Sideshow: Bristol Palin heading to college

That marked-down-from-$330,000, five-bedroom, three-car-garaged house

Bristol Palin

scored in the Phoenix suburb of Maricopa for $172,000?

Wonder no more. Seems the 20-year-old mom is planning to enroll next year at Arizona State University, to study broadcasting.

Andres Cano, an officer of the university's Downtown Young Democrats told TMZ.com the Dems will welcome her "with open arms," adding that "getting a college degree is a nonpartisan issue."

Zachary Ziebarth, prez of the Downtown College Republicans, also is waving the love flag but notes that it's not unanimous: "Facebook has already been going crazy with status updates of excitement, mixed feelings, and nonacceptance."

However, he reassures, "the adversity that she may face is nothing that she can't handle." Cha-cha-cha!

Bunny hop

Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner says he has gotten engaged again.

Hefner said in a Twitter message early Sunday that he'd given a ring to Playmate girlfriend Crystal Harris, who burst into tears. "This is the happiest Christmas weekend in memory," he wrote.

Harris would be Wife No. 3 for the 84-year-old star of the E! reality series The Girls Next Door, which chronicles Hefner's life at the Playboy Mansion.

He divorced Playmate Kimberly Conrad last year.

Harris is 24.

Broadway Web sight

Stunt actor Christopher Tierney, who fell 30 feet while playing Spider-Man on Broadway, walked Friday for the first time since the accident, during last Monday's performance of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Julie Taymor, director/co-writer of the $65 million production, on Christmas Eve visited Tierney, who is recovering from back surgery after sustaining a hairline skull fracture, four broken ribs, a bruised lung, internal bleeding, and three cracked vertebrae.

The most expensive Broadway show ever has been plagued by technical glitches, money woes, and three other injuries. Already in previews for a month, its twice-postponed official Broadway opening is now set for February.

The show canceled Tuesday and Wednesday performances, reopening Thursday with new safety and security measures. Dark Christmas Eve, it played Christmas night - trouble-free - to a standing-room-only crowd.

'Little Fockers' has big weekend

Little Fockers was No. 1 at the box office on a weekend in which Hollywood competed with Christmas gatherings and a fierce snowstorm throughout the East. According to studio estimates Sunday, the poorly reviewed third installment of the Ben Stiller/Robert De Niro series of in-law comedies was set to earn $34 million over the three-day weekend, and $48.3 million since opening Wednesday.

The Coen brothers' True Grit, starring Jeff Bridges, took in a better-than-expected $25.6 million over the weekend, with a five-day total of $36.8 million - the best opening ever for Joel and Ethan Coen.