Help Find Kyle Fleischmann!

A 24-year-old man from Charlotte is missing this morning.

Kyle Fleischmann went missing late Thursday night/early Friday morning. e was last seen at Buckhead Saloon in uptown Charlotte, after a night with some friends.



Kyle did not return home or to his vehicle, he did not make it in to work on Friday. He called a few friends around 3:30 a.m, but did not leave any messages. He has not been in contact with any family or friends since.

Kyle's friends have started a Facebook group to help spread the word about his disappearance.

A name is written on a polished rock...a broken heart that the world forgot

There is not much that gets to you more, in the news business, than having to report on a death involving domestic violence, especially when children are involved.

Like with most stories in the business, it seems to come in waves.

For example, right now - we are covering the Lisa Greene trial in Cabarrus County. Now police say she intentionally set her home on fire last year, which resulted in the deaths of her two children. The story started out as a woman trying to save her children, and then came out as a woman who intentionally set the fire and left her children to die.

Obviously, I'm not saying she did, or didn't do it - but she is on trial right now. In fact, later today a judge will have to decide if a mistrial is warranted. Lisa's attorneys are saying they weren't given some of the documents in time.

In the last week, there have been several other stories about violence involving children - one directly, and one indirectly.

Here in Charlotte, police say Selina Shiuli stabbed her two daughters (age 6 and 1) and then stabbed herself. The 6-year-old died that night, the one year old is still going through surgeries. Shiuli was taken from the hospital and put into Mecklenburg County jail on Wednesday.

And then last night, police in Gaston County tell us a man shot his estranged wife, at point blank range, in front of their 9-year-old daughter. The woman and daughter were in the parking lot of the Bi-Lo. Police say the man then ran off and disappeared.

He was found a couple hours later, with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Police think he shot himself. Now, this 9 year old girl, is left with no parents and if what police say is correct, will have to live the rest of her life with the memory of her father killing her mother.

It's just a heartbreaking story, and now that it looks like he killed himself, she'll never get the chance to ask him "Why?"

Aye-aye Captain Conceited.. I mean, Kirk!

So the other day, Trent - our former Overnight Photographer, pointed out a part of this story to me.

The "crew" for the new Star Trek movie has been announced. Woot woot? I don't know, I'm not much of a Trekkie, but oh well. I didn't really care about this, until.....

"I couldn't believe it. I'm not in the movie at all. Leonard, God bless his heart, is in, but not me."

That's right, I knew William Shatner was NOT a part of the new movie, but who knew that he would be so sad about it.

In fact, Shatner went on to tell the Associated Press..."I thought, what a decision to make, since it obviously is a decision not to make use of the popularity I have to ensure the movie has good box office. It didn't seem to be a wise business decision."

WHAT?!?!?

When's the last time you heard anyone say "Oh wow, William Shatner's in that movie. Let's get in line early to make sure we get in!"

Ummm...yeah.

Beam me up Scottie, this is just getting weird!

By the way, if you care - TV Guide has a look at the new cast.

TopTen Creepiest Characters of All-Time

With Halloween, just days away, thought we'd take a look at who's making the list of the creepiest creatures from the movies!

10. The Spiders, "Arachnophobia"
Arachnophobia created a whole new generation of spider haters. No wonder, the little terrors are tiny, stealth and the definition of creepy crawlers. A feeling of helplessness lingered, when many realized that even the best exterminator could not take care of this problem.

9. Birds, "The Birds"
An entire generation was traumatized by this film. Alfred Hitchcock was a genius at taking seemingly harmless objects, like birds, and turning them into bloodthirsty monsters. Besides, if you’ve ever walked down the boardwalk with french fries in your hand, you know how aggressive birds can really be and that’s creepy!

8. The Shark, "Jaws"
Just admit it, the ocean has never been the same. Who can ever forget that creepy circling fin? Years later, a trip to the beach still conjures up fears of hungry sharks. It’s a movie character that has impacted many lives and recreational fun.

7. The Wicked Witch of the West and Flying Monkeys, "The Wizard of Oz"
Do you remember your heart pounding, saying “Run Toto” as the monkeys chased him? For many children, the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys were the first introduction to the realm of creepy characters.

On a personal note: Uh yeah, monkeys should NOT be able to fly!

6. The Clown, "Poltergeist"
After watching this movie, anyone that was on the fence about clowns is now officially terrified. Whoever thought that clowns were fun and cute will most certainly change their minds and place any clown dolls under lock and key, so they cannot escape. This clown is as creepy as it gets.

On a personal note: Does anyone remember "IT"? I can't go near the circus or drains!! "BEEP BEEP Richie! They ALL float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too!"

5. Norman Bates, "Psycho"
Norman is that one socially awkward person seemingly ready to snap at any moment. We all know at least one person like Norman. He is creepy, because he is real.

4. Freddy Kruger, "A Nightmare on Elm Street"
"1, 2, Freddy’s coming for you…" Any character that can jump into your dreams and kill you while sleeping is creepy. Enough said!

3. Hannibal Lecter, "The Silence of the Lambs"
Just looking at this man will make your skin crawl. What makes Hannibal so creepy is he could be the guy next to you o n an airplane, or in an elevator. He is intelligent, articulate and well-versed; just standing next to him, you would never know about his atrocities.

2. The Child Catcher, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
Seeing this character for the first time as an adult skews his horridness; however, see him through a child’s eyes and it opens up a world of scary possibilities. A stranger snatching children from their parents is not just a creepy character, it’s a horrifying thought.

1. Vampires
Starting with the first vampire from the 1922 silent film "Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror," a character deemed so scary the movie was banned in Sweden for excessive horror, and continuing with Bela Lugosi as "Dracula." Vampires are the original creepy characters.

We got this list from TopTenReviews.com. Check it out!

I'm taking my Speedway and going home!

You know - I heard a great comparison the other day between children and the Bruton Smith/City of Concord problem the other day. It's like when little girls are playing with their Barbies, and one does something the other doesn't like. "Fine then, I'm taking my Barbies and going home!"

That's basically what is seems like Bruton Smith is doing with Lowes Motor Speedway. "You won't let me build my drag strip? Fine then, I'm outta here."

And a LOT of people have been talking about Concord's reaction since the incident. It was an almost immediate barrage of apologizes and offers of "What can we do for you?"

There have been campaigns launched such as SaveLMS.com, a plane with a banner saying "We love Bruton Smith," offers of tax breaks - and heck, they are even still talking about giving him the drag strip he wanted in the first place! Oh yeah, and lets not forget, they want NC DOT to approve the name change of Speedway Boulevard to Bruton Smith Boulevard!

After all that - Smith is still telling reporters in Georgia that he is 90% sure he's still moving the Speedway! Is this just crazy???

What do you think? Should Concord just cut its losses and move on - or do whatever it takes to save the Speedway?

Great Pumpkin Contest (Part Two)

Hey all.

The Great Pumpkin contest has been awesome! We've gotten some great pictures in, and just wanted to share a few more with you.

Hope you enjoy!

Check out some of the other pics here!

Abra Kadabra and Hocus Pocus

Okay, seriously.

I never watch the show, so I have no clue if its always this good, but I seriously doubt it.

I was shocked when I saw this video of "America's Got Talent" with magician Kevin James. This is one cool trick.

How did he do that? Even more impressive, David Hasselhoff doesn't look drunk!

Ooops, Don't Do it Again?

We all know it wouldn't be right to pile on the "We Hate Britney Spears" bandwagon, right?

Ummmm - have you seen our show?

Even Britney's friends don't want you to buy her album. According to an Australian news site, her friends are asking her fans not to buy the new "Blackout" album - until Britney gets some help.

You can check out the article here.

And speaking of Britney... she's making a list of the Top "Unsexiest" Women.

The Maxim Magazine list is made up of mainly good-looking and attractive women, but who have had their share of rough days - caught on camera. It's such a rough life.

The top five list looks like this:

5 - Britney Spears
4 - Madonna
3 - Sandra Oh
2 - Amy Winehouse (oh wait, she's been attractive?)
1 - Sarah Jessica Parker

That's right the big star from Sex in the City, is number one on the "Unsexiest Woman Alive" list. If you'd like to check out the list for yourself, click here.

Later!

...to accept the things I cannot change and the courage to change the things I can...

It's stories like the massive fires out in southern California that make working in the news a difficult thing. So much destruction, and so many lives ruined within a matter of days...and for some people - hours or even minutes.

But we do it...it's our job. We strive to give you the information you need to stay well informed of the world around you. We don't always like, or agree, with the story we are reporting, but we do it.

Its videos like this that show that some put it all out there for the viewer. Watch as Larry Himmel from San Diego's CBS8, reports live from the fires - in front of his own burning home!



Larry goes live again, after the fire is over, and you can see the destruction.



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And in another wow-type moment... a 911 operator in Charleston, SC gets a call that she will never forget...her son has been shot!

Check out this video of the story:

When everything feels like the movies...

Looking for something new and fun to watch with the family?

Well - here's a look at the newest DVD's hitting the store shelves.

"Meet the Robinsons"
This movie is an animated time-traveling adventure, featuring the voice talents of Angela Bassett, Tom Selleck and Laurie Metcalf. The movie follows the exploits of a young inventor whisked into the future, where he teams up with a family of oddballs to take on a villain in a bowler hat.

Among the DVD extras are a handful of deleted scenes, a segment on how the film was developed from the work of children's author William Joyce, and a featurette on Walt Disney and other visionaries whose advances changed the world.

"Mr. Brooks"
This movie stars Kevin Costner as a serial killer. He plays a seemingly upright citizen, who commits a string of mass murders and taunts police. William Hurt co-stars as Brooks' Jekyll-and-Hyde evil alter ego, with Demi Moore playing a cop on the killer's trail and Dane Cook playing a witness who wants a taste of the
perpetrator's bloody glory.

The DVD has deleted footage, threemaking-of featurettes and commentary.

"Hostel: Part II"
This movie comes to home video after failing to make a splash in theaters. In this sequel, three American women studying in Europe meet up with an art-class model who baits them into a murder-for-pleasure den.

Also debuting in a two-disc DVD set and single-disc Blu-ray edition is the director's cut of the original "Hostel," with an alternate ending, four commentary tracks and a full disc of interviews and background featurettes.

"Stanley Kubrick"
This DVD features five Kubrick films in a fresh boxed-set treatment, with high-definition HD DVD and Blu-ray releases. The 10-DVD set has remastered two-disc versions of "2001: A Space Odyssey," "A Clockwork Orange," "The Shining" and "Eyes Wide Shut," plus a single-disc release of "Full Metal Jacket" and a disc with the documentary "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures."

If television is more your speed...this week's TV on DVD releases include:

- The Sopranos: Season Six, Part II
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Volume One
- The L Word: The Complete Fourth Season
- Veronica Mars: The Complete Third Season
- NCIS: The Fourth Season

Great Pumpkin Contest (Part One)

Hey All.

We had some great entries for our "Great Pumpkin Contest". Our winner was Cierra from Clover - age 7! We loved her Ghostrider Pumpkin!

We had some great entries though, and wanted to share a few with you!

Thanks!

PS - Remember to keep e-mailing them in at inbox@wbtv.com

It's a Mile High Concert and a Tour Bus Catches Fire!

John and Lenise scoured the internet, for the stories you just had to see - and here's what they found.

John found a story about a concert on Mt. Everest, where everyone had to get "high" - to get there!

Lenise found video of a tour bus catching fire in Ohio - scary stuff!



And here's an "Ooops Moment" that we found on YouTube. Marie Osmond passes out on live television on "Dancing with the Stars"

World Series Preview

Ahh.... the World Series.

How long we have waited for you!

The Colorado Rockies vs. the Boston Red Sox. Should be fun. The Rockies are on quite a run, winning 21 of their last 22 games. But the Bosox did come back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Indians for the pennant. But which team has enough to take it to the end?

Well, the numbers are in... and odds makers in Las Vegas have the Red Sox as the 2-1 favorites to win the World Series. Early betting is heavily on the underdog Rockies.

But what do YOU think? We have a poll to the right side of the page - tell us who you think will win!

- The Producer

H, A, Double-L, O, W, Double-E, N!

That's right - it's almost time for Halloween.

The crew was in a festive mood - with our Great Pumpkin Contest! So much talk about pictures of pumpkin carving got Kelly in a singing mood. She gave John and Lenise a quick preview during the commercial - so of course, Lenise bet she wouldn't do it on air.

Now... Lenise owes Kelly $20!

You just have to watch it, it is too funny!



- WBTV Morning Crew

And so it begins...

Hey all,

Just thought I'd throw a quick note on here. We're starting a blog!

We hope to remember to update every now and then, but you know how it gets sometimes. You should definitely bookmark us and let us know what you think. We'd love to hear from you.

Hope you're all having a great day. We'll see you in the morning!

- WBTV Morning Crew