By VICK MICKUNAS

Time is running short. Have you gotten a present for everybody on your list? I can help. Here are some special books that could make ideal gifts.

“Star Wars — the Jedi Path: a Manual for Students of the Force — the Deluxe Special Edition by Daniel Wallace (Lucas Books, 160 pages, $99.99)

Star Wars fans will love this. Press the button on the vault and prepare to see the only surviving copy of the Jedi training manual. The vault opens with lights and sound. The book rises out. I know, it sounds hokey, but it is actually rather impressive. This book contains traces of those who have passed it down through time, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Darth Sidious and Count Dooku. There are removable features. I checked out the customer reviews on Amazon.com and everybody seems to love it. Ages 14 and up.
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Greg Akers, who along with his children and wife were featured on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” in 2008, was arrested Aug. 3 after violating a court protection order.

On Aug. 2, Greg appeared at a residence in the 7800 block of Manor Drive, the same home that was featured on the hit TV show. Ginger Akers, Greg’s wife, filed the complaint against her husband for the violation, said Police Captain Joel Herzog. Clerk of Courts records show Ginger Akers filed for a protection order for domestic violence against her husband April 14 after filing for divorce on March 5.

For photos and the rest of the story, go to our partner site at daytondailynews.com.

By LAUREN KARCH

Louis Sachar, best-selling and Newbery award-winning author of Holes, Small Steps, Sideways Stories From Wayside School and a host of other children’s books will visit Books & Co. at The Greene on Saturday, May 15. We talked to him in advance of his trip to Dayton, Ohio, about his connections to the area, his writing career and his new book, The Cardturner.

Q You briefly attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs. How does it feel to return to the area?
A Yes, I attended for a quarter. Then, when my father died, I transferred closer to home. It’s still kind of nice to return to the place where I was a struggling student, now somewhat of a success.

Click here to read the rest of this story at Dayton Daily News.

By AMELIA ROBINSON

Katt Williams owes good old Uncle Sam more than a mint, according to The Detroit News.

The IRS filed a $284,419 lien with the Los Angeles County Recorder of Deeds against the Dayton-raised Norbit star March 15, the newspaper reports.

Williams’ attorney reportedly said all debts owed will be paid.

Click here for more on this story from the Dayton Daily News.

By MARK FISHER

ActiveDayton.com's Ken-Yon 'Party' Hardy chows down on a Big Momma Burger at Xenia, Ohio's Bello Italian Restaurant. (Screen grab by Dayton Daily News)

Many have tried. Few have succeeded. Some have failed spectacularly — but we won’t get into that.

Man vs. Food-type eating challenges have attracted many brave Miami Valley, Ohio, souls who can’t resist the taunting message thrown down by a handful of local restaurants and pubs: “Betcha can’t eat this.”

“Betcha I can!” comes the reply. Only usually, um, not.

We wanted to explore the ample underbelly of local eating challenges, so we published a solicitation a few weeks back inviting readers and restaurant owners to let us know about their favorites. The response was almost as robust as some of the dishes served. Almost.

Click here for more on this story from the Dayton Daily News.

See ActiveDayton.com’s Ken-Yon “Party” Hardy’s attempt at such a challenge:

Whether the ring means anything or not, the chemistry between Cheryl Burke and Chad Ochocinco is undeniable. (ABC MediaNet)

By AMELIA ROBINSON

Rumors continue to flying about romantic sparks off the dance floor between Cincinnati Bengal Chad Ochoncinco and Cheryl Burke, his partner on Dancing with the Stars.

Burke wore a gianormous ring on her finger while dancing the Paso Doble with the wide receiver Monday.

She later flashed the $10,000 rock, a gift from the Ochocinco, for Entertainment Tonight’s cameras.

Click here for more on this story from the Dayton Daily News.

By Mandy Gambrell

LIBERTY TWP. — A trending topic on twitter.com regarding the recent death of Lakota East sophomore Sodany April Phann may have caught the eye of teen sensation Justin Bieber, who tweeted about it Tuesday, March 30.

“Life is a blessing and appreciation of our time here with each other is important #ripaprilbieber (sic),” the singer posted at twitter.com/justinbieber, a verified account, around 3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday. Other twitter users and entertainment media outlets have speculated the tweet was in response to a number of tweets posted by friends of Phann, who died after being hit by a school bus Monday, and that he was referring to her as “April Bieber.”

Phann is the subject of an online petition that has been circulating on the Internet, in which people are trying to get Bieber to “write/dedicate a song to her.” As of 8:05 p.m. Tuesday, the petition had 255 “signatures.” The trending topic #ripaprilbieber was being retweeted — or copied and pasted — about once every minute or two on twitter.

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Look out now... zombie! (Taylor Jones / Post file photo)

by ALEXIS LARSEN

There are two schools of lumbering zombie camps out there: those who delight in zombies for the gore and destruction and those who enjoy their funnier, softer, crumbling side.

This list of our favorites draws influence from the campier, more light-hearted side of the spectrum. Regardless of which you go with, zombies work in a wide variety of formats — books, movies, music, video games, graphic novels and more. Here are 10 zombies we love from various genres. We’ve ranked each in speed, strength, hunger, ingenuity, determination and scariness on a 1 to 10 scale.
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Click here if you haven’t read part 1.

And now, more from the wonderful world of our undead friends. Amazing how many there really are…

Stubbs the Zombie

Genre: Video game

What? Stubbs, the undead 1950s-era traveling salesman who is the main character from the 2005 video game Rebel Without a Pulse.

Zombie speed: 6 — assuming you know how to handle him running.

Zombie strength: This ranges — as long as you can keep control, Stubbs will keep up.
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In 1992, Mark Whitacre blew the whistle on Archer Daniels Midland for price-fixing. His story became a best-selling book, then the film 'The Informant!' (Courtesy wikimedia.org)

By ERIC ROBINETTE

Watching yourself on screen can be a strange experience. Watching someone else play you on screen can be even stranger.

Mark Whitacre is the subject of the movie The Informant!, now in theaters.

Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre. (AP)

Matt Damon plays Whitacre, who in 1992 blew the whistle on Archer Daniels Midland, fingering the agricultural company in what was then the largest price-fixing case in U.S. history. Warner Bros., the studio releasing the film, treated Whitacre and his wife, Ginger, to a screening of the movie in June on the studio lot.

“We found it surreal. It was almost like it was another person. I was 35 then and I’m 52 now,” Whitacre said. “It was a messy story with a good ending.”

The movie shows how, after Whitacre informed the FBI of the company’s dealings, bipolar disorder got the better of him, causing him to spin increasingly elaborate lies. Whitacre was convicted of fraud and tax evasion and spent more than eight years in prison.
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