Heads and tales: Winning women

All downhill from here: The event very few have been awaiting starts tonight, the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Hometown gold medalist Vonetta Flowers is back to defend her historic gold medal in bobsledding with an unexpected teammate, Jean “Mean Girl” Racine Prahm. But she’s really excited that her three-year-old son Jorden is beginning to develop his hearing, despite early deafness caused by impaired brain development: “He’s hearing like a 2-week-old baby. He has to learn what he’s hearing. We’re excited that he is responding.” Flowers and Prahm compete on Feb. 21.

The Opening Ceremonies air from 7 to 11 tonight on NBC 13, and while usually amusing, won’t be nearly as funny as our other favorite televised spectacle.
• For Flowers, an Emotional Four Years [Associated Press]

Trophy gal: Birmingham native Emmylou Harris picked up her 12th Grammy Award on Wednesday, winning Female Country Vocal Performance for “The Connection,” off her 2005 CD, "Heartaches and Highways: The Very Best of Emmylou Harris." For those who don’t know Emmylou like we know Emmylou, this CD is a great way to delve into her fantastic body of songs.
• Grammy winners [Associated Press]

Showstopper: Daisy Dean, matriarch of the “Dean and Company” public access show/family, died at age 94(?) on Jan. 24. You may have caught the low-budget high-spirited affair on Bright House cable, which has aired weekly since 1980. Dean appeared onscreen with her daughter and granddaughter for the variety show, but started out early on as an original Rockette and Hollywood actress. At age 10, she saw her mother and grandmother gunned down in front of their Kansas general store. The show continues to air at 7:30 p.m. Mondays on channel 4.
• Last of the Showgirls [Black and White]

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