November 29: Thanksgiving massacre: Paul Merhige’s search continues. a Florida man who allegedly shot dead four people, including his sisters, in the coastal town of Jupiter may be held soon after sleuths issues an arrest warrant.

The US Marshals are out on the road to spot the 35-year-old Paul Michael Merhige.

The man, who left the scene of crime after Thanksgiving Day shooting, faces four counts of first-degree murder. Besides, charges will also be slapped on him for attempting first-degree murder. The accused Merhige used a blue 2007 Toyota Camry with Florida license plate number W42 7JT to escape from the spot.

This was announced by the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.

Those who were at the receiving end of his shooting assault, include Merhige’s 6-year-old cousin, Makayla Sitton; his 33-year-old twin sisters, Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight; and 76-year-old Raymond Joseph, police said.

Shockingly, one of the victims — Knight — was pregnant.

A police spokeswoman told local reporters that the two others — Patrick Knight and Clifford Gebara — were wounded.

Further investigation by the cops in the case has thrown some disturbing facts like Merhige “had ongoing resentment” for some of his relatives, said Sally Collins-Ortiz, a spokeswoman for Jupiter police.

Law enforcement authorities broadened their search over the weekend for the Miami man they say shot and killed four relatives in Palm Beach County during a family gathering on Thanksgiving Day, and details have surfaced that provide background into a troubled relationship with one alleged victim.

Paul Michael Merhige, 35, fatally shot his twin sisters, Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight, both 33 years old and from Miami, along with two other relatives — Raymonde Joseph, 76, and 6-year-old Maykayla Sitton. Authorities said Lisa Knight was pregnant. he also injured two others, including Patrick Knight, Lisa Knight’s husband, police said.

Police say Michael Merhige had been at the home in Jupiter, where more than a dozen relatives were celebrating the holiday. he then left and returned about 10 p.m. and began shooting.

Appearing Saturday on Good Morning America, Maykayla’s father Jim Sitton recounted the incident. Sitton said the evening was coming to an end and the family was saying their goodbyes when Merhige left the front door of the home, went to his car, returned through the back door and opened fire.

“I tried to lead [Maykayla] out, because I thought it was coming from the front, and I led her right to . . .” said a visibly shaken Sitton, before breaking into tears.

Sitton — a South Florida photo and video journalist — added that while he was aware that Merhige had “past problems,” when he was told Merhige would be at the family’s Thanksgiving dinner he assumed he “was getting better.”

“I sat two seats down from him [during dinner],” Sitton said.

It’s unclear what happened to send Merhige on the rampage, but he and Carla had previously gone to court in connection charges of domestic violence, records show.

In 1996, Carla Merhige appeared as a defendant in a case of domestic violence against her brother. an injunction was filed, and was later dismissed.

In April of 2006, court records show that Paul Michael Merhige answered to a domestic violence charge against him from his sister. Carla petitioned the court to drop that injunction a month later.

No criminal charges were filed in either case.

the manhunt for Merhige has been broadened as far as Birmingham, Michigan, where police there have issued a Be on the Lookout — or BOLO — alert for Merhige and his royal blue Camry, license plate W42-7JT.

Merhige may have spent time in Michigan, perhaps to seek medical treatment. At least one source who knew Merhige said he had a history of mental problems and suicide attempts.

Police ask that anyone with knowledge of Paul Michael Merhige’s whereabouts call 1-800-458-TIPS.

A back injury failed to stop Tony Romo from guiding Dallas Cowboys to a 24-7 Thanksgiving victory over the Oakland Raiders.

Romo saw his preparations for the match hampered after he aggravated the problem in the 7-6 victory over Washington on Sunday.

However Romo threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys strengthened their grip at the top of the NFC East Division.

“Coming out on a short week and getting yourself ready to go, we knew we’d have to play and it comes from all the preparation we put in,” said Romo. “We’re excited about the win.”

The Cowboys had raced into a 17-0 lead by the half-time interval – with Felix Jones going on a 46-yard run for a touchdown, while Miles Austin collected Romo’s nine-yard pass to score.

Overmatched

Austin hauled in a total of seven catches for 145 yards and tight end Jason Witten had five catches for 107 yards as the Cowboys offense producing more than 500 yards.

Romo found Roy Williams with a six-yard touchdown pass with just over 13 minutes left to put the result beyond doubt.

The only joy for the overmatched Raiders came in the third quarter when quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who threw for 200 yards, found Darrius Heyward-Bey from four yards for a touchdown.

Washington at Philadelphia. Click here to bet.

By Meena Kar
Denver, Nov. 27, (THAINDIAN NEWS) this year some of the thrilling matches were scheduled on the Thanksgiving Day. the NFL match between Denver Broncos and New York Giants, which was scheduled on Thanksgiving Day on the home ground of the Denver Broncos team witnessed Denver Broncos emerging as the winner. Denver Broncos team displayed a good form in this match against the Giants and did not allow the Giants to make much moves in the match. Broncos who had taken the control of the match from an early stage became victorious when the final score of the match was declared 26-6.

Denver Broncos team has displayed an attacking spirit throughout the game and restricted the New York Giants to take a lead in the game. They have dominated the game and scored twenty six points without much difficulty. Giants who were under pressure throughout the match tried to break the defense of the Broncos but failed and could manage a score of only six points in reply to Broncos’ twenty six.

Though the whole team of Denver Broncos played well in the match against New York Giants, Brian Dawkins’ performance deserves special mention. this safety player of Broncos has completely reformed the defensive line up of the team and strengthened it to resist the attacks of the Giants. As the defense was strong, the offense line up of the team could make attack on the Giants and contribute more points in favor of their team. Matt Prater and Kyle Orton also played well for the Broncos, which increased pressure on the Giants and they failed to stand against Broncos in the game.

DENVER — Four weeks after getting ripped for taunting opponents during warmups, Denver coach Josh McDaniels was caught on TV cursing at his bumbling Broncos. This time, he was the object of an apology from the NFL Network instead of league-wide criticism for jawing with San Diego’s linebackers. Oh, and the Broncos finally won a game again, beating the New York Giants 26-6 on Thursday night.

McDaniels is an emotional coach who stocked his roster with passionate players, and that was on full display Thanksgiving night in the Broncos’ R-rated win that sent the Giants to their fifth loss in six games.

Brian Dawkins’ inspired play led a Denver defensive revival and the offense did its part by controlling the clock in a win that snapped a four-game losing streak.

The NFL Network accidentally aired a clip of McDaniels cursing at his players after they committed three false starts and dropped a pass in a five-play sequence in the first half that really got his blood boiling.

“No — not our coach!” tight end Tony Scheffler retorted in mock surprise.

While the Broncos (7-4) still aren’t effective enough in the red zone and draw too many yellow flags for McDaniels’ taste, their month of misery is over.

Kyle Orton drove them on six scoring drives, Matt Prater kicked four field goals and Dawkins led a ferocious defense 48 hours after calling a players-only meeting that obviously struck a chord.

Elvis Dumervil dumped Eli Manning twice, extending his NFL-leading sack total to 14, and his second one resulted in a fourth-quarter fumble that sealed Denver’s first win since Oct. 19.

“Defense is all about emotion, wanting to get the ball,” Dumervil said.

So is offense, suggested Brandon Marshall, who made two incredible one-handed catches, one on each sideline. He even had a celebration planned with rookie Knowshon Moreno, with whom he got into a sideline spat last week.

But Moreno’s 1-yard TD run came with Marshall on the sideline, so the fake fight they had planned was shelved.

“We were going to run at each other, push each other,” Marshall said. “That was a serious celebration so hopefully we wouldn’t get fined for that. But maybe we’ll do it next week.”

It won’t be a surprise then, and the officials will be ready with their hands on their handkerchiefs.

“Well, maybe we’ll come up with something different,” Marshall said. “Maybe we’ll kiss or something.”

Hosting their first Thanksgiving game since 1963 in the AFL, the Broncos returned to the physical style of play that marked their 6-0 start.

Behind three takeaways, the Broncos halted their freefall and pulled within a half game of AFC West leader San Diego. New York (6-5), which snapped its four-game losing streak on Sunday, fell two games behind Dallas, which beat Oakland earlier Thursday, in the NFC East.

“We didn’t have any tempo and we didn’t make any plays,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “We keep talking about winning the physical battle and controlling the line of scrimmage. We thought this would be the night and it wasn’t.”

The Giants have lost five of six since their 5-0 start.

“We’re a good football team,” Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora said. “We just played bad today.”

The Broncos outgained the Giants 213-38 in the first half but settled for field goals on three drives, including their first two trips inside the Giants 10-yard line as they continued their red zone struggles.

That led to the NFL Network’s embarrassing mistake.

Their second trip inside the Giants 10-yard line turned into a game of flag football as tight end Daniel Graham, left tackle Ryan Clady and center Casey Wiegmann all were whistled for false starts, and the Broncos sent out Prater for a second straight chip-shot field goal, this one making it 6-0.

Coming out of a commercial break, the NFL Network showed a clip of McDaniels yelling at his players on the sideline saying, “All we’re trying to do is win a (expletive) game!”

The vulgarity was clearly audible to viewers, and announcer Bob Papa immediately apologized on air.

NOTES: The Giants trailed 16-0 at halftime, the first time they took a goose egg into the locker room since Jan. 8, 2006, in a wild-card playoff game against Carolina. … Moreno ran for 88 yards on 19 carries and would have had 34 more yards were it not for two holding calls against Graham.

NEW YORK — Giant balloons, floats, marching bands and clowns with confetti brought smiles to hundreds of thousands of revelers eager to catch a glimpse of a parade as steeped in Thanksgiving Day tradition as turkey and pumpkin pie.

Crowds six to seven people deep lined the streets of Manhattan on Thursday for the 83rd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as merrymakers gathered nationwide for massive parades in cities such as Detroit and Philadelphia.

Soldiers in war zones received phone calls of appreciation from President Barack Obama, while astronauts hovering above the Earth’s surface feasted on turkey smuggled aboard the space shuttle Atlantis.

In new York City, Miss America Katie Stam waved to crowds from a Statue of Liberty float she shared with Meb Keflezighi, the first American in 27 years to win the new York City Marathon.

Shailesh Dighe and his family came to the fabled parade to snap pictures of celebrities including rapper Jay Sean and singer-actress Keke Palmer. Despite the crowds, Dighe said the parade is “totally worth it.”

“When you watch it on TV, you don’t get that feeling,” said Dighe, who splits his time between Manhattan and Princeton, N.J.

For the first time, the parade route bypassed Broadway, which cuts a diagonal slice through Manhattan, as it made its way south from the Upper West Side to the finish at Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square.

The new route traverses the grid of the city’s streets and avenues, includes turns around five corners, and is slightly longer than in previous years — 2.65 miles compared with 2.5 miles.

Johanna Castillo, 38, of Guttenberg, N.J., said the new route seemed to better accommodate the crowds.

“I was very blessed to get here at the time I did and find a spot” a half-hour before parade time, said Castillo, who arrived with her two children.

Maryann Alonzo, 48, of Queens, N.Y., has been coming to the parade since she was a baby. She showed up Thursday with her daughter and friends to cheer on her father, who’s been performing in the parade for 25 years as a clown.

“This is our Thanksgiving,” Alonzo said. “More than the food.”

Celebrity entertainment included Italian tenor Andrea Boccelli, comedian Jimmy Fallon, former “American Idol” star Katharine McPhee and singers Gloria Gaynor and Carly Simon.

Elsewhere, tens of thousands gathered in the streets of downtown Detroit for the 83rd annual America’s Thanksgiving Parade. The country’s longest-run Thanksgiving Day parade was held in Philadelphia for its 90th year.

In Detroit, where the September unemployment rate was 17.3 percent, parade organizers set up three locations where revelers could drop off donations of canned food for the area food bank.

Eugene Peterson, 35, an unemployed construction worker from Detroit, said he had plenty to be thankful for.

“I’m thankful we have a president who understands we’re going through a hard time,” Peterson said. “I’m thankful they extended unemployment (benefits) because there ain’t no jobs around here. It’s kind of like government showing yeah, they care.”

Aboard Atlantis, astronauts expecting to give thanks with pantry leftovers were surprised by turkey dinners with candied yams, freeze-dried cornbread stuffing and green beans — just add water. NASA suspected the station’s new skipper was responsible for the Thanksgiving feast.

Obama enjoyed a quiet holiday at the White House with his family and telephoned 10 members of the U.S. military stationed in war zones to thank them for their service.

As daylight faded in Afghanistan, soldiers huddled inside a crude wooden hut to tuck into Thanksgiving turkeys the unit itself had fattened and to give thanks for having survived a year of combat.

Dense fog delayed some flights Thursday for Thanksgiving travelers headed to the Washington and Baltimore areas.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the fog prompted a ground stop for flights arriving Thursday morning at all three Washington-area airports. Departing flights were apparently not affected. The FAA lifted its ground stop by 10:30 a.m.

Associated Press writers Jim Irwin in Detroit and Denis D. Gray in Baraki-Barak, Afghanistan, and AP Aerospace Writer Marcia Dunn in Cape Canaveral, Fla., contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS that Keflezighi is the first American in 27 years to win the new York City Marathon.)

By Nick Allen in Los Angeles
Published: 2:00AM GMT 26 Nov 2009

In 2005, around 58 million people made journeys to see family or friends for the holiday but this year the figure is expected to be 38 million, according to research by AAA.

The number of people taking flights has fallen by 6.7 per cent since last year as those that do travel opt for the cheaper option of going by train or car.

Amtrak said it expected the day before Thanksgiving to be its busiest of the year with around 125,000 passengers. on an average Wednesday it carries 74,000 passengers.

Most people have decided that car travel makes the most financial sense and about 33 million are expected to drive.

Thanksgiving journeys fell by 25 per cent between 2007 and 2008 and there is not likely to be a reverse of that trend this year, AAA said.

Airlines had been hoping for a Thanksgiving boost after weak business during the rest of the year.

But Manu Maile, an airline worker at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, said it was quieter than last Thanksgiving.

She said: “Last year we had people fighting at the checkpoint. They were getting mad over waiting in line.”

The fall in Thanksgiving air travel did not mean empty planes as carriers cut flights, meaning those that did fly were still full.

About 1.7 million are expected to pass through the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International.

26 NOVEMBER 2009

amidst smiles and laughter yesterday, Barack Obama, with his daughters at his side, took part in one of the more light-hearted parts of his job – pardoning the White House’s Thanksgiving turkey.

Though the ritual has a 20-year history, Mr Obama joked that he was ready to break with tradition because of the good looks of the 20-kilo bird named Courage.

But he explained that his daughters, who reached out to pet the turkey, were its real saviours.

“Thanks to the interventions of Malia and Sasha – because I was planning to eat this sucker – Courage will also be spared this terrible and delicious fate,” he said at the ceremony.

After receiving its pardon, the bird was whisked off to Disney World, where it will lead the Thanksgiving Day parade.

The holiday spirit didn’t end there for the Obama clan, though.

The entire family, including First Lady Michelle and her mother, spent the evening at a food pantry, handing out favourite Thanksgiving fare and wishing happy holidays to those in need.

Other stars also celebrated the American holiday by giving back to the community.

Desperate Housewives’s Andrea Bowen and Corbin Bleu of High School Musical fame served food at the Los Angeles Mission’s Thanksgiving Dinner, hosted by Kirk and Anne Douglas.

Meanwhile, Lindsay Lohan’s mum Dina revealed to People that the starlet plans to spend the day with family in her New York City home, where she’ll make ‘amazing’ garlic mashed potatoes.

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US-based British sports-writer Simon Veness looks ahead to a Thanksgiving feast – as well as some NFL action

It’s that time of year here in the US when the supermarkets are packed to overflowing – and it’s definitely a good time NOT to be a turkey.

Thanksgiving is such a big meal (think of our Christmas dinner, then multiply it by about 100), every family needs to stock up with about ten car-loads of shopping and then spend at least two days cooking and preparing.

And then we all collapse in front of the TV for what promises to be about a 10-hour NFL viewing-fest of spectacular proportions. Forget the London Marathon, Le Mans or the IronMan Triathlon, this is what endurance is REALLY all about!

Until about 3.59pm last Sunday, endurance – and suffering – were also high on the list of prerequisites for Detroit fans. but then there was the final minute at Cleveland and a stunning last-second touchdown throw from rookie Matt Stafford that clinched the unlikeliest of 38-37 victories and breathed new life and hope into every Lions follower.

For about the past 10 years (and certainly as long as I can remember from my recent experience of this corner of Michigan, which dates back to 2004), the ‘other’ big Thanksgiving tradition of Detroit football has been almost as indigestible as some of the meals (i.e. heavy, turgid and, ultimately, highly unappetising).

Years of mis-management and poor performances from their highest-paid ’stars’ had left the Lions like toothless, old crones; more mildcat than wildcat, and the stars of their own unofficial version of America’s Biggest Losers (a TV weight-watching programme of truly wince-making proportions).

But then came 4pm on Sunday and that one-yard pass from Stafford to Brandon Pettigrew as time expired, and a nation’s clamour to have Detroit forcibly removed from their position as prime time Thanksgiving fare was finally muted.

To be fair, that clamour had been building for at least the past six seasons and culminated this time last year when the Lions redefined the word feeble with an utterly miserable effort against Tennessee (in this year’s dictionary, next to ‘Feeble, (adj.),’ it just says, ‘Titans 47, Lions 10′). the home team were 35-3 down eight minutes BEFORE half-time and most TV viewers had turned off before Mom had even poured the gravy.

However, since then Detroit have rebuilt and re-tooled under new head coach Jim Schwartz and, while there have still been some distinct growing pains (a 2-8 record to date and three performances where they have failed to improve even on last year’s outing against Tennessee), there is now some hope in both their Michigan heartland and the TV control booth.

Starter

No longer do the pundits expect their Thanksgiving ’starter’ against Green Bay (live on SS3 from 5.30pm on Thursday) to be a one-sided blowout that will have armchair viewers reaching for the ‘off’ switch as well as the Rennies.

The Packers themselves have been consistent only in their inconsistency, and they have yet to record three successive wins at any stage this season. In fact, on current form, they are due to enter the ‘L’ column yet again, as evidenced by:

W-L-W-L-W-W-L-L-W-W…

So, that should certainly be enough to tempt viewers out from behind the back of their sofas, ready to let their TV remotes sit idle for a few hours.

The ‘main course’ of the Thanksgiving programme sees Oakland travel to Dallas (live on SS3 from 9pm) for another game that could certainly be titled “Anything Goes.”

Anyone who has witnessed the star-crossed fortunes of these two franchises in recent weeks could be forgiven for thinking this is a train wreck in the making. At 3-7, the Raiders hardly offer the look of anything substantial, even after axing the maddeningly lackadaisical JaMarcus Russell at quarterback in favour of the ’safe’ option of Bruce Gradkowski.

Somehow, the signal caller U-turn turned up trumps in the ambush of Cincinnati last Sunday which left even the seasoned denizens of the Black Hole shaking their heads in disbelief (just 20 points, total, in the previous 119 minutes – a 16-10 defeat by Kansas City, then a 17-10 deficit against the Bengals – and then a winning 10-point burst in the final 60 seconds).

But it has served notice to the Cowboys – hardly the model of consistency themselves – that a genuine battle is on the cards. the pundits here love the thought of Tony Romo going up against Oakland star Nnamdi Asomugha, but Romo himself may not be quite so keen on the strength of the 7th-year cornerback’s three interceptions in the past two games and Tony’s own recent failings.

True, Dallas have chalked up two wins in their last three to stay out in front of the snapping, scrapping NFC East, but scores of 20-16, 7-17 and 7-6 do not inspire huge dollops of confidence, while Romo’s production has declined alarmingly in that period (307, 251 and 158 yards, along with just 3 TDs and 3 INTs).

Game on

It is very much ‘Game on’ in the new Cowboys Stadium – as it is in the ‘dessert’ course on Thursday night (actually 12.30am on Friday on SS3), as reeling Denver take on the newly-recharged new York Giants.

After four games of increasingly desperate proportions, Broncos fans could be forgiven for being fairly fatalistic about the impending possibility of loss no 5. but, with the Giants defence doing an increasingly realistic impression of Casualty and power-back Brandon Jacobs also a potential victim, nothing is a given in the rarefied air of Invesco Field at Mile High.

All that Thanksgiving Day gratification just leaves me two quick paragraphs to sum up this Sunday’s offerings, as seen through the eyes of the US media.

First off, Indianapolis at Houston (live on SS2 from 5.30pm) is portrayed as a long overdue ‘down-to-earth’ moment for the Colts, with their increasingly shaky winning resume (the last four by a total of 10 points) and for Matt Schaub v A very Banged-Up Secondary. the Titans quarterback looks primed for a major offensive explosion, but equally Peyton Manning can toss the occasional TD bomb himself, so stay tuned for a potentially epic duel.

And then there is Chicago at Minnesota (also on SS2 from 9pm), which provides another view of the Sainted one, aka Brett Favre. the former Green Bay legend has turned things up to a remarkable degree, even by his record-setting standards, and the media now hang on his every pass with pure incredulity. A 69.7% completion rate (a full 3.2 points above his previous career best) and a ridiculous TD:INT ratio of 21:3 will do that for you. and that can only be bad news for the Bears.

By SARAH SUTSCHEK – ssutschek@nwherald.com

Reflecting a growing sense that the worst of the economic crisis has passed, AAA expects an increase in Thanksgiving travel from last year, when it dropped 25.2 percent.

“What we’re attributing that to is a small glimmer of change on the horizon,” spokeswoman Beth Mosher said. “The economy is starting to recover.”

According to AAA, just more than 2 million Illinoisans will travel 50 miles or more from home between today and Sunday – an increase of 4 percent from 2008.

However, fewer people are expected to travel by air because of budget concerns, reduced airline capacity, and added charges.

“We’re still not back to the level that we saw in 2007 and 2006,” Mosher said. “There has to be some significant turnaround in the economy for us to see those numbers; it’s hard to say when we might get back to that.”

Nationally, a projected 38.4 million Americans will travel, 33.2 of whom will go by automobile. the number of travelers by air is estimated at 2.3 million, a decline of 6.7 percent from last year, according to AAA.

The Chicago Department of Aviation, however, expects 2.4 million to travel through Chicago’s airports alone. the busiest day for O’Hare is expected to be Monday, with more than 200,000 passengers, while Midway’s busiest day will be Sunday, with 72,000 passengers.

Officials recommend that passengers arrive at least two hours before their scheduled departures.

About 2.9 million people are expected to travel by other means, such as trains and buses – a 1.2 percent increase from last year – according to AAA projections.

Metra has announced extra afternoon trains departing from downtown terminals today. a “Thanksgiving Holiday Ticket” also will be available, providing unlimited two-day travel Thursday and Friday for $5.

Also, in an effort to make travel easier, the Illinois Department of Transportation is making an effort to suspend lane closures wherever possible from 3 p.m. today through midnight Sunday.

However, because of the nature of some projects, some construction zones will continue to have lane closures in effect. These include Route 68 between Healy Road in Barrington Hills for culvert replacement; traffic will be reduced to one lane with traffic signals.

In Marengo, Route 23 will continue to be closed over the Kishwaukee River for bridge construction. a detour is posted.

On the interstates, the Illinois State Police will be conducting their “Alive on the I’s” campaign, where troopers are assigned to patrol each 20-mile portion of the interstates. They also will be teaming up with sheriff’s offices and local police departments for enforcement blitzes.

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