CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ – AgencyEA, a Chicago-based event and experiential marketing agency, was selected by the White House to design, manage and produce the annual Christmas decor for the President and First Lady.

“We are once again honored to assist the White House during the exciting holiday season,” said Gabrielle Martinez, managing partner at agencyEA and lead designer for the project. “This is a unique challenge, one that requires carefully crafted ideas and meticulous execution.”

In a close collaboration with the Social Secretary’s office and the White House floral shop, EA envisioned the theme, creative design and logistical execution. This year’s theme – Shine, Give, Share – celebrates the countless ways Americans can contribute and impact others with the strength of their own positive light and powerful, uplifting spirit.

“Each of us possesses the power to affect others in a positive way,” added Martinez.  ”We wanted to produce an experience that captures this spirit of kindness and generosity during the holiday season.”

Under the supervision of Martinez and her team, nearly 100 volunteers from across the country transformed 16 distinct spaces into works of art and decorated 37 trees.

EA is familiar with the White House Christmas after managing last year’s holiday decor, themed Simple Gifts. The agency also produced numerous events for the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama.  

AgencyEA (www.agencyEA.com) is a Chicago-based experiential marketing agency. Taking brands from passive presence to active engagement, EA helps some of the biggest names in the world produce unique, memorable interactions. Founded in 1999 as Event Architects, EA has worked with esteemed clients such as Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions, GE Healthcare, The Boeing Company and the Obama Administration.

CONTACT:  Claire Prendergast, +1-312-879-0186 x27, cprendergast@agencyEA.com

SOURCE agencyEA

http://www.agencyea.com

The White House Taps agencyEA to Design Annual Christmas Decor | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, Nov 22, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — North Park University ensembles, joined by other Chicago-area student groups and professional musicians, will lead the University’s traditional Advent and Christmas worship, “A Star is Shining: A Festival of Lessons and Carols,” Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. The event will be held at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 4432 N. Troy St., Chicago.

More than 700 people attended last year’s program, and more are expected this year. Admission is free, however, the University is asking attendees to reserve tickets because of limited seating at http://www.northpark.edu/News/Featured-Events/A-Festival-of-Lessons-and-Carols. About 200 singers and instrumentalists will lead the 90-minute worship program, said Dr. Julia Davids, director of choral activities, North Park University School of Music. “This is a wonderful event provided as an outreach to the greater North Park community, and it highlights the incredible music of North Park University’s students,” she said.

Lessons and carols is a traditional format first used in The Church of England in the late 1800s. Today, many different Christian churches have embraced the format of telling the Advent and Christmas story through biblical readings surrounded by music, Davids said. The program’s title and content was inspired by the poem, “Put Memory Away,” written by Elizabeth Jennings, Davids said. It is set to music by British contemporary composer Bob Chilcott.

Dr. David Parkyn, North Park University President, will lead the festival’s opening prayer, followed by Father Joseph Tito, Our Lady of Mercy Church, who will read the First Lesson from Genesis. Other Scripture readings from the Old and New Testaments will be read by University faculty and leaders, interspersed with choir and orchestra performances. The festival closes with “Joy to the World!,” and includes the congregation and all ensembles.

North Park University ensembles in the Festival include the University Choir and the Chamber Singers, both directed by Davids; Gospel Touring Choir, directed by Dr. Helen Hudgens; Women’s Chorale, directed by Thomas Tropp; and the Lessons and Carols Orchestra, directed by Dr. Tom Zelle. The Chicago Children’s Choir – Albany Park Division, directed by Youna Cho, will sing a pre-service recital begin at 3:30 p.m., and will sing in the main program. The YOURS Orchestra from Hibbard Elementary School, Chicago, will perform as well. The Festival organist is Michael Gagne, a North Park University senior.

SOURCE North Park University

www.northpark.edu

North Park University Ensembles Highlight Dec. 4 ‘Festival of Lessons and Carols’ | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ – Retailers may get a late Christmas gift this year – up to 60 percent more shoppers will walk through their doors on Dec. 26 than on the same day last year.

According to ShopperTrak — the world’s largest provider of retail and mall foot traffic counting services — shoppers will come out in full force on the day after Christmas because it falls on a Monday for the first time in six years. That day will rank third in foot-traffic for the holiday shopping season, surpassed only by Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and Super Saturday, the Saturday one week before Christmas.

“Dec. 26 is a very important shopping day, as shoppers return unwanted gift items and shop for marked-down merchandise,” said Bill Martin, ShopperTrak co-founder. “If retailers depend on last year’s shopper turnout and behavior as a guide for staffing and inventory plans, they will lose out on business this year.  Dec. 26 is going to be a door-buster day.”

Each day has a foot-traffic signature
According to ShopperTrak, each day of the week has a different traffic signature. Last year, Dec. 26 fell on a Sunday, a day that generally features abbreviated shopping hours, church service conflicts and even store closings tied to local “blue laws.” This year, the important shopping day falls on a Monday — meaning regular shopping hours are available to consumers still on vacation and eager to leave the house on the day after the holiday.

“The last time Dec. 26 fell on a Monday was 2005.  We saw an increase in foot-traffic that day, due entirely to its position in the week,” said Gary Dispensa, ShopperTrak senior economist. “Using our historical data, unique econometric model and traffic counts from more than 25,000 locations across the country, we’re confident foot-traffic on Dec. 26 will greatly increase from what retailers saw last year — even with the recession.”

Recession’s effect on traffic
While 2005 is a pre-recession data point, ShopperTrak accounted for economic factors and weighted the analysis comparatively. Were the United States not in a recession, retailers could have expected as much as a 67 percent increase in foot-traffic.

National foot-traffic has been steadily falling since 2005.  Time-pressed consumers conduct more pre-shopping research online and higher gas prices discourage car trips.  Nevertheless, retailers can still expect a big lift this Dec. 26 over last year. “The percentage change in foot-traffic will be up to 60 percent more, whether stores had one customer walk through the door last year or 1,000,” said Dispensa.

“Retailers should begin planning now to convert the shopper surplus they’ll see on Dec. 26 to sales,” added Martin. “Scheduling more floor staff to minimize line abandonment, filling stock rooms with inventory and increasing store hours could make a big difference. Don’t depend on last year’s experience. Only by monitoring same-store traffic can you ever really know what’s going to happen in the store and make smart decisions to capture sales.”

About ShopperTrak
Chicago based ShopperTrak is a technology company whose products and services anonymously count people, analyze the data and reveal opportunities to create financial efficiencies in operations and marketing. Global retailers and mall owners have relied on our service to provide critical, daily store performance data. We offer our counting solution as a Managed Service, leaving the client to focus on their core business.  Our Managed Services are further enhanced with our Business Analytics offering, an exclusive data set projecting the number of available shoppers in a defined market.  With over 40,000 managed devices in service, collecting billions of shopper visits yearly, we are the global leader in people counting and store performance analysis. ShopperTrak is a privately held entity headquartered in Chicago with operations in Europe, Middle East and Asia. For more information, visit www.shoppertrak.com.

SOURCE ShopperTrak

Dec. 26 to See Up to 60 Percent Increase in Foot-Traffic Over Last Year | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, Nov. 1, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — With national retail sales expected to increase only slightly throughout the entire holiday season, just 10 days will make or break the period for retailers, according to ShopperTrak — the world’s largest provider of retail foot traffic counting, managed services and business analytics.

“Since Christmas falls on different calendar days each year, the shift impacts which days are the busiest. Some change in ranking or drop off completely,” says ShopperTrak co-founder Bill Martin. “Retailers can’t assume historical patterns will completely repeat themselves, and only by tracking in-store traffic can they understand the trends and prepare to capture business this holiday season.”

According to ShopperTrak, the week before Christmas will be especially important this year, as five of the top sales and foot traffic days will occur between Dec. 18 and Dec. 24. While Black Friday is typically the strongest shopping day of the season, one third of all holiday sales are historically made in the week prior to Christmas. Retailers can expect consumers walking into their stores that week have conducted plenty of online research and are ready to buy.  

Historically Strong Shopping Days

Prior to Christmas, ShopperTrak expects Black Friday (Friday, Nov. 25) to remain the top performing sales and foot-traffic day for the eighth year in a row, followed by Super Saturday on Dec. 17.  Last year, Black Friday showed an increase in both sales and foot traffic over 2009; foot traffic increased 2.2 percent and sales increased 0.3, representing $10.69 billion in consumer spending and the largest dollar amount ever spent on the day.

Black Saturday, the day after Black Friday, historically shows a decline in sales from the previous day, but remains one of the season’s top performers. Black Saturday 2010 showed a 0.9 sales decrease from the previous year, representing $6.06 billion dollars spent. This year, ShopperTrak expects Black Saturday to rank sixth in both sales and foot-traffic.

“Annually Black Friday weekend’s strong start is one bookend to the season and the week leading into Christmas is the other,” added Martin. “Successful retailers will prepare for these critical top ten days, track their traffic internally and make adjustments to capitalize on shopper opportunities walking through their doors.”

Last year’s top 10 busiest GAFO Retail Sales days accounted for 28% of GAFO Retail Sales for the Nov. and Dec. holiday season, and ShopperTrak expects this year’s top 10 to be just as important.

The following table shows ShopperTrak’s forecasted busiest holiday sales and traffic days:

ShopperTrak measures foot-traffic in more than 25,000 stores in the United States and analyzes the data in a proprietary econometric model to create its forecasts.

About ShopperTrak

ShopperTrak provides cutting-edge retail intelligence solutions enabling retail companies to count and benchmark their retail foot traffic at the national, regional and local levels to better understand trends and determine the impact of store and staff performance on company revenues. With more than 40,000 units installed in the world’s best known retail outlets and malls and more than 15 years of retail expertise, ShopperTrak is the industry’s authority for information and analysis of the movement of shoppers in retail environments. ShopperTrak offers a managed service to provide the most accurate retail foot traffic counting service available. The company’s solutions provide a proven means for retailers to gauge labor efficiencies, advertising and marketing efforts, store design and remodeling programs, merchandise changes, associate training programs, and other budget-intensive strategic initiatives. ShopperTrak is a privately held entity headquartered in Chicago, Ill. For more information, visit www.shoppertrak.com.

SOURCE ShopperTrak

http://www.shoppertrak.com

ShopperTrak Identifies Top 10 Busiest Holiday Shopping Days; Pressure for Retailers to Perform | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

ROCKFORD, Ill., Dec. 30, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society is pleased to share a Christmas story from its founder, senior fellow, and spiritual mentor, Dr. John A. Howard. At 89 years of age he still keeps full-time hours at the Center, defending the traditional values of family and Western Christian Civilization. The words below come from a brief excerpt of a speech that John gave earlier this year about his experience in World War II.

“In December, Hitler’s troops mounted a large and very powerful attack in an effort to try to break through the allied front and capture the ammunition dumps and supply depots of the harbor cities north of us from which came all our food, gasoline, replacement vehicles and ammunition to carry on the war. That attack became known as the Battle of the Bulge. If it had been successful, Hitler might have won the war. A heavy fog for some days had prevented any American airplane support. The Americans had no idea of the very large build-up in preparation for this breakthrough. The Germans spearheaded their attack with two divisions of the huge, heavily armored Tiger tanks and Panther tanks with bigger and with more powerful cannons than ours and they overwhelmed the Americans on the front line. During the five weeks of that fiercely fought struggle, there were 77,000 American casualties, killed, wounded or captured.

“On Christmas day, our outfit was in position on the north flank of the German advance. Up in the turret of our tank, the gunner and I were standing trying to see through the fog when the gunner jabbed me in the ribs with his elbow and said, ‘Look at that.’ I whirled around. A girl, nine or ten years old was walking toward our tank. She told us that when the fighting came back toward her town, all the people left. But her grandfather was an invalid and couldn’t travel. She had stayed behind to take care of him. She said they had no food left and wondered if we had any to spare. We immediately gave her all the rations we had in the tank. She made sort of a basket out of her apron to put them in. She looked up at us, as she turned to leave, and said, ‘Oh! It’s a wonderful, wonderful Christmas after all!’ The marvelous thing is that all of us in the tank agreed with her. It had become a wonderful Christmas for us, too.”

See the full speech at: http://www.profam.org/docs/jah/thc.jah.ww2.100420.htm. For more of Dr. Howard’s speeches: http://www.profam.org/people/xthc_jah.htm#Speeches.

Dr. John A. Howard, Founder and Senior Fellow of The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society has been on the frontlines of the fight for traditional American values and religious ideals all of his adult life. He attended Princeton University from 1939 to 1942. From 1942-1945, he served in the Second World War with the 745th Tank Battalion, First Infantry Division. He received a battlefield commission, two Purple Hearts, and two Silver Stars. After his much-decorated service, John Howard came home with a commitment to explaining and defending the religious ideals on which America was founded. After the war, he received his B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. in French literature from Northwestern University. His public life included service in the Eisenhower Administration. He was also a member of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. The President of Rockford College (Rockford, Illinois) for 17 years, John Howard also served as National President of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities for three years. He holds many honorary degrees and was the founder of The Rockford College Institute, serving ten years as its president. Over 40 of his speeches have been published in Vital Speeches, including his award-winning 2007 address “Liberty Revisited. “His most recent book is “Christianity: Lifeblood of America’s Free Society.”

The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society defends the natural family as the fundamental unit of society and operates the World Congress of Families. Visit www.profam.org for more information.

Go to www.profam.org/THC/thc_member.htm for more information on becoming a member of The Howard Center or to receive a subscription to The Family in America. To schedule an interview with John Howard or purchase a specially signed book, contact Larry Jacobs at 815-222-2490 or larry@profam.org.

SOURCE The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society

‘It’s A Wonderful, Wonderful Christmas After All’ – Dr. John Howard Shares the Spirit of Christmas | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Enlarge John Godbey, The Decatur Daily/AP

Eleven-year-old twins, Cameron and Danielle Whitlock, make a snowman in their front yard in Decatur, Ala., on an unusually snowy Christmas morning, Saturday.

John Godbey, The Decatur Daily/AP

Eleven-year-old twins, Cameron and Danielle Whitlock, make a snowman in their front yard in Decatur, Ala., on an unusually snowy Christmas morning, Saturday.

With a rare white Christmas in parts of the Southeast and snow predicted for the nation’s Capital, airlines canceled hundreds of flights and urged travelers to rethink their plans, while travel authorities warned of potentially dangerous roads.

After blanketing parts of the Midwest and hampering motorists there on Christmas Eve, the storm dipped south late Friday. Winter weather advisories were in effect Saturday morning from Arkansas to the Carolinas and from West Virginia to central Alabama. Much of North Carolina was under a winter storm warning.

The National Weather Service said the storm could bring more than 5 inches of snow to the Washington region. Meteorologist Stephen Konarik said the storm could hit the area Sunday morning and end Sunday night or early Monday, with the peak snowfall Sunday afternoon and early evening.

The wintry weather is the result of a low pressure system moving along the Gulf coast. It is expected to intensify and move northeast on Sunday to the mid-Atlantic states and New England.

The weather service was forecasting possible snow for the New York and Boston areas, starting Sunday and continuing into Sunday night, with overnight temperatures in the 20s and wind gusts up to 30 mph.

Delta Air Lines spokesman Morgan Durrant said 500 weather-related flight cancellations were planned for Saturday nationwide. That included 300 of the 800 scheduled departures from the Atlanta hub. Durrant said those affected had been notified.

He recommended that passengers not travel by air in the Southeast on Christmas if they can help it.

“Atlanta will see more cancellations [Saturday] than on Sunday,” he said. The Mid-Atlantic region could see cancellations Sunday.

AirTran spokeswoman Christopher white said Friday evening that the carrier had only canceled eight Saturday flights and was taking a wait-and-see approach to the storm.

Both airlines encouraged passengers to monitor their websites, and both offered to waive ticket-change fees for some flights scheduled for this weekend in the South and Mid-Atlantic.

In southern states, many were waiting to see whether they would enjoy a rare white Christmas.

The Nashville area had an inch or so of snow overnight, and roads appeared to be clear.

By Saturday morning, 4 to 5 inches of snow had fallen over several hours in Bowling Green, Ky., according to the Weather Service. Louisville had about an inch.

Louisville last had snowfall on Christmas in 2002, when a half-inch fell.

In parts of Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas, the snow was likely to be mixed with sleet and rain before turning entirely to snow. Temperatures in Georgia are expected to dip into the 20s on Christmas night, possibly leading to slick road conditions.

“If roads aren’t able to dry up during the day, that’s what will freeze up Saturday night into Sunday morning,” said the weather service’s Vaughn Smith in Atlanta.

Lon Anderson, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said people traveling by car on the East Coast over the holidays should check the weather forecasts.

“The fact is Mother Nature is going to be a big factor” in holiday travel, he said. “She’s calling the shots this holiday season and in many places it will be very tough going.” He said motorists should make sure their car is ready, especially their tires, and that they have enough windshield wiper fluid.

“It doesn’t take much in the Mid-Atlantic area to cause mayhem,” Anderson said.

In Minnesota, the storm brought 6 inches of snow Friday to Minneapolis and St. Paul. It pushed the monthly total there to 33.4 inches, topping the previous December record set in 1969.

The snow made traveling tough Friday in northeastern Iowa, where the bulk of the storm hovered. Cedar Rapids received more than 7 inches of snow.

Travelers could see airport screeners taking a closer look at empty insulated beverage containers like thermoses because air carriers were alerted about a potential terror tactic involving them, an administration official said.

The Air Transport Association was expecting 44.3 million people on U.S. flights between Dec. 16 and Jan. 5 — up 3 percent over the same period a year ago but still below pre-recession travel volume. The average ticket price was $421, up by 5 percent.

The AAA predicted overall holiday travel to rise about 3 percent this year, with more than 92 million people planning to go more than 50 miles by Jan. 2. More than 90 percent said they would be driving.

Said Anderson of the storm: “The timing is really bad.”

Originally reported by National Public Radio. Read the original story here.

Snow Prompts Flight Cancellations | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

A Christmas Eve snow storm that blanketed parts of the Midwest was expected to bring rare Christmas Day snowfall to parts of the Southeast, prompting some airline flight cancellations and delays.

After dumping 9 inches of snow in Iowa by Friday morning, the storm was predicted to dip south into Tennessee and Georgia on Saturday, then move north Sunday. Winter weather advisories were in effect from Kansas east to Kentucky and from Minnesota south to Arkansas on Friday.

The National Weather Service said that for the first Christmas in 17 years, Nashville and Atlanta could get more than just a dusting of snow.

The storm was expected to intensify and move northeast on Sunday to the mid-Atlantic states and New England.

Delta Air Lines spokesman Morgan Durrant said 500 weather-related flight cancellations were planned for Saturday nationwide. That included 300 of the 800 scheduled departures from the Atlanta hub. Durrant said those affected had been notified.

Durrant recommended that passengers not travel on Christmas if they can help it.

“Atlanta will see more cancellations [Saturday] than on Sunday,” he said. “The Mid-Atlantic region could see cancellations Sunday.”

The weather had not caused significant problems for the airlines Friday.

Air Tran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said Friday evening: “Right now we aren’t precancelling flights.” The airline had only cancelled two flights, from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. and Tampa, she said. Graham-Weaver added that a main focus Sunday in Atlanta would likely be de-icing planes.

Both airlines encouraged passengers to monitor their websites, and both offered to waive ticket-change fees.

The weather service predicted a mixture of snow and rain overnight in parts of the Southeast, with the threat of ice-covered roads.

Karla Winfrey returned to Nashville from her current home in Atlanta to do some last minute running around Thursday for her mother who’s cooking Christmas dinner.

“I wanted to make sure I was here before it started accumulating,” said Winfrey, a multimedia journalist. “I’ve only missed one Christmas in my entire life from being home, so it was important for me to be here to get a taste of Tennessee for Christmas.”

In the Atlanta suburb of Decatur, Vincenzo Tortorici said the prospect of snow evoked the memory of childhood Christmas visits to his relatives in Ohio.

“Snow was like frozen white icing on the cake of a magical time of my childhood,” he said. “I’m glad the weather might cooperate to give my own son a white Christmas this year.”

In Minnesota, the storm brought 6 inches of snow to Minneapolis and St. Paul. It pushed the monthly total there to 33.4 inches, topping the previous December record set in 1969.

The snow made traveling tough Friday in northeastern Iowa, where the bulk of the storm hovered.

Scott and Lori Whiting left Chicago for Colorado Springs, Colo., with their nine children Thursday evening. By morning, they had only reached Des Moines, a trip that normally takes about four hours, Lori Whiting said.

“The cars are really sliding around up there,” Lori Whiting said. “It’s kind of slushy. Some parts it’s packed, and you don’t think it’s going to be slick and all of a sudden your car is fishtailing.”

Scott Whiting got into a fender bender at a Des Moines truck stop. Still, the family was in good spirits and the children were singing carols.

Lori Whiting said they hoped to make it to Colorado Springs for Christmas Eve.

“Depending on the number of potty breaks, you understand,” she said.

Many people traveled Thursday in hope of beating the foul weather.

Eric and Tatiana Chodkowski, of Boston, drove with their children, ages 2 and 4, to see relatives in New York. They deemed the roads congested but manageable Thursday, and most people found the nation’s airports to be the same way.

Travelers could see airport screeners taking a closer look at empty insulated beverage containers like thermoses because air carriers were alerted about a potential terror tactic involving them, an administration official said.

The official, who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters, stressed that there is no intelligence about an active terror plot. The Homeland Security Department regularly alerts law enforcement about evolving terror tactics.

The Air Transport Association expects 44.3 million people on U.S. flights between Dec. 16 and Jan. 5, up 3 percent over the same period a year ago but still below pre-recession travel volume. The average ticket price was $421, up by 5 percent.

The AAA predicted overall travel to rise about 3 percent this year, with more than 92 million people planning to go more than 50 miles sometime between now and Jan. 2. More than 90 percent said they would be driving.

In Kentucky, Transportation Cabinet spokeswoman Andrea Clifford said road crews would be salting and plowing parts of the state where snow falls Friday night. Crews had applied brine to 900 miles of roads in Louisville in advance of the snow.

Louisville last had snowfall on Christmas in 2002, when a half-inch fell.

Originally reported by National Public Radio. Read the original story here.

Travelers Brace For Snow, Flight Delays In Southeast | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Holiday travelers in the Midwest braced for snow and ice from a storm Friday that was expected to deliver a rare white Christmas to Nashville and possibly Atlanta before rolling into the Northeast.

A day after the most densely populated parts of the county got a break from the weather, several inches of snow were expected across parts of the heartland. Up to 8 inches could fall in Iowa and 6 inches in Illinois and Minnesota, with forecasters warning drivers about snow-covered roads and limited visibility.

The storm was expected to crawl south into Tennessee on Saturday, then possibly move north on Sunday. Winter weather advisories were in effect from North Dakota into Kentucky.

“People that are going to Grandma’s house,” warned Bobby Boyd, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Nashville, “need to get going.”

In Georgia, the National Weather Service said 1 to 3 inches of snow could fall across metro Atlanta on Saturday. But it said there was still uncertainty about the storm’s path, and that any deviation could affect the total amounts. If the forecast holds, it would be the first time since 1993 that snow fell on Christmas in Atlanta, the weather service said. The last time there was measurable snowfall on Christmas Day was in 1882, when one-third of an inch of snow blanketed the city.

Fair weather helped make the holiday sojourn a not-so-painful experience in much of the country Thursday, even with more people on the move than last year.

Eric and Tatiana Chodkowski, of Boston, were driving with their kids, ages 2 and 4, to see relatives in New York. They said forecasts for snow on Sunday made them wonder whether they’d make it back then, as planned. They deemed the roads congested but manageable Thursday, and most people found the nation’s airports to be the same way.

Planes took off into windy but accommodating skies at New York’s LaGuardia Airport as Steve Kent prepared to fly to Denver for a family ski trip, scoffing at the puny lines.

“I don’t find it that difficult,” he said. “I think Thanksgiving is harder.”

At airports, the long security lines feared over Thanksgiving, when practically everyone is on the move the same day, never materialized, and aren’t expected to now. The spread-out nature of the year-end holidays means things won’t be quite so cramped.

Travelers may notice that airport screeners are taking a closer look at empty insulated beverage containers like thermoses because air carriers have been alerted about a potential terror tactic involving them, an administration official said.

The official, who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters, stressed that there is no intelligence about an active terror plot. The Homeland Security Department regularly alerts law enforcement about evolving terror tactics.

The Air Transport Association expects 44.3 million people on U.S. flights between Dec. 16 and Jan. 5 — up 3 percent over the same period a year ago but still below pre-recession travel volume. The average ticket price is $421, up by 5 percent.

The Vino Volo Wine Room at Detroit Metropolitan Airport is benefiting from more travelers, manager Mark Del Duco said Thursday.

“The Christmas mood is more there this year than last,” he said, estimating that sales are up 10 percent this season compared with last year as financially confident travelers spend more freely.

Mike Lukosavich, of Harrison Township, Mich., was surprised the first leg of his trip was moving so smoothly when he stopped at rest area on the Ohio Turnpike in Elmore, Ohio, near Toledo.

He, his wife and their 8-month-old daughter were heading to see family in Parkersburg, W.Va. His only headache came when he saw the gas price of about $3 a gallon.

“It’s something you have to do to see the family,” said Lukosavich, 33.

The AAA has expected overall travel to rise about 3 percent this year, with more than 92 million people planning to go more than 50 miles sometime between now and Jan. 2. More than 90 percent said they would be driving.

Maria Romero, a cashier at the Chevron Food Mart just off Interstate 15 in Barstow, Calif., said she has seen an increase in travelers there, especially families and people from out of state.

“It’s wonderful. We need it,” she said. “The busier, the better.”

Some travelers weren’t thrilled about their mode of transportation. Anthony Lauro joined nearly 100 people lined up Thursday morning for a Montreal-bound coach at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s bus terminal in midtown Manhattan. He faced an eight-hour ride to see his fiancee there.

“Flying to Canada is astronomically overpriced,” he said.

Helping matters is that the most densely populated parts of the country got a break from the weather Thursday with rain finally stopping in California and a few days away in the East.

But predictions of Friday’s storm concerned travelers in the Midwest.

Steve Brown, 50, of Elm Creek, Neb., left Tuesday afternoon and drove all night to beat the storm as it worked its way east. Brown, a grain hauler, was taking his two children to see his mother on the Ohio dairy farm where he grew up.

“I had orders to come home or she was going to come get me,” Brown said at the Elmore rest area, where adults filled up on coffee while kids, traveling in pajamas, loaded up on Tater Tots.

After record-breaking snow falls in the East and a treacherous Christmas travel season last year, the ways weather can mess up travel seem to be on plenty of minds.

At LaGuardia, Mike and Martha Lee Mellis waited to fly to Aspen, Colo., with their three young sons. They dreaded a repeat of last winter’s ski trip, when a snowstorm hit while they were transferring in Chicago on their way home.

“We had to return via Philadelphia, and I had to rent a car and drive everybody home at 11 at night,” Mike Mellis recalled.

His wife had been trying to forget, saying, “I’ve blocked it all out.”

———

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Warren Levinson and Verena Dobnik in New York City; Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield, N.J.; David Goodman in Detroit; Eileen Sullivan and Samantha Bomkamp in Washington; Lucas L. Johnson II in Nashville, Tenn.; Michelle Price in Phoenix; Mark Pratt in Boston; and John Seewer in Elmore, Ohio.

Originally reported by National Public Radio. Read the original story here.

Travelers Brace For Snow And Ice In Midwest | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Some 7,000 Double Payments Intercepted Before They Were Accepted

CHICAGO, Dec. 23, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — More than $20 million has been returned to taxpayers by intercepting duplicate property-tax payments on their homes and other property before they were accepted, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.

Pappas said many of the approximately 7,000 double payments were made erroneously by taxpayers who forgot or didn’t know that their mortgage companies also were paying.

“When the taxpayer and the company both pay, the taxpayer has to file for a refund that our office has to process,” Pappas said.  ”We now can intercept those duplicate payments before they cause further trouble.”

Pappas said her office designed STOPS to identify double payments made on a tax installment.  The program was activated for the one-month payment period for 2^nd Installment bills for tax year 2010.  In the collection period ending December 13, some 7,000 duplicate payments worth more than $20 million were intercepted.

“In this economy, stopping people from making unnecessary payments is a Christmas gift,” Pappas said, adding that STOPS would intercept future duplicate payments year-round.

SOURCE Cook County Treasurer’s Office

http://www.cookcountytreasurer.com

Pappas’ Office Returns ‘Christmas Gift’ of More Than $20 Million to Taxpayers | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, Dec. 20, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — With the holidays fast approaching, many people are doing their shopping online – but the Internet is also a very popular place for people in need asking for a handout on Begslist.org.

(Logo: http://photos.CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM.com/prnh/20101115/BEGSLISTLOGO )

There are thousands of pleas for help on Begslist.org, an online donation website, which is dedicated to helping people in need through begging via the Internet. Most of us this year will be enjoying a wonderful holiday dinner with our friends and family, but for millions of families across the country, Christmas will be like any other day; a struggle to make ends meet.

The stories from people asking for help are heartbreaking.  A recently widowed dad who lost his job; a failed businessman with no money and no hope for a future. And, of course, stories of so many families who can’t afford gifts for Christmas.

“We are a family of 9, and my husband lost his job, so we didn’t have Christmas last year. This year we were lucky enough to find a place to live, but no money for Christmas…”

“I am a single mother of six and I am seeking help to have a Christmas with my family. I have been laid off from work and I experienced as a child not having many Christmases, but I don’t want that for my kids…”

Others post stories asking for help, not for themselves but for others in need. Charities, organizations or everyday people just wanting donations for various causes will try begging on Begslist.org to help others.

“Help the Children of Chicago – My deepest wishes for the spirit of Christ and Christmas. Can you help the needy children this season with a small donation, any amount.. because it the thought that counts. It’s better to give than to receive as our children are the future and needy families need help.”

“This is a Memorial to my brother who died of Cancer in 2006. We wish to aid in the support of Community Hospice groups everywhere. Hospice is currently undergoing a financial hard time and needs our help. Hospice does a job that really helps. Take it from one who knows what they do. During my brother’s final time, they provided many services that we the family could not.”

Begslist.org is an online donations website dedicated to helping people in need through the use of free cyber begging. Try something different this Holiday Season and take the time to send donations whether it be toys, food, clothing or financial support to those less fortunate. One of the most effective and timely ways to donate to people who desperately need help is to make monetary or holiday donations online by going to www.begslist.org.

For more information about Begslist.org , donations or cyber begging, please visit http://www.begslist.org/. And please show support for people in need this Holiday Season!

About Begslist.org

Cyber begging, Internet begging, or Internet panhandling is the online version of traditional begging or panhandling where people can ask strangers for money, food, clothing, or shelter. Begging online has a clear advantage to street begging or panhandling where it can be done with relative anonymity, thus eliminating or reducing the embarrassment, shame, or keeping one’s dignity that associated with begging in public. Begslist.org is a free way to ask for donations online, maintain privacy, and protect one’s pride when begging for help.

Since 2007, Begslist.org has tried to keep the reputation of establishing itself as free cyber begging website that allows access to anyone who needs help as compared to a paid cyber begging (pay-to-post) website by offering users FREE postings to ask for help.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/begslist  

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Begslist/48221925633

SOURCE Begslist.org

http://www.begslist.org

Begslist.org Seeks Holiday Donations for People in Need | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

After a Santa pose is chosen, just frame up the picture and the fun begins.

Crop, rotate and size each “Santa” image to fit your background perfectly! Easily email or share your images on Facebook in seconds.

Share your photo proof of Santa with your kids Christmas morning! They’ll be amazed…and remember it for years to come!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instant-santa/id409665105?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

This app was developed by a small Mobile Design and Development shop in Fulton Market.

The app is geared towards parents with young children who want to show their children Santa made a stop by their house last night.

Instant Santa for the iPhone | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Dec. 16, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Today, Kmart announced it will offer last-minute holiday shoppers reduced prices(1) on more than 1,400 must-have toys to help shoppers finish their Christmas lists. Just last week, the average person admitted they had only completed nearly half of their holiday shopping, leaving most Americans with a lot of shopping to still do, according to National Retail Federation’s 2010 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch.

With so many last minute cost-conscious shoppers, Kmart is helping make this holiday season easier and more affordable for all families. In addition to extended store hours, Kmart will offer special deals on toys starting today through Dec. 24 so customers can still get fabulous gifts at a great value.

Additionally, Kmart is offering customers special deals on popular items every kid has on their list. For example, when you purchase toys like Lego, Kung Zhu and remote control cars, deep discounts will be offered on the second purchase.

“We’re dedicated to offering our customers great prices on the best toys of the season. With only nine days left until Christmas, we are offering last-minute shoppers great deals to help them complete their lists,” said Dev Mukherjee, president of Seasonal, Toys and Home Appliances for Sears Holdings. “We’ve listened to our customers and know that they are still looking to get great deals on toys that will make their child’s Christmas more memorable. To help make this happen, we have extended our sales to offer an incredible selection of toys at unbelievable prices.”  

Leading up to Christmas, savvy shoppers can find many of the hottest toy brands on sale at Kmart. Some examples include:

• 20 percent off select WWE, Bakugan and Tech Deck
• 30 percent off all Nerf Sports items
• 20 percent off select Toy Story toys
• 25 percent off all Moon Dough
• 25 percent off all Mattel Games
• $9.99 Hasbro Board Games, including select classic board games such as Sorry, Hungry Hungry Hippo, Connect 4, Twister, Scrabble, Monopoly, Trouble.

In addition, Kmart offers some of the most sought-after toys at best-of-the-season prices, including:

• Apples to Apples for $9.99
• Liv Fashion Dolls for $9.99
• Nerf-N-Strike Deploy CS-6 Blaster for $14.99
• Play-Dough Mega Fun Factory for $14.99
• Baby Alive “Bouncing Baby Babbles” for $17.99
• Mind Flex for $54.99

For more information and to find a store near you or shop online, visit www.kmart.com.

About Kmart

Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD), is a mass merchandising company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, County Living, Route 66 and Smart Sense. For more information visit the company’s website at www.kmart.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

(1) Sale prices and dates may vary. Please check the weekly Kmart circular or visit www.kmart.com for the deals available and specific dates in your area.

SOURCE Kmart

http://www.kmart.com

Kmart Offers Special Value With Lower Prices on Over 1,400 Toys for Last-Minute Shoppers | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Rays of watery, early December afternoon sunlight filter into Daley Plaza as small clusters of elderly women admire windows full of Christmas ornaments. Children bundled up tight against the biting wind clutch small, red ceramic boots filled with hot cocoa or apple cider and attempt to charge ahead of their parents toward wooden stalls filled with hand-crafted toys. Chicagos annual Christkindlmarket is the sort of event that seems plucked from a Hollywood soundstage.

Organized by the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, the market is based on the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, and is one of only a handful of such markets in the United States.

The market began in 1996 and was moved to Daley Plaza by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1997. In addition to being Chicagos largest open-air Christmas festival, the market also provides visitors with the unique opportunity to buy goods from local and international vendors.

According to event organizers, 65 percent of the vendors at Christkindlmarket are from Germany, and five of the vendors hail from the Midwest.

Vendors sell everything from hand-embroidered linens to wooden toys, with the most popular item being the German Christmas pickle ornament.

Because vendors operate independently, there are no official sales numbers, but the Chicago Police Department estimated that one million people visited the market in 2007. Several vendors said sales are much better this year than they were last year.

Many of our local visitors tell us that the Christkindlmarket has become their family tradition and they come every year, said Sonja Bauer, assistant manager of the Christkindlmarket. We also have many people who move away from Chicago and come back to the city in the winter just for the market.

The market opened on Nov. 24 and will run through Christmas Eve.

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Originally reported by Chicago Journal. Read the original story here.

Chicago embraces German holiday tradition | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Bloomington, Ill., Dec. 15, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — The holiday season is the time of year many people’s thoughts turn to the 12 days of Christmas, with leaping lords, milking maids, and partridges in pear trees. This is also the time when home fires peak. Approximately one-third of home fires and home fire deaths occur during December, January and February.

From 2005 to 2009, State Farm Insurance experienced the highest number of total fire and smoke claims (excluding lightning) in December with 19,323 claims, followed by January with 18,495 claims.

State Farm reminds consumers that the potential for a home fire is highest during the winter months. To help keep your family and loved ones safer during the holiday and winter season, learn how to avoid the 12 fire horrors of the holidays.

Cooking Calamities

Unattended cooking remains one of the top causes of home fires. While Thanksgiving Day is the top day for grease- and cooking-related fires, December isn’t far behind. In 2009, on Christmas Day, State Farm reported 36 cooking fire and smoke-related claims — the highest number of claims for that day over a five-year period and nearly double 2009’s annual daily average of 19 claims.

Space heaters

Home heating equipment is second to cooking fires for causing home structure fires. More than half of home heating fires occur during December, January and February. Avoid setting up a space heater too close to curtains, furniture, or even holiday decorations. Remember to keep at least three feet of clear space around it and set it up on the floor unless it is designed for other use.

Children Playing with Fire

The number of fires and deaths caused by children playing with fire goes up significantly during the holidays. Never leave children unsupervised with ignition materials such as matches or lighters.

Burn Wood in the Fireplace

Do not burn trash, cardboard boxes or Christmas trees in the fireplace. These items burn unevenly and may cause a dangerous flash fire.

Caution with Candles

Christmas Day is the peak day of the year for candle fires. Make sure candles are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning.

Holiday Lights

Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots or broken sockets before putting them up. Remember to turn off holiday lights before leaving the home or going to bed.

Counterfeit Electronics

Christmas lights are the perfect product for counterfeiting — high volume and low manufacturing cost. Look for CSA or UL certification marks that indicate the product was tested and met the product safety standards.

Electrical Outlets

Don’t overload your electrical outlets with too many lights or decorations.

Electrical Cords

To reduce the chance of overheating, electric cords should never be bundled together or run under rugs or carpet.

Christmas Trees

Take fire safety precautions when keeping a live tree in the house. Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches. Regularly give the tree plenty of water.

Dirty Chimney

Most chimney fires are caused by the buildup of creosote, a highly combustible by-product of burning wood. To protect your chimney from creosote buildup, have it inspected and cleaned annually.

Dirty Fireplace

When cleaning your fireplace, put embers in a metal container and set them outside to cool for 24 hours before disposal.

State rankings based on the number of home-fire and smoke-related claims on Christmas Day from 2005 to 2009:

Editor’s Note

Christmas Tree Fire Video – Broadcast quality video of a Christmas tree bursting into flames, curtains engulfed in fire and smoking electrical cords are available for media download at http://media.statefarm.com/video/Xmas%20Fires%20For%20Media%20(ProRes%20422%20720p24).mov. All video was shot at the State Farm Building Technology Research Lab with assistance provided by the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI).

Twelve Fire Horrors of the Holidays | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Tips on coping with grief can help when the season brings painful memories

DEERFIELD, ILL. — December 13, 2010 — For most people the sights, sounds and even smells of the holiday season bring with them warm reminders of family, the joys of gift giving and the comfort of long held and cherished traditions.

But for anyone who is mourning the loss of a loved one – whether recent or long ago – these seasonal mainstays can trigger thoughts of sadness and a desire for withdrawal from holiday-themed activities and reminders.

As a result, many people look at this time of year as something to endure when in reality it can be a time for evolution into a new chapter of life.

To offer help with navigating the process from heartache to healing Dr. Bill Hoy, a counselor with more than 25 years’ experience in the field of bereavement, provides resources to consumers through Selected Independent Funeral Homes, the world’s oldest and largest association of independently owned funeral homes.

“The holidays are especially hard in grief because they are occasions of great sentiment,” says Hoy. “Everywhere we go we are reminded that someone very special has died and that the world is forever changed. But the holidays can also be a time of healing based on the choices you make this season,” he added.

Dr. Hoy offers the following suggestions to actually grow through the holidays rather than merely survive them:

• Admit the pain of grieving – Allow yourself space and to cry when you need to. Coming to the realization that your holidays cannot be the same as before is painful but should be experienced.
• Do only as much celebrating as you feel like doing – Don’t be tempted to participate in any and every activity that comes your way. Instead remember that grief is very tiring and, combined with normal holiday stress, can leave you exhausted. Give yourself permission to say no.
• Evaluate your traditions and create at least one new one – You may not be able to keep all of your traditions as they were before your loss, so decide which family traditions you want to preserve, but take the time to insert something new. Perhaps lighting a special candle or purchasing a unique holiday decoration in memory of your loved one will comfort you.
• Consider doing something for others – Nothing feels as good as helping others in need. Whether giving gifts to a deserving family or volunteering time to a local charity, your spirits will be lifted when you start a new tradition of serving others during the holidays.
• Take care of yourself – This includes adequate rest, nutrition and moderate exercise based on your abilities and with permission from your physician. Also monitor your consumption of substances that hinder the body’s ability to deal with stress, including caffeine, alcohol and processed foods.
• Consider the spiritual dimension of your life – Many people are drawn to explore their spiritual well-being and beliefs during the holidays, especially after the loss of a loved one. Worshiping with a community of like-minded believers or talking to your family or clergy about your thoughts can help with healing and growth.
• Embrace your memories of past holidays – While this time of year may never be the same, it’s good to hold on to happy memories from previous years. Consider gathering your recollections into a book or journal or simply take time to reminisce over photos or other belongings. Although it may be painful at first, embracing these memories or sharing them with others can be transformative in the healing process.

As part of its consumer outreach, Selected Independent Funeral Homes has launched a new website at www.selectedfuneralhomes.org that includes a number of articles and suggestions from Dr. Hoy on dealing with grief.

###

About Dr. Hoy: Dr. William G. (Bill) Hoy, FT is a counselor, author and speaker, specializing in grief and end-of-life care. As an invited presenter for workshops and symposia, he lectures in more than 50 cities across the United States and Canada each year. He is the author of three books and more than forty educational pamphlets, journal articles and book chapters. In addition to providing oversight to the counseling program of Pathways Volunteer Hospice in Long Beach, Calif., Dr. Hoy teaches in the graduate program in bereavement at Marian University and resides in Crawford, Texas.

About Selected Independent Funeral Homes: Founded in 1917 as National Selected Morticians, Selected Independent Funeral Homes (www.selectedfuneralhomes.org) is the world’s oldest and largest association of independently owned funeral homes. Members of the association are expected to operate according to specific standards and best practices in order to provide the public with reliable, high-quality funeral services and funeral-related information.

Contact:

Lisa Gunggoll, LG-PR
708.829.8669 mobile
lgunggoll@lg-pr.com

Holidays can be a Time for Growth–Not Merely Survival–for Those Mourning the Loss of a Loved One | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Katy Perry‘s latest appearance on TV in the Christmas episode of ‘The Simpsons’ isn’t likely to earn her any edits, like the curvy duet with Elmo that got her cut from ‘Sesame Street’ this fall. But that doesn’t mean she’s playing it safe.

Perry appears in a form-fitting red latex dress featuring the faces of America’s favorite animated family. Next to Perry, the Simpsons are in rare form — appearing as puppets, that is — when they meet the chart-topping, doe-eyed pop star. After providing a very warm hug to the frigid Mr. Burns, Perry sings a Christmas carol parody with the gang.

Originally reported by PopEater.com. Read the original article here.

Video: Katy Perry Flirts With ‘The Simpsons’ for Christmas | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Originally reported by PopEater.com. Read the original article here.

Is Taylor Momsen Mirroring Christina Aguilera? | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

‘American Idol’ alum Katharine McPhee sings, acts and sometimes even plays Cupid when she’s in a good mood. In partnering with jewelry retailer Blue Nile, McPhee on Monday serenaded a newly engaged couple who became the first to ever get engaged at the NASDAQ stock exchange. In addition to singing ‘It’s Not Christmas Without You’ off her new album ‘Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You,’ she aided in designing the engagement ring for the soon-to-be-bride. After taking a breather from all the romance on set, McPhee spoke with PopEater to talk about the Blue Nile contest and her new untitled shark thriller, directed by ‘Snakes on a Plane’ maestro David Ellis, set to release in mid to late 2011.

Watch the whole interview after the jump!

Originally reported by PopEater.com. Read the original article here.

Katharine McPhee Plays Cupid for Lucky Couple, Talks Shark Thriller | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The British songbird’s current reign at No. 1 is no fluke. Industry sources reveal that Boyle’s album is currently running neck-and-neck with Rihanna’s highly-anticipated new album, ‘Loud,’ which was released Tuesday. In fact, Boyle is currently projected to surpass the pop star and be No. 1 again next week.

And for those keeping track at home, Boyle’s album is the highest-selling holiday album in recent years–breaking the record previously set by Josh Groban’s ‘Noel.’ This is after Boyle’s debut album, ‘Dream a Little Dream,’ sold 701,000 copies in the U.S. last December, giving her the best first week sales of 2009 and the best-selling debut album by any woman since SoundScan began tracking in 1991.

The holiday album features seasonal songs and Christmas classics like ‘The First Noel’ and ‘O Holy Night.’ The ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ star says the music is meant to “touch hearts.”

“Music has always been a companion to me, particularly on special occasions,” Boyle explains. “I wanted there to be a mix of songs that would flow with all our moods this holiday season. As much as the season is a time for reflection, it is also a time for fun and enjoyment with those closest to us.”

Boyle also does a cover of rocker Lou Reed’s 1972 classic ‘Perfect Day.’ Watch the video, directed by Reed himself, below.

Originally reported by PopEater.com. Read the original article here.

Susan Boyle Dethrones Taylor Swift on Billboard 200 Chart | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Originally reported by WISH-TV News. Read the original article here.

Cops’ White Castle tab doesn’t fly | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.