastor David Grisham traveled to the Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska and filmed himself as he taunted parents and told kids waiting in line that Santa is not real and is just a man in a costume used to perpetuate the lies that their parents are telling them about Christmas. Grisham told them that there are no flying reindeer and that Christmas is about Jesus and not about toys.

Although most people there did their best to ignore him, a few people approached him and asked him to leave, which he eventually did after he finished delivering his message.


WEIRD NEWS: Drunk as a Skunk (but Actually a Possum)

Employees of a Florida liquor store opened their doors on the Friday after Thanksgiving and found a passed-out intruder who wasn't playing possum -- because she was a possum, a really drunk one!

Wildlife control officer Michelle Pettis said that workers from Cash's Liquor brought in the woozy critter after scooping it up from a shelf, where it was apparently sleeping off a bender -- from drinking most of a bottle of bourbon it had knocked off a shelf in the middle of the night. Store owner Cash Moore said it was "pretty damn unusual," but presumed the possum was over 21.

Pettis said the opossum appeared disoriented and drooling, but seemed to be back to 100 percent after taking in some fluids.

HOTLIST 12/5

HOUSE OF CARDS: SHOW WILL CONTINUE SANS SPACEY

Netflix has confirmed that season 6 of the show will continue without Kevin Spacey, who was dropped from the show following his alleged inappropriate sexual conduct.

 

There are also reports circulating, that many of the top brass behind the series would like to see actor Kevin James take the place of Spacey in the hit series. 

 

PRINCE HARRY: Prince William to Be Best Man

Prince Harry asked his big brother to be the best man. Prince William said "yes."

A Royal Family watcher said,“Harry has several close guy friends. But there’s no way he would ask anyone but William to take on the top job.”

Last week, William wished his little brother well. Then he mocked Harry’s late-night snacking habits at Kensington Palace, which the brothers share as their primary residence. “I hope it means he stays out of my fridge and will stop scrounging my food, which he’s done for the last few years!”

With William as best man practically guarantees that his two children, Charlotte and George, will be given roles in the wedding ceremony. There’s word that Meghan Markle requested that her stylist’s daughter be a flower girl.

BILLY BUSH: Insists It's Trump's Voice on Tape

Billy Bush is slamming Donald Trump over his recent assertion that the voice on the infamous Access Hollywood tape may not be his.

The former TV host penned an op-ed piece for the New York Times and insisted, "He said it. 'Grab ’em by the [privates].' Of course he said it. And we laughed along, without a single doubt that this was hypothetical hot air from America’s highest-rated bloviator." He added "there were seven other guys present on the bus at the time, and every single one of us assumed we were listening to a crass stand-up act. He was performing. Surely, we thought, none of this was real. We now know better."

The tape surfaced last October during the presidential campaign, and soon after, Trump admitted it was his voice and said, "I was wrong, and I apologize." The tape got Bush fired from NBC and he still hasn't gotten a job.

KALEY CUOCO: Engaged

Kaley Cuoco got a huge birthday present last Thursday... an engagement ring.

The Big Bang Theory star got engaged to boyfriend Karl Cook, who shared Kaley's emotional reaction on Instagram. The professional equestrian wrote, "Well, after nearly two years I finally got up the courage to ask her to marry me. This is the best night of my life and I think the video shows it is the best night for Kaley as well."

Kaley was married to Ryan Sweeting for 21 months. They split up in 2015.