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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Swift’s awards date in hospital, bows out

From Wire Reports

The New Jersey teen who is fighting cancer and scored a date with Taylor Swift to The Academy of Country Music Awards is in the hospital and won’t make the show.

A Facebook post Saturday said 18-year-old Kevin McGuire was admitted to the hospital Friday night and can’t keep his date with Swift. It was not clear why McGuire was hospitalized.

“Just talked to Kevin McGuire,” Swift said in a tweet. “He’s not well enough to join me at the ACMs. Please keep him in your thoughts. I’ll make it up to you, Kevin!”

Swift asked the Somerdale, N.J., resident to tonight’s ACM awards after his sister started a campaign to get her to attend his prom. The reigning ACM entertainer of the year couldn’t make the prom but offered to go on the awards show date instead.

Slime flows fast, furious at KCAs

Host Will Smith opened the 25th annual Kids Choice Awards with “some big blimpin’.”

Smith started the show with an elaborate, digitally animated skydive from Nickelodeon’s trademark blimp. He was then hoisted from the rafters to the stage of the Galen Center in Los Angeles, where thousands of glow-stick-waving fans cheered him on – including first lady Michelle Obama.

The slime, a Kids Choice Awards tradition, started early. Buckets of it were dropped on the front rows of fans.

Smith promised “the most ever slime, ever.”

Halle Berry was the first to be covered, but she was far from alone. She was joined by “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner (who won favorite “buttkicker”), “Glee” star Chris Colfer and male singer winner Justin Bieber, who was utterly drenched along with Smith at the end of the show.

For the KCAs, kids vote for their favorites in film, music, sports and TV.

Mason companion faces assault count

Police say a woman who accused comedian Jackie Mason of roughing her up during a domestic dispute has been arrested on an assault charge stemming from the incident.

Police said Saturday that Mason’s 48-year-old “companion” scratched and bruised his arm around 6:30 a.m. Friday as he attempted to call a doorman to have her removed from his Upper East Side apartment.

Initially, police said the woman had reported being roughed up by Mason, 75, who’s known for one-man shows on Broadway like “Politically Incorrect.” Mason hasn’t been charged.

The birthday bunch

Actress Debbie Reynolds is 80. Actress Ali MacGraw is 74. Singer Rudolph Isley (Isley Brothers) is 73. Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is 64. Rapper-actor Method Man is 41. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow is 39. Actor Matt Lanter (“90210”) is 29.