Pastor escapes explosion

Pastor escapes explosion

DALLAS — Dallas megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes says a last-minute change of plans saved him from being killed in a natural-gas explosion at his home.

Jakes told thousands at Sunday’s service at his church — The Potter House — that he would have been getting dressed near the blast last week had he not suddenly had the feeling he should call off a planned meeting.

Instead, he wasn’t anywhere close to the blast centered in a sunroom of his house in Fort Worth. No one was injured.

Fire department Lt. Kent Worley said Sunday that investigators ruled the blast accidental. He said the sunroom had a gas-fired pool heater and a large, gas-fired barbecue grill.

Jakes praised God for keeping him safe.

Gold-medalist Phelps promotes children’s book

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Michael Phelps, children’s book author?

Yes, the 14-time Olympic gold medalist has a new book in stores titled “How to Train with a T. Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals.”

It features illustrations by Ward Jenkins of Phelps, his bulldog Herman and his coach Bob Bowman.

In the book, Phelps describes his training regimen in terms relatable to kids. For example, during six years of training, he swam 12,480 miles. He points out that’s the same as swimming “from my hometown of Baltimore to the North Pole and back, and doing it all over again!”

“It’s a fun way for kids to learn and for me to get a lot of different messages out there,” Phelps said Sunday at a swim meet in Santa Clara. “Having Bob and Herman in the book is cool.” The book is published by Simon & Schuster.

Today’s birthdays

Bassist Lee Dorman of Iron Butterfly is 67. Singer Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply is 60. Singer Steve Walsh of Kansas is 58. Country singer Terri Gibbs is 55. Actor Jim Belushi is 55. Actress Julie Hagerty (“Airplane”) is 54. Actress Helen Hunt is 46. Actress Courteney Cox (“Friends”) is 45. Rapper-actor Ice Cube is 40. Actress Leah Remini (“King of Queens”) is 39. Actor Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother,” “Doogie Howser, M.D.”) is 36. Actress Elizabeth Reaser (“Twilight”) is 34. Guitarist Billy Martin of Good Charlotte is 28.