Wienies at JCPS, and a Quote Machine Retires

Now that I’m getting back in the groove of blogging, I’m starting to hear some interesting little tidbits about some of you people. Don’t forget there’s a link on the left to send me ideas, and you can always reach me on Facebook.  So here’s what I’m hearing:

When Did JCPS Hire the Wienies?: There was absolutely no reason for JCPS to call off school yesterday.  It is a pain for parents. The snow barely covered the ground. Blame JCPS Transportation Director Rick Caple.  The fear of screwing up seems to guide the decision-making process.

Cox and Fox: If you listen to the Cox Radio stations like WSFR-FM 107.7, you’ll notice no more Marc Weinberg weather reminders. That’s because Cox and Fox41 didn’t renew their promotional agreement. So WLKY-TV was quick to strike a deal with the Cox stations, so you’ll hear Jay Cardosi and his bunch talking about snow on the radio stations.

Changing Weather: I’m told WHAS-TV’s Jamie Martin, who was kicked to weekends last year, is leaving town next month to take a job at a South Bend station. He will re-join former WHAS ND Aaron Ramey at WBND, which just started doing news last year.

Changing the Mark: Bill Samuels Jr., the most colorful CEO in the world, is retiring and turning over Maker’s Mark to his son.  Samuels has always been a quote machine, like this one: “I’ve got the Joe DiMaggio thing. I don’t like to step down when things are in chaos,” he says. “DiMaggio had the good sense to retire when he was on top and we’ve had an unbelievable year.” He interviewed me for a job last year, which, thank goodness, I didn’t get. But it was a really fun interview. I hope he continues to show up at charity events in outrageous outfits.

More Fox News: It seems like a smart move by Fox41, as Bill Lamb has decided to take on national news broadcasts at 6:30 on weeknights with a local newscast, starting next week. I don’t know anybody who still watches the likes of Katie Couric, but it is also questionable whether a newscast can do better in ratings than “Everybody Loves Raymond” reruns.

But Did you see This: Fox41 is running a commercial spot for Porcini’s, creating the impression that getting a $50 gift certificate for $25 is some sort of breakthrough in marketing history.

J-town’s Changes: Just when I had my hopes up that the “good buddy” network in Jeffersontown ended when Clay Foreman was soundly defeated in November, new mayor Bill Dieruf announced three new hires. The new parks and recreation director is Debbie Hendrick, the daughter of long-time mayor Daniel Ruckriegel, who’s been working in a bank.