Miss USA crown goes in for work
Miss USA organizers believe the crown that reigning pageant queen Rima Fakih has been wearing probably was broken in transit.
"When we took it out of her luggage in Vegas, someone noticed that a spoke was broken," Miss USA publicist Brenda Mendoza told Vegas Confidential via email.
Local jeweler Michael Minden confirmed the crown has been in his Fashion Show store twice this week for work.
Minden is known for his work with celebrities, from creating the wedding ring for the 2000 Fox special "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire" to making a diamond-studded tennis racket for 17-year-old Asia Mohammad's U.S. Open debut in 2008.
Fakih's conduct has come under scrutiny by the Miss USA organization, a pageant organizer confirmed in a story Friday.
Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart told Fox News' Fox411 entertainment blog on Wednesday that pageant officials are looking at security tapes to determine whether she might have been out on the town last week in New York City.
In 2006, reigning Miss USA Tara Conner nearly lost her crown for partying and other scandalous nightlife activity.
GET BACK, LORETTA
Long hours in a steamy dry cleaning shop can take the starch out of you, like working eight days a week.
But some days make all of the hard work worthwhile.
This was a good week for the staff, most of whom are women, at Tiffany Couture Cleaners in the Commercial Center off east Sahara Avenue.
A rush order for two expensive white shirts was brought in on Wednesday, with instructions for no starch.
When owner Judy Del Rossi was informed the VIP order was for Beatles icon Paul McCartney, she left nothing to chance.
She handled the order herself.
McCartney's wardrobe manager was so pleased he brought three more of the dress shirts in on Thursday and 23 pieces on Friday, all for McCartney and his band.
Del Rossi's manager, Sheila Langley, hit the jackpot while emptying the pockets.
She found a handful of green guitar picks in the white shirts and returned them.
She was given one as a gift, which she was proudly displaying to customers on Friday.
"We do a lot of stars' clothes," Del Rossi said, "but my husband, Dan, said, 'It doesn't get any bigger than this.' "
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Las Vegas resident Orel Hershiser, a baseball analyst for ESPN, told ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd on Friday that he and former Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Steve Garvey are exploring a bid to get involved as owners of the Dodgers.
Tickets went on sale Friday for comedian Russell Brand's two shows at Mandalay Bay on
July 22.
SIGHTINGS
Mirage headliner Terry Fator, at Gold & Silver Pawn on Wednesday checking out the value of some vintage puppets that the store's Rick Harrison of "Pawn Stars" fame recently acquired. ... Longtime KSNV-TV, Channel 3, reporter/anchor Sue Manteris, with friends Thursday at Gordon Biersch, site of her farewell party. She signed off at the end of the 6 p.m. newscast, her finale after 22 years at the station. Her contract was not renewed. She filed a discrimination lawsuit in May, alleging racial, age, and gender discrimination. During a video that covered her years at the station, a camera panned a wall filled with photographs of her son, Jai, before zooming in on a plaque she received last month from the Asian American Democratic Caucus. The award is presented to locals who stand up to discrimination.
THE PUNCH LINE
"There's a six-week wait for elastic pants" -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Signs America Is Too Fat.
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
