U.P. DJ business a family affair

Music has the unique ability to inspire people in ways that words simply can't. Pat and Bill Digneit heard their calling in high school.

'We were both on student council, and I was the class president and I was paying the prom DJ an astronomical amount of money and he was not up to what we thought we should have gotten, so my brother and I were like 'Yo, we can start our own DJ company and do that', so we took our graduation money and a little money we each had in savings wand were like 'We can do this' and we're going to jump feet first into this,' Pat Digneit said. 'We bought two speakers, a mixer, two lights, a smoke machine, a strobe and we're like 'Yep we're a DJ company'.' The Detroit duo brought their newfound franchise with them to Northern Michigan University, where it blossomed into a full-fledged family business. 'Our dad called us the Gruesome Twosome, or Double Trouble, and we thought Gruesome Twosome would only be good around Halloween, so we kind of went with Double Trouble DJs,' Pat said. 'Some people were like 'Double Trouble, what does that mean?' and we're like 'Oh we're identical twins' and they're like 'Oh that makes so much sense'.' 'It can be stressful as anyone knows, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or weddings can be stressful family events, but we really try to be positive and we have each other's backs,' Bill said. 'That's really important in running a business is to make sure you know the person you're working with cares about you.' 'My wife actually works with us now too, so that's a whole other element to it, but Pat took her on just like a sister and that is actually pretty awesome.' And it's not just their workforce that's expanding. The Double Trouble brand stretches from Marquette to Detroit, all the way out to Las Vegas, where Pat and Bill work as consultants for aspiring nightclubs on the strip. And anything they pick up along the way, comes right back to home base. 'People always say 'Oh the U.P. is five or ten years behind', well we're from Metro Detroit and we have an office down there, so if we see something down there we want to bring it here (to the U.P.) so it isn't that we're ten years behind, we're still on pace,' Pat said. 'Photo booths became a hot thing and we're like lets start doing that.' 'We're both gear-heads where we like all the technical aspects so it's really fun to, you know, find new technology and new things from, you know, monogram spotlights to LED effects and everything like that.' Whether it's a grand opening, a parade, or a bridal expo, you can hear the level of sophistication in every tool the two-headed monster wields. 'There's some risk, but you have to jump in feet first and take that chance,' Bill said. 'You don't want to look back in twenty years and regret where you're at,' Pat said. 'You know, live every day and got for it, you know. That's what we push our business everyday-is trying to find something new and something that's going to make it the next best thing.' 'I really do love my job and I know my brother does too,' Bill said. 'We get to go to a party for a living and be the people that are driving the party and making sure people are dancing and having a good time or enjoying the photo booth and memories. That's what we like to do, making lasting memories people and I always have a smile at work. I'm never really having a bad day.' For more information, visit the Double Trouble DJs website or Facebook page.

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Beyonce slammed for sampling shuttle tragedy on new album

(ABC News) -- Beyoncé has been labeled 'insensitive' by some current and former NASA astronauts and their families for sampling audio from the space shuttle Challenger disaster for a love song off her newly released album. Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center Jan. 28, 1986. All seven crewmembers aboard were killed. 'Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation. Obviously a major malfunction,' now-retired NASA public affairs officer Steve Nesbitt said as the nation watched wreckage fall toward the ocean on live television. Twenty-seven years later, Nesbitt's voice is heard at the beginning of the video for Beyoncé's new song 'XO,' about a troubled relationship. The singer has said that 'XO' was written and produced by Ryan Tedder and Terius Nash, who goes by the stage name The Dream. The audio clip is short, lasting six seconds. Beyonce, in an exclusive statement to ABC News this morning, said, 'My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster. The song 'XO' was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones and to remind us that unexpected things happen, so love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you. 'The songwriters included the audio in tribute to the unselfish work of the Challenger crew with hope that they will never be forgotten.' But former and current NASA astronauts, employees and Challenger family members argue that using it in a pop song mocks the crew's sacrifice and opens fresh wounds. June Scobee Rodgers, the widow of Challenger Space Shuttle Commander Dick Scobee and a founder of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, told ABC News she is 'disappointed' in the singer's decision to include the clip. 'We were disappointed to learn that an audio clip from the day we lost our heroic Challenger crew was used in the song 'XO,'' she said. 'The moment included in this song is an emotionally difficult one for the Challenger families, colleagues and friends. We have always chosen to focus not on how our loved ones were lost, but rather on how they lived and how their legacy lives on today.' Keith Cowing, a former NASA employee who now runs the NASAWatch.com website, said, 'This choice of historic and solemn audio is inappropriate in the extreme. The choice is little different than taking Walter Cronkite's words to viewers announcing the death of President Kennedy or 911 calls from the World Trade Center attack and using them for shock value in a pop tune.' Cowing wants Beyoncé to remove the clip and apologize to families of the Challenger crew. Several current NASA astronauts, who are not authorized to speak publicly, privately expressed similar dismay at what they say is Beyoncé's use of a tragedy to sell a pop song. Retired NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson told ABC News, 'For the words to be used in the video is simply insensitive, at the very least.' Anderson knows NASA tragedy firsthand. In 2003, he was assisting shuttle Columbia family members the moment news came that all seven had died when the craft disintegrated re-entering Earth's atmosphere. But Anderson, who flew twice on the space shuttle and lived on the International Space Station for five months, seemed to give Beyoncé and her team the benefit of the doubt. 'What we do in space just isn't as important to young people today,' Anderson said. Beyoncé was born in Houston, the same home as NASA's astronaut training campus, the Johnson Space Center. She has worked with the space agency in the past, once recording a wake-up greeting for the orbiting crew of STS-135, the final space shuttle flight. 'You inspire all of us to dare to live our dreams, to know that we're smart enough and strong enough to achieve them,' she told the Atlantis crew back in 2011.

News Video By Allie MalloyMore Video

Live support extended for California girl left brain dead after tonsil surgery

OAKLAND, CA -- Without further court order, a California hospital could unhook a 13-year-old girl declared brain dead from a breathing machine.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo's current order allows Children's Hospital of Oakland to remove Jahi McMath from a ventilator at 5 p.m. Monday.

The family was pinning its hopes on a New York facility to care for the child after two California care homes withdrew offers to accept her.

Jahi underwent a tonsillectomy at the hospital on Dec. 9 to treat sleep apnea. After she awoke from the operation, her family said, she started bleeding heavily and went into cardiac arrest.

Doctors at Children's Hospital and an independent pediatric neurologist from Stanford University have concluded the girl is brain dead.

The hospital wants to remove her from life support, but the family said they believe she is still alive.

Chris Dolan, the family's attorney, said he was waiting to hear from the New York hospital after its facility director and medical director speak.

'The family is together, and today everybody is praying and being together,' Dolan told the Associated Press Sunday. He said no decisions had been made about legal options for Monday, and would not comment on progress with the New York facility.

On Sunday, the hospital said it had not heard from the New York, or any other, facility about a transfer.

'We need to be able to talk to the other facility to understand what it is they are capable of doing,' Cynthia Chiarappa, a hospital spokeswoman, said. 'This is not transferring an individual in a vegetative state, but a dead body.'

The hospital also said it would need to confirm there is 'lawful transportation' included in any plan to transfer Jahi, and written permission from the coroner.

Dolan said previously that the family views the New York site as it's 'last, last hope.' He has also has said it was possible the family could ask Grillo for more time, or file a federal appeal.

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Days Are Numbered for New York City's Horse

Incoming mayor says 'it's over' for the iconic rides

Tourists in New York City are scrambling to take what may be the last of the iconic horse-drawn carriage rides through Central Park before the incoming mayor plans to ban the practice.

The rides have long been the target of animal rights activists who say the horses are mistreated, and Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio, who takes office Wednesday, said Monday that he will follow up on a campaign promise and shut the carriages down.

'It's over,' he said at a news conference, the New York Daily News reports.

The carriages have been assailed by an array of critics, ranging from Miley Cyrus and Alec Baldwin to both leading candidates for mayor.

But horse-drawn carriage supporters have pushed back, arguing that the horses are well-cared for - including nine-hour maximum work days - and that the the alternative may be grim. The Daily News reported in October that if funds for the horses' retirement are not raised, the roughly 200 animals could face slaughter.

What to Watch: Your Guide to 25+ New Year's Eve/Day Marathons, Specials and ...

You might think New Year's Eve TV is all about the countdown, but we at TVLine have compiled plenty of other hidden gems for you to keep on your radar. As 2013 becomes '14, enjoy marathons of current favorites (The Walking Dead, The Mindy Project), New Year's specials and, of course, the most important 10 seconds of the year. Enjoy!

RELATED | Save the Dates! Your Guide to 75+ January Premieres, Finales and More

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31 6 am - 8 pm Law & Order: SVU (USA Network) | Some things just go together: peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, and the holidays and SVU marathons.

8 am - 6 am Doctor Who Marathon (BBC America) | It's a full day of The Doctor, with programs airing in this order: The Companions, Tales From the TARDIS, Doctor Who Explained, An Adventure in Space and Time, four regular episodes of the series, The End of Time, The Day of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor and Farewell to Matt Smith.

11 am - 6 pm The Fosters (ABC Family) | With new episodes coming on Jan. 13, here is a chance to recap Season 1 with this marathon.

9 am The Walking Dead (AMC) | If you just finished AMC's epic Breaking Bad marathon and thought you could finally get off the couch, guess again: Every Walking Dead episode ever will air back-to-back, until 5 am on Thursday.

8 pm New Year's Rockin' Eve Presents The 30 Greatest Women In Music (ABC) | American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, The View's Jenny McCarthy and pop star Fergie lead a two-hour countdown of the 30 greatest female artists in music. ( New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2014 will immediately follow, featuring performances by Robin Thicke, Daughtry, Florida Georgia Line and others.)

8 pm A Toast to 2013! (NBC) | Today 's Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb (and, presumably, plenty of wine) reflect on the biggest pop culture moments of the year.

8 pm - 1 am Modern Family (USA Network) | In the spirit of New Year's Eve, have a drink every time you think Lily deserves a time-out.

9 pm FNC's All-American New Year (Fox News Channel) | If only because it will feature the first interview with Duck Dynasty cast members Willie and Korie Robertson since patriarch Phil's suspension was lifted.

10 pm NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly (NBC) | The Voice emcee rings in the new year with the best musical performances of 2013.

10 pm Girl Code Presents: New Year's Code (MTV) | Cast members from Girl Code and MTV2's Guy Code discuss the dos and don'ts of New Year's Eve parties, 2014 resolutions and other holiday faux pas.

11 pm New Year's Eve Live (Fox) | The X Factor 's Mario Lopez hosts the evening live from Las Vegas, with performers including J. Cole, Krewella, New Politics and Panic! At the Disco. (What does it say about me that I only know who half of those acts are?)

RELATED | TVLine Readers' 2014 Wish List for Supernatural, Castle, Big Bang Theory, Grey's and More!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1 6 am - 2 am NCIS (USA Network) | This 20-hour 'Resolve to Watch' round-up includes the episodes 'Broken Arrow' (Welcome back, DiNozzo Sr.!), 'One Last Score' (Everyone meet EJ!) and the one-two gut-punch of 'Shabbat Shalom' and 'Shiva.'

11 am The 2014 Rose Parade (ABC) | Now in its 125th year, the two-hour event features floats, marching bands and equestrians. (Also broadcast on NBC, starting at 11:30.)

2:30 pm Great Performances: From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2014 (PBS) | The Vienna Philharmonic rings in the new year, accompanied by the dancing of the Vienna City Ballet. Julie Andrews ( The Sound of Music) hosts. ( Note: The special will encore at 8 pm.)

2:30 - 9 pm House of Lies (Showtime) | Need a refresher on Season 2? This marathon can help catch you up.

8:30 pm Remember Me (ABC Family) | Rebellious New Yorker Tyler (Robert Pattinson, Twilight) unexpectedly finds love in the one girl who understands him ( Once Upon a Time 's Emilie de Ravin) - but buried secrets threaten to tear the couple apart!

10 pm The Exes (TV Land) | Special time! Stuart's sister ( The King of Queens' Leah Remini) shows up unannounced at the guys' apartment with news about her marriage. ( Note: A new episode of Kirstie, featuring guest star Kathy Griffin, will air at 10:30.)

10 pm The Soup (E!) | Host Joel McHale and the cast of Community count down the 20 best (and simultaneously worst) TV clips of the year. Who will take the No. 1 spot? My money's on the TLC Tyke Who Shall Not Be Named.

Which of the above is a must-see for you? Also, hit the comments to offer your own tune-in suggestions.

Wildlife biologists: Protect pets because coyotes in Lowcountry to stay

A state wildlife biologist has bad news for those concerned about the prevalence of coyotes in the Lowcountry and elsewhere across the state: They're here to stay.

The good news is that they pose little threat to human safety, according to Charles Ruth of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, although coyotes are likely to treat any cats, small dogs and other household pets they encounter as prey.

That's exactly what has riled some in Mount Pleasant, where some residents of the Wakendaw Lakes say they suspect the predators killed their cats. Crystal Colgin, one of the worried residents, said she learned that at least eight cats have disappeared from her neighborhood.

'We have a huge problem,' she said in an email to The (Charleston) Post and Courier.

Colgin said she placed a newspaper ad and put up signs in the neighborhood seeking information about her missing feline, Snickers, who was not one to wander. The family keeps its new dog and cat indoors because Snickers is gone, she said.

Several years ago, some in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island reported similar concerns -- as well as coyote sightings and coyote scat along the community's bike pathways.

Carlos Chacon of the Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head said coyotes appear to be abundant on Pinckney Island, as well.

'You hardly ever see them because they're nocturnal,' Chacon said. 'But if you walk on Pinckney Island, you see (their scat) everywhere. It's very distinct because it's full of hair because of what they eat.'

Actually, Ruth said, that includes some plant matter, like berries and fruit. However, coyotes mostly chow on small animals, such as rabbits, rodents and fawns.

Occasionally, coyotes will eat adult deer, Chacon said, adding that probably helps manage the deer population, which has no other natural predators in this area.

And yes, coyotes will eat pets -- particularly cats and small dogs -- given the opportunity, according to Ruth.

Moving pet food inside and keeping areas around homes free of garbage is one way to reduce coyotes' attraction to residential areas, according to the DNR website. Keeping such animals inside at night will help prevent such killings, as well Ruth said.

According to Chacon, even that precaution is not usually necessary for larger dogs or for those who do not live near heavily wooded areas, where coyotes typically hunt.

But make no mistake, coyotes are all around.

'Historically, the Mississippi River was a natural boundary,' Ruth said. 'They are primarily a western species. ... But 60 to 80 years ago, they made it across, and once that happened, there was nothing to stop them from going all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, and over time that's what happened.'

The first reported coyote sightings in South Carolina were in 1978 in Pickens and Oconee counties. Since then, they have been spotted in every county in the state. Hunters started illegally importing them for hunts in the late 1980s, speeding up their proliferation through South Carolina by several years, according to DNR.

Coyotes will never be eliminated, but their numbers may be lowered through trapping and shooting, according to the DNR website.

Ruth, whose primary work is with turkeys and deer, added a question in the late 1990s to an annual survey sent to all licensed deer hunters. It asked if hunters had killed coyotes incidental to their deer hunting during the past season and, if so, where and how many.

Based on questionnaire responses, coyote populations rose dramatically in the years after the question was first asked -- hunters reported killing 5,000 to 6,000 in the first year and about 30,000 a decade later. However, Ruth said the populations seem to have leveled out in recent years. A similar trend is suggested by data from DNR's annual statewide counts of fur-bearing creatures, which are identified by their tracks after being baited by scent to strategically placed stations.

'The thing about it is they are here now. They're ubiquitous in all counties,' Ruth said. '... I know it's novel to some folks, but it's getting to be old news.'

Even development isn't likely to stem their population dramatically, Ruth said.

'Coyotes are a lot like deer in the sense that unless you flat pave it over, they're going to do fine,' he said. '... That's where you start getting the curiosity, the human social dynamic.'

In Mount Pleasant, discussion of the coyote problem regularly tops the agenda for civic association meetings, according to Rob Duren, president of the Wakendaw Lakes Civic Association.

Duren said his cat is missing, too, and he suspects one or more coyotes killed it. A coyote has been seen chasing a cat. A resident driving a truck also reported chasing coyotes out of the neighborhood late at night, he said.

Mount Pleasant has placed signs in Memorial Waterfront Park warning of the presence of coyotes and advising people to stay away from them and never feed them.

'There are a lot of coyotes here,' said Mayor Linda Page.

'I don't know that there's anything that our municipality can do,' she added.

Hunting coyotes on private lands during the day is allowed year-round. Night hunting is permitted with certain weapons restrictions. In both cases, a hunting license is required, according to DNR.

No hunting license is required to shoot coyotes within 100 yards of a personal residence. However, in all situations, local laws and firearms ordinances apply.

Trapping season for coyotes is from Dec. 1 to March 1.

Prentiss Findlay of The (Charleston) Post and Courier contributed to this report.Follow managing editor Jeff Kidd on Twitter at twitter.com/InsidePages.Related content:

Sheep and wool in review: part 2

THE trials and tribulations of the sheep and wool game kept producers talking in 2013.

In part two of a year in review, sheep and wool writers CARA JEFFERY and DANNIKA BONSER look at the industry's major issues. (Part three online tomorrow.)

Uardry naming rights saga

ONE of the most talked about issues in sheep circles this year was the Uardry stud naming rights.

Dubbo Merino breeders Graham and Susan Coddington, purchased the Uardry stud trademark and intellectual property from Tom Brinkworth, who purchased the Uardry property last year, however, Mr Brinkworth failed to transfer the registration of the stud to his name.

This is where the waters get muddied; the Coddington's were given approval in June from the NSW Stud Merino Breeders' Association to use the Uardry stud trademark they had purchased.

However, this decision was controversially overturned by Australia Association of Stud Merino Breeders (AASMB) in July.

AASMB president, Phil Toland, Violet Town, Victoria, reasoned the Uardry stud was dispersed, not sold, and there for the AASMB was dealing with a new stud registration, not a name transfer.

While the AASMB could have interjected with this ruling ahead of the sale, as the Uardry trademark and intellectual property were put up for tender, however, it bizarrely seemed to only came onto their radar after they received a letter from former Uardry manager Chris Bowman.

Mr Bowman explained in his letter to the AASMB the Uardry stud was dispersed and the name should remain a parent stud name of significance in Australia, to which the AASMB council voted on.

The issue reached boiling point at the Australian Sheep and Wool Sheep at Bendigo, Victoria, in July when the Coddington's attempted to exhibit and sell sheep.

Under AASMB rules they were not permitted to show the Uardry Poll sheep as they had not bred them- they had bought them as ram lambs; as Uardry Poll was not a registered stud they were unable to sell their sheep under the Uardry Poll name; they were also not allowed to exhibit their sheep in the Merino display as their flock number for Uardry Poll stud was relinquished.

In January the Uardry Dohne trademark and prefix was sold for an undisclosed sum to Coonamble Dohne breeders Bill and Marge Pye, Calga Dohne stud.

The Pye's were locked in a battle with The Australia Dohne Breeders' Association (TADBA) to have the stud registered.

They were given a new prefix for the and new stud number but the plan was for the Uardry prefix and stud number (UD30) to be transferred to them.

However, their application was rejected twice by the TADBA and they had been registered with the prefix and stud number UC207.

War on wild dogs

AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation sunk another $1 million into its wild dog control funding after stage one produced encouraging results.

The Community Wild Dog Control Initiative started in 2011 with $1 million from AWI.

For the 2012/2013 financial year AWI funded 24 wild dog groups across 67,000km square.

Wild dogs are becoming a greater problem in the NSW western division as they are moving down from Queensland.

NSW Farmers received $550,000 to employ a wild dog co-ordinator, based in Dubbo, for three years, to help combat the burgeoning problem of wild dogs in western NSW.

AWI, Department of Primary Industries, Livestock Health and Pest Authorities and NSW Farmers are partners in the project.

The use of donkeys by Queensland woolgrowers to protect their flocks from wild predators is gaining momentum, with Landmark agent Bruce Lines, Roma, flat out keeping up supply.

Highs and lows of the wool market

THE Australian Wool Exchange Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) finished 2013 at 1134c/kg, this was up 62c/kg on the 2012 market close.-

The EMI at the end of the first week of sales in January 2013 settled at 1111c/kg which meant the last market finished the year 23c/kg above the January level.

The EMI was at highest point in April at 1145c/kg and at it's at lowest point in May at 966c/kg.

Across the calendar year 1,930,197 bales were offered, 0.5pc more than last year.

The Australian wool clip for 2012-2013 financial year was billed at a staggered $2.5 billion, up almost $800 million from where it was five years ago, according to Australian Wool Innovation data.

Lamb in demand

NATIONALLY lamb yardings in 2013 were around 700,000 head higher than in 2012.

However, data from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) showed heavy lamb yardings were around 120,000 head lower.

An MLA spokesman cited this as the the key reasons for a premium on heavy lambs over light and trade lambs this year.

MLA data indicated restocker and light lamb prices were lower in 2013 than in 2012.

The 2013 lamb slaughter is estimated to be around 21.43 million head, an increase of 1.4 million on 2012.

In addition, sheep slaughter is estimated at 9.14 million head, an increase of almost 3 million head on 2012.

Total lamb exports will reach around 210,000 tonnes swt for 2013, over 20,000 tonnes higher than 2012, which was the previous annual record.

Mutton exports, at around 170,000 tonnes swt, were significantly higher than any volumes seen in the last decade.

The emergence of China as a major buyer of Australian sheepmeat in 2013 was particularly timely in lending some support to sheep and lamb prices, an MLA spokesman said.

Wool pack changes

AN extensive trial of 1800 wool packs resulted in the Australian Wool Pack Standard being revamped.

The two-year on-farm trials were conducted by the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) across varying sheep properties in NSW and Victoria with the aim to change wool pack standards to improve road transport compliance with road regulations.

The key changes to the wool pack standard are the introduction of a four-seamed base and a bale fastening guide (BFG) on each flap.

The four-seamed base will provide greater structure to the wool bale, a square base and reduce bulge.

The BFG will provide wool pressers with a mark to pull the bale fastener to when closing a bale.

Newcastle Wool Centre's final curtain call

THE Newcastle Wool Centre closed its doors on March 31.

An end of lease for the premises and a declining volume of wool being sold at the centre meant continuing the auction elsewhere in Newcastle was not a feasible option.

With only four sales a year at Newcastle the $70 a square metre rent was not cost effective, particularly in comparison to Sydney with its 41 sales a year making better use of the $110/m square weekly rent.

Ten years ago the centre sold more than 150,000 bales a year, last financial year it was lucky to reach 50,000 bales.