Vanilla Ice charged with home break-in
Vanilla Ice has been charged with breaking into and stealing from an abandoned home that is in foreclosure in Florida.
Police in the Palm Beach County town of Lantana said the recording artist and home improvement show host had been renovating a home next to the victim’s house. They said in a news release that some of the items were found at his property.
Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, rose to fame following the 1990 release of the hit song “Ice Ice Baby.” In recent years, he has hosted “The Vanilla Ice Project” on DIY Network. The 47-year-old Van Winkle was charged Wednesday with burglary of residence and grand theft and taken into custody. He was later released on a $6,000 bond.
Authorities said furniture, a pool heater, bicycles and other items were removed from the home sometime during December and February.
Armstrong pleads guilty to crash
Lance Armstrong pleaded guilty to careless driving for hitting two parked cars with his SUV in Aspen, a crash his girlfriend originally tried to take the blame for, a prosecutor confirmed Wednesday.
The cyclist entered his plea by mail Friday under a plea agreement with prosecutors, closing the case and avoiding a court appearance. Two other charges, failing to report an accident and speeding too fast for conditions, were dismissed under the agreement, which was first reported by the Aspen Daily News.
Court records show Armstrong paid $238.50 to cover court fees and a $150 traffic fine.
Armstrong’s girlfriend, Anna Hansen, initially told police she had been driving home from an Aspen Art Museum party Dec. 28 when she lost control of Armstrong’s GMC Yukon on icy roads, hitting the cars. She said she drove because “Lance had a little bit to drink,” according to police reports. Detectives later interviewed Hansen, who eventually told them Armstrong was driving but the couple had decided to let her take the blame. She also retracted her statement about Armstrong being unable to drive because he had been drinking. None of the charges against Armstrong involved driving under the influence.
Douglas to be recognized in May
Academy Award winner Michael Douglas will receive the George Eastman Award for his contributions to the film industry.
The George Eastman House said Wednesday that the star of films including “Wall Street” and “Basic Instinct” will receive the award during a May 14 ceremony at the Dryden Theatre, followed by a black-tie gala at the Rochester, New York, museum dedicated to photography and motion picture.
Douglas has produced and acted in more than 75 films and television series. He won one Oscar for best actor for 1987’s “Wall Street” and one for best film for co-producing “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1975.
The birthday bunch
Singer Smokey Robinson is 75. Actor Jeff Daniels is 60. Singer Seal is 52. Actress Justine Bateman is 49. Actor Benicio Del Toro is 48. Pop singer-actress Haylie Duff is 30.