Category: Public Relations

22-inch tall teen from Nepal turns 18 this week; birthday brings title of world’s shortest man

ORLANDO, Fla. (October 11, 2010) – It’s no tall tale, but it may be the biggest short story ever.

Khagendra Thapa Magar, the 22-inch tall teen featured in the new Ripley’s Believe It or Not! book, Enter If You Dare!, will officially take the title of world’s shortest man this week.

Khagendra will turn 18 this Thursday, October 14, making him eligible for the world’s tiniest title. He’s a full five inches shorter than the current smallest man.

Khagendra has earned another title recently – Nepal’s Goodwill Ambassador. His mission will be to help the country attract 1 million tourists next year.

“Khagendra has been recognized by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for years as the smallest person known to exist over the age of two,” said Edward Meyer, VP of Exhibits and Archives for Ripley’s Believe It or Not! “He’s one of the most amazing people that we have ever come across. We wish him a happy birthday and congratulate him on his latest accomplishments.”

Khagendra has also been busy helping attract readers for Enter If You Dare!, the annual collection of unusual, amazing and odd stories from Ripley Publishing, and was the talk of the town during his recent visit to New York City.

Facts about Khagendra:

Birthday: October 14, 1992

Birthplace: Baglung District, Nepal

Height: 22 inches

Weight: 11 pounds

Hobbies: Karate, dancing

Downloadable images of Khagendra are available at:  http://www.ripleybooks.com/smallestman/

Media contact:

Frank Wolff

407-339-0879 office

407-637-6000 cell

frank@wellonscommunications.com

About Ripley Publishing

Ripley Publishing is the publishing arm of Ripley Entertainment Inc., the owner of the internationally famous trademark Ripley’s Believe It or Not! As world authority on all that is unbelievable, the company offers up its vast archives of the strange and unusual through books, television shows, tourist attractions, motion pictures, merchandise and the worldwide syndication of its daily newspaper cartoon. Ripley researchers across the globe are busy each day digging deep into the world of the odd and bizarre to compile enough fresh and exciting material to fill the Believe It or Not! series of books published each year.

Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando public relations firm.

Featured in this Encore Episode of
Ripley Radio – An On-Demand Oddcast Are:

The world’s fastest female talker, Fran Capo, entertains us with her high speed humor and talking skills; The Great Cindini tells about her edgy life as a strongwoman, stuntwoman and Human Firecracker; we learn of one lady’s amazing dedication to her bedtime ritual; we’re introduced to the world’s richest heiress; and we visit Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Ripley Radio – an On-Demand Oddcast

Ripley Radio is a journey through the weird, wacky, whimsical, wild, and totally unbelievable world of the odd, strange and unusual. Each show provides listeners with amazing and absolutely true tales of today as well as unbelievable facts culled from the extensive archives of the company that has been freaking out families for more than 90 years!

The broadcast is an unpredictable and fun-filled show that proves beyond all      dimensions that Ripley’s is indeed, the global authority on the weird, strange, bizarre and the UNBELIEVABLE!

You can enjoy Ripley Radio – An On-Demand Oddcast at the dedicated Ripley Radio website and in the Podcast section of iTunes.

Meet Ripley Radio’s Ensemble:

• · Tim O’Brien, executive producer
  Vice President, Communications, Ripley Entertainment Inc.

• “Ralf with an F” (Ralf Ingwersen)
  Director of Ghost Tours
  Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, St. Augustine, Fla.

• Edward Meyer
  Vice President, Exhibits and Archives, Ripley Entertainment Inc.

• · Marci Pikel
  Manager of Marketing & Production Services, Ripley Entertainment Inc.

For detailed information on each host, please visit the Ripley Radio website.

About Ripley Radio

Ripley Radio is owned by Ripley Entertainment Inc., keepers of the venerable Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand and is a global leader in location-based entertainment. More than 13 million guests visit its 80-plus world-wide attractions annually. The Orlando-based company also has divisions that oversee publishing, licensing and broadcast operations.  Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada.

Contact:

Tim O’Brien
Ripley Radio Executive Producer
VP Communications
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
obrien@ripleys.com
Office – 615-646-7465
Cell – 615-496-5949

Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando public relations firm.

FROM: Ripley’s Haunted Adventure

Public Relations – (210) 226-2828

Contact:  Davis Phillips

TERROR IN TEXAS

9^th ANNUAL HALLOWEEN PROMOTION AT RIPLEY’S HAUNTED ADVENTURE CHALLENGES VISITORS TO FACE THEIR WORST FEAR

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Visitors and locals to San Antonio will have the opportunity to be scared stiff this month as Ripley’s Haunted Adventure presents its annual October Halloween celebration with a new twist.

New for 2010 is PHOBIA – Face Your Fears. Visitors will finally have the chance to face ALL their fears in one place. Ripley’s Haunted Adventure has been turned into a one stop phobia shop featuring: fear of the dark, fear of the dead, fear of insects, fear of being closed in with no way out, fear of being trapped in small places, fear of heights, and fear of clowns. All these spectacular fears, plus some you have probably never thought of – all seen and experienced in ways you have dreaded all your life!

PHOBIA comes alive this month only with live actors who can sense YOUR fears!

Located at 329 Alamo Plaza, across from The Alamo, this state-of-the-art, multi million dollar haunted house combines live actors, animatronics, and bone chilling special effects for a terrific experience.

“Any soul brave enough to enter will get the scare of their lives at Ripley’s Haunted Adventure this October,” exclaims Davis Phillips, General Manager of Phillips Entertainment, Inc. Groups will ascend three stories into their worst nightmare via an ancient, rusty old coffin lift. Then they must face their fears in order to find their own way out!

PHOBIA premieres October 1 and will operate Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights only through October 22 and then daily through October 31. Doors open each evening at 7.

Admission to Fright Nights is $18.99 per person – group rates are available. $2 off discount coupons are available at any area Exxon Tiger Market location, or on any Pepsi product at area Wal-Marts. Any Pepsi can may be brought in for the same discount. For more information, visit http://www.AlamoPlazaAttractions.com or call (210) 226 2828.

Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando public relations firm.

Contact:

Lisa Welton

Vice President of Marketing

Ph: 407-835-9899

lwelton@eschoolsolutions.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

eSchool Solutions aims to eliminate ‘lost learning days’ for the district’s 10,000+ students

SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. (Oct. 7, 2010) – Robertson County Schools in Tennessee has selected Orlando-based eSchool Solutions® to provide the software to manage absentee teachers.

The eSchool Solutions software is scheduled to go live in the district this spring. It will streamline how the district manages teacher sick days and absences across the county.

Previously, the district used a manual method of managing absentee teachers, selecting subs and assigning the jobs at the school level. This required administrators and principals to handle the absentee needs of more than 630 teachers in the district.

eSchool projects that the new automated system will save the district money and help fight lost-learning days for students.

“We are very proud to be serving Robertson County Schools. We know that this district is working hard to improve its educational standards and get the most out of its teachers and its students,” said Lisa Welton, senior vice president of sales and marketing for eSchool Solutions.

“Our software is all about reducing what we call ‘lost learning days,’ which students can encounter when not supervised by the best possible substitute,” Welton noted. “Our system is the most efficient way to get qualified people into the classrooms.”

In the month of October, Robertson County Schools will install the latest software from eSchool Solutions—known as SmartFindExpress—that matches classrooms with the highest qualified subs. This new software system automates the process, while ensuring the highest qualified substitutes are placed in each class.

To learn more about the company, visit http://www.eschoolsolutions.com/ or call 800-776-8774.

About eSchool Solutions®

eSchool Solutions® is the leading provider of integrated technology solutions for the preK-12 education market. In 1987, the Orlando-based company revolutionized substitute management for school systems, completely changing the way districts managed substitutes and employee absences. Now, as a total solutions provider, eSchool Solutions provides a full suite of products and services designed to improve administrative efficiency and help school districts work smarter. The company serves more than 500 school systems, encompassing 29,000 schools in North America.

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Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando public relations firm.

Hollywood oddities wanted for museum renovation

Orlando, Fla. – (October 4, 2010) – Happen to have a bust of Brad Pitt made from bottle caps? How about a killer statue of Tom Cruise made from crayons? If you do, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! wants to hear from you.

The company is actively looking to acquire items for its Hollywood Odditorium, which will undergo an extensive renovation this winter.

Items of particular interest include three-dimensional sculptural creations. Top targets would include creations of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Jessica Alba, along with the Hollywood staples Bogart, Brando and Hepburn.

“We know there are some great creations out there, sometimes they’re just difficult to find,” said Edward Meyer, Ripley’s VP of Exhibits and Archives. “We’re in an expansion mode and in search of artists who have a flair for the unusual.”

In addition to artwork, Ripley’s is also looking for Hollywood collections or film-related artifacts.

Any new acquisitions will join a star-studded lineup of exhibits headed for Ripley’s Hollywood Odditorium, including a collection of items owned by Marilyn Monroe (worth more than $1 million), a life size portrait of John Wayne made from colorful laundry lint, a giant portrait of James Dean made from playing dice, a cane owned by Charlie Chaplin, the derbies worn by Laurel and Hardy, a 12-foot long mural of forty-one Hollywood celebrities made from license plates and Fred Astaire made from film.

Anyone with an item they think would be worthy of going on display at Ripley’s Hollywood Odditorium should contact Edward Meyer at meyer@ripleys.com.

Contact:

Frank Wolff

Wellons Communications

Office – 407-339-0879

Cell – 407-637-6000

frank@wellonscommunications.com

About Ripley Entertainment

Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com), keepers of the venerable Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand, is a global leader in location-based entertainment, entertaining more than 13 million annually at its 80-plus attractions in 11 countries.  In addition to its 31 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada.

Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando public relations firm.

Child ID, Halloween safety info part of October 26-27 event

Nashville, Tenn. – (October 1, 2010) – Remington College-Nashville Campus will be providing complimentary “Toothprint” services along with Halloween safety and dental hygiene tips on Tuesday, October 26 and Wednesday, October 27. The event will be held as part of National Dental Hygiene Month.

From 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, students from the Dental Hygiene School will provide Toothprint services for children. The Toothprint is a special child identification device that records both bite characteristics and DNA information. Parents receive a wafer with the information imprinted on it.

The Toothprint procedure takes only a few minutes and children as young as 3-4 years of age are usually able to provide an acceptable imprint. More information is available at http://www.toothprints.net/toothprints.html.

Since the event is taking place during the week of Halloween, students and instructors will also provide children and parents with tips for having a safe Halloween and maintaining healthy teeth.

“This event will provide parents with important child identification, health and safety information, as well as remind people of all the valuable services that dental hygienists provide,” said Larry Collins, Remington College-Nashville Campus President.

Parents interested bringing children in for Toothprint procedures are asked to reserve a space by calling the school in advance at 615-493-9398. Walk ins will be accommodated as long as supplies last.

The Remington College dental hygiene school offers several low-cost services for the public, including oral prophylaxis, topical fluoride treatments, x-rays, scaling and root planning and dental sealants.

The school is on the Remington College-Nashville Campus, located at 441 Donelson Pike, Suite 150 in Nashville.

For more information, call 615-493-9398.

About Remington College: Remington College is a common name used by all 20 campuses of a group of affiliated companies of privately-owned, post-secondary educational institutions based in Heathrow, Florida. Through its campuses, Remington College offers diplomas, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in a variety of fields, including: cosmetology; nursing; healthcare; criminal justice; business; electronics; information technology; and more.  Course offerings vary by campus. Remington College and its predecessor companies have been part of the higher education community since 1985. For more information, please visit http://www.remingtoncollege.edu/. For the latest news about Remington College, visit http://today.remingtoncollege.edu/.

Media contact:

Frank Wolff

Wellons Communications

407-339-0879 office

407-637-6000 cell

Frank@wellonscommunications.com

Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando public relations firm.

Earn a bachelor’s or associate’s degree

Heathrow, Fla. – (September 15, 2010) – Remington College’s online programs are now enrolling students for the October 25 class start date.

The accredited online college offers students the ability to pursue a degree from home while learning from faculty with real-world experience.

Remington College’s online programs may offer students the flexibility needed to help manage family, work and other priorities along with their education and career goals.1

Associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs are offered that can help students learn skills from classes in business, accounting, management, marketing, criminal justice and paralegal.

Online bachelor’s degrees:

• Business Administration with concentrations in accounting, general business, human resources, management and marketing
• Criminal Justice
• Organizational Management

Online associate’s degrees:

• Criminal Justice
• Paralegal

Students enrolled in Remington College’s online programs have password-protected, secure online accounts. Students can log on at anytime from any internet connection and access a variety of information, including:

• Course syllabi
• Lectures that can be viewed any number of times
• Assignments and due dates
• School calendars
• Tutorials
• Policy/procedure information

Assignments are submitted and tests taken online. Discussion forums are available for students to communicate with instructors, and Remington College staff members also

e-mail and phone students regularly to provide even more personal attention.

Classes are taught by instructors who bring years of real-world experience into the virtual classroom.

The course structure offers a flexible learning experience compared to traditional classes, as students take one course at a time and breaks are scheduled in between courses.

“Our online degree programs offer the flexibility and convenience that many people need to complete their education goals,” said Dale Leatherwood, President of Remington College’s online programs. “Our mission is to bring quality education and personalized service to online learning.”

Remington College Career Services offers online students help with employment applications, résumé writing and preparing for job interviews.1

Remington College is a branch of the Remington College-Tampa Campus and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

For more information, contact a Remington College Admissions Representative at (800) 448-6405 or visit Remington College’s online programs at http://www.RemingtonCollegeOnline.edu.

About Remington College: Remington College is a common name used by all 20 campuses of a group of affiliated companies of privately-owned, post-secondary educational institutions based in Heathrow, Florida. Through its campuses, Remington College offers diplomas, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in a variety of fields, including: cosmetology; nursing; healthcare; criminal justice; business; electronics; information technology; and more.  Course offerings vary by campus. Remington College and its predecessor companies have been part of the higher education community since 1985. For more information, please visit http://www.remingtoncollege.edu/. For the latest news about Remington College, visit http://today.remingtoncollege.edu/

1 Employment upon graduation not guaranteed.

Remington College’s online programs are not currently available to residents of AR, IA, KS, MN, MT, or TN.  Residents of CO may enroll in online bachelor’s degree programs only.

Media contact:

Frank Wolff

Wellons Communications

407-339-0879 office

407-637-6000 cell

Frank@wellonscommunications.com

Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando Public Relations firm.

Bone marrow drives part of Remington College 3 Lives campaign

Heathrow, Fla. – (October 1, 2010) – Remington College will hold bone marrow drives on all its campuses during the month of November.

Remington College, a career school that offers associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, has 20 campuses throughout the United States, including an online campus. Its mission is to provide career-focused education through a variety of programs, including nursing, cosmetology, business office management and criminal justice.

The bone marrow drives are part of Remington College Reaches Out, a series of community initiatives and charitable efforts to mark the college’s 25^th anniversary.

Health care is a priority at Remington College. The school has several programs aimed at educating students interested in careers in the health care field, and holds events aimed at helping the overall health of its campus communities.

“Becoming a bone marrow donor is easy, quick and very important,” said Dr. Mike Lanouette, Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for Remington College. “Bone marrow transplants save lives – and we hope to play an important role in getting more people signed up as potential donors.”

A listing of the participating campuses and dates are available at www.3Lives.com.

For more information, call 1-800-448-6405.

About Remington College: Remington College is a common name used by all 20 campuses of a group of affiliated companies of privately-owned, post-secondary educational institutions based in Heathrow, Florida. Through its campuses, Remington College offers diplomas, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in a variety of fields, including: cosmetology; nursing; healthcare; criminal justice; business; electronics; information technology; and more.  Course offerings vary by campus. Remington College and its predecessor companies have been part of the higher education community since 1985. For more information, please visit http://www.remingtoncollege.edu/. For the latest news about Remington College, visit http://today.remingtoncollege.edu/

Media contact:

Frank Wolff

Wellons Communications

407-339-0879 office

407-637-6000 cell

Frank@wellonscommunications.com

Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando public relations firm.

 

Greetings –

The doctor is in and so are these unbelievable medical mishaps that are featured in the new book from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! called Enter If You Dare! The book is an annual collection of unusual, unbelievable and amazing stories from around the world.  

Some of the book’s amazing medical stories include:

• Man of Steal – pg. 26: Builder Hu Zhuyin had a lucky escape after impaling himself on a crowbar 1 in. (2.5 cm) thick when he slipped while climbing scaffolding in Qingdao, China.  The solid steel crowbar sliced through his chest, missing his aorta by just ½ in. (1 cm).  Before medics could operate, firefighters had to cut through the bar so that Hu could lie flat on the operating table.
• Sumo Cyst – pg. 27: A Chinese woman thought she was pregnant with her first child, only to find that she was instead carrying an ovarian cyst weighing 7 lb, 11 oz. (3.5.kg).  Surgeons at a hospital in Haikou successfully removed the cyst – the largest ovarian cyst found in over 20 years.
• Swallowed Scissors – pg. 27: A man in Putian, China, accidentally swallowed a pair of scissors 3 ½ in. (9 cm) long and 1 ½ in (4 cm) wide.  Mr. Lin was using the scissors as a toothpick but when he suddenly laughed, they slipped down into his throat.  He tried unsuccessfully to cough them back up and the scissors eventually had to be removed by surgery.
• Tears of Blood – pg. 27: Teenager Calvino Inman of Rockwood, Tennessee, has a medical condition that leads to him crying tears of blood.  The bleeding, which can last for up to an hour, occurs at least three times a day.
• Second Baby – pg. 27: Julia Grovenburg of Fort Smith, Arkansas, stunned doctors by conceiving for a second time while already pregnant. When Mrs. Grovenburg went for her first ultrasound scan, she thought she was about eight weeks pregnant – and she was, with a baby boy. However, she was also almost 11 weeks pregnant with a baby girl, who was developing next to her younger brother in their mother’s womb. The non-twins are thought to represent an extremely rare case of superfetation.
• New Skull – pg. 26: A man whose skull was partially removed after an accident over 50 years ago has stunned doctors by growing  a new one – something that is thought to have happened only once before.  Gordon Moore of Northumberland, England, had worn a metal plate for half a century after being involved in a car crash, but when surgeons removed the plate in 2009 to treat an infection, they were amazed to find he had grown a completely new skull underneath.
• Maggot Infestation – pg. 27: After suffering from constant nosebleeds for five days, a 70-year-old woman had 40 maggots removed from her nose by doctors at a hospital in Sion, India. A housefly had entered her nose and laid eggs inside it. When the eggs hatched, the larvae started feeding on her flesh, causing her nose to bleed.
• Stretched Leg – pg. 27: In an attempt to be taken more seriously at work, Hajnal Ban, a politician from Logan, Queensland, Australia, paid a Russian surgeon $30,000 to break her legs and stretch them so that she would be 5 ft 4 in tall, three inches taller than her original height.

Please let me know if you would like to pursue any stories in the book or a story on the book itself.  Images are available, as well as interviews with people from Ripley’s or people featured in the book.

The book cover, as well as several pages and individual images, can be downloaded at http://www.ripleybooks.com/newsroom.

 

Regards,

Frank Wolff

Wellons Communications

407-339-0879 office

407-637-6000 cell

Frank@wellonscommunications.com

 

Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando public relations firm

Public can take part in paranormal investigations on October 15 & 16

 

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Sept. 20, 2010)   –   The Ghost Hunters are on the case again! 

Members of the hit TV show on the Syfy Network will return to Ripley’s Castle Warden — but this time for TWO NIGHTS of paranormal investigations on Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16. 

Originally scheduled as back-to-back investigations at two different Ripley’s museums (St. Augustine and Orlando), the event has been changed to remain in the nation’s oldest city (and possibly one of its most haunted) for both nights in October.

Dustin Pari, a member of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) and one of the personalities featured on Ghost Hunters International will lead these exclusive late night forays both evenings.

“St. Augustine is a special place for us,” said Pari, who was joined last October by fellow TV stars Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango for a similar investigation at the castle.  “Robert Ripley collected a lot of unusual artifacts in his lifetime, and we believe that paranormal activity can often be associated with specific items, so spending two nights in a row in the museum could make things very interesting,” Pari added.

The St. Augustine landmark, built in the 1880’s and home of the original Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum since 1950, has long been regarded as one of the most haunted properties in the Southeastern United States. Numerous guests and employees have reported hearing voices and seeing apparitions inside the building over the years. Some even claim to have smelled smoke from a 1940’s fire that killed two women when the building served as the Hotel Castle Warden.

The investigations will not be televised, but a limited number of tickets are available for the public to join Dustin for one or both investigations for approximately five hours each evening inside the castle.  

Ripley’s is not involved in any event ticketing.  All information can be found www.idealeventmanage.com.  Guest tickets from the originally scheduled dates will be honored, but arrangements must be made by ticket holders through Ideal Events Management in advance of the new dates

Contact:

Ralf Ingwersen

Ripley’s Ghost Train

904-824-1606

Ingwersen@ripleys.com

 

About Ripley Entertainment

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! St. Augustine is part of the Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com) family of worldwide attractions, the global leader in location-based entertainment.  More than 13 million people visit its 80-plus attractions in 11 countries each year.  In addition to its 31 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada.

 

Posted by Wellons Communications, an Orlando public relations firm.