Teddy Pendergrass Widow and Son Involved in War of the Wills

When R&B crooner Teddy Pendergrass died in January, he was pretty much penniless. The place that he called home in Penn Valley, Pa., was foreclosed over the summer and will be sold in a sheriff's sale next month. The estate also has an outstanding car loan and a pending lawsuit by a former partner.

His money woes, though, have not stopped his second wife, Joan, and son Teddy II from warring over what's left of the late-entertainer's estate.

Teddy Pendergrass: Dead at 59

Apparently both wife and son have wills that state opposing demands: Joan's will says that Teddy II receives nothing from the estate, while Teddy II's will says Joan is to receive nothing.

It very well may be that the multi award–winning singer may have drawn up the wills in a state of mind that might not have been all there.

On Wednesday, both Joan and Teddy II met with a judge but left the legal process without a binding agreement. The parties are feuding moreso over the singer's legacy than money.

LaDonna Pendergrass Hollerway, one of Teddy's daughters, speculates that Joan only sees dollar signs in her future via books, films about Teddy's controversial life or a reality show:

"She was married to my dad for only a year, and she has turned my family upside down," said Hollerway, a hospital technician in Plano, Texas, to the AP.

On the flip side, Joan's attorney refutes the accusations about his client's monetary ambitions:

"To say it's a money grab is ludicrous - there's just no money to fight about," said Kevon Glickman to the AP.

At a recent tribute that was held at the opening of a documentary about Pendergrass' life, Teddy II and Joan had to take the stage together. Teddy II flat-out refused to hug or be photographed with her. Teddy II had this to say about his father's wife:

"We simply don't see eye-to-eye. What I do know is my father did what he intended to do - and that is, put me in charge for the family."

Joan's supporters say, though, that she was a diligent and caring wife, who bent over backward to tend to the mega-performer's every need. They say that she loved her husband dearly and cared for all his children as well.

Ruth Manuel-Logan

Toddler Dies in Hot Car While Pastor Dad Attends Church

A 1-year toddler roasted in a hot car Sunday, while her minister dad attended church.

The baby's body was discovered by her father, Odane James, (pictured above with wife, Tiffany) at around 3:15 p.m. Sunday, three hours after he left her in the vehicle. It was not known if James, who is the pastor of Holiness Born Again church in Miramar, Fla., about 20 miles north of Miami, was preaching on that sweltering 100 degree-plus day.

Church-goers immediately gathered around the 28-year-old father and his little girl, Kimberly. While some members tried to resuscitate the child who was not breathing, the remaining parishioners stood outside the place of worship crying and screaming as emergency personnel arrived. Hordes of police and an ambulance made their way through the crowd; the child was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

James, who emigrated to these shores from Jamaica nearly 20 years ago, has not been charged with the toddler's death, but police are still investigating.

Hours after the tragic turn of events, church members still remained on the premises in a state of shock, while police gathered information and statements from them and took pictures.

According to the organization Kids and Cars, which maintains a national database tracking deaths and injuries to children left unattended in or around motor vehicles, Kimberly, sadly, is the 49th child this year to succumb to this deadly practice.

President Janette Fennell told the Miami Herald, "The most important thing to understand is that this can happen to anyone. If anything, it does tend to happen to the better parents. As little as 8 percent involve drugs and alcohol. This can happen to college professors and dentists and ministers, really the pillars of our society."

R&B Singer Mario Declares Love for Mom After Allegedly Assaulting Her

Although R&B singer and actor Mario was arrested early Thursday morning for allegedly attacking his mother in the Baltimore apartment that they share, he says he still loves her and will stick by her no matter what happens.

The crooner's mom, Shawntia Hardaway, a former heroin addict, allegedly called police at 12:53 a.m. on Sept. 30 to report that a "mental-case was breaking up property" inside her apartment. Police met the distraught mom, who was sobbing uncontrollably, in the hallway of her building. Hardaway told police that her 24-year-old son, whose real name is Mario Dewar Bennett, had gone on a rampage. He had also forcefully pushed her to the point of causing bodily pain.

When Baltimore officers entered the residence, they discovered a damaged china cabinet, broken glass strewn all over the floor and a large hole in a closet door.

The shaken mom told police that Mario had also put his hands on her just three days prior. The young singer, who had in the recent past made quite a splash on season 6 of the popular TV show 'Dancing With the Stars,' allegedly pushed his mother with such force that she fell against a wall and struck her head upon impact. The investigators asked Hardaway if she feared for her life, and her response was a resounding, "Yes!"

What Hardaway failed to tell police is that the fight took place because of her drug addiction.

A source told US Weekly that Hardaway had allegedly withdrawn some money out of Mario's bank account. The former heroin addict also went on a spending spree with the crooner's credit cards. When Mario arrived at the apartment, he found that his mom had resorted to her old habit and was "cracked out on drugs."

The unidentified source stated that Mario, who was released on $50,000 bond, was absolutely blameless and that the second-degree assault charges against him could be dropped.

The only statement released by the multiplatinum singer, who started the Do Right Foundation two years ago to educate and inspire kids confronting family drug addictions was, "I will continue to support her anyway I can."

Hardaway's tearjerker story of her battle with heroin was aired back in 2007 on an MTV special, 'I Won't Love You to Death: The Story of Mario and His Mom,' when she had been sober for one year.

Ruth Manuel-Logan

T.I. Might Go to Prison, but Would Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton?

It's being reported that rapper T.I. (aka Clifford Harris) has a probation revocation hearing on Oct. 15. The rapper was arrested for drug possession with his wife, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle. The incident occurred on Sept. 2, and the couple was allegedly in possession of codeine, Ecstasy and Marijuana, which was uncovered in what police say was a routine traffic stop.

I spoke with someone familiar with the case and asked him whether T.I. was going back to prison. He said that although he isn't sure of the rapper's fate, there is an inherent contradiction in his case. While we can almost expect that T.I. will be punished for his latest violation of the law, the same can't be said for other celebs, like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. Both of these young women have been arrested time and again for one offense or another. In each case, they are typically given a slap on the wrist.

Artists like T.I. and Lil Wayne have done hard time for their violations of the law. We could try to argue that their crimes are worse than those of Lohan and Hilton (I don't agree with this point), buy you can't disconnect their experiences with the justice system from the disparities between white females and African American males.

According to the Department of Justice, black males are roughly 35 times more likely to go to prison than white females. Additionally, black children are nine times more likely than white children to have a parent in the penitentiary. T.I.'s children have already spent a year without their father. If his hearing doesn't go well, they may not see their father for a very long time.

This is not to say that T.I. didn't play a role in the creation of his problems. I've written publicly that I was incredibly disappointed after this latest incident. He not only disappointed me, but he also let down millions of fans who believed in him, and the children he's vowed to raise. But I wonder if this were Lohan caught with weed and codeine in her car, would there be a possibility of a prison sentence? Both she and Paris Hilton have been arrested for cocaine possession, and Hilton was recently videotaped in the car of a friend who ran over a woman and drove away. Lohan and Hilton have rap sheets that could probably rival those of T.I. and Lil Wayne, yet we typically expect that they are going to "MacGyver" their way out of every situation.

If a black male rapper were doing all the things that Lohan and Hilton were doing, would their trips to the courthouse be cute little celebrity appearances, or situations where they'd be expected to face real consequences? If these artists were sent to rehab or jail, would they be able to skip out of their sentences or miss court dates whenever they wished? What about black males in the 'hood being caught with dope versus college students who get drunk and high every weekend on college campuses? Do we consider all of these cases in the same way?

I won't answer these questions for you, since our perspectives as Americans vary widely based on where we come from and who we represent. But with almost no exception, we can argue that the experiences of black men in the criminal justice system are quite different than that of white females. This is true even if you're a celebrity.

Boyce Watkins, PhD

Memphis Teen Shot in Butt for Not Pulling Up Pants

No "pants on the ground" for a Memphis man who is accused of shooting a teen in the butt, because he didn't like how his pants were sagging.

Two Whitehaven, Tenn., youths, ages 16 and 17, were on their way to a woman's house Saturday to buy candy at around 7:30 p.m. According to a police report, as they strolled past the home where Kenneth E. Bond (pictured) stood, Bond angrily yelled profanities and ordered them to pull up their pants, demanding that they "do what he told them to do" because he's the adult.

The boys refused, and an argument ensued, with the boys calling the 45-year-old a "fat ass" who needed to "shut up." The boys then went on their way to the candy store without giving Bond a second thought.

Police investigators state that on their way back from the candy store, the youths passed the home again. Bond emerged with a semi-automatic pistol and began firing. The 17-year-old was struck in the buttocks. Reportedly, the bullet exited through the boy's thigh.

The teen was taken to a local hospital, then sent to another for further treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.

Bond admitted to police that he had shot at the youths and was booked in to a Shelby County jail. He faces two counts of aggravated assault and was released, after posting a $25,000 bond.

Bond is scheduled to appear in court for an October 11th hearing.

Ruth Manuel-Logan

President Obama Says School Year Should Be Longer; Bad Teachers Should Be Bounced

President Barack Obama is calling for a longer school year to close America's achievement gap. He also wants teachers who do not perform well out of the classroom.

American students are falling behind the top-performing students in the world, especially when it comes to math and science, Obama said on the "Today" show. The AP writes:

U.S. schools through high school offer an average of 180 instruction days per year, according to the Education Commission of the States, compared to an average of 197 days for lower grades and 196 days for upper grades in countries with the best student achievement levels, including Japan, South Korea, Germany and New Zealand.

"That month makes a difference," the president said. "It means that kids are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer. It's especially severe for poorer kids who may not see as many books in the house during the summers, aren't getting as many educational opportunities.

"Whether jobs are created here, high-end jobs that support families and support the future of the American people, is going to depend on whether or not we can do something about these schools," Obama added.

The president also went on the attack against bad teachers. He said U.S. teachers' unions should not be resistant to change, especially when one-third of children are failing. He also called on teachers who fail after being given a second chance to be fired:

"We have got to identify teachers who are doing well. Teachers who are not doing well, we have got to give them the support and the training to do well. And if some teachers aren't doing a good job, they've got to go," Obama said.

Most of what the president says makes sense, but his attack on teachers is unfair.

Unfortunately, the myth of the bad teacher as the reason our schools are failing is being pushed too much in the popular media. I agree that there are teachers that need to be purged from the system. Some teachers are burned out and have nothing left to offer. Others simply aren't suited for the job.

I think the biggest problem that teachers face, however, is a lack of support from student's parents. I attended public schools in New York City and Texas for 12 years before graduating and heading to a pretty good college. The biggest factor in my success was that there was always a parent or adult there to help teachers hold me accountable.

When my fourth grade teacher didn't like the students I was hanging out with, my mother showed up in the classroom one afternoon to observe. We then sat down and discussed the issue. When I tried skipping school once in the ninth grade and got busted, my mom was at the school speaking with teachers. When I tried to drop the math classes I needed to go to college, my ninth-grade math teacher raised hell. My mom got involved and I ended up with a tutor.

There was constant pressure from the adults in my life to make sure I was doing well in school.

Teachers used to tell my single mom all the time that they were glad she came to parent teacher night but there were about 7 to 10 other kids whose parents they were desperate to see involved. Those were the students who were falling behind, who were disruptive in class and making it difficult for everyone to learn.

We have to face the fact that there are social issues affecting kids coming in to the classroom that make it difficult for teachers to teach and students to learn. We need to attack those problems if we want our schools and our students to be successful.

In addition, we have to ask ourselves if we are providing teachers with the right tools and environments to be successful. I have friends in the New York City school system who have 35 or 36 students in their classroom. How can a teacher focus on students who need help in a classroom of that size?

We have also become fascinated with the Hollywood depictions of teachers, where they risk their lives and are willing to work 19 hours a day with low pay and under poor conditions for the success of their students. In real life, teachers are human beings. They get stressed out, discouraged and would like to get home at a decent hour to see their spouses and kids. They need the support of parents to be successful.

"No one wants an incompetent teacher in the classroom," National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel told the AP. "It's in the hiring, and in those first three to five years, no teacher has the right to due process."

Did I have bad teachers? Yes. A few.

Overall, though, many were dedicated and concerned about my well-being and success. Those teachers had the power to help guide me, because they had the most powerful ally that they could have, a parent.


Jeff Mays

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2 Men Face Hate Crime Charges For Beating White Teen For 'Enslaving Our People'

Two men who are accused of beating a White teen bloody because they were upset at him over slavery should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The men, one black and one Filipino, allegedly beat 16-year-old Shane McClellan as he was walking home in the early morning hours in West Seattle.

Police say Ahmed Mohamed, 22, and Jonathan Baquiring, 21, asked McClellan for a light and then began beating and kicking him. They allegedly beat him with his own belt, poured an energy beer drink on him and burned his neck with their cigarettes.

"How do you like it, white boy?" and "This is for enslaving our people," McClellan says the men said as they urinated on him and attacked him for four hours.

The case is being prosecuted as a hate crime and it should be.




The level of violence and ignorance displayed during this attack is disgusting. To beat a teenager for four hours simply because he is White doesn't make any more sense than attacking someone because they are black or Asian.

The attack also increases the chances that the child will develop a hatred for blacks and Asians because of the beating he endured. I hope his parents are getting him the proper psychological attention.

If these two men truly wanted to honor their ancestors who suffered through slavery and persecution, they would be out taking advantage of the things their ancestors fought for such as getting an education, working and giving back to their communities.

Beating some random kid accomplishes none of those things. Instead, they were walking around drinking a beer called Four Loko and looking for trouble. After the two had beaten the boy, they walked around with his blood on their hands for hours. A police officer spotted the two men and smartly took a DNA swab for evidence.

Now, given the evidence police have against these men, it's possible they will be headed to prison.

That's not the example their "people" want them to set for others. Instead of beating up white people over slavery, maybe these men should seek to escape the bondage they are in.


Jeff Mays

President Obama To Democrats: 'Buck Up'

President Barack Obama is mad as hell that Democrats seem to have lost their resolve and he's telling them about it.

Pulling out all the stops in an effort to lessen the expected losses in the House and Senate in November's mid-term election, Obama is telling Democrats that they lack the energy of Republicans, and if they don't step up, the gains Democrats have made will be lost and this country will slide backward:

"It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines," the president declared in a Rolling Stone magazine interview.

Obama is also taking his message to the young voters who energized his campaign and who helped propel him in to office. Speaking before a crowd at the University of Wisconsin, Obama said:

"We can't let this country fall backwards because the rest of us didn't care enough to fight."

In many ways, the lack of enthusiasm from Democrats doesn't make a lot of sense. It wasn't that long ago that Obama was drawing record crowds and folks were falling out in the stands. The economic collapse made it clear that something was wrong in this country.

Now, just 21 months after Obama took office, even Democrats have fallen by the wayside.

It's the unfortunate result of an impatient society, one that thinks the mere act of electing someone means that person does all the work and our participation is no longer required.

"People need to shake off this lethargy. People need to buck up," Obama said in the interview. "Bringing about change is hard - that's what I said during the campaign."

"But if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place," Obama said.

It takes more than 21 months to make significant changes.First-time Democratic voters and liberals should realize that. The question they should be asking is how much of their policy goals would be accomplished if John McCain had won and what will happen to the accomplishments Obama has made if Democrats lose?Some are questioning Obama's tough-love approach, saying that he's alienating people who have a right to be angry with him."We are focused on motivation, not laying blame or pointing fingers, because the consequences for sitting this election out could be disastrous," said Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director.The Republican Pledge to America should make it easy for voters to see what their choices are. For example, after Wall Street's near collapse and the discovery of the unscrupulous things that were going on, the best solution Republicans have for Social Security is to let those under 55 invest in the stock market?

That's not even creative.The all or nothing approach is not going to work.

Jeff Mays

Suspect in fatal NJ college shooting due in court

NEWARK, N.J. — A New Jersey man charged in the fatal shooting of a Seton Hall University student at a party over the weekend is due in court.

Prosecutors say Nicholas Welch will make his first court appearance Wednesday morning in Newark.

The 25-year-old was arrested Monday night at his house in East Orange, on the same street where Friday's party was held.

Police say Welch was refused admittance to the party and returned with a gun and started shooting. Nineteen-year-old honors student Jessica Moore of Disputanta, Va., was killed and four people were injured.

Authorities are searching for a second man who they say provided the gun.

Both Welch and the second suspect, Marcus Bascus, are charged with murder, conspiracy and weapons offenses and are expected to face attempted murder charges.

Recap: One student's story

One Seton Hall University student who attended the off-campus house party at which five people were shot said the gunman stood on her back as she lay on the floor and didn't appear to be targeting anyone during the chaos she described as "hell."

"He was just shooting he had no intended target," said a text message from the woman, whose friend was the only person killed.

The woman spoke Sunday by BlackBerry instant messenger on condition of anonymity because she feared for her safety while the shooter remained at large. She said she was too upset to talk over the phone.

She described the Friday night party, which lasted into early Saturday, as a "typical fraternity party" with at least 100 people at the privately owned row house.

Students said the shooter was kicked out of the party when he refused to pay the cover charge.

The woman said she heard a fight erupt before the man was thrown out. Seconds later, she said, he returned with a handgun and started shooting as chaos erupted.

"Everyone was scrambling n stampeding. People were jumping out the two windows n all I cud smell was smoke n blood," the woman wrote. "The next thing I knew I opened my eyes n saw hell..blood n just panic."

The woman said was on the floor when the gunman stepped on her back and shot her friend Jessica Moore, a 19-year-old honors student majoring in psychology. Moore, who was from Disputanta, Va., died later at a hospital.

Authorities had not released the names of the four wounded people, whose injuries weren't considered life-threatening.

Two of the injured are 19-year-old women who go to Seton Hall, and one is a 25-year-old man who attends the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The other is a 20-year-old man from New York who is not a student.

East Orange police were following several leads but had not identified a suspect, spokesman Andrew Di Elmo said.

On Sunday, police had set up an electronic sign, the kind usually used to tell drivers of detours, to ask for help solving the house party shooting, which occurred just after midnight. The message advertised a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

The party was primarily for students at Seton Hall, a well-regarded Roman Catholic university with a gated campus in South Orange, about 15 miles from New York City. There are no sanctioned fraternities at Seton Hall and no fraternity houses.

The university, with its collection of red brick buildings tucked behind a wrought-iron fence, stands in stark contrast to the gritty neighborhood where the party was held a mile away. Just a block from the shooting site, the remains of a memorial for another recent shooting victim could still be seen.

There were at least five shootings in the area this summer, said Rabu Anderson, who owns a clothing store there.

"Some of it is gang violence, some of it is just plain ignorance," Anderson said.

East Orange resident Leon Drinks, who lives four doors down from the house where the party shooting occurred, said the violence has become much worse in the past couple of years. He said just after midnight he heard six shots — not an uncommon sound on South Clinton Street.

"I kinda laid low for a minute, then I heard the stampede of people on this side of the street and that side of the street," said Drinks, 54. "People were running in driveways and alleyways trying to get out of the mess."

Seton Hall, which has 10,000 students, knows about the dangers in some of the neighborhoods nearby and advises students not to leave campus alone.

Associated Press