“We got’m,” the emotional words from a delighted father, Robert Puffinburger, after his 6-year-old son was found walking a street in northeast Las Vegas, not far from the Strip last night. A tip from a citizen alerted police to the boy’s whereabouts. Puffinburger, Las Vegas police and detectives spoke to reporters at an early morning news conference.

Las Vegas Police Captain Vincent Cannito says, “… Cole is in extremely good condition.” However, the investigation is not over. Authorities indicated they have shifted their focus now to the narcotics angle of their probe.

Cole was snatched from his Las Vegas home last Wednesday by suspected drug dealers. Authorities think the boy’s maternal grandfather, Clemons Fred Tinnemeyer, may have stolen millions from a Mexican drug gang. Tinnemeyer, who was a person of interest in the case, was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Friday night in Riverside.

 Police have another person of interest in custody and are continuing a search for a third, Jesus Gastelum.

Las Vegas police held a news conference around 2 p.m. this afternoon and they say they have interviewed the grandfather of that kidnapped 6-year-old Las Vegas boy. Clemons Fred Tinnemeyer, a person of interest in the case, was arrested in Riverside last night and is being held at the Central Detention Center in the city of San Bernardino.

A nationwide Amber Alert went out after Cole Puffinburger was snatched from his Las Vegas home by at least two suspects posing as cops on Wednesday, October 15. The first grader’s mother and her boyfriend were left tied up. The suspects ransacked the home, apparently searching for money.

The Amber Alert was lifted a short while ago. Las Vegas Metro Police Captain Vincent Cannito says ”… Amber Alert has run its course.”  Still, Captain Cannito stressed an intense search for Cole goes on as part of a wide-spread investigation that has included the execution of search warrants, the collection and analysis of significant evidence, and interviews with a number of individuals.

Also, Captain Cannito mentioned they have interviewed another person of interest and want to speak to a third, Jesus Gastelum. Cannito gave the impression that several agencies, on the local, state and federal levels, are working this case.

Previously, authorities have said the boy’s abduction was drug related. They say the grandfather may have ripped off millions from some Mexican drug dealers.

Cole Puffinburger

The heart wrenching story of a 6-year-old boy kidnapped from his Las Vegas home, allegedly to settle a multi-million dollar drug deal gone sour, now has a Southern California connection. The boy’s grandfather, a person of interest in the case, is in the Central Detention Center in the city of San Bernardino today after being arrested in Riverside by U.S. Marshals last night.

There is a nationwide Amber Alert for young Cole Puffinburger. I spotted a huge billboard flashing that Amber Alert at La Brea Avenue and Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles, last night. Sitting in traffic, waiting to make a right turn onto La Brea, I read the Amber Alert on the billboard and was surprised at how quickly it had been added to the rotation, which involved mostly promotions and advertisements. 

The first grader was snatched on Wednesday, October 15. At least two suspects posed as cops, then reportedly ransacked Cole’s home, apparently in search of a money cache. When none was found, they tied up Cole’s mother and her boyfriend; and fled with the boy.

The face of young Cole with his bright smile and silver-rimmed glasses is hard to forget, which is one of the reasons for the Amber Alert. Cole is described as weighing about 48 pounds, 3-foot-11, with blond hair and blue eyes.

Clemons Fred Tinnemeyer

Earlier, Las Vegas authorities indicated the abduction may be drug related. Some reports say Cole’s grandfather, Clemons Fred Tinnemeyer, may have stiffed a Mexican drug cartel for as much as $20 million. At a news conference, Las Vegas Metro Police Captain Vincent Cannito said, “this is as bad as it gets.”

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s website information page on Tinnemeyer is sketchy, but it does say the 51-year-old grandfather is being held without bail.  

Levi Stubbs  1936-2008

One of the most distinctive voices of the legendary Motown Sound has been silenced. Levi Stubbs passed away in his sleep at his home in Detroit, according to reports today. He was 72.

Stubbs was the frontman for the Four Tops who sold millions of records, among them classics like, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” “Reach Out (I’ll Be There),” ” Baby I Need Your Loving”  and “Standing in the Shadows of Love.” The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Also, Stubbs did some film work and provided the voice for Audrey II, the man-eating plant, in the movie “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Stubbs had been ill, but no details on what caused his death. There is now only one surviving member of the original Four Tops, Abdul “Duke” Fakir.

Edie Adams  1927-2008

“Why don’t you pick one up and smoke it sometime?” that catchy phrase in a Muriel cigars TV commercial will probably be how many remember actress and singer, Edie Adams. For two decades, Adams was the sexy spokesperson for those cigar ads.

Adams died on Wednesday, October 15,  in Los Angeles after a battle with pneumonia and cancer. Adams was born Elizabeth Edith Enke in 1927 and got her first big break on the TV show, “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent  Scouts.” She would go on to hook up with comedian Ernie Kovacs and worked with him on his TV shows during the 1950s and 1960s. They were married in 1954.

Adams’ career spanned several decades from Hollywood to Broadway. She won a best supporting actress Tony award for playing Daisy Mae in the musical “Li’l Abner,” in 1957. She appeared in a number of films from Billy Wilder’s classic, “The Apartment,” to “Call Me Bwana” (with Bob Hope),” and “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”

Also in her later years, Adams could be seen in guest roles on TV shows like “Murder She Wrote,” and “Designing Women.”

Two brothers have created an inspiring fable called, “The Traveler,” which is getting a lot of buzz and just landed a major deal with coffee chain, Starbucks. Unlike many first time authors Daren and Daniel Simkin will not have to struggle to sell a few hundred copies of their book.

The Simkin brothers wrote and illustrated the story of boy named Charlie who goes off in search of happiness. It is described as a heartwarming tale for all ages. One brother lives in Los Angeles and the other on the East Coast. Nevertheless,  they managed to get on the same page to tell the story of Charlie.

Earlier this week, Starbucks announced “The Traveler” as the next selection in its book program.”The Traveler” will be released on November 25 jointly by publishers FSG and Starbucks Entertainment.

The colorful storybook will be offered to seven thousand Starbucks retailers across the country on November 28. They’re hoping ”The Traveler” will become a holiday must read, popular gift, and bestseller.

Convicted Ex-GOP political consultant  Allen Raymond, with the help of co-writer Ian Spiegelman, described the dirty campaign tricks that caused his downfall in his memoir, “How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative.” Fox Searchlight reportedly has picked up a movie project based on Raymond’s story, which was back in the news this week.

Raymond was convicted of orchestrating a phone-jamming scheme that targeted the Democratic Party headquarters in New Hampshire during a tight 2002 Senate election. Republican Representative John Sununu won the senate seat over Democratic Governor Jeanne Shaheen. Right now, the candidates are battling it out in a rematch, which Shaheen is favored to win on November 4.

In 2002, the Feds got wind of the scheme and Raymond ended up pleading guilty to conspiracy and served three months behind bars. Raymond claims he was the fall guy and has pointed the finger at former GOP state official Jim Tobin as the instigator of the scheme.  

Tobin was convicted in connection with the case, but the verdict was thrown out on appeal. This week, Tobin was indicted on two counts for making false statements to the FBI during its investigation into that political scam.

Raymond’s book, “How to Rig an Election,” was released by Simon & Schuster last January. The movie script has been written by Billy Ray who will direct as well. Ray directed, “Shattered Glass,” the fall from grace of journalist Stephen Glass who got caught fabricating a number of his stories. 

The formal greetings were barely over at the third presidential debate, before Republican candidate Senator John McCain went on the attack, throwing verbal punches, jabs, and a few low blows at his front-running opponent, Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama.

The final presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York had the most drama and the most clashes between the candidates. McCain was aggressive, sarcastic, and determined. Again, Obama remained calm, focused, and articulate to the finish.

Moderator Bob Schieffer asked questions about domestic issues and made a serious effort to keep the candidates on topic. McCain turned most of his responses into an assault on Obama. The Arizona senator brought up an Ohio plumber named Joe and used Joe’s doubts about Obama’s tax plan to beat up on the Illinois senator. McCain wove Joe the plumber into many of his responses. Surprisingly, Joe the Plumber was mentioned more than two dozen times during the debate.

 Also, McCain ignored the voters’ disdain for personal attacks and made several attempts to smear Obama’s character. When Obama linked McCain’s policies to those of President Bush, McCain shot back, “Sen. Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago. I’m going to give a new direction to this economy in this country.”

Obama defended his assertion, “… the fact of the matter is that if I occasionally have mistaken your policies for George Bush’s policies, it’s because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people, on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities, you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush.”

McCain was fiery and aggressive to the point of almost mauling Obama in the final debate. However, was his performance a game-changer? Top polls show Obama holding onto his lead over McCain. Still, McCain worked very hard in this debate and appears to have gained little ground with undecided voters, but it looks like he will get the vote of Joe the Plumber.

Irfan Khan/ Los Angeles Times

The temperatures have heated up, but the winds have calmed down in the San Fernando Valley today, giving tenacious fire crews the advantage over two deadly wildfires. One man was killed when his makeshift home was consumed by fire and another person died in a freeway crash on a smoke shrouded freeway. At a news conference this morning, Governor Schwarzenegger announced three firefighters had been injured battling these blazes as well.

The largest in Porter Ranch is only 20 percent contained, but fire crews have been able to stop the rampaging 13 thousand-plus acre fire from burning its way to the Pacific coast. Still, 19 homes have been destroyed and six others damaged. Hundreds of people were evacuated and some are still not being allowed to return to the area. According to the L.A. Times website the wildfire may have been sparked by a fallen power line.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the valley in the Lake View Terrace area, most of the evacuated fire victims were allowed to go home to assess the damage and begin the clean-up today. In the Sky Terrace Mobile Lodge, 38 homes were left in ruins, while 22 others are still intact. The four-day-old  48 hundred acre wildfire is now 80 percent contained. It is now burning on the southern fringe of the Angeles National Forest. Authorities are still searching for the exact cause; they suspect arson.

Also, during the morning news conference, Governor Schwarzenegger declared a State of Emergency in San Bernardino County. That means that county is now eligible for state funds and assistance. Earlier in the week, the governor announced a State of Emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties because of the wind-whipped wildfires.

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama has a sizable lead in two major polls over his Republican challenger Senator John McCain. The Obama camp is probably cheering that good news, but it would be unwise for them to throttle back on their efforts. Clearly Senator McCain is the underdog, but I’ve seen too many come from behind victories to count him out.

Nevertheless, the poll numbers are impressive. In the latest Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, Obama has increased his lead over McCain, 50 percent to 41 percent, among voters likely to cast ballots in the November 4 general election. Last month, those numbers gave Obama a slimmer lead with 49 percent to 45 percent.

Obama’s lead has grown to double digits in the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.  In that nationwide survey of more than a thousand adults, 53 percent said they favored Obama, while only 39 percent said they would vote for McCain. That’s a 14 point lead for the Illinois senator with only three weeks to the election. Another interesting finding in this poll is that the majority of those questioned said they were turned off by McCain’s negative attacks on his Democratic opponent. Hopefully, McCain gets the message, avoids character attacks, and spends his time during the third debate presenting his own agenda for dealing with the long list of problems facing the nation.

The final presidential debate is tonight, 6 p.m. Pacific Time, at Hofstra University in Hempstead New York. The moderator will be Bob Schieffer of CBS News.

Firefighter battles flames in Porter Ranch — Francine Orr/ Los Angeles Times

Firefighters continue to attack blazes in Southern California today; two big wildfires in the San Fernando Valley have destroyed homes, businesses, vehicles, and caused two deaths.  Authorities say a break overnight from the strong Santa Ana winds in the Lake View Terrace area allowed crews to get the upper hand on the Marek Fire. 

That blaze is now 70 percent contained, but it has scorched close to 5 thousand acres. Tragically, a homeless man and his dog died when their shack was consumed by flames. Also, dozens of mobile homes were destroyed. Arson is suspected in the Marek Fire.

The situation is quite different over in Porter Ranch where the Sesnon Fire is still raging out of control. Powerful winds during the night fed that blaze and it doubled in size to nearly 10 thousand acres. Two thousand people have been evacuated from neighborhoods there. As many as 19 homes may have been destroyed.

A motorist was killed in a crash on a nearby freeway during the chaos caused by that fire yesterday.

Today the Sesnon Fire is burning strong and spreading. Sections of it have threatened homes in Granada Hills and Ventura County. Also, authorities say they’re hoping and making every effort to keep this fire from burning all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Flames and smoke near the 118 freeway in Porter Ranch — Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times

Erratic Santa Ana winds are fueling wildfires in Southern California, forcing thousands to flee their homes and destroying dozens of buildings, including some homes.

A homeless man and his dog were killed when the makeshift shack they were sleeping in was overrun by flames near Lake View Terrace in the East San Fernando Valley. 

 That’s the so-called Marek fire, which kicked up Sunday morning near the Angeles National Forest. Then overnight and this morning the devil winds blew wild, up to 65 miles an hour in some areas, and the Marek fire grew to 53 hundred acres. Dozens of mobile homes and vehicles have been lost in this fire. Authorities say arson is suspected.

On the northwest end of the valley in Porter Ranch, another wildfire exploded and is being whipped along by those strong winds. It started around 10:30 this morning and quickly grew to 3 thousand acres. A number of neighborhoods were evacuated. Several homes were lost. 

Also, there’s a report that a motorist was killed in an accident on a smoke shrouded freeway.

Late this afternoon, in an interview on KNX newsradio 1070, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The governor, who plans to tour the fire lines tomorrow morning, says,”… more than four thousand people (have been) evacuated.”

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign is gearing up for a multi-million dollar TV ad blitz just days before the general election. The Hollywood Reporter says the Obama campaign has brokered a deal with CBS, NBC, and is negotiating with the other networks as well.

The CBS deal is for a half-hour of primetime reportedly at a cost $961,000. NBC is selling the Obama campaign a half-hour for close to a million dollars as well.

No word yet on the content of this 30 minute mega-Obama ad. Also, there are rumblings that the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain is at work on a final series of TV ads.

The Disney comedy about a pampered talking dog beat back a lot of competition to hold onto the number one spot at the box office. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” woofed up an estimated $17.5 million over the weekend to remain the top film in the U.S.  In two weeks, the doggie comedy has earned around $52.5 million.

There is speculation that after the ghastly week of bad economic news and the Wall Street meltdown, movegoers were looking to escape by seeking out light entertainment.

In second place the fright film, “Quarantine,” which debuted with $14.2 million. The new terrorist spy thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, “Body of Lies,” only managed about $13 million.

The thriller “Eagle Eye” took fourth with $11 million followed by the teen flick “Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist” with about $6.5 million, which rounds out the top five.

Today’s Columbus Day, a holiday for some, so the box office could get pumped up with more dollars from moviegoers than expected for a normal Monday.

FLLewis/ A Writer’s Groove

A gravesite is adorned with flowers during a visitation this past summer at Grand View. 

Grand View Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale will be open to visitors today by order of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mohr.

Judge Mohr issued the order after a hearing last month. The troubled cemetery has been entangled in management and legal problems since the fall of 2005, after an investigator discovered the remains of four thousand bodies that had been mishandled.

This year, Grand View has been open for a few hours on select visitation days.  Future openings will be on October 26, November 9, November 23, November 27 (Thanksgiving), December 7, December 21, December 25 (Christmas), January 1, 2009 (New Years Day), and January 6, 2009  (Armenian Christmas). 

The hours are noon to 4 p.m. During that time, visitors will be able to stroll the grounds, clean markers, hand trim and water the dry grass and leave commemorative items at the gravesites.

An e-mail announcement of the openings from Plantiffs’ Attorney Paul Ayers also reminded visitors to obey the rules, especially those dealing with fires. “Due to the dry grounds it is very important that there be no smoking, fires or use of incense during the opening. Violations of this rule can cause the Glendale Fire Marshall to oppose further openings.”

The dry and sometimes windy weather conditions we are having now make compliance with the no-fires rule doubly important.

Google image/ 1901- 1971

Oscar winning actor Forest Whitaker has signed on to play the great Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong in an upcoming film about the musician’s extraordinary life.

Born on August 4, 1901, in a poor section of New Orleans called “The Battlefield,” Armstrong rose to fame as a singer and  trumpet virtuoso. Armstrong was the first important Jazz soloist and his style shaped and influenced that emerging new music form. 

In his later years, Armstrong gained new fans by appearing in films and making his mark on the pop music scene. He reportedly died of a heart attack at the age of 69 on July 6, 1971.

Forest Whitaker, who won the best actor Oscar in 2006 for playing Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland”, will also direct. The screenplay is being written by Ron Bass and the project is produced by Legende Films, according to the Done Deal website.  

The Armstrong movie is titled, ”What a Wonderful World.” That song was written for Armstrong and he recorded it in 1967. Surprisingly, it did not become a hit in this country until 1987 when it was used in the film “Good Morning, Vietnam.”

Google image

It is no secret that Republican presidential Senator John McCain needed to make a strong showing at last Tuesday’s debate in Nashville. During the town-hall style gathering, McCain worked hard to get his views across and to try to cast doubt on Senator Barack Obama’s ability to lead. In pursuit of those goals, did McCain trip himself up?

Yesterday, a reader left a comment on my post, “Who won the 2nd debate?” suggesting McCain did indeed make a blunder. The reader points to McCain’s response to a question from moderator Tom Brokaw about setting priorities in terms of health care, energy, and entitlement reform. In his answer McCain says, “My friends, some of this $700 billion ends up in the hands of terrorist organizations.”

I clicked over to the New York Times website and checked the transcript for the second debate. I found that strange comment about 20 minutes into the debate in the middle of McCain’s response about health care, energy, and entitlement reform. That strange comment comes out of nowhere and is never explained. However, it did sound familiar to me.  

Earlier in the second debate, about 17 minutes in, during one of his other responses McCain says,”… I know how to fix this economy, and eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, and stop sending $700 billion a year overseas.” 

Rewind to the first debate in Mississippi, about 30 minutes in McCain says, “Look, we are sending $700 billion a year overseas to countries that don’t like us very much. Some of that money ends up in the hands of terrorist organizations.”

So did McCain misspeak or have a memory lapse in the second debate? Only the Arizona senator can really answer that question, but it does make one wonder.

Some of us are still getting over the $85 billion bailout insurance conglomerate AIG got from the federal government a few weeks ago. Now comes word AIG is getting billions more in federal money. You’d think the company would have sold off some of its vast assets before coming back to the bailout well again, but no.

Yesterday it was announced, the New York Federal Reserve is lending American International Group $37.8 billion. As the economy struggles and the financial markets stumble, one has to wonder if the billions being handed over to AIG are a wise investment. Let’s hope there’s some small print that penalizes AIG  severely if it uses any of this bailout money to send its executives on anymore of those expensive retreats at luxury resorts.

On Tuesday, the Dow went into a nose dive and closed down 500 points. Yesterday in an emergency move, the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates by a half a percent point to 1.5 percent. Five world banks followed the Feds action.  A huge effort. Still, the investors on Wall Street were apparently not impressed and after erratic trading the Dow closed down 189 points.

It’s no wonder the average American gets worried and even depressed watching this confusion in the financial markets and in Washington. At difficult times like this we need a president who has the confidence of the American people and the respect of the rest of the world. That kind of president could calm fears and inspire hope. Something to keep in mind when you cast that ballot in the November 4 presidential election.

Did Republican nominee Senator John McCain score a game changing win at the town-hall style debate in Nashville last night?  Or did Democratic hopeful Senator Barack Obama out shine McCain again in the second debate as many felt he did in the first?  For the next few days these questions will be debated in the media and among voters.

I expected McCain to do better in Nashville, because he considers the town-hall meeting his strength. This time, McCain’s responses and attacks did not have the nasty bite or condescending tone of the first debate. Yet, he did have several failed attempts at humor, which reportedly has worked for him in past town-hall gatherings. Apparently, the 80 undecided voters in the audience wanted to hear serious statements from the candidates, not weak comedic one-liners.

Also, McCain did not launch any major negative attacks on Obama’s character or past associations. That was probably a smart move since most voters have repeatedly panned those attacks as a waste of time when what they want to hear is what candidates are going to do about the country’s problems.

Obama, who appeared to be quit comfortable in the town-hall style debate, and McCain once again touted their records and policies. They slugged it out over issues like the financial crisis, energy, the Iraq war, and foreign policy. They have expressed most of these positions many times before, except for a surprise proposal from McCain.

For the first time, McCain proposed a federal bailout plan which would directly benefit struggling homeowners. The plan would buy bad mortgages directly from homeowners and replace them with new fixed-rate mortgages. McCain estimated the plan would cost $300 billion. Interesting, since throughout the campaign and debates, McCain has criticized Obama for presenting proposals that would spend, spend, spend federal money.

Most preliminary polls are showing Obama won the second debate. Some surveys indicate it was a tie, which is actually a loss for McCain who is trailing Obama in the major polls and needed to win big last night.

The third and final presidential debate of 2008 will be a week from today, October 15, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.  

Details coming out of a Washington hearing about the shameless conduct of executives at yet another corporation at the center of the financial meltdown.

On Tuesday, the second day of the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into what went wrong, ex-CEOs Martin Sullivan and Robert Willumstad from American International Group went before congressional leaders to make their excuses, cop pleas, and blame anything and anyone except themselves.

I should not have been shocked when I read that days after insurance giant AIG got a bailout of $85 billion from the government, some company executives went off on a retreat to St. Regis resort down in Orange County. Their getaway at the posh resort included more than $23,000 worth of spa treatments on a tab that had a total of more than $400 thousand.  

Like most Americans I have been trying to cut back as the economy continues to rock, roll, and slide. Briefly, I considered dropping my modestly priced monthly membership fee at the Burbank YMCA. Ironically, while the rest of us are trying to cut a dollar here and there, those AIG executives were off at a luxury resort, living large, knowing they had a cushy bailout of OUR money to support them and their extravagant perks.

Also, at yesterday’s hearing there were revelations about how AIG officials hid the company’s risky investments from auditors and arranged payments of hefty bonuses to executives.

I think those executives should be forced to reimburse the company for the special perks and pay back those bonuses and outrageous salaries as well. In fact, I’d like to see these executives take another trip – this time to the Big House — to serve some time behind bars! That’s the kind of getaway they really deserve.