Don't call a police standoff a "dog and pony show," even if it turns out not to be a standoff.

A press briefing on the search for accused Auburn shooter Desmonte Leonard ended on a particularly strained note after a reporter had the audacity to question law enforcement's decision to spend hours searching an empty attic in Montgomery, Ala. The police ended their fruitless search after having said they were almost certain someone was inside, based on tipsters and fancy technology like thermal imaging.

The spectacle played out on live television Monday night, and was chronicled in painstaking detail by journalists on Twitter. (A bogus account was set up by someone claiming to be Leonard, who informed his "followers" that things were getting a bit humid in the attic.)

But the attic was empty, and by Tuesday morning, reporters were left scratching their head. They didn't get many answers out of Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson, who didn't want the attic episode to distract from the tragedy of the triple shooting.

"Like it or not, it was a huge, huge song and dance last night that our viewers watched for hours, and still nothing has come out," the reporter said at the end of the press conference. "So what kind of explanation can we give them at this point?"

The question, and Dawson's response, sucked the air out of the room. Weary from almost three days of searching for the alleged killer, Dawson replied, "When you're looking for the murderer of three young men, I don't think that's a song and dance. I think it's a sad situation. I can't call it a song and dance. I can call it law enforcement being dedicated, doing their job.

"Please, if you don't mind," the chief added, "let's don't call it a song and dance. Let's call it some dedicated men and women out there risking their life to bring a murderer to justice."

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OK, so Jeremy Hobbs is still running for Red McDaniels' seat on Columbus Council, having survived a challenge to his legal residency in the 8th district.

And he still wants elected officials even McDaniels, we presume to join him on June 27 to commemorate National HIV Testing Day. Hobbs, an advocate for those who are HIV positive, wants more people to get tested.

Specifically, he wants "all city leaders and elected officials" to join him at the main Columbus Library at 11 a.m. on the 27th for a news conference and to take the test, as Mayor Teresa Tomlinson did last year.

Sheriff John Darr and District Attorney Julia Slater have agreed to be tested, as has Lisa Jenkins, a candidate for clerk of superior court, Hobbs said in a release.

Hobbs, who is HIV positive, said 20 percent of people living with HIV do not know it, and that those 20 percent are responsible for 70 percent of new cases.

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Everyone wants to be vigilant in protecting their good name and reputation.

Aflac, the supplemental insurer headquartered in Columbus, is no different. Except in its case, the company is not only trying to protect its own name, but also save consumers near and far from being defrauded.

Laura Kane, the firm's communications chief, issued a news release Monday saying a new scam is circulating in which checks with the Aflac name and brand claim that recipients have won a sweepstakes. It urges people to cash the check, then wire money to cover international taxes, upon which even more winnings supposedly would be awarded to the recipient.

Naturally, Aflac, famed for its funny duck advertisements, is crying foul.

"We urge consumers to disregard any letter or check that suggests a promotional reward bearing the Aflac name," the company warned. "The letter and the check are bogus, and the check will not be honored by any financial institution. Aflac would never require policyholders to wire funds prior to obtaining legitimate claims payments."

The company noted it has contacted authorities, including the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, about the fraudsters and their ploy.

The Better Business Bureau has also been notified, it said.

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Call it a Kindle Don't Touch.

Why? Because you might get charged with felony shoplifting if you pick up three of them and try to leave the store without passing by the register.

Columbus police say that's what happened Tuesday afternoon at Best Buy on Manchester Expressway. Adam Brent Carter, 25, is accused of taking three Kindle Touch (Touches?) and stashing them in a bag he had before trying to leave the store.

An employee spotted Carter, and he was apprehended on Best Buy property, reports state.

The devices were valued at a total of $449, police said.