Dan Fitzgerald died he was 67

Dan Fitzgerald, the coach who built Gonzaga into a national basketball power but resigned before the school began its current run of NCAA tournaments, has died at the age of 67.

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Fitz. He's had a huge impact on how we still run the program, how we work, how we prepare. What we do and what we achieve now has Fitz's imprint all over it.

Fitzgerald collapsed Tuesday evening in a restaurant in the suburb of Airway Heights. He was pronounced dead at Deaconness Medical Center in Spokane, according to a nursing supervisor at the hospital.

The cause of death was not immediately released.

Fitzgerald recruited John Stockton to campus, took the Bulldogs to their first NCAA tournament in 1995, and built the coaching staff of Mark Few, Dan Monson and Bill Grier that has put the Bulldogs in every NCAA tournament since the 1999 season.

Fitzgerald was 252-171 as coach from 1978 to 1997, and also served as athletic director.

"He was an unforgettable personality," Stockton told The Spokesman-Review. "He was loyal -- incredibly loyal -- above all. He was there for anything and everything I've ever needed, ever asked for."

Fitzgerald stepped down in December 1997 after a school investigation determined he had been collecting and spending some athletic department funds without the knowledge of the university controller's office, a possible violation of NCAA rules. Fitzgerald contended that none of the money went to players or into his own pocket.

In recent years he had worked as community relations manager for the Northern Quest Casino.

Fitzgerald took Gonzaga to its first NCAA tournament in 1995, and he recruited the players who went to the final eight in 1999. Only Hank Anderson (291) coached more victories for Gonzaga.

Fitzgerald served as head coach from 1978 to 1981, and then from 1985 to 1997. He spent four years concentrating on his duties as athletic director, including renovating the basketball arena that became known as The Kennel.

Known throughout Spokane simply as "Fitz," the coach had a big personality and his imprint remains on the Gonzaga program, which is currently ranked No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today poll (No. 15 AP).

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Fitz," Few told The Spokesman-Review. Few, who is three victories from passing Fitzgerald on the Gonzaga list of coaching wins, was brought to campus in the early 1990s as a low-paid assistant.

"He's had a huge impact on how we still run the program, how we work, how we prepare," Few said. "What we do and what we achieve now has Fitz's imprint all over it."

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Gaines Adams died he was 26

Gaines Adams died he was 26. Adams was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round in the 2007 NFL Draft and in 2009 was traded to the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Clemson.

(June 8, 1983 – January 17, 2010)

Adams attended Fork Union Military Academy in 2001 and recorded 58 tackles, 22 sacks, and two interceptions in 10 games. He was a three year starter at Cambridge Academy, a small private school which only had an 8-man football team, where he was a dominant wide receiver and defensive end. His coach during high school was former University of South Carolina quarterback, Steve Taneyhill. In 2000, his team won the state title. During that year, Cambridge shut out four different teams, beating one team 80–0. They had suffered only one loss that season to arch-rival King Academy. He had 158 career receptions for 4,394 yard and 65 touchdowns, as well as 341 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 33 sacks in his career, and was a two-time All-state honoree. He chose Clemson over Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. He had narrowed down his choices to North Carolina and Clemson, then signed with Clemson after the Tar Heels unexpectedly rescinded their offer. At Cambridge, he was named to the Greenwood Touchdown Club/Index-Journal All-Lakelands Team (which included four counties).In 2003, as a redshirt freshman, he did not see much action as the second-team defensive end, only totaling 15 tackles and a sack.

In 2004, he had 35 tackles with 8 sacks, and two blocked punts playing on special teams. For his hard work on special teams, Adams was awarded the 12th Man Award for Clemson's defense. Adams considered coming out for the NFL Draft after his sophomore year, but after the underclassman panel gave him a conservatively low ranking he decided to stay for his junior year.

Adams' 2005 junior year was the year he broke out. Adams totaled 56 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and forced three fumbles while starting at boundary defensive end.

For Adams' senior year, 2006, he was slated to be among the best defensive ends in the college football. Adams lived up to his reputation by starting all 12 games, recording 12.5 sacks,causing 2 fumbles and recovering 3. By the end of the 2006 season, Adams recorded a total of 28 career sacks, tying the school record set by Michael Dean Perry (1984–1987)^[1]. In addition, Adams was named to all five official All-America teams acknowledged by the NCAA in 2006, one of seven unanimous All-Americans that year.

Bench press: 350 lbs Squat: 465 lbs; Power clean: 345 lbs

Adams was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the 4th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, despite his admissions during interviews at the scouting combine of previous marijuana use.^[4] He signed a six-year deal with the Buccaneers on July 26th, 2007, worth $46 million, with $18.6 million guaranteed. He registered his first solo sack against the Atlanta Falcons in week 11 of the 2007 season.

At the end of the 2007 season Adams had 35 tackles, 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in 2007, he led all 2007 rookies with his six sacks. This performance gained him a place in the 2007 NFL All-Rookie team. He also played in Tampa Bay Buccaneers playoff loss to the New York Giants and finished the game with five tackles and one sack. Against the Colts on Week 5, he blocked a field goal attempt by Adam Vinatieri.

In 2008, Adams recorded two sacks against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. He recorded his first career interception and returned it for his first career touchdown in a Week 3 overtime win over the Chicago Bears. The following week, Adams recorded another interception off of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to seal a Buccaneers victory. In Week 8, in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Adams recorded two sacks.

On October 19, 2009, Adams was traded to the Chicago Bears for a second-round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.^[5]. In 10 games for the Bears, Adams had 7 combined tackles, 1 pass deflection and 1 forced fumble.^[6]

Adams was taken to the emergency room in Greenwood, South Carolina on the morning of January 17, 2010, after his girlfriend found him at home. He was pronounced dead at 8:21 a.m. ET. The coroner confirmed, after an autopsy, that Adams died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.^[7] Neither Adams nor his relatives knew about any kind of medical condition he may have had. At the time of his death, neither drug abuse nor foul play was suspected. Full toxicology tests will likely not be available for at least two months.^[8]

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Glen Bell died he was 86

Glen William Bell, Jr. ^[1] died he was 86. Bell. Jr was an American businessman who founded the fast food chain Taco Bell.

(September 3, 1923 – January 17, 2010)

He served in the US Marine Corps during World War II. Bell left military life in 1946, and started his first hot dog stand called Bell's Drive-In in San Bernardino in 1948.^[2] In 1952, he sold his hot dog stand and built his second that sold hot dogs and hamburgers. Shortly thereafter, he started selling 19 cent tacos out of a side window. Between 1954 and 1955, he opened three Taco Tias in Los Angeles area, eventually selling those restaurants and opening four El Tacos with a new partner in the Long Beach area.

In 1962, he decided to go solo and sold the El Tacos to his partner and opened his first Taco Bell. Bell franchised his restaurant in 1964.^[2] His company grew rapidly, and the 868 restaurant chain was later sold to PepsiCo in 1978 for $125 million in stock.

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Ed Chuman died he was 62

Edward E. Chuman, a tough businessman with a flair for theatrics who proved a natural for professional wrestling, riled crowds as the masked manager "Dr. X" and staged shows that featured an incendiary mix of heroes and villains.

Mr. Chuman, 62, died of heart failure Friday, Jan. 15, in his Roselle home, said his wife, Pam. He had just returned from a hospital after a bout with pneumonia and had suffered long-standing lung problems related to Legionnaires' disease that he contracted about 12 years ago, his wife said.

Mr. Chuman promoted wrestling in several states for the National Wrestling Alliance, an organization that dates to the late 1940s but in recent years has played second fiddle to the nationally televised events of World Wrestling Entertainment. As a promoter for alliance shows, he put together crowd-pleasing events at venues ranging from barrooms to auditoriums in towns across the Midwest.

"There's an art to wrestling, and either you get it or you don't, and he got it," said Joe Cabibbo, who wrestles as "The Sheik." "He was a master of it."

With extensive contacts throughout the industry, Mr. Chuman was a manager and adviser to wrestlers including the "Awesome Kong," one of the top female grapplers, said Rico Mann, who designs wrestling belts.

In a sometimes crazy business, he maintained a reputation as an honest broker.

"He was just the most honest guy I ever met in the entertainment business, where there's sharks for managers," Cabibbo said. "He never took a nickel extra."

As a boy, Mr. Chuman, who grew up in Hillside and attended Proviso West High School, watched wrestling with his grandfather and idolized "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, said his friend Phil Wills.

He was working as a manager at a Kmart when he ran into the wrestler Angelo Poffo, who offered Mr. Chuman a chance to climb into the ring, Wills said. Wrestling as "Sidney Bockabella," he performed in all sorts of dives in southern Illinois and Kentucky, where fans sometimes took the staged matches a little too seriously.


"Ed had a lot of stories where they believed it a little too much, and things got hairy," Wills said.

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Chilton Price died he was 96

Chilton Price died he 96. Price was a songwriter, primarily known for





country music songs which became pop music hits as well.


(December 25, 1913 – January 14, 2010)


She was born Chilton Searcy near Fern Creek, Kentucky, the daughter of Chesley Hunter Searcy, a lawyer, and Lillian Searcy, a pianist. At the age of 5 she was taught a couple of piano chords by her father, who was an amateur musician who played by ear. She studied music appreciation at the University of Louisville. During the 1930s and 1940s she played violin for the Louisville Orchestra. She got a job as a music librarian at the Louisville radio station WAVE, where country music performers Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart were regular performers. She showed them some songs she had written, and they convinced her to publish them; since she had little experience in the commercial music world, she gave them partial credit, and so the songs "Slow Poke" and "You Belong to Me" were published with credits given as King/Stewart/Price. The former became a big hit for King, with a vocal by Stewart; the latter was a major hit for Jo Stafford, and later was covered by The Duprees. She was said to be happy with the arrangement, even though she had to share credit for songs she wrote herself, being grateful for the break she got in this way.
Subsequently, she wrote other songs under her name only, including "Never Look Back" in 1954.
She was married for 65 years to Louisville businessman Robert L. Price, and had a daughter, two grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Robert Price died in 2000.
Price died in her home town of Louisville on January 14, 2010. She was 96 years of age.


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Carl Smith died she was 82,

Carl Smith, a country music hit maker of the 1950s and 1960s known for his dynamic voice and good looks, has died. He was 82.

(March 15, 1927 - January 16, 2010)

Carl Smith was born in Maynardville, Tenn. He began singing in WROL radio while still in high school

. After serving in the Navy

, and guesting on other radio station, Carl performed on the Grand Ole Opry. In 1950, he signed with Columbia Records and with WSM radio. Carl became one of the most recognizable country singers of the 1950s. He charted 30 Top 10 singles in that decade, including “Loose Talk,” “Wicked Lies,” and “You Are the One.”


Smith had 41 chart singles during the 1950s, including the hits "Are You Teasing Me," "Back Up Buddy," and "Hey Joe!"
Smith was a member of the Grand Ole Opry but left in 1956 to try his hand at acting. He appeared in two westerns, "The Badge of Marshal Brennan" and "Buffalo Gun."
From 1964 to 1969, he hosted 190 episodes of "Carl Smith's Country Music Hall" on Canadian television. In the late 1970s, he retired from the music business, but later recorded for the Gusto label in 1983. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003.


In 1951, Carl Smith married

June Carter (who later married Johnny Cash). The couple had a daughter in 1955, Rebecca Smith, who later became known as country singer Carlene Carter. She died in 2005.


In 1956, Carl Smith quit the Grand Ole Opry and focused on an acting career

. He joined the Philip Morris Country Music Show and began touring the United States. He also made regular appearances on the Ozark Jubilee.
In 1957, Carl and June Carter divorced. The same year, Carl married Goldie Hill. Throughout the 1960s, Carl’s career began to slow, though he did chart several Top 10 singles, including “Take My Ring Off Your Finger,” and “Deep Water".

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Francene Cucinello died she was 43

WHAS-AM morning talk show host Francene Cucinello died Friday after suffering a brain aneurysm earlier in the week.

According to WHAS-AM’s Web site, www.84whas.com, Cucinello, 43, suffered a heart attack Monday, followed by the aneurysm Wednesday. She died at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Norton Hospital.

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., a regular guest on Cucinello’s show, released a statement Friday saying that the radio host was “driven by compassion for those around her.”

“She woke up every morning excited to use her position to help make people’s lives better,” Yarmuth said in the statement. “And that’s exactly what she did — entertaining and informing us, always giving back, personally helping people find jobs, and so much more. The more time I spent with her, the more I respected her intellect and admired her generosity. I am devastated for the loss to this community and heartbroken for the loss of my friend. My thoughts and prayers are with her mother and all of her friends.”

Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson released a separate statement about Cucinello’s death.

“While we didn’t always agree on the issues, Francene had a special way of spurring people to talk about subjects important to our community and our state,” Abramson said in the statement.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear also issued a statement: "I considered her a friend, despite her tough questions, and I enjoyed our frequent interviews on her show. People felt like they knew Francene because she was so open and honest, and her death is a terrible blow to the community."

Kentucky attorney general Jack Conway, in a statement, called Cucinello’s death a “terrible tragedy.”

He recalled seeing her at a play on the issue of cyber-safety that the two attended a few weeks ago at Fern Creek High School.

“She contributed greatly to the public discourse in Kentucky,” Conway said in the statement. “Her listeners were her cause, and I loved that passion. It was never a 9-to-12 radio job for her. … She carried her commitment with her at all times.”

Conway added that Cucinello frequently followed up with him after he was a guest on her show to “make certain we were taking action” on matters.

“When I was on her show talking about the issues, I knew she and her listeners were holding me accountable,” Conway added. “I always found her well-researched, and she will be missed.”

Cucinello came to Louisville in 2003, following the departure of controversial radio host John Ziegler.

She focused her show on state and local politics and hot-button issues affecting residents in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

Last year, as the economy soured, she opened up the airwaves on Fridays to companies that wanted to advertise job openings. In February 2009, she also partnered with Bellarmine University to produce “Job Jam,” a free seminar for people looking for work.

In addition to her work as a radio show host, Cucinello also was a columnist for LEO Weekly, an alternative newspaper in Louisville.

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