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SAG: Most members want more talks

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Hollywood's Screen Actors Guild says more than 87 percent of members who responded to a poll indicated the union should keep negotiating for a new deal.

SAG's contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expired July 1. AMPTP made what it has described as its final offer June 30 but SAG hasn't accepted it.

Other than one sidebar meeting over the summer, the two parties haven't met to discuss a new deal and no negotiations are scheduled.

A SAG statement said it's negotiating committee was given the results of a mail-in poll that indicted 87.27 percent of the 10,298 members who responded said bargaining should continue. the other 12.73 percent said they would accept the June 30 offer.

AMPTP addressed the poll in its own statement, calling the mass postcard mailing by SAG negotiators "a farce" and its results "meaningless."

"The questions were devised to give SAG negotiators only the answer they wanted to hear. The materials accompanying the postcard were hopelessly one-sided," AMPTP said.

Swank has small, benign growth removed

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Hilary Swank's manager said the Hollywood actress has had a minor medical procedure at a hospital to remove a small, benign growth.

The 34-year-old actress won Oscars for her work in the films "Boys Don't Cry" and "Million Dollar Baby."

Her manager Jason Weinberg told People magazine exclusively Swank had been "experiencing some discomfort and went to see her doctor, who prescribed an immediate course of action that included a brief hospitalization to remove a small, benign growth."

"Her condition has been resolved and there are no continuing health issues, with the exception of some short-term rest and recuperation," Weinberg said.

The magazine didn't say where the growth was located on Swank's body or what symptoms she experienced before seeking medical attention.

Dan Gheesling wins 'Big Brother 10'

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Dan Gheesling, a 25-year-old Catholic school teacher from Dearborn, Mich., won $500,000 on the reality TV show "Big Brother 10" Tuesday night.

Memphis Garrett received $50,000 as the second-place winner, while Keesha Smith took home $25,000 after being named America's favorite jury member in the live finale, CBS said.

Gheesling competed for the top prize against a dozen other contestants, who were eliminated over the course of 71 days, during which they were isolated from the rest of the world and under constant surveillance in the "Big Brother" house.

ABC star hitches ride after gas runs out

NEWPORT, Mich., Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A pair of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" fans from Michigan say they gave Ty Pennington, a star of the ABC show, a ride after his vehicle ran out of gas.

Diane Grassley of Newport said she and her daughter, Colleen, were driving on Interstate 75 Saturday evening when Pennington flagged them down from the side of the road, WTVG-TV in Toledo, Ohio, reported Wednesday.

"It was kind of dark but our headlights lit up his face," Grassley said. "We both looked at each other and started laughing. It was like, oh my gosh! That's Ty Pennington!"

Grassley said Pennington told them his Suburban had run out of fuel so they gave him a lift to a nearby gas station where he purchased a gas can and some gas. The women took a cell phone picture of Pennington at the station as proof of their celebrity encounter.

They said he also sampled one of the brownies they were keeping in their car for a school party.

"He did tell us that he was hypoglycemic and that he probably shouldn't eat one. But he said they smelled so good," Grassley said.

In exchange, the star of the reality series left Colleen a note reading: "Hey, you're awesome! Thanks for the ride."