Local News
A Putnam County man is facing charges related to child pornography. Authorities report Mark Allen Jones has been indicted on at least one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. Detectives launched an investigation in March of last year when a woman who had been dating Jones reported finding explicit photos of children on his cell phone. Police say they uncovered inappropriate photos of children on multiple devices. Jones is due in court on March 20th.
The Robertson County Historical Society will be performing “An Evening with Miss Lena and Mr. Patterson,” which chronicles the careers of two educational pioneers in Springfield and Robertson County. Performances will be held at the Robertson County Innovation Academy auditorium Feb. 16–18 at 7 p.m. and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Feb 19. There’s also a special daytime performance for Robertson County students on February 16. The production will also feature a children’s and adult choir with original music by composer and singer Nuithia Davis.
Police agencies across the state are raising the red flag about online romance scams. While they can happen any time of year, Valentine’s Day and other holidays can make victims more vulnerable to romantic advances. The FBI has some tips to protect yourself from a scammer including being wary of someone who seems too perfect or who tries to isolate you from family and friends. They also suggest researching the person’s profile and asking a lot of questions. Officials say never send money to someone you only know online or on the phone and be careful about what you post as scammers use details shared on social media and dating sites to target their victims.
Star-studded Super Bowl ads were the theme of the big game. Included in this year’s lineup were comic kings Ben Stiller and Steve Martin starring in twin ads for Pepsi Zero Sugar. Will Ferrell teamed up with General Motors and Netflix for a campaign on the car brand’s electric vehicles. Amy Schumer erased her exes in Google Pixel’s Super Bowl ad. Elton John, Jack Harlow and Missy Elliott got caught up in a Doritos Love Triangle and Paul Rudd reprises his role as Ant-Man to promote Heineken’s non-alcoholic beer. This year, FOX charged seven-million dollars for a 30-second ad.
Blockbuster Video ran an ad during the Super Bowl. The last store in the U.S. in Bend, Oregon, streamed an ad on Instagram, while it played on a VHS tape at the store. The tape is available for rental today, at a bargain price of two dollars. The company once had more than nine thousand stores but declined significantly following the rise of Netflix and Redbox.