MARION, Ala. — The sign going on the front door at the Perry County courthouse reads: "Closed for the Obama Holiday."

The rural, mostly black county has proclaimed tomorrow as an official holiday celebrating the election of the nation's first black president, Barack Obama. It's one of Alabama's poorest counties, but it's sparing little during five days of festivities.

County employees, as well as city workers in Marion and Uniontown, will get a paid holiday tomorrow as government offices close, culminating a series of events including an old-fashioned civil rights rally and march, a golf tournament, a weekend carnival and a parade tomorrow through Marion.

HOPPER HOPEFUL IN 9-YEAR CANCER BATTLE

Prostate cancer couldn't keep Dennis Hopper away from the Breeders' Cup yesterday.

The 73-year-old actor and artist attended the Breeders' Cup in support of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, the official charity of the year-ending thoroughbred championships yesterday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

It was revealed last month that Hopper had been diagnosed with cancer, although he said yesterday he's been battling it for the past nine years. He's started a new, experimental treatment at the University of Southern California that he says he hopes will help.

"It has great promise," Hopper said. "Everything's good right now."

RIHANNA: BROWN HAD 'NO SOUL' IN BEATING

Rihanna on Friday described the horror she felt as her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown was biting and punching her during a violent argument in February, saying she saw "no soul in his eyes."

"There was no person when I looked at him," the 21-year-old singer recalled during portions of an interview with Diane Sawyer that aired on ABC's "20/20" and, earlier, "Good Morning America." "He had no soul in his eyes. Just blank."

Brown, 20, was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he was accused of beating Rihanna after the two argued over another woman. He later pleaded guilty to felony assault and was sentenced to five years' probation, six months of community labor and a year of domestic violence counseling.

BOXING THERAPEUTIC FOR RODNEY KING

Rodney King says boxing is helping him stay sober.

King, whose 1991 beating by Los Angeles police was captured on videotape and helped spark riots a year later, is among a group of D-list celebrities appearing around the country as part of the Celebrity Boxing Federation.

Before a fight Friday night in Springfield, Mass., King said boxing has been good therapy for him in his struggles with alcohol.

"Being sober for 17 months, I wanted to see what this old body had left in it," he said.

King said he hopes to get into the ring soon with Laurence Powell, one of the police officers involved in his beating.