Rumor about ring wrong, Fator says

So much for that rumor that Terry Fator's girlfriend Taylor Dew has been flashing a big honking engagement ring.

"It's not true," Fator said Tuesday. "But one of these days she'll get one."

Fator and his former onstage assistant moved into a $6 million home in Summerlin earlier this month, he confirmed.

Fator went public with the relationship with Dew shortly after she turned 21 in July, a few days after he announced he and his wife of 18 years, Melinda, were getting a divorce.

She has been in contact with Las Vegas heavyweight attorney David Chesnoff, who has represented Britney Spears, Martha Stewart and Celine Dion's husband, Rene Angelil, in the past decade.

Fator recently moved out of Turnberry Place.

He's singing the national anthem at the Seattle Seahawks-Arizona Cardinals NFL game on Sunday in Seattle.

He's not taking any of his puppets. He's performing solo.

EARLY INDICATORS

Media observers got early clues Tuesday that something was up with layoffs at Greenspun Media Group.

First Rob Curley, president and executive editor of Greenspun Interactive, the new-media division of the Las Vegas Sun and Greenspun Media Group, posted a frowning emoticon on his Facebook page.

Then Emily Gimmel, host and producer of the now-disbanded 702.tv project, posted this Scripture passage on her Twitter site: "know the plans I have for u, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. -- Jeremiah 29:11."

GMG Interactive writer John Katsilometes, whose job was not lost, tweeted what many staffers were feeling: "As John Lennon once said, 'nobody told me there'd be days like these.'"

Late Tuesday afternoon Gimmel added the tweet: "... no longer working at 702.tv. If anyone is hiring in video reporting/editing/producton/distribution let me know."

A half-dozen videographers were among those losing their jobs.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

There's buzz out of Nashville that Garth Brooks has a surprise up his sleeve for his two news conferences Thursday, one in Nashville and one at Wynn Las Vegas. Judging from the time of his Nashville conference, his one at Wynn will be around midday. Back on Aug. 9, I reported that Brooks had signed a 16-week deal, but the report was denied. ...

A radio promotion at the Hard Rock Hotel pool last Friday devolved into a messy scuffle involving a star deejay at KOMP-FM, 92.3, and a former deejay. Craig Williams of KOMP's morning show got into a fight with former KOMP deejay who went by the on-air name Wolf. The Hard Rock confirmed that two men involved in the incident were escorted off the property. Lotus Broadcasting did not return calls on Tuesday. ...

An Internet site, Mediaite.com, is reporting Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett has H1N1 flu. No confirmation yet from Fox. Garrett, 47, is a former Review-Journal courthouse reporter. According to the report, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and CNN's Sanjay Gupta have also contracted swine flu since September. ...

Comedian Bobby Slayton left the Tropicana at the end of September. He had a contract until May. He's shooting a Showtime special next month. ...

Holly Madison spent 45 minutes in Mayor Oscar Goodman's office Tuesday, part of a reality show pilot that she's working on. The theme, we're told, is that Holly wants to do what she can to make Las Vegas even better and cooler than it is already. In the segment filmed Tuesday, she got suggestions from the mayor on how to accomplish that. Madison was with her galpal Angel. ...

SIGHTINGS

Comedian Frank Caliendo, performing in front of an audience of 30 family members and friends during his final rehearsal Monday at Monte Carlo. One of his biggest laughs came when he told the group that he went to see magician Lance Burton over the weekend with his 5-year-old son, who went on stage with Burton before bolting back to his father. ...

Greg Jarmolowich, the co-operator of Privé nightclub before it was shut down temporarily for a number of problems, was spotted working the ropes at the Louis Lounge at the Gansevoort South in Miami over the weekend. The club is owned by Opium Group, which also owns Privé, which recently regained its operating license. ...

TV personality Jerry Springer, who hosts the new Strip show "America's Got Talent Live!", taking a private tour of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health with founder Larry Ruvo.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Rush Limbaugh has been named one of the judges in the Miss America pageant. I'm thinking, 'A loud-mouthed judge who likes prescription painkillers?' Well, it worked on "American Idol.'" -- Craig Ferguson

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.