LOS ANGELES (AP) – Jeff Probst says he’s decided that life without “Survivor” wouldn’t be as much fun and he’s sticking with the CBS reality series.

“I was thinking about retiring and spending my time traveling to exotic locations around the world, meeting new and interesting people. Then I realized, uh, wait a second, I’m already doing that with “Survivor’ and getting paid for it, as well,” Probst, 44, said in a statement Thursday.

He has signed a new multiyear deal, CBS spokesman Chris Ender said.

Probst said in October that he was weighing whether to continue with the show. He has hosted “Survivor” since it debuted in summer 2000 and his contract ends with the edition now in production.

Mark Burnett, the show’s executive producer, lauded Probst’s contributions to the “ever-evolving game” in which players face physical and mental challenges in a bid to win $1 million.

“I consider him a friend and look forward to continuing to keep “Survivor’ fresh with Jeff for many more seasons,” Burnett said in a statement.

Last month, CBS announced that it will air the 13th and 14th versions of “Survivor” in the 2006-07 season.

The 12th edition, being filmed at an undisclosed location, is slated for the spring. The finale for the present show, “Survivor: Guatemala,” is Sunday night (8 p.m. EST).

HONOLULU (AP) – Hawaiian crooner Don Ho, who had an experimental procedure on his ailing heart earlier this week, says he’s feeling much better and may return home to the islands within a few days.

Ho, known for his signature tune, “Tiny Bubbles,” remained at a Thailand hospital, where he is recovering from an experimental stem cell procedure. He was moved out of intensive care Wednesday.

“I’m feeling much better and I’m so happy I came up here to do it,” the 75-year-old entertainer said in a statement Thursday. “I’m looking forward to coming home.”

His publicist released a photo showing a shirtless, baseball cap-wearing Ho smiling and waving a Hawaiian “shaka” hang-loose sign from his hospital bed in Bangkok. The photo also shows a big red heart-shaped pillow, several tubes attached to his body and Ho wearing his trademark raspberry-tinted sunglasses.

“Tell my fans to stay healthy,” he said. “I’m ready to go another 50 years.”

Ho may return to Hawaii within a few days, much earlier than planned.

Dr. Amit Patel, a heart surgeon from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center who oversaw the procedure in Bangkok, said Ho may be singing before Christmas.

Ho underwent a new treatment Tuesday that has not been approved in the United States. It involves multiplying stem cells taken from his blood and injecting them into his heart in hopes of strengthening the organ.

Patel said Ho was among the first patients with a weakened heart muscle not due to blockages in the coronary arteries selected for the VesCell adult stem cell therapy.

The experimental procedure was developed by TheraVitae Co., which has offices in Thailand and laboratories in Israel, where Ho’s stem cells were sent to be multiplied. The surgery costs roughly $30,000.

Ho, who has entertained Hawaiian tourists for more than four decades, has suffered from heart problems for about a year. He had a pacemaker implanted a few months ago.

In August, he was admitted to a hospital with shortness of breath. He was treated for an abnormal heart rhythm and released after three days. He soon returned to his Waikiki show on a reduced schedule.

Shaq sworn officer

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Look out criminals, Officer Shaq is on the beat.

Shaquille O’Neal was sworn in as a reserve police officer Thursday, with the Miami Heat center choosing to skip a public event in favor of a quiet, no-frills ceremony.

“Officer O’Neal is very considerate toward the other officers, and he was afraid if he was there he would have taken away from that moment for other officers,” department spokesman Robert Hernandez said. “This is a very special time for them and their families.”

The former Laker was a reserve officer in Los Angeles before moving to South Florida. He spent the past year training as a Miami Beach police reserve officer and can now add the $1-a-year salary to his $100 million, five-year contract with the Heat.

The 7-foot-1 player will be able to carry a gun, wear a badge and make arrests, but with his celebrity status, he most likely will not walk a beat or go undercover. He will work as time permits in the volunteer position.

O’Neal has said he is most interested in working with the special victims detective unit to help stop crimes against children.

“He made it clear when he decided to come to Miami Beach that he didn’t want to just be a poster boy for photo ops, he wanted to get down and dirty and do the job,” Hernandez said. “He’s here to conduct investigations and to make arrests.”

And in September he did just that. After seeing a man throw a bottle and yell anti-gay slurs at a passer-by, O’Neal trailed the man and helped an officer arrest him as a hate-crime suspect.

Tyra

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Supermodel and TV talk-show host Tyra Banks says corporate donors will provide a computer, clothing allowances and college tuition for seven children who were orphaned when their mother was mowed down by tow truck.

The children of Rosa Carrera, who was killed in the October accident in suburban Vernon, appeared on “The Tyra Banks Show” on Wednesday to discuss how the family is holding up.

“I’m like the mother now of all these kids and so I have to hold it together,” said 18-year-old Karla Becerra. The other children range in age from 6 to 17.

“I’m proud of you,” Banks replied.

Police said Carrera, 34, was killed when a truck driven by Raymond Bermudez went out of control. Two other people, including Carrera’s husband, Daniel Dorantes, were killed and eight others were injured. Dorantes, 35, was the father of Carrera’s youngest child.

Bermudez, 29, has been charged with murder, assault with a deadly weapon and auto theft, police said. Authorities said he stole the truck hours after being released from Salinas Valley State Prison.