Ex-Philly anchor fired, yet again, from midwest TV station
Plus: Schilling takes no crap from the Twittersphere; actress debuts hair line this weekend in town.
HISTORY is seeming to repeat itself for an old Philly newscaster.
According to the Illinois Times, former Philadelphia NBC10 anchor Vince DeMentri was fired from his latest gig as an anchor and reporter for WICS-TV, in Springfield, Ill.
According to sources, DeMentri, 50, got involved in a fight with a colleague at a Hooters restaurant in Springfield on Feb. 24.
Police were called just after midnight with reports of fists flying between two people, one of them DeMentri.
This will be the third dismissal for the troubled newscaster, who was first fired from NBC10 for allegedly having an affair with a co-worker that was leaked to the media. He was later fired from New York's WPIX (Channel 11) three days after a confrontation with the limo driver for the Bahamian ambassador to the United Nations, who reportedly took his parking spot.
DeMentri is a Temple University grad and began his career as a sports producer for WPVI-TV before he became an anchor for NBC10.
Sources tell me that DeMentri threatened Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz several years ago when DeMentri was standing in a pool of water up to his knees during a flood and Schwartz said something on air about it.
DeMentri did not return calls and emails seeking comment.
Ex-Phil Curt Schilling defends daughter
World Series champion Curt Schilling's defense of his daughter against cyberbullies has dominated the Twittersphere the past couple of days.
He posted a tweet last week congratulating his 17-year old daughter, Gabby, for being accepted to Salve Regina University, in Newport, R.I., where she plans to play softball.
Some comments were so vile and sexual in nature that Schilling returned a little chin music over the weekend. He reposted the comments, exposing the trolls, and it resulted in the suspensions of two users and the firing of one from his job.
Schilling appeared yesterday on "Good Morning America," chastising the two main perpetrators of the ugly tweets. Both hail from New Jersey. One was Adam Nagel, a/k/a @Nagels_Bagels, a student at Brookdale Community College, in Monmouth County. The other was Sean MacDonald, @primetime227, of Montclair, N.J.
"I know every one of their names, their parents, where they go to school, what they do, what team they are on, their positions, stats, all of it," Schilling wrote on his blog, 38 Pitches.
"This is a generation of kids who have grown up behind the monitor and keyboard. The real world has consequences when you do and say things about others. We're at a point now where you better be sure who you're going after."
Yesterday, Avid D. McMillon, the executive director of college relations for Brookdale, responded to me in an email:
"The Twitter comments posted by Brookdale student Adam Nagel are unacceptable and clearly violate the standards of conduct that are expected of all Brookdale students. The student has been summarily suspended and will be scheduled for a conduct hearing where further disciplinary action will be taken. The Brookdale police are actively investigating this matter."
Vivica Fox brings new locks
Actress Vivica A. Fox will headline a launch party this week for her new product, Smart Weft, a weave made of human hair that promises a "no-lump," "no-clump" fit for women.
The launch party is planned for this Sunday at the Crystal Tea Room (100 E. Penn Square) and will be hosted by Miss Lawrence, from Bravo's "Fashion Queens," and cast members from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."
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