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Kacie McDonnell: Will she have a new 'Bachelorette' bud?

Also: Nicole Brewer gives birth, Harrah's not homophobic.

CBS3's Nicole Brewer and her husband, Kellan, celebrate the birth of their first child, Jack Hudson, on Friday.
CBS3's Nicole Brewer and her husband, Kellan, celebrate the birth of their first child, Jack Hudson, on Friday.Read more

FOX 29 TRAFFIC DOYENNE Kacie McDonnell could have a "Bachelorette" for a buddy.

As previously reported in this column, McDonnell is dating Aaron Murray, a recently signed quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs who was previously a star at the University of Georgia.

Murray's older brother?

That would be former pro baseball player Josh Murray, one of two finalists for the heart of the current "Bachelorette," Andi Dorfman. He was a baseball prospect for the Milwaukee Brewers before joining his brother on the football team at Georgia, where he played safety.

Word on the street from various reality-show experts is that the elder Murray is the current front-runner to take that final rose.

Dorfman is quite the live wire, and I could totally see her meshing with the charming McDonnell. Dorfman, a former Atlanta assistant district attorney, left "The Bachelor" last season of her own accord after she was thoroughly grossed out by her supposed intended, Juan Pablo Galavis. Good thing, too. He was recently spotted at Harrah's (777 Harrah's Blvd., Atlantic City) getting close to a beautiful brunette, even though he's allegedly still with "Bachelor" victor Nikki Ferrell.

Find out whether Josh Murray gets the final rose tonight at 8 on ABC.

Brewer's babe

CBS3's Nicole Brewer gave birth to her first child on Friday. The former Miss Pennsylvania and husband Kellen, who have been together since they were 18 (for real: Awww!), welcomed Jack Hudson at 2:04 p.m. Little Jack weighed in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces, measuring 19 inches long.

Susan Schiller, CBS3's vice president and news director (not to mention recent Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame inductee), sent out a note to the staff saying that mom, pop and baby were doing great.

OUT AND ABOUT

Lionel Richie dined at Buddakan (325 Chestnut St.) on Wednesday night while in the city for his concert at Camden's Susquehanna Bank Center. Richie and Buddakan owner Stephen Starr go way back. Starr used to book Richie at the Spectrum in the '80s, when he was a concert promoter. Alas, there were no reports of dancing on the ceiling.

Harrah's, redeemed

Last week, I reported that security guards at Harrah's allegedly slung homophobic slurs at gay patrons during the weekend-long Sand Blast event. Brad Hurtado, the organizer of Sand Blast, who declined to comment for the initial story, did his own investigating and found the claims to be unfounded. In a statement, he wrote:

"[T]here is no basis for the claims of homophobia by the Harrah's security staff. This inquiry resulted in not a single verifiable complaint raised about Harrah's.

"I have written to all named in your article to apologize because my private email to my Sand Blast guests asking them about the event was maliciously - and without verification - forwarded to the media. It was never my intention to make this public and my entire goal was to gather information and allow an opportunity to verify claims," Hurtado wrote to me in an email.

Hurtado continued that 99 percent of his A.C. guests had a "terrific time" at the debut Sand Blast weekend - previously held in Asbury Park, N.J. - the Harrah's pool attendance was the largest in the history of Sand Blast and "the first ever closing Party at Dusk received praise as 'the best party of the weekend.' "

Hurtado concluded: "I realize now I made two mistakes that I'm now trying to rectify: First - by putting my request for information in writing I allowed someone the opportunity to forward it to the press, which was definitely not my intention; and, second, I shouldn't have included the names of the people that I included without their knowledge or permission."

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