Radio station KATZ-FM (100.3 the Beat) fired its on-air personalities and changed its format, Kevin C. Johnson reported at STLtoday.com/Blender. The station will play seasonal music; it currently is billing itself as "Christmas 100.3." Kevin posted farewells from the on-air personalities, who were not given a chance to say goodbye on the air.

 

Alyssa Edwards was crowned Miss Gay America at the Millennium Hotel in St. Louis on Sunday, Gabe Hartwig reported at STLtoday.com/CultureClub. Fifty winners of regional contests took part in the 38th annual event. Contestants are biological men, and surgical enhancements or alterations below the neck are prohibited.

 

President Barack Obama’s half brother, Mark Ndesandjo, has written a novel of an abusive parent patterned on their late father. "My father beat my mother and my father beat me, and you don’t do that," said Ndesandjo, whose mother was Barack Obama Sr.’s third wife. "It’s something which I think affected me for a long time, and it’s something that I’ve just recently come to terms with."

 

 St. Louisan Jim Butz will play the title role in "Hamlet" at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis in June, Judith Newmark reported at STLtoday.com/CultureClub. Butz said it has been his dream to play "the big boy."

 

President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzen) did not die when he was stabbed by the first lady and will return to the Fox series "24" for Season 8, arriving Jan. 17-18, Gail Pennington reported at STLtoday.com/TubeTalk.

 

 Wal-Mart continued its program of making major cuts in the price of popular books, offering John Grisham’s "Ford County" on its first day of release for $8.98. Amazon.com continued its cost competition with Wal-Mart and offered the book for $9. However, by the end of the day, they both were again charging $11.99.

 

 Former President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch before Game 3 of the Japan Series between the Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters. It bounced.

 

 Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin agreed to co-host the Oscars on March 7 after Hugh Jackman decided not to return.

Compiled by Ted Rodgers