Omarosa begins classes at an Ohio seminary

August 19, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

DAYTON — Omarosa has gone from Donald Trump’s boardroom to her first day in the classrooms of an Ohio seminary.

The Youngstown native and former villain of reality TV shows such as “The Apprentice” entered United Theological Seminary in Dayton on Monday for studies to become a minister.

Seminary President Wendy Deichmann had a welcome gift: a tiny mustard seed, a reminder of the Bible passage in which Jesus says an amount of faith even as small as a mustard seed makes all things possible.

Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth says few people have faith in her transformation, and that made it a wonderful present.

Disney World performer dies during rehearsal

ORLANDO, Fla. — A 30-year-old performer at Disney World is dead after rehearsing for a stunt show, the third worker to die in seven weeks at the Orlando, Fla., park.

Anislav Varbanov was pronounced dead late Monday at a hospital after injuring his head while rehearsing a tumbling roll for the “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.”

A Disney spokeswoman said the company mourned Varbanov’s death. The stunt show was canceled Tuesday in his memory.

The death comes a week after a 47-year-old performer died after an onstage fall during another show, “Captain Jack’s Pirate Tutorial.” And on July 5, a 21-year-old monorail driver died when another train crashed into his own.

Hatch from ‘Survivor’: I went to jail because I’m gay

NEWPORT, R.I. — “Survivor” winner Richard Hatch says he believes he was sent to prison because he’s gay.

Speaking publicly for the first time since being released from prison to home confinement, Hatch told NBC’s “Today” show on Tuesday that he believes the judge in his tax-evasion case discriminated against him.

He says he believes that if he were heterosexual, he would not have gone to prison.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office says Hatch’s claims are baseless.

Hatch was convicted in 2006 of failing to pay taxes on his $1 million prize for the first season of the CBS reality show. He was given extra prison time for lying on the stand.

Spokeswoman: Celine is expecting her 2nd child

MONTREAL — A spokeswoman for Celine Dion says the pop star is pregnant with her second child.

Murielle Blondeau, a spokeswoman with the Bureau de Francine Chaloult, said Tuesday Dion and her husband, Rene Angelil, found out about the pregnancy Monday after she underwent fertility treatments in New York. Blondeau says the baby is due in May.

She says Celine and Rene are full of joy and that it’s been a dream for Celine to have a second child. Dion’s first child, Rene-Charles, started private school this week in Florida.

Rene-Charles was also conceived by in vitro fertilization at the same New York clinic eight years ago.

The 41-year-old singer is the youngest of 14 children.

Today’s birthdays

Actress Diana Muldaur is 71. Drummer Ginger Baker is 70. Actress Jill St. John is 69. Actor-turned-U.S. Senator Fred Thompson is 67. Singer Ian Gillan of Deep Purple is 64. Actor Gerald McRaney is 61. Actor Jonathan Frakes is 57. Actor John Stamos is 46. Actress Kyra Sedgwick is 44. Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 43. Actor Matthew Perry is 40. Singer Karli Osborn (SHeDaisy) is 25.