Caroline Kennedy awarded for living up to last name

Charlottesville, Va. — Katie Couric praised Caroline Kennedy for handling the “privilege and pressure of her last name” while presenting her with an award during a forum named after Couric’s late sister.

Kennedy received the Women’s Leadership Award Wednesday during the Emily Couric Leadership Forum, held in honor of the late state senator from Charlottesville. The forum honors Emily Couric’s commitment to lifelong learning and public service.

Kennedy, who received the award for her education advocacy work with the Fund for Public Schools in New York, called the nation’s public schools a “national crisis in our urban areas.”

“The kids are not getting the opportunities they deserve,” Kennedy said.

Ready for more ‘reality’?

New York — Happy news from UPN: The network says the much-anticipated Britney Spears-Kevin Federline reality show, which chronicles their deep “lurv,” will premiere May 17.

Meanwhile, the unthinkable may happen at Fox: “The Simple Life” without Nicole Richie.

Entertainment show “The Insider” reports that Paris Hilton’s sidekick has left the show, probably to develop a “Newlyweds”-type gig with fiance DJ AM.

Replacements? The New York Post says Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s names have been popping up.

‘Webster’ star smiles, signs way out of speeding ticket

Warwick, Ga. — Emmanuel Lewis, the former child star of the ’80s TV series “Webster,” got off with a warning for speeding after giving his autograph and posing for a photo with police, officials said.

Officer Ron Kirk said he stopped a vehicle Tuesday afternoon in rural southwestern Georgia that had been traveling 70 mph in a 45 mph zone. Kirk immediately recognized Lewis.

“Well, I grew up watching him and he was very nice and professional, so I just gave him a courtesy warning,” Kirk told Albany TV station WALB.

The officer asked for his autograph, and Lewis, 34, agreed to pose for a picture with Kirk and the town’s police chief, Randy Howard Jr.

Willis a ‘force’ in France

Paris — France has honored Bruce Willis, making him an officer in the Order of Arts and Letters, one of the country’s top awards for cultural achievement.

“France pays homage to an actor who represents the force of American cinema and the power of emotions that he invites us to share on screens throughout the world,” Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres said Wednesday as he presented the award to Willis.

The actor, who does not speak French, read from a script during his brief speech but still managed to make some grammatical slip-ups.

“I’m nervous. Bonjour Paris,” Willis, 50, said. “I am extremely touched by this medal. … We all belong to the same artistic community.”

Birthdays

Country singer Roy Clark is 72. Rock singer-guitarist Dave Edmunds is 61. Actress Lois Chiles is 58. Actress Amy Wright is 55. Columnist Heloise is 54. Actress-screenwriter Emma Thompson is 46. Singer Samantha Fox is 39. Rock musician Ed O’Brien (Radiohead) is 37. Actor Flex Alexander is 35. Actress Emma Watson (“Harry Potter” films) is 15.