It's Friday with Huntsville Chef and Restaurateur James Boyce, who has four restaurants in Huntsville: Cotton Row, James Steakhouse, Commerce Kitchen and Pane e Vino.

Chef Boyce prepared Soy-Marinated Flank Steak with Lemon Relish, plus Lime-Marinated Strawberries.

Here are Chef Boyce's recipes:

SOY-MARINATED FLANK STEAK, LEMON RELISH
By Chef James Boyce
Cotton Row Restaurant

Service for 6

Marinade
¾ cup soy
1 clove chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon honey
2 pounds flank steak

Lemon Relish
2 lemons, zest of one and juice of both
¼ cup olives, chopped
¼ cup cornichons, chopped
1 tablespoon capers, crushed
1 large tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

METHOD

For marinade, combine all ingredients and pour over the flank steak. Allow to marinate for two hours in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients in the relish and mix well. Cover and chill.

Heat grill to medium-high heat, remove flank steak from marinade and place on grill. Allow the steak to sear five minutes on the first side and three minutes on the other. Remove and allow to rest.

PRESENTATION

Thinly slice flank steak against the grain and present with the caponata as a relish. Serve with warm slices of rustic bread.


LIME-MARINATED STRAWBERRIES
by Chef James Boyce
Cotton Row Restaurant

Serves ?

THE INGREDIENTS

¼ cup granulated sugar
1 lime
2 baskets strawberries, hulls removed, halved
5 mint leaves, minced very fine

METHOD

Zest the lime into the sugar and mix completely. Sprinkle sugar over berries, plus the juice of half of the lime and the mint. Toss and Serve.

Huntsville, AL-

It's been a hot topic ever since the fall. During Thursday's school board meeting, questions over the school merger were finally answered.

The Community Engagement Committee was made up of representative from both Lee High and New Century.

“It wasn’t unanimous, but there was a strong consensus,” said Melissa Thompson, the committee facilitator.

“They did a phenomenal job of bringing their issues, their concerns and their feedback to the equation,” Thompson said.

After only three meetings, the committee developed a proposal.

“Our proposal is that Lee High School, and New Century Technology High School, be allowed to operate as separate schools sharing the new Meridian school campus,” said Thompson.

Thompson goes on to say that the group sees this as a great opportunity to take a beautiful new school and bring two very strong school’s under the same roof.

Superintendent, Dr. Casey Wardynski was pleased with the groups team work.

“Tonight probably will not go down in the history books, but it should, because the work excellent you have done,” Warsynski said to the committee.

Wardynski took the committee’s recommendation and proposed that New Century be operated as a school within a school at Lee.

The vote was unanimously approved, and was followed by applause.

It's a downtown Decatur restaurant with rich history inside and out. But, maybe the most interesting thing about this local eatery is the man it's named after.

"Simp McGhee, he was the infamous riverboat captain. He was from Guntersville. I believe he's buried at Lake Guntersville. He was known for being very boisterous on the water," said Christy Wiley, owner of the Simp McGhee's.

He's also known for opening, shall we say, a very unique business.

 " Miss Kate was his lady. She was married to a jeweler somewhere up north. He paid the jeweler off and brought her to Decatur and started a brothel for her."

The original bar top of Kate's sporting house, as it was known, is still being used at Simp McGhee's. Downstairs a casual atmosphere, upstairs fine dinning, and outside a plaque to let everyone know that this building is on the national register of historc places.

" The building was probably turn of the century, early 1900's. The original ceilings, at one time there was a church here, a dry goods store and there's been a barbour shop here."

All the statues were hand carved by the original owner Bobby Riddle. Simp McGhee's serving up the good stuff for close to 26years.

Huntsville, AL - One of the contracts the board approved Thursday night was the closing of the Seldon Center alternative school. It will be closed at the end of the year. The new school year will open with a brand new facility.

The Pinnnalce Schools facility is located on Bob Wallace Avenue. It will offer at risk students the year round care they need academically and emotionally. It will also save the school system about 7 thousand dollars per student in the long run.

Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski says it's also good news for Seldon Center employees.

"Pinnacle will replace Seldon in the Fall semester and our employees will work in our school in the position of instruction just as they would any other school," said Wardynski.

The school calendar is also set for the 2012-2013 school year. It includes a whole week off at Thanksgiving instead of a Fall break.

Dr. Wardynski says those times when students only come to school for a couple days a week are not good for the students or the system.

"If you are looking at it from a productivity aspect, it could be a loss of 3- 6 millions dollars depending on how much you think you are getting out of those days. We don't feel like we can afford that," said Wardynski.

Montgomery, AL - Thursday marks the kickoff of Scale Back Alabama, a statewide weight loss contest designed to help Alabama fight obesity and to encourage participants to develop lifelong healthy habits.

The program, now in its sixth year, has resulted in a total weight loss of nearly 760,000 pounds and healthier lifestyles for thousands of individuals. In the last 15 years, Alabama has seen its obesity rate double, and the state was recently named the second most obese state in the nation in a report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. More than 30 medical conditions are associated with obesity, including heart disease and diabetes, but adopting a healthy lifestyle can lower the risk of developing such diseases.

“Programs like Scale Back Alabama highlight the necessity of making healthy choices,” said Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer. “Even small changes can have a huge impact on an individual’s weight and overall health.”

Scale Back Alabama 2012 begins January 21st. The 10-week contest is free of charge and is targeted to adults 18 and older. It primarily focuses on the workplace and utilizes local businesses, schools and organizations as weigh-in sites.

To participate, teams of four register and have their initial weigh in at a local site during the week of January 21st though January 27th. Participants who complete the contest and are on a team in which every member loses at least 10 pounds are placed in a drawing for one of three grand prizes, the top prize being $1,000 per team member.

“Scale Back Alabama has been the catalyst for thousands of people across the state to increase their physical activity and incorporate nutritious food into their diets,” said Donald Jones, Scale Back Alabama chairman and administrator of Marion Regional Medical Center in Hamilton, Alabam. “It’s great to see Alabamians taking charge of their health and embracing healthier lifestyles.”

One of the more recent additions to the contest has been a school competition. “We have more than 50 K through 12 schools participating in this year’s contest,” said Dr. Williamson. “The school competition is an extension of the Health Department’s efforts to promote better health among teachers and faculty in the hopes that it will also affect the students. It’s a similar approach to the overall campaign which has resulted in healthier families due to the emphasis on adults in the workplace.”

During the 10-week contest, participants will not only receive useful information about diet and exercise, they will also be able to join in outdoor activities that promote healthy living. Each week Scale Back Alabama will provide information about events offered by Fresh Air Family, an Alabama-based organization that offers free and low-cost programs to promote exercise and the outdoors. Additionally, during the 10 weeks of the program, Alabama’s 22 state parks will offer a free one-day pass to Scale Back Alabama participants who show their weigh-in card.

To emphasize the importance of exercise and to prove that it can be fun, three participating organizations developed Scale Back Alabama dance routines that were showcased at the kickoff news conference and are posted on the Scale Back Alabama website. Other organizations participating in the contest are encouraged to create their own dances and send them to contest sponsors for the website.

Those interested in participating in the 2012 Scale Back Alabama contest can find weigh-in sites and additional information about the program at http://scalebackalabama.com.

Huntsville, AL - Honoring our mentors. That was the theme of Thursday night's Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Alabama fundraiser.

The event was held at Lowe Mill in Huntsville. It's the organization's first fundraiser of the year.

To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Alabama and how you can become a mentor, go to www.bbbsna.org.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Georgia sheriff says a relative is on his way to New Orleans to meet with police in connection with a video taken after the BCS football championship game that appears to show an unconscious LSU fan being abused by someone in Alabama attire.

New Orleans police say they are investigating whether actions in the video constitute possible sexual battery. No charges have yet been filed. A spokesman confirmed a "person of interest" was expected to arrive in New Orleans late Thursday.

Russell County, Ga., Sheriff Heath Taylor told The Associated Press a male relative arrived at the Sheriff's Office on Thursday with his lawyer. Taylor said he then asked New Orleans police whether they wanted him jailed in Georgia or to go to New Orleans.

The following school systems have delayed openings on Monday, January 23rd:

Cornerstone Christian Academy - 2 hour delay
DeKalb County Schools - 2 hour delay
Fort Payne City Schools - 2 hour delay
Guntersville City Schools - 2 hour delay
Life Christian School - 2 hour delay
Marshall Christian Academy in Albertville - 2 hour delay
Marshall County Schools - 2 hour delay
Scottsboro City Schools - 2 hour delay

Huntsville, AL -- An international television ministry has come to North Alabama. Dr. Carlton Byrd is the speaker/director of Breath of Life, a weekly broadcast that reaches people all over the world. On January 14th, he was installed as the senior pastor at Oakwood University Church and the production of Breath of Life was moved to the Seventh-day Adventist church in Huntsville.

The move from Atlanta, where Dr. Byrd pastored the Berean SDA Church, to Huntsville was a homecoming of sorts. Both Dr. Byrd and his wife attended Oakwood University, and the couple was married in its church. He was also ordained at Oakwood. Now, he says he's excited to bring Breath of Life to its campus, adding, "This ministry is able to reach people beyond the four walls... they're going to be able to watch the television, see what God is doing, what we're saying, what we're teaching, what we're preaching, and it brings a great sense of awareness not just to the ministry but to the word of God."

The move to produce the show in Huntsville isn't the only change Dr. Byrd sees for the program, which has been broadcast since 1974. He also hopes to expand its reach. "By that, I mean technology, our internet, our streaming. We can go where literally even television can't go," he says. Breath of Life is broadcast on the Discovery Channel, Word Network, 3ABN and the Hope Channel. For more information, including broadcast times and dates, visit www.breathoflife.tv

After starting the weekend with a round of severe weather, it appears we’ll find ourselves in a similar situation early Monday.

The National Storm Prediction Center has highlighted the entire Tennessee Valley region for a slight risk of severe weather beginning late Sunday night into early Monday.

Moving ahead of the main line of storm activity will be the potential for scattered super cell development therefore we'll have the threat for an isolated tornado into the early hours of Monday morning. Most current, Northwest Alabama, Southwest Middle Tennessee, and Northeast Mississippi will have the greatest concentration of unstable air; therefore the areas west of Interstate 65 will have see great potential for damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.

This most recent threat of severe storms will form when a large upper-level low pressure system tracks out of the Rocky Mountains into the Mid-West overnight into Sunday afternoon.

These storms, once in the TN Valley, will be capable of producing hail, very strong winds, and more heavy rain which will add to a very saturated ground therefore increasing the chance for flooding and flash flooding.

Past an estimated 1 a.m. - 3 a.m. arrival time Monday morning, our skies will clear into the evening allowing for partly cloudy Tuesday. Temperatures remain mild into next week with another thundershower chance arriving late Wednesday into Thursday.

As many Tennessee Valley residents will be sleeping during the early Monday morning severe weather threat, it’s highly important for you to ensure your weather radios are in proper working order with fresh batteries and correct programming. WAAY 31 is a proud sponsor of WeatherCall, a service that will phone your home or cell phone to advise you of an impending severe storm threat. More information on this service can be found here: http://www.waaytv.com/content/weathercall/default.aspx

Stay with WAAY 31 and the StormForce Weather Team for the very latest.

State College, PA - Thousands of Penn State students and others held a candlelight vigil outside the university's administration building Sunday night to honor former football coach, Joe Paterno.

The gathering was held several hours after Paterno died of lung cancer at the age of 85.
Some former Penn State players were among those who spoke, including Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski.

This was the first of what will be many events to honor the longtime coach. School officials say they are working on plans to commemorate Paterno's life and career.

Paterno was Penn State's head football coach for 46 years, building the university into a powerhouse on the gridiron. He was a five-time National Coach of the Year and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007. He retired in November of 2011.

Paterno is survived by his wife Sue, five children and 17 grandchildren. 
 

Huntsville, AL - Two men are home safely after being stranded on the Tennessee River.

Late Sunday afternoon, the men took a new fishing boat for a test run near Ditto Landing in Huntsville. They were heading upstream when their engine died. As the boat floated downstream, the men clung to a branch for half an hour, waiting to be rescued.

A Huntsville Fire & Rescue squad found the boaters near the Madison County boat docks off Hobbs Island Road and used a rope to haul their boat onto dry land.

Huntsville Fire & Rescue District Chief Ronnie Dodson says, "You also gotta watch the weather, because right now, the Tennessee River is extremely fast, and the current and also the wind warnings are up today so you don't need to be out boating at that time."

Dodson also says they don't have to do these water rescues very often. But when they do, the outcomes often aren't as lucky. He recommends keeping an oar and cell phone on board, just in case.

Huntsville, AL - Former Alabama running back, Trent Richardson, stopped by Parkway Place Mall in Huntsville Sunday to sign autographs.

The Heisman Trophy finalist and the SEC leading rusher was all smiles with every fan he greeted.

You might remember earlier this month, Richardson announced that he would forego his senior year at Alabama to enroll in the NFL draft.

Dont'a Hightower and Dre Kilpatrick are also entering the draft.

Richardson and Kilpatrick are projected to be high first round picks.

Hightower is expected to go later in the first round.  

Guntersville, AL - Gabriel Marsh is one amazing seven year old. Despite being born with no legs and only one arm, Gabe, as his family calls him, never lets his disability slow him down. Whether he's spinning around, showing off his break dancing skills or taking laps around the gym at Guntersville Elementary School, this little guy never ceases to amaze.

"He was meant for our family, no doubt. He was a godsend," says Ann Marsh, who adopted Gabe when he was a baby.

She says as soon as she saw this little bundle of energy, it was love at first sight. "He's very independent," she says. "He wants to do everything himself. The teachers here will try to help him do stuff and he won't have it and will tell them 'I can do it myself.'"

The second grade student carries his own books to class and drives around school in his scooter. And when he's not too busy with homework, Gabe also loves taking laps around the pool as a member of the Guntersville swim team.

Gabe is a man of few words, but he lets his incredible abilities speak for themselves. And as for the America Inspired contest, he wants to win. He's competing in the national contest against other outstanding young people. His mom says it's not about the prize money, but letting her amazing son be himself.

"Just let your kids do what they want to do. Don't hold them back, let them try it and if they can't do it, that's fine. But if they want to try it, let them do it. We let Gabe try whatever he wants to do," says Marsh. 

To vote for Gabe in the America Inspired contest, go to www.examiner.com.

Textbooks are coming to the iPad. Apple announced this week the introduction of iBooks2 and iTunes U. Both will offer textbooks specifically designed for the iPad. Apple has agreements with some of the biggest textbook publishers. It says most of the textbooks will cost around $15.

The program will start with high school textbooks. College textbooks will be introduced later. Not only are the iBooks cheaper than traditional textbooks, they also solve the problem of students lugging around heavy backpacks. 

Facebook had its own big announcement. It's introduced 60 new apps for the new Timeline. They'll allow Facebook users to share, with their friends, more information, such as what movies they're watching, what they've purchased at certain stores, and items they want to buy. The way these apps work is similar to Facebook's fairly new "Spotify" app which shows friends what music you're listening to.  

Also, lawmakers have tabled a vote on the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. And now, the Senate has stopped a vote on its companion bill known as PIPA. Both bills were drawn up to stop the piracy of copyrighted movies and music, which was being done by websites outside the United States.

Mllions of internet users sent lawmakers a message this week that they believe the bills would be unfair to websites in America. On Wednesday, popular sites such as Wikipedia and Reddit went dark to protest, Google slowed its search engine, and millions of people protested in the street. Because of the protests, supporters in both the House and Senate changed their minds. Both SOPA and PIPA will reappear, but will likely be rewritten.

Keeping you plugged in, I'm Jamey Tucker.

Huntsville, AL - The Madison County School Board will meet this week with the five superintendent finalists. 
 
First up is Sandra Spivey, the director of secondary education for the system. Her interview is set for 4:00PM on Monday.

At 3:45PM on Tuesday, board members will interview another internal candidate. Dan Evans is the system's director of auxiliary services.

That evening, they'll meet with an associate superintendent from Gwinnett County, Georgia. Dale Robbins' interview is scheduled for 5:00PM.

The final two interviews are scheduled for Thursday. David Copeland, the superintendent of Crane R-I Schools in Missouri will be in the hot seat at 3:45PM. Les Bivens, the superintendent of Frankfort, Indiana schools, will be interviewed at 5:00PM. 

A vote could come as soon as the interviews are completed. The board hopes to have a new superintendent in place in three weeks.

The person who gets the job will replace Dr. Terry Davis, who retired at the end of November. Kenneth Kubik, Madison County Schools' director of personnel, is the interim superintendent. 

Huntsville, AL - Here's your chance to sound off to Madison County representatives and senators prior to the 2012 legislative session.

Monday night, the Madison County State Legislative Delegation is sponsoring its annual public forum.

It will be held from 7:00PM to 9:00PM at Huntsville City Council chambers on Fountain Circle.
 
Each speakers will be given up to three minutes to address the lawmakers about issues.

The 2012 legislative session convenes February 7th.

LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. - Henry Fitzgibbon suffered a nightmare, losing his Limestone Countyhome in the April 27th tornadoes.  He says, "There's no way to put a price on memories."

 

His irreplaceable, priceless pictures, also taken by the twister, swirled upwards and landed miles away, scattered in the backyards of strangers.

 

Strangers like Patty Bullion, who discovered dozens of pictures on her property once the storm cleared.  She says, “Pictures are dear to me, I'm a photographer. I just love pictures, I couldn't keep them.  I had to find a way to send them home."

 

Bullion set up a facebook page that soon became a clearinghouse; a way to reunite storm survivors with their lost possessions.  So far, more than 2,000 photos have landed back in the hands of their owners. 

 

Now, Bullion is taking what’s left from one community to the next.  She explains, “When you've lost everything, something little coming back home means a lot."

 

Fitzgibbon showed up to meet Bullion at the East Limestone Volunteer Fire Department Saturday morning.  He found a needle in a haystack: “Here's a family snapshot, here's my father who is no longer with us, and then some photos of my brother-in-laws, my sister, my mom at a birthday party...I was really pleased that they did have some photographs for me."

 

A moment motivating for Bullion to continue her mission.  And now, she's got help. Limestone Countyresident Jere Cave brought items the twister dropped on his property. He says, “It’s just interesting to me to see the force of nature kind of make an audit of what people's belongings are."

 

Cave says photographs keep life's moments in clear focus: “Look at this World War II photograph here.  Somebody's missing this, and they might say, oh this guy was from Missouri, this one from Illinois, but that's gone until they find it again.  So it's very important to have these photographic records.

 

For Henry Fitzgibbon, he's simply thankful to see pieces of his life coming back together. He says, “It’s really priceless.”

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Hundreds of Madison County Republicans heard from candidates who could represent them in the near future.  Saturday morning, the Madison County Republican Men's Club hosted GOP candidates running for various offices throughout Madison County.         

 

Each of these Republicans will run in the March 13th primary election.  Thirty-one candidates gave brief speeches to get their message across.  Organizers tell WAAY31 this is the highest number of candidates to ever participate. 

 

Republican Men’s Club member Don Palmer says, "It's very helpful because then you get to know the positions of the various candidates.  It's the best forum in town to learn and understand where the candidates are coming from, and who the candidates are, and their philosophies and beliefs on what they're running for."

 

The meeting also included a meet and greet hour and breakfast.  The club will hold a similar event on February 18th for state Republican candidates. 

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Joe Paterno Jr., whose glittering career as Penn State's football coach was tainted by a child sex-abuse scandal, died today. He was 85.

"It is with great sadness that we announce that Joe Paterno passed away earlier today. His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled," Paterno's family said in a statement.

Click Here to Read Paterno Family's Statement

Paterno coached the Nittany Lions for 46 years and in 2011 became the winningest coach in Division 1 football. But before the season was over, he was abruptly dismissed as the sex scandal involving former assistant Jerry Sandusky suggested that top school officials had ignored signs of Sandusky's alleged predatory behavior.

Shortly after his dismissal, Paterno was diagnosed with lung cancer and broke his hip. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments weakened him, robbing him of his hair and his once-booming voice.

In a recent interview with the Washington Post, he appeared frail, wearing a wig and speaking in a whisper. He canceled public appearances after the interview because of his failing health, according to family members.

For Paterno's legion of fans, who referred to the coach affectionately as "JoePa," the turbulent final months of Paterno's life were a tragic end to an outstanding coaching career that was built around his motto of "success with honor."

Saturday night, Paterno's wife, Suzanne Paterno, summoned close friends and longtime staff members Saturday afternoon to the State College hospital where Paterno has been undergoing treatments since last weekend, a source told the Citizen's Voice newspaper of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Paterno wanted to see them and say a final goodbye, the coach's wife told one of the staff members, the source said.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Former House speaker Newt Gingrich took a giant step Saturday toward becoming the Republican alternative to Mitt Romney that tea partyers and social conservatives have been seeking for months.

Gingrich's come-from-behind win in the South Carolina primary snatches away the quick and easy way for the GOP to pick its presidential nominee. Only days ago, it seemed that party activists would settle for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who stirs few passions but who has the looks, money, experience and discipline to make a solid case against President Barack Obama in November.

Now, the party cannot avoid a wrenching and perhaps lengthy nomination fight. It can cast its lot with the establishment's cool embodiment of competence, forged in corporate board rooms, or with the anger-venting champion of in-your-face conservatism and grandiose ideas.

It's soul-searching time for Republicans. It might not be pretty.

Romney still might win the nomination, of course. He carries several advantages into Florida and beyond, and party insiders still consider him the frontrunner. And it's conceivable that former Sen. Rick Santorum can battle back and take the anti-Romney
title from Gingrich. After all, he bested Gingrich in Iowa and New Hampshire.

But Santorum's lackluster finish in South Carolina will doubtlessly prompt some conservative leaders to urge him to step aside and back Gingrich, as Rick Perry did Thursday.

Even if Santorum revives his campaign in Florida, the fundamental intra-party debate will be the same. Voters associate Gingrich and Santorum with social issues such as abortion, and with unyielding fealty to conservative ideals. That's in contrast to Romney's flexibility and past embraces of legalized abortion, gun control and gay rights.

Rep. Ron Paul will stay in the race, but he factors only tangentially in such discussions. His fans are largely a mix of libertarians, isolationists and pacifists, many of whom will abandon the GOP nominee if it's not the Texas congressman.

Strategically, Romney maintains a big edge in money and organization. He faces a dilemma, however. Gingrich resuscitated his struggling campaign in this state with combative debate performances featuring near-contempt for Obama and the news media. Romney likely would love to choke off that supply by drastically reducing the number of debates.

Ducking Gingrich after losing to him in South Carolina would suggest panic or fear, however, and all four candidates are scheduled to debate Monday in Florida.

Gingrich is benefitting "from the inherent animosity and mistrust GOP primary voters have with mainstream media," said Republican strategist Terry Holt. "Their first instinct is to rebel, and that's what they did. The question is whether he can sustain that anger and build it into a legitimate challenge to the frontrunner."

Despite their contrasting personalities, Romney and Gingrich don't differ greatly on policy. Both call for lower taxes, less regulation, ending "Obamacare" and a robust military. They promise to cut spending and increase jobs without offering many details of how they would do so in a divided nation and Congress.

Romney vs. Gingrich in some ways mirrors the Democrats' 2008 choice between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, which turned mostly on questions of personality, style and biography. The Republicans' choice, however, will plumb deeper veins of emotion and ideology.

Romney appeals to Republicans who want a competent, even-tempered nominee with a track record in business and finance. His backers are willing to overlook his past support of abortion rights and his seeming tone-deafness on money matters (even if it feeds caricatures of him as a plutocrat).

Until Saturday, GOP polls had shown Romney easily ahead on the question of who would be Obama's toughest challenger. South Carolina exit polls, however, showed Gingrich with an edge among those who said it was most important that their candidate be able to beat Obama.

South Carolina Republicans have steered the primary contest into more emotional, and possibly dangerous, waters. They rewarded a candidate who gave voice to their resentment of the news media, federal bureaucrats and what they see as undeserving welfare recipients and a socialist-leaning president.

Two South Carolina debate moments crystalized Gingrich's rise. Both involved an open disdain for journalists, whether feigned or not.

In Myrtle Beach on Monday, the Martin Luther King holiday, Gingrich acidly told Fox News' Juan Williams that he would teach poor people how to find jobs, and that Obama has put more Americans on food stamps than any other president. On Thursday in North Charleston, Gingrich excoriated CNN's John King for raising an ex-wife's claim that Gingrich once asked for an "open marriage," to accommodate his mistress.

Conservatives inside the hall and out seemed to love the tongue-lashing. The details of Marianne Gingrich's allegations, which Gingrich denied almost as an afterthought, seemed to matter much less to voters. That's remarkable in a state whose GOP electorate is nearly two-thirds evangelicals.

Mike McKenna, a Republican strategist, said Gingrich seems to be drawing many people, including tea party activists, who are fairly new to politics. They don't know or care much about Gingrich's legacy of leading the 1994 Republican revolution in Congress, or his subsequently lucrative career as a writer and speaker that sometimes veered from conservative orthodoxies, McKenna said.

Instead, he thinks these voters are reacting emotionally to someone they hope "can take the fight to the president, to the media, to whomever. They are not particularly concerned about what kind of president he will be."

Therein, of course, is the potential peril of a Gingrich candidacy. Along with his verbal fireworks he carries baggage that might give Democrats more to exploit than do Romney's policy flip-flops and record at Bain Capital, a venture capital firm.

Republicans have weathered intense internal debates before. Barry Goldwater pioneered a combative brand of conservatism that paved the way for Ronald Reagan, eventually killed off "Rockefeller Republicans," and made the GOP the party of the South, the Mountain West and few minorities.

The Romney-Gingrich faceoff won't reach such ideological depths.

But it will force Republicans to make a hot-or-cool choice.

They can pick the data-driven Harvard MBA grad who smoothed out the Winter Olympics and now runs a by-the-numbers nationwide campaign. Or they can pick the pugnacious firebrand who didn't manage to get his name on the Virginia primary ballot, but who wows an angry electorate that can't wait to lay into Obama in debate next fall.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)