A Minute With: Baz Luhrmann on Gatsby, DiCaprio and Jay-Z

By Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann brings to life F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic American novel, "The Great Gatsby" which opens in U.S. theaters Friday before unspooling at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15.

The film reunites Luhrmann with actor Leonardo DiCaprio, with whom he last worked on the big screen adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Romeo + Juliet" in 1996.

DiCaprio stars as Jay Gatsby, a millionaire pining for a lost love, played by Carey Mulligan, during the height of the hedonistic 1920's. Tobey Maguire and Joel Edgerton also star.

Luhrmann, 50, spoke to Reuters about working with DiCaprio and his collaboration with rapper Jay-Z on the film's soundtrack.

Q: What was the difference between working with DiCaprio on "Romeo + Juliet" some 15 years ago and "The Great Gatsby" now?

A: Back then, he was very gifted, but he was a boy. Now he is a man and true partner in creativity. He's been on film sets since he was a child and so he's only ever known film culture. He knows what is a waste of time and he knows where to put the energy. He's extremely exigent.

Q: How so?

A: He's was as much a producer of this movie, as much a co-writer - he and Tobey Maguire had me in our writing tent until 3 in the morning when we had to be shooting at 7am - going round and round on materials. I loved it and it's some of my greatest memories (from the shoot) but it also nearly killed me. I'm an older man. I was like, 'Kids, give pops a break!'

Q: How did you like working with Jay-Z on the soundtrack?

A: This is a man who is serially on time. If he says he's going to be somewhere at 9 pm, he doesn't arrive at five to nine, or five past nine. He arrives at nine. We worked closely on the music, literally together. He's really funny, which was a surprise to me -- kind of witty and dry. That was an enjoyable part of him.

Q: How did you hook up with him?

A: Leonardo said, "Come up to the Mercer (Hotel in Manhattan) and meet Jay." He was recording "No Church In the Wild" and I talked to him about the film. He was one of the first people to see a rough cut of the movie. He said, "Look, it's inspirational. It's about is Jay Gatsby a good man or not? Does he have a moral compass? Does he have a cause?

Do those born into money know a world that has moral elasticity? Do they have a purpose?" Fantastic debate, fantastic engagement. It's what makes it a fantastic novel.

Q: It's hard to picture someone like Jay-Z sitting around reading "The Great Gatsby" since he's always on the go.

A: I'll tell you something fantastic. You want to see something amazing? Google 'Gatsby' on YouTube and see how many African American kids are rapping about being Jay Gatsby. There must be 1,000 videos. It blew my mind. It's amazing to see these kids really get that character. Some of the raps are awesome. Their storytelling is fantastic.

Q: Will viewers relate to this film?

A: I think they'll talk about it. Whether they like my choices or not, whether they think I desecrated the great holy grail of American literature or not, I think they will have to be part of the conversation. Somehow, it is a great reflector for everyone.

Q: Once this film comes out, what's next for you?

A: As it turns out, I'm in the middle of writing the live stage version of (his 1992 film) "Strictly Ballroom." What an idiot I am! Could I possibly overbook myself more? But it has to open in March next year, so right now, I'm off to the writing room!

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Madonna to be honored for top grossing tour at Billboard Awards

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Madonna will be honored at the Billboard Music Awards show this month for her 2012 MDNA tour, the high grossing concert tour of the year, organizers of the awards show said on Wednesday.

The singer will accept the Top Touring Artist award at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 19th for the tour that grossed more than $305 million from 88 sold-out shows and attracted an audience of 2.2 million people.

"A cultural icon, Madonna is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time and was recently named Billboard's Top Money Maker of 2012," Billboard said in a statement.

The chart-topping singer holds numerous other Billboard awards, including the record for the most top 10 singles (38).

In addition to her music, Madonna is also an avid art collector. On Tuesday she sold a 1921 painting by the French artist Fernand Leger, "Trois Femmes a la Table Rouge," for $7.16 million to raise money for the non-profit Ray of Light Foundation, to fund girls' education in poor countries.

The mother of four, including two adopted children from Malawi, is planning to build 10 schools in the African nation.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Vicki Allen)

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Mirren, dressed as queen, reads royal riot act to noisy drummers

LONDON (Reuters) - Actress Helen Mirren has delivered another show-stopping performance as Britain's Queen Elizabeth after storming out of a London theatre dressed as the monarch to deliver an expletive-riddled tirade at a group of drummers ruining the play.

Infuriated by loud drumming outside the Gielgud Theatre, where Mirren is portraying the queen in the play "The Audience", she burst out in full costume during the interval on Saturday night to tell them to shut up, with a few swear words thrown in for good measure.

"I'm afraid there were a few 'thespian' words used. They got a very stern royal ticking off but I have to say they were very sweet and they stopped immediately," Mirren told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Mirren, 67, who last month added the best actress gong at Britain's top theatre honors to the Academy Award she won for the 2006 film "The Queen", said the drumming had got so loud it was disturbing cast and theatre-goers alike.

Audience members said they had tried unsuccessfully to silence the drummers, but the sight of one of Britain's most prestigious actors dressed as the monarch did the trick.

Footage captured on mobile phone and aired on Sky News showed an angry Mirren, attired in tiara and pearls, accosting the drummers, waving her arms and gesticulating angrily before the music was brought to a sudden stop.

"I literally walked straight off stage, straight up the stairs and straight out the stage door and banged my way through the crowd who were watching and said 'stop, you've got to stop right now' only I might have used stronger language than that," she told the newspaper.

"They were very sweet and stopped the minute they knew I wasn't just a batty old woman haranguing them on the streets of Soho on a Saturday night.

"I felt rotten, but on the other hand they were destroying our performance so something had to be done."

Liam Emerson, the musical director of the Batala London drummers who had been hired to advertise a gay festival later in May, said they had not intended to disturb anyone.

"Her language was very blue, which looking back on it is probably quite funny really," he told Sky News. "But once I realized it was Helen Mirren and we were right next to a theatre we kind of stopped and politely apologized."

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Mike Collett-White)

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Hip hop star Lauryn Hill gets three months for tax evasion

By David Jones

NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - A U.S. magistrate judge sentenced Grammy-winning hip hop artist Lauryn Hill to three months in prison, three months in home confinement and a $60,000 fine on Monday for federal tax evasion.

Hill pleaded guilty last year to three counts of failing to file tax returns on more than $1.8 million of income between 2005 and 2007 and faced up to three years in prison.

Hill has attributed her failure to pay taxes to years of pressure she experienced as a recording star while raising six children, forcing her to go underground and stay out of the public eye.

On the eve of her scheduled sentencing, Hill paid $504,000 in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and another $420,000 to the state of New Jersey, her attorney told the court. She still owes another $285,000 in interest and penalties.

"When the government is asking for 36 months and the judge gives three months, I think the judge gave a fair and reasonable sentence," Hill's attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters.

Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 30 months to the maximum of 36 months.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo cited Hill's lack of a criminal record, her six children and her repayment of the back taxes as mitigating factors in the sentence.

Hill must report on or before July 8. Her attorney asked the court to assign the native of South Orange, New Jersey, to a facility close to home. The three months of home confinement following the prison stay is part of one year of supervised probation.

Hill told the court she pulled away from society because her life was in crisis, received veiled threats and was blacklisted because she did not conform to the norms of the music industry.

"I was being perceived as a cash cow, not a person," Hill said.

A new single by Hill, her first in several years, called "Neurotic Society," was posted on iTunes on Friday.

"Here is a link to a piece that I was 'required' to release immediately, by virtue of the impending legal deadline," her Tumblr social media page said on Saturday.

Her lawyers confirmed that she signed a new contract with Sony Worldwide Entertainment and was working on her first album of new material in more than a decade.

Hill's seminal 1998 solo album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" won the singer, a former member of the Fugees rap trio, five Grammy awards.

(Editing by Daniel Trotta, Andrew Hay and Philip Barbara)

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Mirren, dressed as queen, reads royal riot act to noisy drummers

LONDON (Reuters) - Actress Helen Mirren has delivered another show-stopping performance as Britain's Queen Elizabeth after storming out of a London theatre dressed as the monarch to deliver an expletive-riddled tirade at a group of drummers ruining the play.

Infuriated by loud drumming outside the Gielgud Theatre, where Mirren is portraying the queen in the play "The Audience", she burst out in full costume during the interval on Saturday night to tell them to shut up, with a few swear words thrown in for good measure.

"I'm afraid there were a few 'thespian' words used. They got a very stern royal ticking off but I have to say they were very sweet and they stopped immediately," Mirren told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Mirren, 67, who last month added the best actress gong at Britain's top theatre honors to the Academy Award she won for the 2006 film "The Queen", said the drumming had got so loud it was disturbing cast and theatre-goers alike.

Audience members said they had tried unsuccessfully to silence the drummers, but the sight of one of Britain's most prestigious actors dressed as the monarch did the trick.

Footage captured on mobile phone and aired on Sky News showed an angry Mirren, attired in tiara and pearls, accosting the drummers, waving her arms and gesticulating angrily before the music was brought to a sudden stop.

"I literally walked straight off stage, straight up the stairs and straight out the stage door and banged my way through the crowd who were watching and said 'stop, you've got to stop right now' only I might have used stronger language than that," she told the newspaper.

"They were very sweet and stopped the minute they knew I wasn't just a batty old woman haranguing them on the streets of Soho on a Saturday night.

"I felt rotten, but on the other hand they were destroying our performance so something had to be done."

Liam Emerson, the musical director of the Batala London drummers who had been hired to advertise a gay festival later in May, said they had not intended to disturb anyone.

"Her language was very blue, which looking back on it is probably quite funny really," he told Sky News. "But once I realized it was Helen Mirren and we were right next to a theatre we kind of stopped and politely apologized."

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Mike Collett-White)

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Hip hop star Lauryn Hill gets three months for tax evasion

By David Jones

NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - A U.S. magistrate judge sentenced Grammy-winning hip hop artist Lauryn Hill to three months in prison, three months in home confinement and a $60,000 fine on Monday for federal tax evasion.

Hill pleaded guilty last year to three counts of failing to file tax returns on more than $1.8 million of income between 2005 and 2007 and faced up to three years in prison.

Hill has attributed her failure to pay taxes to years of pressure she experienced as a recording star while raising six children, forcing her to go underground and stay out of the public eye.

On the eve of her scheduled sentencing, Hill paid $504,000 in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and another $420,000 to the state of New Jersey, her attorney told the court. She still owes another $285,000 in interest and penalties.

"When the government is asking for 36 months and the judge gives three months, I think the judge gave a fair and reasonable sentence," Hill's attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters.

Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 30 months to the maximum of 36 months.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo cited Hill's lack of a criminal record, her six children and her repayment of the back taxes as mitigating factors in the sentence.

Hill must report on or before July 8. Her attorney asked the court to assign the native of South Orange, New Jersey, to a facility close to home. The three months of home confinement following the prison stay is part of one year of supervised probation.

Hill told the court she pulled away from society because her life was in crisis, received veiled threats and was blacklisted because she did not conform to the norms of the music industry.

"I was being perceived as a cash cow, not a person," Hill said.

A new single by Hill, her first in several years, called "Neurotic Society," was posted on iTunes on Friday.

"Here is a link to a piece that I was 'required' to release immediately, by virtue of the impending legal deadline," her Tumblr social media page said on Saturday.

Her lawyers confirmed that she signed a new contract with Sony Worldwide Entertainment and was working on her first album of new material in more than a decade.

Hill's seminal 1998 solo album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" won the singer, a former member of the Fugees rap trio, five Grammy awards.

(Editing by Daniel Trotta, Andrew Hay and Philip Barbara)

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Monty Python star Michael Palin to receive top British TV award

LONDON (Reuters) - Film and television star Michael Palin, who made his name as a founder of comedy group Monty Python, is to receive one of the British entertainment industry's highest accolades.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) said on Friday that Palin, who turns 70 this month, would be presented with an Academy Fellowship at the organization's annual TV awards ceremony on May 12.

BAFTA Chairman John Willis said the award recognized the contribution Palin had made to the industry over five decades.

"(His) amiable onscreen manner belies the seriousness of his craft," Willis said in a statement.

Palin started out writing television series and wrote and starred in some of Monty Python's best-known sketches including "Dead Parrot" and "The Lumberjack Song".

He won a BAFTA best supporting actor award for the 1988 comedy film "A Fish Called Wanda".

But from the late 1980s he turned his attention to travel documentaries, appearing in "Around the World in 80 Days", "Pole to Pole", and, most recently, "Brazil with Michael Palin".

Palin said it was a "very high honor" for anyone working in television to be awarded a BAFTA Fellowship.

"I'm well aware that any success I've had is down to team work. I've been blessed throughout my career with the inspiration and support of others," he said.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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Witherspoon pleads no contest, video of drunken arrest posted on Internet

(Reuters) - Academy award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon has pleaded no contest to a charge of disorderly conduct and paid a $100 fine after she was arrested with her husband following an evening out in Atlanta last month.

The deputy solicitor of the Municipal Court of Atlanta, Ronda Graham, said in a statement on Thursday that "the pending criminal matters against Ms. Reese Witherspoon and Mr. Jim Toth have been resolved."

Toth, 42, entered a guilty plea to drunk driving and received a $600 fine. He must also complete 40 hours of community service.

In a video of the arrest posted on the celebrity website TMZ, Witherspoon is shown accusing the state trooper who arrested her of harassment.

"Do you know my name?" she asks. "You're about to find out who I am."

The video was viewed more than 120,000 times on YouTube by Friday afternoon, and was picked up by other media outlets.

Witherspoon, who won a best actress Oscar for her portrayal of the country singer June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line," apologized for her actions in an interview on the "Good Morning America" television show on Thursday.

She said she panicked after Toth was arrested and had told the officer "crazy things" after having too many glasses of wine in an restaurant in Atlanta, where she is filming a movie.

"I have no idea what I was talking about. And I am so sorry. I was so disrespectful to him," the mother-of-three said.

They were stopped after Toth crossed a double line on the road and then failed a blood-alcohol test.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; and Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

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Cat Lost During Sandy Makes Miraculous Return

NBC10- Ted Greenberg

In the six months since Superstorm Sandy, we've brought you heartbreaking stories of devastation. But this is not one of them, thanks to a lost cat who made an amazing journey back to his family. The cat disappeared in the aftermath of the storm, but managed to travel the eight miles back to his family's Chadwick Beach Island home. NBC10 Jersey Shore Bureau reporter Ted Greenberg has the details.

Cat Lost During Sandy Finds His Way...

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Uranie Roberts only has one way to describe it.

"It's a miracle," she said.

Lost for half a year, her beloved pet cat "Porsche" somehow found his way home.

Last November, Roberts and her family, including Porsche, had to be evacuated by boat from their home in the Chadwick Beach Island section of Toms River after Superstorm Sandy hit the area. The family temporarily relocated to a relative's home in Point Pleasant Borough before returning to Toms River. While the family was in Point Pleasant however, Porsche went missing.

"He got out of the house and that was the last we saw of him," said Carol Baumann, Uranie's daughter.

Baumann believed Porsche was gone for good. That was until Wednesday when she heard the familiar sound of meowing coming from the back deck of their Toms River home. When she walked towards it, she saw something she never thought she would see again.

"I saw the green eyes and I said, 'My God in heaven, it's Porsche!'" said Baumann.

Somehow the cat managed to travel eight miles through storm destruction, traffic and even over a bridge to get back to his original home.

"It's just amazing how he found his way home," said Baumann. "I wish he could talk."

Baumann and Roberts plan to have Porsche checked out by a vet next week. They say however that it doesn't look like he missed many meals in the past six months.

"You could see he was eating," said Uranie. "His fur is sleek and soft."

Whether he's just extremely resourceful or truly does have nine lives, Baumann and Roberts are just glad to have him back.

"It's wonderful," said Baumann. "I missed him so bad."
 

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American Airlines Celebrates 80 Years of Flight Attendants

Marc Fein, NBC 5 News

Eighty years ago today, on May 3, 1933, the first four American Airlines stewardesses graduated from training and headed out on their first flight.

American Airlines Celebrates 80 Years...

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Friday is a very special day for American Airlines.  Eighty years ago today, on May 3, 1933, the first four American Airlines stewardesses graduated from training and headed out on their first flight.

Over the last 80 years things have changed quite a bit for stewardesses, now commonly referred to as flight attendants. The four original American Airlines stewardesses graduated after three days of training in 1933. In 1957 the airline opened the world's first school dedicated to the profession, the American Airlines Stewardess College. At graduation,  a "flyover" was not uncommon as part of the celebration.

Traveling the world has always been a glamorous profession. Fittingly, much of the evolution of the profession has had to do with the uniform; from the military look of the early years, to the cutting-edge style of Bill Blass's uniforms in 1972.

They also broke down barriers by being one of the first airlines to hire black stewardesses. They were also the very first to carry AED's on every single flight.

American said Friday it is excited to celebrate and honor the professionals who have been the face of the airline for the last eight decades, and for those to come.

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Escaped Mental Health Patient Obsessed with Sandy Hook: Police

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A man who has threatened young children and is obsessed by the killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School escaped from a mental health facility in Orange County, California, Friday, and police were warning the public to be on the lookout for him.

Garden Grove police said Norris Phuoc Nguyen, 23, poses a danger to the community.

Garden Grove Police Chief Kevin Raney said Nguyen walked away at 4:45 p.m. from Royale Health Care Center at Bristol Street and Warner Avenue in Santa Ana, where he had been detained since December 2012.

Authorities became familiar with Nguyen, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and repeatedly detained and institutionalized, in August 2011. At that time, he walked into the Westminster Police Department dressed in camouflage and holding an assault rifle, saying he wanted to "die by cop," Raney said.

The weapon was not loaded, the chief said, adding that Nguyen did not have a permit for the firearm.

Nguyen was questioned, and police found he was fixated on a teacher at a Garden Grove elementary school that he had attended, Raney said, declining to name the school.

"We have statements and we have the firm belief that he is committed, unfortunately, to harming children at this specific school," Raney said.

Nguyen had been detained periodically since then, Raney said, until it became apparent in interviews with him in December that he was obsessed by the massacre that left 26 dead at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school on Dec. 14, 2012.

Nguyen has spoken repeated both about protecting children and endangering them, Raney said.

"He has written manifestos and other writings that are extremely extensive, extremely descriptive," Raney said. "The thoughts that he is having are real to him and there is, unfortunately, a very strong potential that he will act upon those thoughts."

Ten days ago, Nguyen's mother, who lives in Huntington Beach, tried to gain custody of her son at a court hearing, but the judge refused to have him release, Raney said.

Nguyen is described at 5-foot-8-inches tall, 150 pounds and with black hair and brown eyes. Nguyen is of Vietnamese descent.

He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a white T-shirt, gray pants and white shoes.

Authorities across Orange County and some state law enforcement were actively searching for Nguyen

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Orb Wins Kentucky Derby on "Perfect Trip"

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Odds-on favorite Orb won the 139th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, lingering in the back of the pack for much of the race before dashing through the mud to take the lead down the final stretch.

The winning colt, ridden by Joel Rosario, entered the Derby as the morning-line favorite, fell in early betting and then returned at the last minute at 5-1. With the win, he becomes an automatic early favorite for the Preakness, and a potential contender for the Triple Crown, which culminates with the Belmont Stakes.

Orb finished the 1 1/4 mile race in 2:02.89, followed by Golden Soul, a long shot, and Revolutionary, Orb's top rival, who entered the race at 6-1.

Dressing for the Kentucky Derby

See how one New Yorker is planning her outfit for the Kentucky Derby with the help of Linda Pagan, owner of The Hat Shop.

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"Oh my God, this is awesome, you know. This is like a dream to me," Rosario said after claiming his first Derby victory. "He was so far behind, and I just let him be calm and let him be relaxed, and he was able to do it all. He was very relaxed, which was exactly what I wanted.

"It was the perfect trip."

Orb was the first morning-line favorite to win the Derby since Big Brown in 2008, and only the seventh since 1974.

The race began at a torrid pace despite sloppy conditions created by a daylong rain. Palace Malice led for most of the race but faded on the final turn. Normandy Invasion took a brief lead down the stretch, but Orb surged ahead as he made his move from the back of the pack.

Orb's trainer, Claude R. "Shug" McGaughey III, won his first Derby in 34 years in the business.

"I'm thrilled to death for (the owners), thrilled to death for the people who put so much time into this horse, and, of course, I'm thrilled to death for me," he said, according to the Associated Press.

Orb is owned by Stuart Janney and Dinny Phipps.

The total purse for the Derby was more than $2 million, $1.4 million of it for Orb.

Saturday's steady rain in Louisville turned the Churchill Downs dirt track into a muddy glob, and the stands into a sea of colorful ponchos—and, of course, hats.

Revolutionary had been bettors' favorite for much of the day, but in the moments before the race a seven-figure surge of wagers pushed Orb to 5-1.

Verrazano, who'd been touted as a top contender for weeks, finished 14th. Another highly admired horse, Goldencents — whose jockey, Kevin Krigger, was trying to become the first black to win the Derby in over a century — came in 17th.

A second jockey running for history was Rosie Napravnik, who lost her chance to be the first woman to win the Derby. She ended up in 5th aboard Mylute. Even still, that finish was the best ever by a female jockey.

Josh Kleinbaum and Patrick Hickey Jr. contributed reporting.

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Wrong Way Crash Kills 2 In Denton

Mark Schnyder, NBC 5 News

Two die in North Texas crash caused by wrong-way driver.

Wrong Way Crash Kills 2 In Denton

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Wrong-Way Driver Causes Deadly Crash in Denton

Two die in North Texas crash caused by wrong-way driver.

I-30 Reopened After Wrong-Way Crash Kills Two

A fatal wrong-way crash killed two people and closed down Interstate 30 at Beach Street early Monday morning.

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A wrong-way driver caused a deadly head-on collision on I-35W in Denton early Saturday morning.  Two people were killed.  Two others were injured.

It happened along I-35W between Crawford Road and FM-2449 near mile marker 81.  The northbound lanes of I-35W were shut down for about four hours.

The person driving the Toyota Highlander could not avoid the Honda Accord coming straight on.  Police say both drivers died on impact.

The Denton Police Department identified the driver of the Honda Accord as 25-year-old Juan E. De La Cruz, Jr. of Illinois. The driver of the Toyota Highlander was Amy Lynne Morrow, 55, Rhome in Wise County.

"Around 6:20 this morning the Denton Police dispatch started receiving several 9-1-1 telephone calls about a driver going southbound in the northbound lanes of traffic on I-35 W," explained Officer Orlando Hinojosa.   "Soon after that, they started receiving telephone calls of a crash, a major crash, involving four vehicles."

An Inifiniti G 35S and Ford Mustang also wrecked trying to avoid the cars in the head-on crash.  Two people were treated and released at a local hospital for minor injuries. The driver of the Infiniti G 35S is Wanda Sue Carter, 41, of Arlington.  The driver of the Ford Mustang is Najwa Francisca Lucre, 33, of Ada, Oklahoma.

A crash reconstruction team spent four hours taking photos, measurements and gathering evidence. Police kept northbound I-35 West between Crawford Road  and FM 2449 closed until around 10:30 this morning.

Officer Hinojosa said it's too early to know if alcohol was a factor in the driver going the wrong way on I-35 W.

The names of the victims have not yet been released to the public.
 

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Funeral Escort Killed In Forest Hill

Mola Lenghi, NBC 5 News

Vehicle hits motorcyclist escorting funeral. Victim dies in the hospital.

Funeral Escort Killed In Forest Hill

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Police in Forest Hill are working to find out why a vehicle struck a funeral escort riding a motorcycle on Saturday afternoon. The 58-year-old male victim was a private contractor working for a funeral escort company.  He was not a police officer.

It happened around 1:16 p.m. in the 5300 block of Forest Hill Drive at US 287/Mansfield Highway.

Police said the funeral procession was traveling east on Mansfield Highway when a vehicle stopped at a stop sign on Forest Hill Drive pulled onto US 287/Mansfield Highway, hitting the man on the motorcycle.

Officers said the victim was launched 30 feet into the air and landed in the median. One witness told NBC DFW she rushed over after hearing the wreck and tried to perform CPR before paramedics arrived. He was taken to the hospital where he died.

Police have not released the victim's name.

In the vehicle was a couple that police said appears to be in their 70's or 80's.  They were also transported to the hospital as a precaution but did not appear to suffer any serious injuries.

Police spent five hours re-configuring the accident scene to see what exactly went wrong and led to the crash.

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Accused Corinth Pastor Takes Leave Of Absence

Mola Lenghi, NBC 5 News

Corinth police arrested Pastor Jeffrey Dale Williams for sexual performance on a child. On Saturday, the church told the media he is on a leave of absence.

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Corinth Pastor Arrested, Accused of Sex Charge

A pastor in Corinth is out on bond after he was arrested Wednesday on charges of attempted sexual performance of a child.

Corinth Pastor Accused of Sex Charge

A pastor in Corinth was arrested Wednesday on charges of attempted sexual performance of a child.

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On Sunday, members of a Denton County church will hold services without their leader.

Earlier this week, police arrested Denton County Pastor Jeffrey Dale Williams. He's accused of sexual performance on a child, a third-degree felony. He bonded out of jail late Wednesday night.

On Saturday night, The Church of Corinth issued a statement. It reads in part:

 Allegations have been made. At this time, they are allegations. And, our Pastor is on a leave of absence. A leave of absence is the best thing we can do for him to give him time to be with his family and to deal with everything going on in his life. Any time, when something like this happens, the impact that it has on everyone is painful. With that pain often comes a response that looks very much like the stages of grief. You may be feeling hurt, afraid, and confused. Many of us will feel angry. Anger is a response that we use to defend ourselves against the hurt, fear and confusion. Some will feel depression. But, with time – and a lot of prayer, we will begin to go through a period where we can begin to heal.

The church said it will have David Fink serve as interim Pastor. The statement also addressed The Church of Corinth's future.

So, what will the future look like at The Church of Corinth? In the short term, the Deacon board will continue to help in the day to day decision process of the operation of the church. We have already been in contact with the leadership of the Assemblies of God about the events of this week and are following their direction as well as getting input from their vast experience and wisdom. Dr. Richard Plunk is here today to represent them. We have and will continue to have their help and support moving forward to follow the best course of action to get through this tough time. As I have already stated, the Deacons have asked David Fink to fill in for us as our interim pastor.

According to the warrant, the incident happened on March 30. The listed address for where the incident happened is 3201 Tower Ridge Drive, which is the church address for the Church of Corinth.

Detectives said there are five audiotapes of Williams with a female juvenile. Officers said they could hear Williams trying to plead and beg the girl for two hours to take off her clothes so he could see some "eye candy."

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Escaped Calif. Mental Health Patient Is in Custody

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A mental health patient obsessed by the killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School is in custody after escaping from an Orange County, California facility the day before, authorities said.

Norris Phuoc Nguyen returned to the Royale Health Care Center at 4 p.m. Saturday, said Anthony Bertagna, spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department.

Friday afternoon, Nguyen walked away from the Royale Health Care Center, where he has been detained since December 2012.

Police said the 23-year-old told them he visited a friend while he was away from the facility, and it does not appear Nguyen committed any crimes while he was gone.

Authorities became familiar with Nguyen -- who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and repeatedly detained and institutionalized -- in August 2011. At that time, he walked into the Westminster Police Department dressed in camouflage and holding an assault rifle, saying he wanted to "die by cop," Garden Grove Police Chief Kevin Raney said.

The weapon was not loaded, the chief said, adding that Nguyen did not have a permit for the firearm.

Nguyen was questioned, and police found he was fixated on a teacher at an elementary school he had attended in Northern California, Raney said, declining to name the school.

"We have statements and we have the firm belief that he is committed, unfortunately, to harming children at this specific school," Raney said.

Nguyen had been detained periodically since then, Raney said, until it became apparent in interviews with him in December that he was obsessed by the massacre that left 26 dead at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school on Dec. 14, 2012.

Nguyen has spoken repeatedly both about protecting children and endangering them, Raney said.

Nearly two weeks ago, Nguyen's mother, who lives in Huntington Beach, tried to gain custody of her son at a court hearing, but the judge refused to have him released, Raney said.

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5 Women Die in Limousine Fire on Calif. Bridge

David Solomon

The limo caught fire trapping people inside, according to witnesses.

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Five women in their 30s died Saturday night when a stretch limousine burst into flames on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge over the San Francisco Bay, police confirmed to NBC News.

Four other people in the limo escaped with burn and smoke inhalation injuries, California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel said. The car's driver was unhurt. 

Montiel said the women were "probably killed by the fire," though the cause of death has not been confirmed,NBC News reported.

Witnesses told NBC Bay Area the white Lincoln Town Car was not involved in an accident prior to catching on fire. It was not clear what could have sparked the flames. 

The car was driving from Alameda to Foster City, Montiel said.

When asked if an "explosion" had occurred, Montiel told NBC News it was unconfirmed, however he did say the "vehicle was partially engulfed."'

A viewer named David Solomon sent in the picture above that he said of was of the limo.

The fire was first reported around 10 p.m. in the third lane of westbound state Highway 92, according to the California Highway Patrol. 

The bridge, located about 20 miles southeast of San Francisco, connects San Mateo and Alemada counties. The westbound lanes were closed for several hours.

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