As the Thanksgiving holiday weekend wrapped up, San Diego Countyhad recorded fewer roadway fatalities and drunken-driving arreststhan last year, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

The North County saw no roadway fatalities in the first 84 hoursof the weekend, a period that started 6 p.m. Wednesday and ended 6a.m. Sunday, CHP Officer Jesse Udovich said.

In San Diego County, one person died on the road in that period.a 46-year-old woman whose name has not been released was found deadon Highway 163 in Mission Valley early Friday, the apparent victimof a hit-and-run accident, the medical examiner’s office said.

Last year, the county saw two roadway fatalities, Udovichsaid.

San Diego County CHP officers made 94 DUI arrests in the first84 hours of the weekend, down from 108 in 2008, Udovich said. Thosenumbers do not include arrests made by other agencies, he said.

Statewide, the number of roadway fatalities was up by Sundaymorning, with 30 deaths compared to 24 last year, Udovich said.However, the number of DUI arrests by the CHP was down, with 1,314this year compared to 1,397 in 2008, he said.

NEW YORK — Holiday shopping held steady through the Thanksgiving weekend after retailers saw a huge crowd of bargain shoppers on Black Friday buying discounted flat-panel TVs and fleece jackets.

Economic worries about jobs were still apparent as shoppers stuck to their lists and focused on practical and small-ticket items for themselves and for their loved ones, resulting in a mildly encouraging start to the season.

Online sales on Thursday and Friday, however, rose 11 percent to $913 million, according to data released Sunday by comScore, an Internet research firm.

According to preliminary figures released Saturday by ShopperTrak, a research firm that tracks more than 50,000 outlets, sales rose 0.5 percent to $10.66 billion Friday, compared with a year ago. that was on top of a 3 percent increase last year.

The National Retail Federation trade group said Sunday it is sticking to its forecast for holiday sales to decline 1 percent from last year.

The question now is whether merchants will be able to keep customers coming back for the rest of the season.

A year after suffering the biggest sales decline in four decades, the nation’s merchants pulled out all the stops in stores and online to keep the momentum going for the holiday weekend, further blurring the lines between their Web-based and land-based businesses.

Major merchants including J.C. Penney Co. and Sears Holdings Corp., which operates Kmart and Sears, broke new ground this year by making many of their early morning Black Friday specials available on their Web sites at the same time.

Marketing gurus have started calling the season a “Twitter Christmas” as merchants have been tweeting deals and offering previews of discounts on Facebook pages.

Sears spokesman Tom Aiello noted Sunday that since Wednesday, the chain has sent out a few dozen tweets to inform customers of bargains for the weekend and for the Monday after Thanksgiving, which is heavily promoted as Cyber Monday but could lose some of it steam this year.

“Forget Black Friday for bricks and Cyber Monday for clicks — this year it’s all about making it easy for customers to satisfy their shopping fix … wherever and whenever,” said John Long, a retail strategist at Kurt Salmon Associates.

Long, however, noted that “we’re still seeing cautious spending. the pie isn’t increasing whether you decide to buy in the stores or online.”

Laura Gurski, a partner in the retail practice at a.T. Kearney, a global management consultant, described the start as “encouraging” and noted that shoppers have more “confidence in what they’re buying” because retailers are communicating better through social media in addition to traditional marketing.

She believes the weekend’s results offered signals that consumers, many of whom had cut spending all year to bare-bones necessities, had saved up for the holidays and were opening their wallets — even if just a little.

Shoppers’ cautious mood was evident.

Allentown, Pa. resident Jamie Sandrock, 27, who was visiting new York City on Saturday and was outside toy store FAO Schwarz, said she got up at 7 a.m. Friday and took advantage of online deals on Amazon.com, American Eagle Outfitters and Sephora.

That’s a big change from the Black Fridays of years past, when Sandrock would get up at 3:30 a.m. to head to Target or Best Buy.

“Last year, I was part of the stampede,” she said. “This year, I didn’t have to shower. I didn’t have to get dressed. All I had to do was click.”

But Sandrock, who has been trying to find a job in nursing since she graduated from college in may, said she’s slashing her holiday spending to $350 from last year’s $500.

After losing his job in the insurance industry earlier this year, Charles Tompkins, 48, who was at the Freehold, N.J., Raceway Mall on Saturday, said he’ll be spending “a lot less” this year than he did in 2008.

“My daughter is in college, so my wife will get her clothes, shoes, stuff like that. In years past, my gift to her probably would have been to take her to a Broadway show, but this year she knows her old dad can’t swing that,” Tompkins said.

Nevertheless, overall reports Sunday from malls and stores were somewhat comforting and different from last year when stores had a decent Black Friday before sales tanked the rest of the weekend and season.

The Mall of America in Minneapolis, saw 325,000 visitors Friday and Saturday, the most in 17 years. Spokeswoman Bridget Jewell said traffic remained steady throughout the weekend and said she’s fairly confident that weekend sales will be up from last year.

Taubman Centers, which operates 24 malls nationwide, said sales Friday were up anywhere from mid-single digits to double-digit increases compared with a year ago. on Saturday, sales were anywhere from unchanged to up slightly.

Shoppers bought about half the items sold for themselves, she said, but the buying was focused on basics like denim, fleece jackets and boots, she said. Electronics remained hot throughout the weekend.

A more complete sales picture won’t be known until Thursday, when the nation’s retailers report November sales.

AP Retail Writer Bruce Shipkowski contributed to the report in Freehold, N.J.

Oakland travel to Dallas in the second of three NFL games on Thanksgiving in week twelve of the NFL season. The Raiders have had a poor season so far and are now 3-7, but will take heart from their shock 20-17 win over the Bengals last week. The Cowboys also won last week, edging out the Redskins 7-6 in a very tight game, and now sit top of the NFC East at 7-3 after winning five of their previous six games.

Dallas are heavy favourites on the money line for this game at -800 (bet $800 to win $100 profit), leaving Oakland as big underdogs at +614 (bet $100 to win $614 profit). Betting so far on the money line has mainly been in favour of the Raiders, with 83% of money so far backing them to produce an upset.

The point spread has been set at 13.5 points for the game, making Dallas favourites at -13.5 points and giving Oakland a handicap of +13.5 points. Betting against the spread has so far been fairly evenly split with 52% of money behind the Cowboys even with the large handicap. last time the teams met, however, the Raiders did not need any advantage at all as they beat Dallas 19-13 in week four of the 2005 season.

Oakland have performed better against the spread so far this season than they have on the field, covering at 5-5 while winning at only 3-7. Dallas, however, are better winning than beating the spot, covering at 5-5 even while succeeding on the field at 7-3.

The Over/Under for the game has been set 40 points with 62% of betting so far in favour of the over. This seems strange, however, as Dallas has split 5-5 on the Over/Under and Oakland have recorded six Unders in their ten decisions so far.

The hosts tonight are seen as having some chance of mounting a challenge for the Super Bowl this year, priced at 25/1 for glory this year. Oakland, however, are not and at 1000/1 they are effectively out of contention for the postseason already.

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tags: american football, betting, dallas cowboys, football, live scores, nfl, oakland raiders, odds, super bowl, superbowl, thanksgiving, thursday, tony romo

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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A frozen bird heavy enough to break a toe, a guest list as long as an arm — Thanksgiving means extreme cooking, even for experienced people. Some help on coping with kitchen calamities:

MISSING INGREDIENTS

Publix may be closed, but if you forgot to buy the cranberries, Winn-Dixie (7 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Sedano’s (7 a.m.-6 p.m.) are open Thanksgiving Day.

STILL-FROZEN BIRD

you should have moved it to the fridge days ago to thaw, but all is not lost: Unwrap the turkey, put it in a pan and roast as usual, allowing about 50 percent more time — 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours for a 14-pound turkey, for example, rather than 3 to 3 3/4 hours. (There’s a roasting chart on the Turkey Page at foodsafety.gov.) Use a thermometer to make sure it’s done (165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh). and bake the stuffing in a casserole dish.

PATHETIC POTATOES

Mash them by hand or with an electric mixer (not a food processor), gradually work in heated milk or cream ( ½ cup maximum per pound of potatoes) and they should be fine. if not, send somebody to the store for refrigerated Simply Potatoes Country-Style Mashed Potatoes, which can pass for homemade.

NO-SHOW SIDES

Piccadilly cafeterias (11 a.m.-4 p.m. or later depending on location, piccadilly.com) and Boston Market (11 a.m.-7 p.m., bostonmarket.com) are two sources for last-minute side dishes.

LUMPY GRAVY

Puree it in the blender and reheat. if it’s beyond repair, add jarred turkey gravy to the emergency shopping list and doctor it with pan juices.

HAND-HOLDING REQUIRED

Trained professionals will be a phone call away — in English and Spanish — on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (888-674-6854) and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Butterball Turkey Talk Line (800-288-8372). Or follow Butterball at Twitter.com/Butterball for real-time advice.

CULINARY COLLAPSE

If all else fails, make a reservation. You’ll find a guide to restaurant Thanksgiving specials at miamiherald.com/226/story/1340160.html.

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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Hey, Lions fans, feast on this.

Levy Restaurants Ford Fields official restaurant partner will prepare a Thanksgiving sit-down dinner for club-level ticket holders at Thursdays game against the Green Bay Packers.

Levy executive chef Joe Nader and his staff will roast 50 whole turkeys and prepare 500 pounds of mashed potatoes and 500 pounds of stuffing, along with 20 gallons of cranberry sauce.

The menu for the feast, which will be served from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Hall of Legends, includes roast turkey with giblet gravy and orange cranberry chutney, mashed potatoes with garlic and white cheddar, sweet potatoes glazed with bourbon, dressing and other sides and desserts.

The meal, not including beverages, costs $29.95; $14.95 for ages 10 and under. Call 313-262-2333 for reservations.

Two concession stands, one at each end zone, will offer a turkey drumstick with orange cranberry glaze and stuffing for $8.50.

Join Free Press sports writer Shawn Windsor for a live blog of the Lions-Packers game on Thanksgiving afternoon at freep.com/sports.

Thanksgiving travel won’t be as big a turkey as it was last year when the number of Virginians heading out of town plummeted by a third because of a deepening recession.

But this year’s numbers will still be far short of the gravy days of a few years back.

The American Automobile Association projects that 1.15 million Virginians will travel by car, plane or train over the Thanksgiving holiday, up 2.7 percent over last year. That means 14.6 percent of the state’s residents will be traveling for Thanksgiving.

AAA forecasts an uptick even though gas is about 60 cents per gallon more expensive

than last year. the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Hampton Roads was $2.50 last week.

“Gas prices are higher, but the economy is a little better,” said Georjeane L. Blumling, vice president of public relations for AAA Tidewater. “Last year, we took a hit all the way around…. People were a little shellshocked at the time.”

In 2008, 1.12 million Virginians traveled for Thanksgiving compared with 1.66 million in 2007.

Nationwide, AAA predicts the number of people who travel will grow to 38.4 million this year, up 1.4 percent from last year.

This year’s predicted increase will come from vacationers hitting the road, not the air.

About 86 percent will travel by automobile, according to AAA. six percent will go by air and the remainder will go by train, bus or boat.

AAA estimates air travel will be down 6.2 percent in Virginia.

The Air Transport Association of America, the trade association for the leading airlines, expects a smaller drop. the association predicts a 4 percent decrease in the number of Thanksgiving travelers nationwide.

The expected decline closely mirrors the trend at Norfolk International Airport, which has seen a 4.5 percent drop in traffic so far this year.

That’s even despite some recent deep discounts.

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics recently reported that the average airfare for the second quarter of this year – $301 – is the lowest since 1998.

That fare, which is an average of all fares and includes both one-way and round-trip tickets, is down 13 percent from a year earlier. the decrease is the biggest since the government began keeping records in 1995.

Before this year, the biggest decline was between the fourth quarter of 2000 and the fourth quarter of 2001, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“The economic head winds facing the airlines and their customers are anything but behind us,” said James C. May, the association’s president and CEO.

Despite the expected decline in travelers, airplanes are likely to be quite full because airlines have cut back on their flights in response to economic pressures.

The four busiest air travel days are expected to be, in descending order – Monday, Nov. 30; Sunday, Nov. 29; Friday, Nov. 20; and Wednesday, Nov. 25.

“During this busy travel period especially, passengers should plan ahead and provide plenty of time for airport check-in and security screening,” May said.

Passengers may be asked to provide their date of birth and gender when making a reservation or checking in for a flight as part of the TSA’s new Secure Flight program.

Passengers who have not flown in a while may not be familiar with the rules, especially Thanksgiving food rules.

For example, pies can get through security checkpoints, but because of rules for liquids, cranberry sauce and gravy are no-nos.

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com

The national average for a gallon of regular gas was $2.64 on Monday, slightly less than a month ago but up 72 cents a gallon from a year ago, the auto club AAA says.

Oil prices ended the day Monday up 9 cents, closing at $77.56 a barrel, indicating little change ahead for gasoline prices. “It’s a fairly stable pricing environment,” says Jim Ritterbusch, president of oil trading adviser firm Ritterbusch and Associates.

Thanksgiving travel provides an opportunity to gauge the mood of U.S. consumers, AAA says.

The auto club expects 2% more travelers on roadways this year than last, for a total of 33.2 million people.

The expected increase reflects improved consumer confidence, a rising stock market and growing sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is behind us, AAA says.

Last year, Thanksgiving travel tanked 25% from the previous year in the wake of the housing and financial meltdown.

Now, gas prices could emerge as a drag on consumer spending with the nation’s unemployment rate hitting 10.2% last month, says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service.

“When we dipped into the recession, cheaper energy was a silver lining,” Kloza says. “That silver lining has disappeared and that will test this recovery.”

In the next month, he says, he expects crude oil prices to be twice the level of last year, a situation that rarely occurs. Oil has traded between $76 and $82 a barrel for more than a month. Initially, it was driven higher on expectations of an economic recovery and a weak dollar. because oil is priced in dollars, a falling dollar drives oil prices up.

Countering those factors are big inventories of gasoline, heating oil, natural gas and diesel fuel in the U.S., Ritterbusch says. “As long as we have unemployment above 10%, that’ll keep a lid on rising gas prices or changes in people’s driving habits,” he adds.

The Energy Information Administration, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Energy, expects higher crude oil prices to drive gas near $3 a gallon during next year’s summer driving season. Crude oil prices account for 64% of the cost of gas, the Energy Information Administration says.

While $2.64 a gallon is a national average, drivers in different areas pay more or less. The EIA said Monday that regular gas is averaging $2.94 a gallon in California and $2.84 a gallon in New York, but $2.43 a gallon in Houston.

Preparations are in high gear for the Trinity Episcopal Church Thanksgiving Day Outreach Thursday.

The meal will be served from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Trinity’s All Saints Parish Hall, 106 North Grove St. in downtown Marshall.

Trinity Episcopal Church began the Thanksgiving Day Outreach 18 years ago and it has evolved into a tradition. through the years, the community meal has become a collaborative effort by local churches and community volunteers. other churches who participate with Trinity Episcopal are St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, first Baptist Church, first United Methodist Church and Central Baptist Church.

Last year, more than 900 meals were prepared, served or delivered in the community on Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving Day Outreach was designed to provide meals and fellowship for those who may be in need on this special holiday.

In addition to the elderly, sick or others who may not be able to leave their homes, the outreach delivers meals within the city limits to Marshall Meals on Wheels participants, East Texas Open Door, 12-Way Foundation, Choices, Willoughby, the Harrison County Jail, as well as to members of the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, Marshall Police Department and Marshall fire Department who have to work on Thanksgiving Day.

Father John Himes, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, says that the meal is a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings.

“We invite members of our community to join us for food and fellowship or to volunteer to help. It’s a wonderful way to say thank you on this special day focused on the appreciation of our many blessings,” he said.

The deadline is today to request a delivered meal. Call Bonnie Somerford at 903-938-4246 by 5 p.m.

Christina Anderson, co-chair of this year’s Thanksgiving Day Outreach committee with husband Richard Anderson, notes, “The Thanksgiving Day Outreach is indeed a joyful collaboration of church families and community volunteers. A huge and heartfelt thank you to all from Trinity Episcopal as well as St. Joseph’s, first Methodist, first Baptist, Central Baptist, the Knights of Columbus, and other volunteers who never miss an opportunity to step up and say, ‘How can I help?’ whether it’s cooking a turkey or serving or delivering meals or scrubbing pots, Trinity Church appreciates the kindness of all who have contributed and volunteered this year and in years past.”

Also offering holiday meals are:

St. mark Missionary Baptist Church, 1501 South Martin St., will deliver dinners on Thanksgiving Day from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 903-938-2756.

New Mount Moriah Baptist Church, 501 Middle St., will offer Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving beginning at 10 a.m. Call 903-935-6295.

The Union Baptist Church’s youth department will delivery Thanksgiving dinners on Thanksgiving morning from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to elderly residents and families in need. Call Kimberly, youth director, at 903-742-6078 or 903-923-2664 to order a holiday meal.