Collegian Writers

Hello There

2011-05-15T02:43:00.003-04:00

Why, hello there. Would you like to read about some baseball? Some softball, perhaps? Or maybe some actual real, live news we reported... see? Sportswriters can do news too!

Also, our sports section won some awards. Our sports editor won an Illinois Associated Press Editors Association photo award for this photo taken at the state championship game last year. It was originally in color in the paper, I think.

We (the paper, not the sports section) also won some general awards for local news and such. I'd link you to it, to show everyone, but all the AP links I looked for have expired so you'll have to take my word for it.

Finally, our sports section DID win something, from the Southern Illinois Editorial Association, for best local sports coverage. (For some reason these particular awards did not have any individual sports categories this year.) We took third in the "small daily" division. First went to a St. Louis-area suburban paper (or, "Metro-East," if you'd like to know the technical term, thank you very much). Second went to one of our kinda-rivals with whom we share some overlapping coverage. Unfortunately, the SIEA has no website so I can't link to it to show you. But it exists. I swear.

We still have the regular Illinois Press Association awards next month, and I know we submitted a bunch to that. I dunno if we'll win a section award in that one, but I submitted quite a few individual ones, so who knows.

P.S.: Graduates, congratulations. Does anyone have any sweet jobs lined up that they can tell us about? I'm interested.

Next year at The Collegian

2011-04-14T14:56:00.002-04:00

The latest Collegian news...

Next year's editor-in-chief will be Marieke van der Vaart.

We have two more issues to go this year.

At the end of this semester we'll be saying goodbye to Ingrid. In case you haven't heard, she's taking a full-time job at The Detroit News. And our own Maria Schmitt Servold will be taking her job at Hillsdale. Check out the story and editorial in this week's Collegian.

And I assume most everyone knows this, but maybe not... John Miller of National Review is the new director of the journalism program. Tracy retired in the fall.

And the freshmen have interview for the program this weekend.

So many changes! Bittersweet.

one year and one tsunami later...

2011-03-28T16:53:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow is CB's one-year anniversary. Really it's just one year since all the reporters/editorial team started — the developers were on-board well before that.

One of my biggest accomplishments since arriving here is successfully getting some public records out of the Department of Education that they really didn't want to share. It took about eight months, $170 and countless phone calls and emails to follow up, but I finally got the info. I still haven't been able to land a meeting with whoever put the spreadsheet together, because the communications office is pretty effective at shielding people from me, but I'm working on it.

Meanwhile, legislative session is well into its second half, and it's been nuts around here. The governor is going to nominate people for the new appointed Board of Education this week, so I'm prepared to cover that top to bottom, inside and out. The new board gives me the opportunity to establish my reputation with an entirely fresh set of people as the intrepid and tenacious reporter (read: village nag).

Until now, I've only gone to board meetings when there's something especially interesting or timely on the agenda. Now, I'll be going to all of them. It will be an interesting shift. If you're familiar with our "Capitol Watch" and "Inside Honolulu" features, I will probably be doing something along those lines on the education beat soon.

New Fan Page

2011-02-16T17:17:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone,
The Collegian finally upgraded from a friend page to a fan page on Facebook.

Go "like" us!

http://www.facebook.com/HillsdaleCollegian#!/HillsdaleCollegian

Thanks,
Liz

Moving On

2011-02-04T01:58:00.003-05:00

I'm probably one of the few people on the contributors list who never dreamed of being a journalist, so it's no surprise that I am not working in that field now that I've graduated. I just wanted to post and let everyone know that I am out in California working as a Project Manager for a start-up web marketing firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you ever find yourself in my new neck of the woods, be sure to drop me a line.

Why I love my job

2011-01-27T17:48:00.002-05:00

Today, while I was covering a pre-trial conference, this funny little scenario played out, to the enjoyment of everyone in the newsroom.

People involved:
T. O'Keefe, defense attorney - an extremely tall man, pretty broad-shouldered
Judge T. French - also a large man
J. Lehman, prosecutor - a pretty short and slim man.

Judge French discusses the case's upcoming trial, and advises the attorneys that they should remain behind the podium while questioning witnesses, as juries don't like to feel threatened by lawyers.

"I understand, your honor, I have had a juror call me 'big and scary' before, so I'll stay behind the podium." - O'Keefe

"Thank you, Mr. O'Keefe. I too have been called 'big and scary.' Is there anything else, gentlemen?" - French

At this point, Lehman stands up and gently clears his throat.

"Your honor, I'm still waiting to be called 'big and scary,'" he said.

Haha! Even the defendant's mom, who looks fragile and upset all the time, laughed heartily. Isn't the justice system great?

----

New web updates for The Collegian

2011-01-27T11:35:00.003-05:00

We're still working out kinks in things, but we decided to get a little more ambitious with our website this semester. Nolan Finley gave us a hard time in class Monday for not having a "real website." So now we're launching an editors' blog with daily updates and pictures, as well as doing more with podcasts. You can hear our first "QuickHits" podcast from March for Life on the front page of the site here. Find our new blog, entitled "This Just In," here.

a game

2011-01-06T20:54:00.003-05:00

Can you tell me what's different about our website now?

Hint: You'll have to click on some of the headlines to figure it out.

In other news, the ed beat was slow over the holidays so I jumped in and helped add some color to our Census coverage. It was fun to be out in the field and using my camera.

Now the Legislature is gearing back up to open next week, and this entire day has been spent strategizing my coverage for the next couple of weeks. It's going to be a busy year.

Hope you are all doing well. Keep us posted, especially if you're about to graduate and join the professional journalism world!

Feeling the Pain

2011-01-04T02:48:00.010-05:00

The only thing worse than bad high school baseball is bad high school girls' basketball. In one game I covered, there were 40 turnovers in this game, and probabaly fewer people in the stands. Every ball bounce, every sneaker squeak and every pep talk inside a huddle (usually angry) could be heard in hi-fi clarity 25 rows up the other side of the bleachers. Painful, indeed.

Good girls' basketball can be awesome. (Update: here's another solid game I just covered.)

But sometimes I feel like I if I have to watch another keystone cops girls game... well, I might as well be covering county commission meetings. Or, even worse... county sewer board town hall meetings. At least then you get the crazy people.

That is all. (End rant.)

2010-12-27T23:54:00.003-05:00

I hope you all have had a Merry Christmas.

I just wanted to post to tell you that I'll be starting as a reporter for The Washington Examiner in June 2011. I'm excited and feel grateful to have a job out of college.

The fall semester of The Collegian went well. We have a good team. We've had quite a few freelancers, and they're learning quickly. I'll try to post more stories and details next semester.

Happy New Year!

The Borders Within

2010-12-12T00:45:00.004-05:00

Never, not even in college, have I had a week like this one. I think Chase agrees.

Today we put to bed a yearlong project: The Borders Within.

Throughout the year, and in a 6-page special section published today, we explored Waynesboro's growing Hispanic community. The site linked above includes photos, audio, stats, and more, and will soon include a full PDF layout, which really is the best way to see the work.

The photo above is one of many by Chase that gave a visual voice to our work.

Questions welcomed. Feedback appreciated.

Satisfying days

2010-11-18T21:33:00.004-05:00

From "Making Tracks"

I've been thinking and talking about satisfaction a lot lately -- especially the day in, day out joys of community journalism. What follows is a smattering of four fairly typical stories that I enjoyed putting together and which have just enough spark or phrasejoy to make me smile.

At the same time, we've been putting together our entries for the annual Virginia Press Association contest. Juxtaposed with the day-to-day stuff, it's been wonderful to get all of our paper's best stuff together in one bulging set of folders. It's a pleasant struggle to determine the best 3 feature stories, for example.

Any feedback is appreciated. Which 1 of these sounds most captivating by teaser alone?

Sewage leaks spur plan

Fined by state environmental regulators and ordered to make pipe and manhole upgrades, Waynesboro plans to borrow almost $4 million, mostly to make fixes to a wastewater network frequently overwhelmed by heavy rains ...

Making tracks (w/ my pix)

The carousel, the brewery and the skyscraper all have to go.

Moving day is approaching for the structures made in miniature to match model trains that buzz by in sizes small, smaller and smallest inside the Augusta County Railroad Museum in Waynesboro ...

Delayed judgment (if you like it, see related links)

STAUNTON – There were no friends or relatives of Ruth Naomi Mays in court Thursday to hear a judge sentence the man who killed her.

Nobody came in support of Kenneth Wayne Baker either.

Judge Victor V. Ludwig sentenced Baker, 44, to 25 years in prison more than a decade after he shot Mays six times and hid her body in a septic tank in their Churchville neighborhood ...

Pause at the palace

... Curious wanderers long viewed the towering home from the outside only, where a looping driveway allowed a glimpse of the building, broad lawns and white marble columns.

“It’s even more amazing on the inside,” Dulaney said.

The $6 tour reveals the delicate craftsmanship of artisans and an expansive view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

But much of the mansion, including bedrooms, is off-limits to visitors.

With a slight turn of the head, one can pass his gaze from a Tiffany stained-glass image of the first woman to inhabit the palace over to Dulaney’s more modern mounds of paper, furniture and miscellaneous debris cordoned off in a second-floor hallway turned storage closet ...

post-election hangover

2010-11-09T15:09:00.006-05:00

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things after the elections. With three races to cover (and 13 candidates/six winners in one of the races), I haven't been doing a lot else for the last month.

And my beat just got more interesting, because Hawaii voters passed an amendment to replace the now-elected board of education with one appointed by the governor. This is huge, because unlike in other states, Hawaii's board of education is both a statewide and a local board. It sets policies & budgets for the entire statewide system. It'll be a fun year with the transition.

Some highlights of the pre-election and election coverage (REMINDER: CB is a membership service, so you will only see the tops of articles unless you sign up for a day pass or become a full member).

* Read up on Hawaii's Ed Board Amendment

* Elected Board of Education Gets Permanent Furlough

* Voters Elect Ed Board Members for the Last Time

* A Surprising Conversation with Teachers Union President (One of my favorite parts of this job is the level of personal sharing we're able to do. There's an emphasis on sharing with our members what we're doing behind the scenes.)

* No Turning Back For Abercrombie — Finally

Finally, I want to share this with you, because it is pure awesomeness.

Something to be thankful for

2010-11-02T03:54:00.004-04:00

I found this piece a few weeks ago on the excellent website Longform.org (which I suggest you check out if you're into long, interesting stories on any subject imaginable). It's a Michael Lewis piece from 1993 called "J-School Confidential." I suggest we all read it and be thankful that Hillsdale's journalism program isn't, as the climax of this article states, bullshit.

With a nip here and a tuck there, the inadequately schooled journalist could easily make the Columbia School of Journalism sound like a seven-month extension of this anecdote. Perhaps I am that journalist. The essential point here is that the desperate futility of journalism instruction becomes clearer the closer one gets to the deed. At journalism school, one does not simply report a story. One develops a "search strategy for mass communication" (see chart above). The principal text used at Columbia, in a section called "Truth Telling," offers the mathematical formula: Story=Truth + X. "The story is never the full truth," it intones. "There is always an X, a missing ingredient. Actually there is not an X but a series -- X1,X2,X3,X4...." This sort of irrelevant blather infects the entire curriculum.

Excalibur

2010-10-20T14:46:00.006-04:00

Quickly here, I just want to share what may be my best photo ever. Our sports editor came back from another job, and brought with him his awesome camera. We call it "Excalibur". Mostly because it is better than the other two pieces of junk we have.

Anyway, I covered the Effingham High volleyball game on Tuesday. They won the conference championship. I had Excalibur in tow and was lucky enough to get the shot of what happened right after the final point dropped.

It ran huge (four columns wide) in the paper today.

I assure you that I would not have gotten this shot with an inferior camera. I take no credit whatsoever for anything other than being in the right place at the right time with the camera that is the savior of our sports section.

The full story is here, but it's actually not as good as the photo. Bummer.

An update and some rock

2010-10-06T02:46:00.005-04:00

(No, this has nothing to do with newspapers but Katherine said she liked my "non-sequitur" rock videos that are attached to the posts I do, so I'm gonna keep doing them).

I'm a swingman at the new paper. I've been doing nothing but sports for about two months but when our sports editor returns from the job he was at and didn't like as much I'll be going back to doing a combination of sports and local pages (markets, farm, society, church, etc.) on Monday through Thursdays and a full time designer/copy editor on Fridays. Which means I have weekends off again. Awesome.

But for now, I'm on sports full time. And I've been covering a lot of fall baseball — since in Illinois, many of the small farm schools we cover have 150 students or less and just don't have enough bodies for football.

Hence this story on the National Trail Conference baseball tournament. (There are some errors... because of a problem we've been having with uploading to the Web straight from the Newsedit document instead of the final proofed pages. I'm working on setting this straight...)

I've also done some soccer, a bunch of volleyball and have taken photos at all the Effingham High home football games.

You'll also be interested to know just how many insults are exchanged in the comments section of our sports articles. Mostly it's Effingham fans calling Newton pansies, but the Eagle fans get a few zingers now and again.

Wednesday will find me covering a semifinal matchup in the baseball tournament between the defending Class 2A state champions and another school who's pretty decent. The champs have been beating people this fall by an average score of 10-0, and they have a legitimate Division I prospect for a pitcher. Yeah, they're pretty good and will be a definite favorite to repeat this year. (Teutopolis, or "T-town" if you want to be in the know on East-Central Illinois place name slang, has about 450 students and probabaly COULD have a football team... but I think they just like being really good at baseball and don't want to spend the money on football, which is understandable.)

Finally, this might be a stupid question to ask, but do any other Collegian alumns cover sports at all? I know Tony's done a few oneoffs here and there but other than that I think I'm the only one. If there IS someone else out there that has done some or is doing some... I'd like to hear from you and we can talk shop.

Bay City principal uses Facebook to keep an eye on students

2010-08-31T14:03:00.004-04:00

This week, one of my eduation stories started to pick up national attention.

The principal of the local Catholic school is using Facebook to not only promote the school, but also use it to monitor student activity. Reaction has been pretty positive, according to school officials, but it's drawn some interesting comment from readers - some calling him a Big Brother figure - and saying his social networking is inappropriate.

Good Morning America is coming to town Thursday to film the principal and talk about the story.

Our online strategy calls for reporters to blog about stories as they develop, with a goal of increasing reader interaction and commentary. Here's the story from beginning to today:

West of the Fields

2010-08-14T01:43:00.006-04:00

No video, just rock:

Wrote my first story for the Daily News this week. Nothing earth-shattering, just a first-day-of-football-practice recap on one of the area schools we cover. This means it wasn't online, so I'll post part of it here. (You really don't need to read the whole thing, since it's pretty standard stuff.)

Pirates have some holes to fill
By JACK HITTINGER
Daily News
TOLEDO — The summertime heat hadn’t quite reached its peak, but the Cumberland Pirates were already sweating Wednesday morning — the first official day of high school sports practice across the state of Illinois.
The Pirates ran practices from 8 to 10 a.m. and again from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday to beat the humidity. They are scheduled to run two-a-days for another week and a half.
“It’s not too bad out here yet,” junior quarterback Kendal Butler said near the end of the first of two practices Wednesday. “But we’re ready for it.”
Heat indices in the area reached at least 107 degrees in the middle of the afternoon. But that wasn’t on the immediate minds of head coach Todd Butler or the rest of the Pirates. Instead, they were worried about offense.
Kendal Butler will be stepping in to the starting quarterback spot after two years on the defense.
“It’s his first year under center for varsity,” coach Todd Butler said of Kendal. “But he’s been playing there his whole life.”
Kendal has been anticipating the move across the line of scrimmage all summer.
“I did a lot of weight training (over the summer), but mostly I worked on learning the receivers’ routes,” he said. “I’ve been playing quarterback all my life, so I’m pretty excited.”

And so forth. Cumberland finished 6-4 and made the 1A playoffs last year— the smallest division in the state— but they lost to the eventual state champs, Tuscola. (Tuscola, about an 20 minutes south of Champaign, is famous for having a massive factory outlet shop).

The thing I enjoy most about Cumberland (enrollment 250)? Their football "stadium" is literally in the middle of a cornfield, as you can see in the background of this photo. Welcome to Central Illinois.

Hello from Colorado

2010-08-06T16:55:00.002-04:00

Hey Collegian friends!

So, things are going pretty well out here in Colorado. I started a job at The Loveland Connection on July 19. So far, it has been great! The Connection is a small tabloid that prints on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but we update our website every day, if we can.

I am the "community reporter" which means anything except schools and sports, which are my fellow reporter Carl's job. So, it's up to me to do city stuff, general features, crime, courts...it's sweet.

The staff consists of me, Carl and our editor, Kelley. We are in the same newsroom as the Fort Collins Coloradoan, which is a daily. The Coloradoan often uses my stories for its Region page, so I get double printing for some of my clips, which is cool.

So far, I have been writing about 6-8 stories a week. I've had to do a lot of weekend assignments - community event features and stuff. That gets a little hard with my hours because we can only have 37.5/week. We get paid by the hour. I usually run out of hours by Friday, especially if I need to save some for the weekend, so I often get half days on Friday and stuff.

We've had some interesting things going on with the city council and medical marijuana dispensary licensing. I've written a few stories on it.

Next week I will be covering a sentencing trial for a man who shot his pregnant wife and at the end of the month, a hearing for a woman who left her baby in a cold garage and it died while she was out at a party. The baby was also born with THC in its system. It was also the first baby of 2010 at one of the hospitals in town, so it was kind of high-profile.

I might post some stories later, but I have been putting most of them on Facebook and Twitter.

Hope everyone is doing well!!

- Maria

Locked up on a prison story

2010-08-06T09:33:00.005-04:00

This week, U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, announced that he has requested the feds to purchase Standish Maximum Security Prison — a big story in my neck of the woods.

Standish is about 30 minutes north of Bay City and one of the few max-security prisons in the state. It closed on Halloween last year due to state budget cuts, costing hundreds of officers their jobs and forcing them to either move elsewhere or commute up to 2.5 hours to work a 40-hour a week job.

There's a bigger back story to everything with the Standish prison that I've been hashing out this week. The prison was a candidate to hold Guantanamo Bay detainees after that place shut down.

For this Sunday, I'm writing a piece looking into the lives of officers after Standish max.

Here's my most recent story that includes a box in the story that helps gives the back story.

Stupak: Standish prison could be sold by year's end; bringing back former jobs not cut and dry

Liz's summer at The Examiner

2010-08-04T14:50:00.004-04:00

Hello from Washington, D.C.!

I'm finally posting, thanks to prodding from Tony. I am doing the Quayle thing out here this summer, and I now have 1.5 weeks left at The Examiner. Fellow Hillsdalians Casey Cheney and Joel Gehrke were also at The Examiner this summer, through NJC. Joel is on editorial, and Casey's on web.

It's been a good summer, and has gone by really fast. My editors are great; the other interns are really nice. I'm now pretty good at writing quickly, though I do miss writing longer features.

Above is the one and only picture I've taken for The Examiner this summer. I took it with a point-and-shoot for a story about people coping with extensive power outages as a result of a severe thunderstorm in late July. These women took the day off work and took their kids to the pool. Alas, my photography is just a hobby this summer.

A few clips:
A mayor's order on medical marijuana regs was the first document ever leaked to me. I felt pretty cool.

Joy P. said she enjoyed reading my feature-y heat story.

I spent a good three days covering the July thunderstorm. Here's the story on day three of outages.

In other news, I'll be editor-in-chief of The Collegian this year. Feel free to shoot me any ideas or advice you may have. We're already decided to restructure the sections and have editors design their own pages. If you're curious, the paper will look like this, and our editors will be:
News A1-A4 (Mary Petrides and Casey Cheney)
Community News* A5 (Mary Petrides and Casey Cheney)
Opinions A6 (Betsy Woodruff)
Sports A7-A8 (Nathan McClallen)
Arts B1-B2 (Marieke van der Vaart)
Features* B3-B4 (Joel Pavelski)

*We'll be coming up with different names for these sections.

In the Valley

2010-08-04T10:29:00.004-04:00

Chase Purdy

I'd like to share a hyper-local story, in part to see how it registers to readers unfamiliar with its starring character. Reactions appreciated.

I've been following the case(s) of this attorney for more than a year as he battled against the county government. Most recently, his battle seems to have come to an end. His efforts depleted his practice, which spurred some associated feature-type coverage too.

Over the course of my coverage I've witnessed some combative and cinematic courtroom moments. I try to capture those. :: Court loss

And despite his "handlers" trying to steer him clear of discussing personal matters -- he's always been open with me -- he chose to share. :: Farm for sale

Separately, we've been working hard to provide online readers with source documents and full reports and other materials that don't make it into the daily print edition. I've tried to build better narrative slideshows. The best example, I think, came from a series of crime scene photos (circa 1998), none of which made it in print, but which I think rounded out the online coverage. The slideshows I mention are not works of art -- they're done on deadline with whatever we have on hand -- but I'm trying to develop a style with them.

Solid story from Chase too.

:: Murder story
:: Murder slideshow (Be sure to click on 'captions' to get the narrative component.)

Chase recently shared more stories on his blog too.

Blog revision

2010-08-04T09:17:00.001-04:00

Working on a new template for the blog, so nevermind the construction dust. Suggestions welcome.

attn eds: checking in from gville

2010-07-31T23:33:00.008-04:00

Hey, crew:

Nice to see who's doing what and where. Figured it's about time I weighed in.

So, hello there. My gig in Dallas had been extended through February, which is when I landed a permanent gig as a copy editor on staff at the newly formed New York Times editing center in Gainesville, Fla. To explain everything, I need a lot of words and ideally a large venn diagram and larger flow chart, so I'll give you the best-distilled version possible.

We began as 15 editors and one department in March, but we've since grown to a staff of about 35. We continue to expand our operations and projects, but for now, the editing center breaks down into three main departments: the NYT International Weeklies, Times Digest and the NYT News Service, which is where I primarily work.

The news service is the NYT wire service -- we pick up stories from the NYT and edit them for use in domestic and international papers, which also means chopping stories down and creating writethrus. Last week, for example, I had about three hours (normally, we have much less time!) to slice up a 6,500 word story into something clients could use -- it was pared to 2,300 words, and a third incarnation went out at 900. It can be a bit daunting to try and preserve the voice and the heart and the style of a story in such situations, but it's great fun! I'll admit, it's been fascinating to join this on the ground level and help to build the operation and innovate the way things are done -- I have learned volumes.

Gainesville itself is an intriguing town, about 1.5 hours to the coast on either side, and the University of Florida is here, I've been told it's wild during football season. It's got a much livelier downtown scene than Hillsdale, though we've only got one target and two movie theaters.

Wish I had some clips to show off, but the vast majority of my work transmits across the wire, so I can't really link to it, and it doesn't make for a pretty portfolio clip, since it's undesigned. But I am doing real work!

Instead, I'll leave you with a picture I took on a roadtrip to the Keys. This was on Key Largo, and I shot it with my old-school Holga 120 film camera, using slide film that was cross-processed (no Photoshop!).

Toledo: Best Place Anyplace

2010-07-31T16:52:00.002-04:00

http://www.toledofreepress.com/2010/07/29/army-corps%E2%80%99-proposals-threaten-future-of-point-place/

Betsy and I worked our tails off since the June 29 meeting. The paper got sent to the printer July 29, so it took us exactly a month to complete this.

I took the photo of the light house the first time I went out there. The morning of July 29, Betsy and I drove out to Wynn and Bayshore Roads at the instruction of one of the environmental/biologist guys we talked to, gook off our shoes, and climbed about 40 feet over slimy green rocks to get the algae photo. Betsy took it; it's my hand.

A1

2010-07-31T08:00:00.004-04:00

I have Fridays all to myself on the desk. This sort of sucks, since I basically have to put together six pages and no one else is around (unless reporters are milling about randomly, the office is pretty dead after about 4:30 p.m. on a Friday). But it also means I can basically do whatever I want when it comes to designing A1 (aside from, you know, actually picking which stories go there and making big-time editorial decisions).

So, with that in mind, I think I actually designed something fairly interesting today. (Background: The county fair starts today. Hence the 42-inch story on a gardener.) You can see it here. (One of these days we will be on Newseum... we just need to make sure we can actually put the paper out ever day first and that things are running smoothly— two of the three copy editors are new, as is the sports reporter that isn't me.) Check it:

As you can see, I am not in this to get rich off being a page designer. But considering that our computers are kinda crappy and (old and slow), our Quark is not exactly easy to use and I had to rush to put it together since we had to push our deadline back an hour earlier due to some hangup in Mt. Vernon, I think this is a passable centerpiece design.

Also, I really just want to hang out with that guy sometime.

On the desk

2010-07-20T03:03:00.002-04:00

**This video has absolutely nothing to do with copy editing, newspapers or my life other than the fact that I really like The Jam right now. But I have embedded a YouTube video in virtually every post I have made to this blog and do not plan on stopping. So, listen to the Jam as you read this post.

Working the copy desk (3-11:30 p.m., Mon-Fri) is way more exhausting than I figured it would be. Mostly, it's learning how my new paper does things— stylistic quirks, layout oddities, old computer systems (Mac OS9 still, for now... ugh), copy flow, etc.

I expect it to take me another few weeks to get into a groove. When I do, I'll actually be writing again— and yes, I'm still a sports guy. But the difference is, I'm not THE sports guy. The sports staff here is three, including me. Most nights when school (and sports) is in session I expect I'll build some news pages, go out and cover some things and then come back and write and help with sports pages. Except Fridays, when I'll be the only copy ed on the desk and will have to stay in and do all the news pages and probabaly a lot on the sports pages. It will kind of suck not getting to write as much.

But I've come to realize I'm okay with that.

I hated— HATED— the part of my old job where I was responsible for everything. Don't get me wrong, I loved the coaches and loved the reporting and the writing and even doing some sweet page design.

But the fact that I always had to do all of it every day drained me so much I hated going into work every day. Most of the time it was hard to take pride in doing any of it since I felt like no one read it.

I take comfort in the fact that I now work for a real paper with a real circulation and a real editorial staff. Our 12,000 circulation (give or take a few thousand depending on where you get your info from) has 11 people on the editorial staff.

Anyhow, I should have more to talk about in another few weeks when I'm actually reporting again. I should have a better feel for both the newspaper and the surrounding community by then.

I would, however, like to note: You can tell you're in the real Midwest when your town's downtown "skyline" is dominated by grain silos.

And if anyone is interested in reading about the happenings of South Central Illinois, visit the Daily News' website here. My stories aren't there, obviously, but I did write this headline:

Going bats ... about bats/ Sorry, Dracula: Ballard nature Center seminar shows bats aren't so scary after all

(My very first A1 design also coincided with a slow news day and this goofy but kind of cool feature... I'll try and post a PDF or two sometime soon).

Things going well in Bay City

2010-07-12T15:23:00.003-04:00

I celebrated my one year at the Bay City Times June 1 and have been starting some big projects for the summer. With a small staff, those projects continue to get bumped back, but I'm making progress.

Education in Michigan is a hot topic right now - so my beat is actually coming to life in the summer time it seems - lots of numbers, budgets, etc. I'm working on a project right now looking into one of the school districts who are listed as the state as a deficit district.

Outside of the education world, Bay City was named one of Michigan's 'Cool Cities' about 5 years ago. It was an effort by the state to attract young professionals to growing cities and build up the economy. Well in Bay City - we feel like its working. There are many young professionals, more people living downtown and the city just has this 'cool' feel to it. It's going to be a big multimedia project - lots of video interviews, quick hits, interactive maps, etc.

Things are going really well here - last week I received some great news - a promotion! It comes with a nice pay increase along with more responsibility.

This week, Bay City is hosting the Tall Ships Celebration. Twelve beautiful ships will sail into port on Thursday. Read my preview article, here.

Hope all is well with everyone,

Dodson

Mention with the big dogs

2010-07-01T13:27:00.002-04:00

The Virginia Coalition for Open Government made mention of one of my recent reports in their monthly newsletter, and alongside two of the state's biggest papers, no less.

:: Newsletter
:: Read the report

Toledo

2010-06-28T09:26:00.001-04:00

Jamie Farr golf tournament... interviews with LPGA golfers

Aloha from KP in Honolulu

2010-06-26T04:41:00.006-04:00

A warm aloha to you all from my new digs in Honolulu. I've been here about three months and have been drinking water from the proverbial fire hydrant. To answer Jack's question, yes! I'm still doing journalism, and loving it. And learning a bit of business/marketing now, too.

I am the education reporter-host with Honolulu Civil Beat, a new journalism venture that has received quite a bit of national attention — through the likes of NPR and Jay Rosen. If you read some of the articles about us (and on the site), you'll know pretty quickly that what we are doing is different. A big part of it is providing context for every article we write. That context comes in the form of a network of what we call "topic pages," which are living background articles on the issues, organizations and people we cover. Other things we're big on are community engagement and transparency about the reporting process. We're trying to bring our community into the experience and become the "trusted friends" in our beats.

There's also a heavy emphasis on investigative, documents-based journalism, but I'm writing on about six different levels right now. John is a fantastic editor and a patient, knowledgeable mentor. It might be difficult to show you the full scope of what I'm doing (including the full length of the articles mentioned below) since much of our most valuable content is behind a paywall, but I encourage you to get a daily membership to browse around the site.

Here are some of my pieces:

* Six Years Later, Principals Still Don't Have Performance Contracts

* Arguments Against Elected Board Sound Familiar

...and for some local flavor (gotta love the Aloha State), a package on high school graduations. Loved reporting and shooting these:

* Lessons From Two Hawaii High School Graduations

* Nanakuli: The Ambitious Class

* Kaiser: Ready To Be World Citizens

Tony G editing in W'boro

2010-06-26T02:23:00.003-04:00

They call me City Editor but I'm still doing a lot of challenging reporting out here in Waynesboro, right alongside Chase.

Recent reports:
:: A wild ride through the system
:: Suspect "foggy" from drugs
:: Festivals omitted licenses

Summer 2010

2010-06-26T01:58:00.006-04:00

:: to be updated ::

A Collegian where-are-they-now:

Full-time working stiffs
Tony Gonzalez - The News Virginian
Chase Purdy - The News Virginian
Nick Tabor - Kentucky New Era
Jack Hittinger - Effingham Daily News
Katherine Poythress - Honolulu Civil Beat
Morgan Schneider - New York Times
Maria Schmitt - In Denver Times
Andrew Dodson - Bay City Times

Internships
Liz Essley - The Washington Examiner

Moving

2010-06-24T16:58:00.003-04:00

I got a new job in Effingham, Illinois as a sports reporter/ copy desk person (part editor, part designer, part typist... YES). This new gig covers five counties and has a circulation of 12-14,000 (depending on which website you believe). I move 4th of July weekend and start July 12th. I'll try and keep others abreast of what's happening.

Hello

2010-06-16T02:53:00.004-04:00

Hello, how are you? Have you been alright?

ELO song references aside, just checking in. We haven't updated this in a while. I wasn't sure if it has died. I am trying to revive it.

Summertime sucks for a community sports writer. Nothing to cover but camps and American Legion baseball. Not that interesting. But football will begin soon, and the cycle will repeat itself as it does every school year.

So enough about me. How is it across the rest of the good old U.S. of A? How many Hillsdale journalists are actually, you know, still doing "journalism"? Does journalism even exist anymore?

Let's discuss. Don't bring me down on this one. (Crap, more ELO references... sorry. Obviously the summer makes me stir crazy.)

A Treasury of Cliche Sports Quotes, Part I (of many)

2010-03-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

Been thinking about this lately. Coaches can say some of the dumbest stuff that doesn't make sense yet they almost all say. This seems to be a specifically sports-specific thing— you don't hear city councilmen use the same phrase to describe why the voted for two different bills, yet high school basketball (and football, but mostly basketball) coaches do it all the damn time. I've compiled some of my least favorite for you because I find them funny and there hasn't been much on here as of late. They really do anger me, but not enough to not put them in a story. Hey, I gotta have something.

Anyway, here goes. I'm going to turn this into a running feature. God knows there are enough dumb quotes out there.

a) play like we can
As in, "We can beat them if we play like we can." I know what this means (to play at your absolute apex), but it's just dumb. Most teams never play like they can, because there's always something or other wrong. Is it really "playing like you can" if you win by two despite having 30 turnovers? The other team is also "playing like [they] can," but their "can" just happens to be unquestionably more talented than your "can." Dumb, dumb, dumb. Give us specifics, coach.

b) intensity
I know what this means, too, but often it's thrown around without modifiers. As in, "They were just more intense than us tonight." Often used in terms of defense, rebounding, shooting, passing, dribbling and running. Baseball coaches use this too, which makes even less sense.

c) step up
As in "Joe Schmo really stepped up to hit that shot tonight." Sometimes, this makes sense, as in "Schmo asked me if he could have the ball in his hands to make that last shot." But usually coaches just throw it around liberally to describe any big shot a high school athlete makes. As if a high school kid could control when they make or miss shots, or they could turn it off and on. Listen: If Joe Schmo could hit the 25-foot three with one second left every game, he'd be in the NBA now.

d) praising the other team's toughness
As in, "Both teams played hard, my man." Why can't they just let loose like 'Sheed, tell us how they really feel?

e) kept fighting
Related to (d), but talking about your own team's toughness. Usually in a lopsided loss when you have nothing to say about your team without looking like an a-hole. Also used frequently by wrestlers and wrestling coaches, but with more accuracy, because two guys fighting is the entire freaking sport.

Hawaii Bound

2010-03-16T17:06:00.006-04:00

Yeah, I know. I only started at the new job about eight months ago, but sometimes life serves up an opportunity you can't dream of refusing.

I am moving this Sunday to Hawaii to be a part of an exciting news start-up in Honolulu. I am thrilled and honored to be the only mainlander they hired for this venture.

To be clear, I have been very happy with my job here and was not looking to leave anytime soon. But, long story short (I will write it all out eventually), I was recommended for, interviewed for and accepted a "reporter and host" position with Peer News, which is headed up by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.

It's a tremendous opportunity for a number of reasons; not the least of which are that I will be working with some dynamite colleagues and answering to former Rocky Mountain News executive editor John Temple.

I have a lot of packing to do, but I will try to keep you posted (here and on Twitter) with what I can as I get settled into my new home and we prepare for launch.

Two awesome things

2010-02-11T16:25:00.007-05:00

This story has absolutley nothing to do with me, sports, my newspaper or even Missouri. I only post it here because it might be one of the funniest news items I have read in a long time.

Teen Fends Off Mountain Lion With Ninja Sword

Even the quotes are dynamite:

Although the dog had the upper hand at first, Thomas-Willis said the mountain lion was winning by the time the boy returned with the sword.

"I see this big cat," said Dawson.

Dawson said the mountain lion was big.

“It was about the size of German shepherd police dog -- like big -- about twice the size of my dog,” Dawson said.

Please, God, let me live to cover a story such as this. At least allow me one time to use the word "ninja" in a headline.

In unrelated news, but related to my sports coverage, this dunk might be the sickest I've ever seen.

I've seen this kid play— he's a beast— and got a shoutout from a Springfield (that's "SGF", for all of you in the know) sports site for my coverage (and my photo gallery).

When Homelessness Hits Home

2010-01-12T21:23:00.004-05:00

There is so, so much I could say about this project, but suffice it to say, it was the most ambitious, challenging and rewarding projects I've taken on since I entered the journalism field.

I was the project manager, I guess, but my editors were very helpful in getting the whole package clenched to run in a special six-page section the Sunday after Christmas. I did most of the writing and some of the photography, but I couldn't have done it without the team of about seven of us who made it all come together.

The print edition looked goo-ood. Here's the Web version:

When Homelessness Hits Home

Enjoy. I would appreciate feedback in any form.

My television debut

2009-12-03T04:16:00.005-05:00

My big television debut on KSPR went swimmingly (sort of).

If you'll kindly look at this clip and then try and pause it with 16 seconds remaining, you'll see a half-second shot of yours truly under the basket on the right.

Yep. That's me, in the red shirt and jeans. I would have snazzed up the wardrobe for the occasion, but I after some careful deliberation I decided that the good people of Southern Missouri are introduced to the "real" me, jeans and all. (Part of my story for the same game is here, I also posted a photo gallery.)

And before you ask, yes— number 00 for Laquey is indeed a beast, and yes, he does stand out like a sore thumb in rural Missouri.

The Times

2009-11-27T12:22:00.009-05:00

I know I am SO late to pipe in about this, but what the heck. The building we are located in is actually three conjoined buildings, at least one of which is a retired trucking headquarters. The newsroom is located in the upstairs of the westernmost building. Circulation, advertising, publications and our retired printing press reside in the lower levels of the buildings.

I'll build a separate post to show you the old press.

That said, here is the newsroom:

To the left here is sports, and beyond that retainer type wall (that's actually the stairwell) is the newsroom proper, where the reporters, our Web producer and our graphic designer work. The glass window at the far end looks into my executive editor's office, which connects with my associate editor's office. The photo department is inside the walls to the right, as is our features editor. Behind the camera is the copy desk, which has its own little three-room pod. The other of four two associate editors presides over three copy editors in this area.

And this is a photo of the area where I was just standing. Directly in front of you is a storage area where our archives are, as well as a bunch of old...stuff. :p Next to the storage room is our upstairs break room. There is another break room downstairs for "the others," but this one is the one we newsies use.

Our only source of natural light is these four windows, and I hear the battle to get them installed was bitter.

And, my desk. Which is remarkably clean this morning.

I can write features

2009-10-16T02:04:00.003-04:00

It's true! I remember how to do something besides sports! Here's an example now!

Cyclists invade Elbow biker bar

By Jack Hittinger

DEVILS ELBOW— On Wednesday night the Elbow Inn in Devil’s Elbow was a real biker bar. It was invaded by cyclists.

The Hostel International-Gateway Council, based in St. Louis, is sponsoring a “Cycle Route 66” bicycle ride, taking cyclists on Route 66 from Miami, Okla., to Eureka. And the Devil’s Elbow restaurant was one of their main stops.

“I’ve been involved with the Route 66 Association for four years,” Elbow Inn owner Terry Roberson said. “I’ve supported every event thats been down here including motorcycle rides and classic car runs.”

But this is the first bike tour that he’s seen in conjunction with Route 66. And on Wednesday night, the bar was hopping with cyclists eating bar-b-que, drinking beer and playing trivia games.

“This is a real biker bar now,” Roberson said, “‘cause we’ve got both bikers here.”

Read the whole thing here, if you'd like.

The photo sucks, but I really liked the quote from that dude. And stole it for my lede.

Don't worry, I'm still sports-ing it up, too. Some recent stuff. Lots of soccer, for whatever reason.

This might be the best soccer thing I've done: Friday Night Fútbol (if I already posted it, tough, I'm posting again because I like it)
-Bears stick Hornets in mud (har har)
-Crocker beats Laquey to seal the Frisco League regular season soccer championship
-Tigers can score, just need defense
-Volleyball tournament recap (mostly for the photos)

Best Catches

2009-10-09T23:16:00.003-04:00

My business cards will read "city editor" next week, but for at least another month I'll be more of a player-coach than just a coach (editor). I moved to the city beat when our city reporter left, and I've turned a handful of strong stories recently that have given me real interest in digging further into that beat.

Of some significance, I've nailed some stories where the traditional sources can't say much on the record (the word 'mum' is always within reach for headline possibilities). Probably to the most fun (and highest readability for a non-Waynesborian) is a story about an unsightly wall that is plaguing the downtown landscape. Note from who and how the information was gathered.

Otherwise, here are a few recent quotes and exchanges I've taken pleasure in reporting:

Part of the walkway has been cordoned off by a chainlink fence ever since city public works officials — advised by an architecture firm — deemed The Wall unsafe because of a bulge and separation between brick and cinderblock. The Wall was to come down in April, but a work crew tore away some bricks and found something unexpected.

City officials won’t say what.

“We became concerned there was a structural relationship between the city-owned wall and privately owned building,” Hamp said.

About when the leaves will change color:

“There is some science behind it, but as we say, Mother Nature bats last.” -- UVA climatologist

From a contentious lawsuit hearing:

An energetic reassessment lawsuit hearing Thursday put Judge Victor V. Ludwig in a wrangler’s role, as he reined in attorney Francis Chester’s questioning and once asked Augusta County Attorney Patrick Morgan to quiet his voice. ...

Ludwig ruled on a number of objections by both attorneys, often appeared exasperated with his head in his hand and frequently interjected while Chester spoke for him to clarify his questioning.

Chester asked if he could put himself on the stand.

“I’m not going to tell you how to handle your case, Mr. Chester,” Ludwig said, prompting the attorney to quickly rise, hand held high, to be put under oath. ...

On cross-examination, Morgan repeatedly asked why Chester demanded documents from Shrewsbury that were not in her possession.

“What made you think she had the documents?” Morgan asked, his finger pounding on the desk as his voice rose to a boom: “Why did you file for the writ of mandamus?”

“What do you have to scream for?” Chester replied quietly before Ludwig asked Morgan to keep his voice down.

Rescue from a swamp:

Within moments, a group of motorists followed, on foot and some in dress slacks, into the water.

“We pushed the vehicle, kind of rolled it back to one side,” said Bryan Huber, one of two assistant principals at Stuarts Draft High School who came to the rescue of the trapped woman. “Myself and two other gentleman kind of took the door and started really, really yanking on it. I think it actually broke the hinges.”

From inside the unrecognizable, mucky interior came Helmick’s hand. Then another.

Doctor charged with sexual touching (etc.):

The victim was bent over, exposing her thong underwear, when Weisman ran his finger along the elastic band and asked: “Hmm, what’s this?” Then the woman giggled as the pair quickly bantered about a “wedgie” before the woman left the room.

“It wasn’t an enjoyment giggle,” Lantz testified. “It was a to-get-out-of-there kind of giggle.”

Chili cookoff:

Chili flowed freely Saturday into big ladles, tasters’ cups, judges’ mouths and even a few bristly beards during the Third Annual Chili Blues ’N Brews fest in downtown Waynesboro.

“I can save some for tomorrow,” Bobby Karnes said of his chest-length white beard. “It’s a flavor saver.”

I Turn My Camera On

2009-10-03T03:09:00.004-04:00

Maybe some of our resident photographers can help me out a bit.

We just got a new office camera (a Canon Digital Rebel of some sort... an XS, I believe). It actually autofocuses, unlike our old crappy one. I think it's made my photos 1,000x better. Maybe not. They feel better, anyway.

But damnit, Jim, I'm a sportswriter, not a photojournalist. I know I need help. The autofocus is a start. But maybe some of you may be able to look through a few of these and help me:

Fall Sports 2009

I especially have trouble with night shots. I tried shooting a soccer game under the lights a few nights ago with the new camera and the different settings threw me off. Also, there was a problem with the new zoom lens. It has an image stabalizer that did some jank-ass-shit to me when I tried taking photos. Like, lots of weird clicks and hums. Sometimes I would click the photo and it would shut off.

I went back to using the old lens, but it's not as snazzy as the zoom lens.

Anyway, maybe some of you might be able to tell me:

1) How my daytime photos can be better.

2) The optimal settings for nighttime and indoor sports shooting (I have a few new night football shots with the old camera, here and here).

3) Why the Detroit Tigers are going to lose the AL Central Division.

Just kidding on number 3. I already know the answer to that one.

Finally: Any more job movement/ cool stories people have been covering?

Abductor to serve 15-year sentence

2009-09-21T00:16:00.000-04:00

Alcoholism defense gives no sway
BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

A Waynesboro judge quashed alcoholism as a defense for Roy Scott Thompson in court Friday before sentencing him to 15 years in prison for abducting and soliciting sex from a teenage babysitter.

Thompson, 25, of Waynesboro, pleaded guilty in May to abduction and child pornography charges, just before a trial that would have put the 14-year-old girl on the stand.

During sentencing Friday, Thompson watched as his aunt, mother and best friend took the stand in his defense.

“He’s a great father.”
“My son’s a good kid.”
“He ran into some bad luck.”

The three described Thompson’s struggles with alcohol, a problem that began at age 14, they said.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Charles Ajemian discarded alcohol as an excuse for Thompson’s crime.

Read the full story at The News Virginian

Wrestlers launch free ‘stimulus’ show

2009-09-21T00:15:00.000-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

For nine years Mark Fitzgerald lived two lives. Tonight, in a free-to-the-public wrestling event, he’ll reconcile the two.

He used to balance work as a Papa John’s employee and a professional wrestler, developing a loyal Shenandoah Valley fan base in the ring. Fitzgerald and several other organizers, many of whom also wrestle, dreamed up the free event to give back to their fans, he said.

“This year’s show’s cause is an economic relief show. Our stimulus plan,” he said. “You’ll have kids, babies, grandmas and grandpas there. Everybody knows who we are around here — it’s a thing — everyone expects us to be there.”

Read the full story at The News Virginian

Remembering Ray Keech, former Bay City schools superintendent

2009-09-18T20:54:00.001-04:00

I'm starting to enjoy writing news obits... this one crossed over into my education beat...

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Friday September 18, 2009, 9:01 AM

When Ray Keech signed on as the superintendent of Bay City Public Schools in November 1983, his goal was educational excellence.

"Someone has to be No. 1," Keech said in a Bay City Times article when he became superintendent. "It might as well be us."

Keech died Sept. 11 after a battle with cancer. His 73 years of life were celebrated Wednesday at a funeral at Zion Lutheran Church, 510 Ivy.

"It was a celebration of his life," said Keech's wife, Sharon. "He's going to be remembered as a great leader, educator and family man."

Keech was Bay City's superintendent from 1984 to 1988.

People associated with Keech said he was a top educator whereever he went.

Ray Keech, former Bay City schools superintendent

"He was a people person," said Michael Shibler, superintendent of Rockford Public Schools, "and you need to be, because education is a people business."

Read the rest at THE BAY CITY TIMES

For what it's worth...

2009-09-11T17:25:00.005-04:00

I have a few pretty good pictures of my first football game. My team lost to the Catholic school from Jefferson City (two weeks ago, but still). Look at them here. The story, not that strong (but decent, I guess), is here. The second game, in which I couldn't take decent pictures in the virtual monsoon, has a really long story here (no quotes, because I didn't have time on deadline to talk to coach right after the game).

My first online video

2009-08-28T20:28:00.002-04:00

Bear with me, because I'm unreasonably excited about this, but our Web producer finished editing my very first online video story! I did all the filming on the fly after a 10-minute crash course with him on the camera. Anyway, enjoy. ^_^

Remembering Horace Davis, former Bay City Country Club general manager

2009-08-28T14:21:00.002-04:00

This was a very nice news obit that I had the opportunity to write...

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Friday August 28, 2009, 8:29 AM

Times File PhotoHorace Davis was one of the first black general managers of an all-white member country club, when he managed the Bay City Country Club for 26 years. He died Aug. 13 after a two year battle with cancer.

Horace Davis worked his way up the ladder at the Bay City Country Club, eventually becoming the general manager -- even though at the time he wasn't allowed to play on the golf course he managed.

Davis became Michigan's first black general manager for an all-white member country club, and one of the first in the United States, when he was picked for the job in 1969.

Davis, 87, of Saginaw died Aug. 13 after a two-year battle with cancer.

"Horace was instrumental in getting young African-Americans interested in golf," said Bud Butler, a lifelong friend of Davis and fellow country club employee. "A lot of things opened up as Horace went higher up at the country club because so many people were into him."

When Davis moved from Memphis, Tenn., to Saginaw in 1947, golf was a white man's sport, with only two courses in the area open to black golfers, Butler said.

....read the rest at the Bay City Times

Movin' on up...

2009-08-28T12:52:00.004-04:00

Thirteen months after beginning my first full-time newspaper job at The Daily Home, I have jumped up a division in the newspaper world and joined a media corporation you all might have heard of: The New York Times Company. I'm working in their NYTimes Regional Media Group for The Gadsden Times in Northeast Alabama.

Two weeks in, I'm serving as a general assignment reporter. We're working on restructuring beats, but so far I've done a lot of education and non-profit organization coverage, and have been put in charge of our weekly Saturday "On the Job" feature while our graphic designer is out on maternity leave.

This job is a dream come true for me right now. Pay increased substantially, I get all kinds of multi- and new media opportunities (filmed my first event last night -- fingers crossed about the editing process), my editors and the senior reporters actively assist me, and I'm working in a city that has a great deal of respect for its newspaper. And rightly so. This staff works hard, and the professionalism here is overwhelmingly refreshing.

We are looking for a copy editor to replace one soon leaving, so if any of you are looking for a job, hit me upon Facebook and I'll drop in a word for you.

a DC update

2009-08-25T21:09:00.002-04:00

My internship at The Post concludes on Friday. On Monday, I'm leaving the District for Dallas, where I'll be working a 16-week editing internship on sports desk at The Dallas Morning News.

Yee haw, ya'll. If you're planning on passing through the D/FW area, give me a holler.

For my current favorite headline/editing clip, check out this story about a soldier who's organ donation saved a woman's life.

I'm pursuing several leads on the job front, and hope to be gainfully employed come Jan. 1.

Stay tuned.

More previews: will they ever stop?

2009-08-17T18:05:00.003-04:00

They're (they meaning fall sports previews) coming fast and furious now, I'm just doing my best to keep up:

Tigers Tussle (Waynesville soccer)

Changes at Laquey (coaching shuffles)

Lions look for pride (Crocker soccer)

Homeless no longer (Waynesville soccer)

Summer RV and Camper Jamboree provides long term vacation investment

2009-08-16T12:06:00.001-04:00

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Sunday August 16, 2009, 4:30 AM
Sarah A. Miller | The Bay City TimesLaura and Terry Behrend of West Branch, Mich. take a look at a Coyote travel trailer in the K-Mart parking lot in Bay City Friday. Five local mid-Michigan RV dealers are holding their annual sale, called the Summer RV and Camper Jamboree, in the Kmart parking lot from now through Sunday.
Michelle Perrow of West Branch says her family of five needs a vacation upgrade.
"We just have a tent," she said. "Something like this would be much easier."
Perrow was touring a camper on Friday at the Summer RV and Camper Jamboree, held in the Kmart parking lot, 4001 Euclid. The event ends today.
She said her family travels Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula frequently and a camper would make vacationing much easier.
"We think we found a fifth wheel, but we're still looking," she said.
Perrow was among hundreds shopping for an RV this weekend, part of an army of shoppers looking for a long-term solution to cheaper vacations. Five local venders from the Greater Lakes Bay Region set up camp to entice camping enthusiasts like the Perrows to give up their tents and upgrade.
"The camper and RV business is looking at different solutions," said Amanda Parish of Hamilton's RVs in Saginaw. "Michigan has a lot to offer right now across the state, and with a lot of these campers on clearance, it's more feasible for people."
Read more at The Bay City Times

Fall sports begin

2009-08-13T18:01:00.004-04:00

Two previews after a three month-long dry spell (sans sports):

Fall: Day one (general fall sports preview)

Spiking Strong (Laquey volleyball preview)

Good times. That is all.

Zimcosky, Bay City native, wins $25,000 on 'Millionaire'

2009-08-13T16:52:00.000-04:00

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Thursday August 13, 2009, 8:00 AM

ABC PhotoBay City native, John Zimcosky, went back to his residence in Chicago $25,000 richer after appearing on ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

The only thing standing between John Zimcosky II and $50,000 was Amy Winehouse and her island vacation.

Tuesday night's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" game show started with Bay City native, Zimcosky, 24, in the hot seat after being held over from Monday's show.

With two lifelines left and $25,000 secured, host Regis Philbin asked the Bay City Central alum, "Before returning to the UK in July, controversial singer Amy Winehouse spent most of 2009 vacationing on what island nation?"

Stumped, Zimcosky needed to use a lifeline on the ABC show.

Read the rest at the Bay City Times

"Fast Track" to teacher certification on the table for Michigan State Board of Education

2009-08-08T10:40:00.002-04:00

My education beat is starting to come to life. I'm doing a mini back-to-school series. With about a month to go until school starts up here in Michigan, each week I am picking something to focus on. This week is on teacher certification. For the coming week, I'm going to look into pre-schools in the area, find out how they've become more competitive, how pre-school has changed, etc.

This week's story is stirring up some comments on the good ole MLive...

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Saturday August 08, 2009, 4:45 AM

A proposal to create a "fast track" to certify new teachers will be discussed at Tuesday's Michigan State Board of Education meeting.

And it's certain to get educators talking.

The state education board drew up the idea to bring professionals into the classroom in as little as 15 months as a way to fill gaps in math, science and career education in public schools.

The proposal would require individuals to have a bachelor's degree in the subject area they would teach and complete 15 credit hours of coursework -- about one semester of college classes. Schools could hire the individual under a limited permit while the person completes the certification.

"We want to provide an avenue to help the folks who are professionals in mid-career who are interested in becoming a teacher," said John Austin, vice president on the state Board of Education. "We have a lot of talent in Michigan that is spilling out. People are losing jobs in the auto industry and other industries, and teaching is a good use of their talents to educate the next generation."

Read the rest at The Bay City Times

Oddities

2009-08-05T11:25:00.002-04:00

Since I returned from the honeymoon, mixed in with 2.3 stories per day:

Thursday:
Lightning strikes twice

Lightning strikes ignited two devastating Waynesboro fires less than 13 hours and three miles apart Wednesday, fire officials said.

First, at about 3 a.m., a lightning bolt hit the Pheasant Ridge Road home of Kelly and Scott Thrower ... The Throwers escaped with their dog, who repeatedly roused them before smoke filled the home, the family said.

Friday
The engine was hot, his bed was not.

Monday
Law office skirmish

Bay City Downtown Development plugs in first electric parking spots

2009-08-03T12:33:00.002-04:00

Bay City is really jumping on the green bandwagon. This morning I attended this electric parking space unveiling - and put out a story within 20-minutes of it happening- beating out the two tv news stations.

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Monday August 03, 2009, 11:16 AM

Benjamin Brayfield | The Bay City TimesDave Green of the Downtown Development Authority, Mayor Charles Brunner and Jeff Mayes, D-Bay City., present the first electric car charging station in Bay City, Monday morning.

Bay City became a little greener today when The Bay City Downtown Development Authority plugged in its first electric vehicle into one of their two electric-ready parking spaces.

"What a beautiful morning today," said Mayor Charles Brunner, to a crowd of 15 people in the rain this morning. "We'd like to thank the DDA for their role in this venture in anticipation of the future of the new Volt line."

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle produced by General Motors, expected to be available in November 2010, said Tom Jeffers, a public policy official for General Motors in Detroit.

"The Volt is what we are calling an extended range vehicle," said Jeffers. "It will get you about 40 miles per charge, but it also has an engine, that is being developed in Flint, that will get you a farther."

The concept of the Volt is to take a majority of working America to and from work, and then recharge the car back at home, said Jeffers.

Brunner went on to say that the electric parking spots, one in the DDA parking lot, 900 N. Water, and one in the Delta College Planetarium, 100 Center, are free of charge for now, but will eventually make users pay to boost their vehicles.

"We will certainly have to charge for the energy usage," said Brunner, "whether that will be through some kind of credit card technology or a chip recognized in your vehicles plug that would send you a bill.

"We want you to come on down, and plug it in."

Read the rest at The Bay City Times

Bay City history buff gets phone call from George McGovern

2009-08-02T15:34:00.001-04:00

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times

Sunday August 02, 2009, 5:00 AM

Sarah A. Miller | The Bay City TimesThomas Baird of Bay City collects books about presidents, first ladies and other political figures.

Out of the 100-plus books that Thomas Baird of Bay City mailed out to have autographed by political personalities, only two never made it back.

One was sent to former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

The other was sent to George McGovern, the 1972 presidential candidate.

Baird might get that book back yet.

On Wednesday, Baird, a retired Bay City Public Schools history teacher, came home to two messages on his answering machine.

"One (was) from my buddy asking me about this baseball league and this one..." Baird said as he played the message for a reporter.

"Tom, this is a name from your past, George McGovern," says the voice on Baird's machine.

This a pretty cool story that I was lucky enough to stumble upon.. read the rest at The Bay City Times

The Deep South

2009-08-01T12:52:00.002-04:00

Everybody knows I'm in North Carolina and not Philadelphia, right?

I was going to work for The Philadelphia Bulletin, but it ceased publication just a couple days before I was set to move out there. I got the internship through the Institute for Humane Studies - which, by the way, turns out to be legitimately libertarian/classical liberal, and not one of those conservative institutions that masquerades as classical liberal.

The IHS' journalism placement director told me to sit tight, and within a couple hours he had lined up an internship for me at The Gaston Gazette. It's located in Gastonia, N.C., about a half-hour west of Charlotte. I just finished my sixth week there.

For a while it looked like they might find the money to hire me, despite a company-wide hiring freeze, but now it looks like that won't happen. So I need to start applying to newspapers all over the place.

I cover as much crime as I can, and it's quite a bit. Here's a homicide story I wrote, and here's a near-homicide story.

Jack posted about the five-legged dog a while ago. That saga continues, and looks like it will culminate in a "Judge Judy"-type court TV episode. Here are all six parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 [the surprise amputation], 6 [court TV].

Also, I update my blog pretty regularly.

2 fires

2009-07-30T00:06:00.001-04:00

First: "My dog was going kind of wild."

Second: "Get out, the rafters are on fire!"

Let the Eagle Soar

2009-07-28T01:07:00.003-04:00

Yeeeep. I got to see John Ashcroft (former Missouri Governor and US Senator, dontcha know?). It was...interesting. Lots of Patriot Act stuff:

Ashcroft speaks of post-9/11 world
By Jack Hittinger, Daily Guide

Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. -

Former U.S. Attorney General and Governor of Missouri John Ashcroft spoke at Fort Leonard Wood on Friday as part of the Joint Senior Leaders’ Course being conducted at the installation.

Ashcroft lectured service members from all branches of the Armed Forces on the history of chemical warfare and the need for the nation to respond to new developments in a post-9/11 world.

“It strikes me that technology has played a special role in the ability to preserve and protect freedom throughout the ages, but in an increasing measure, it is the source of freedom in modern times,” Ashcroft said.

Read the full story here. If you dare.

My favorite interview of the summer.

2009-07-24T10:58:00.003-04:00

Friday, July 24, 2009

Holocaust experience

Liz Essley THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The 88-year-old woman still remembers the day of the week that Germany invaded Poland. Friday. She remembers the time on Sunday when German soldiers came to her town. Eleven a.m.

And she remembers the words of the Germans as they entered the city. "All the Jews out!"

As Helen Breitowitz, at age 18, stepped out into the courtyard to face the Nazis, she stepped into a world in which she can no longer imagine how she survived.

The clock ticks loudly as Mrs. Breitowitz sits in her Rockville apartment, slowly and patiently recounting her life and Holocaust survival. Though she became an American citizen in 1955, a thick accent still steeps her words. Photos of family - some killed in the Holocaust, some kept alive, some born after it - line her walls.

She recounts the time before the war, when she dreamed to have a dozen nylon stockings. And she recounts the time during the war when all she wished for was a piece of buttered bread with cheese.

Read the rest of the story and check out more pictures at The Washington Times.

Skydiving Vets, etc.

2009-07-21T08:40:00.003-04:00

Wrote this feature for this past Sunday's Personal Best page. This man is pretty amazing (and he's single) so if you know any single, little old ladies, let this guy know.

87 and counting

That's about it that's been interesting. I write one thing for the crime page every Sunday, called "Top Cop" - it's a little Q&A with a local police officer from either DC, MD, or VA. Last week I talked to a guy who is the K-9 officer, which sounded sweet.

~

Journalism works!

2009-07-20T14:16:00.002-04:00

I got back to the office this afternoon from reporting, and found a phone message from a man who wanted to donate to the therapeutic riding center I wrote about in Sunday's paper. This absolutely thrilled me. It's so exciting to think that what I write can actually help someone.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Therapy in a saddle

Liz Essley THE WASHINGTON TIMES

When Joseph Grist was 6 years old, his doctors recommended equine therapy for his cerebral palsy. His torso and arms were very weak, his leg muscles contracted.Riding a horse, experts said, could strengthen his core and leg muscles. But when Joseph's parents looked for equine therapy centers, they found only astronomical costs and long drives.

So they thought of another solution.

"We looked at each other and said, 'Why not do it ourselves?' " Joseph's mother, Dawn Grist, said.

Thus the Grists began a journey that uprooted them from their six-figure jobs and their Gainesville, Va., home and planted them on a 35-acre farm. Three years, nine horses and more than 50 students later, they are convinced they are doing something good in the world.

Anthony and Dawn Grist run Misty Valley Therapeutic Riding Center, which provides riding lessons to disabled, handicapped and at-risk children. There are dozens of therapeutic riding centers across Virginia, and hundreds across the nation, but one thing about the Grists' stands out: It's free.

Mrs. Grist said therapeutic riding lessons usually cost about $45 per hour. Some centers charge up to $150 per hour.

At Misty Valley, riders only have to pay for their safety equipment: boots, helmet, kneepads.

Mrs. Grist said this usually surprises parents; some react negatively.

"They're usually looking for the hidden agenda," she said. "I've actually had people ask, 'Well, why don't you charge anything?' I say, 'Well, because it's a service that's needed, and some people can't afford it.' I guess it's just hard to believe that there are good people in the world who are trying to do the right thing."

Read the rest of the story at The Washington Times.

Colt comes back

2009-07-19T01:58:00.003-04:00

Summer is a slow/ boring time for the lowly high school sports reporter. Luckily I got this gift-wrapped story.

Colt comes back

Ex-Tiger and current NFL'er returns to sponsor football camp

By Jack Hittinger
Daily Guide Sports Editor

WAYNESVILLE— The questions came quickly, and seemingly from nowhere.

“Did you guys beat the Redskins?”

“Yeah, we beat them.”

“The Vikings?”

“Yeah, I think we beat them, too.”

“How many Super Bowls have you played in?”

“None yet. I was a year too late.”

Some questions were asked five times, and some made no sense, but Indianapolis Colts TE Gijon Robinson answered all of them.

During break times at the 1st Annual Gijon Robinson Waynesville Youth Football Camp on Friday, he shook hands with campers and fielded whatever questions they had.

“Have you ever kicked a field goal?”

He chuckled.

“No, I play tight end.”

The former Waynesville star is back in town this weekend for the Gijon Robinson Football Camp, which is taking place at Slaughter Field. The Waynesville Youth Football League (WYFL) organized and is running the camp with help from the Waynesville High School football coaching staff.

Read the full story here.

Some Recent Stories/Photos

2009-07-17T23:50:00.002-04:00

Friday turned out to be a pretty busy day - 3 stories for online - I'll add some extra reporting to our Sunday print paper, giving updates and extra perspectives. It finally seems like the city is getting used to the format, and it's looking positive financially to. We just contracted tree major advertisers for our online edition we were told, which is very good news. If we can start making profits online, journalism can survive!

Here is a story about the state park that holds a Christmas in July festival/weekend annually. (make sure to watch the end of the video... the lady is hilarious)

I wrote this for our Sunday's business section - this really nice appliance store that is retiring after 35 years.

Then, today - I'm leaving the office at a reasonable hour- 5:15ish... and as I'm getting ready to turn, I see cops. There was a car accident, so I ended up reporting the story, getting photos, going back to the office and posting a story on it.

Some recent stories

2009-07-15T22:45:00.002-04:00

Yesterday's Metro oversight Congressional subcommittee hearing proved fruitful, with a main story that became the cover and this sidebar by yours truly featuring a crash victim.

Also wrote this yesterday, concerning transportation/planning groups looking for stimulus funding for better bus lines/bike sharing.

Also, this nameless piece (dang templates) about other upgrades Metro is considering.

Enjoy! I have become an assistant of sorts to our Metro reporter, Kytja Weir, hence all the Metro stories. I think I will be continuing to write other things, as well, but this has been another busy week for Metro.

~

Time to get down and dirty in mud

2009-07-15T18:39:00.000-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Terry Erickson said she plans to park her car around midnight. She'll survey her spot at Chaparral Park, an island tucked into the anonymous grid of muted Scottsdale streets.

At 2 a.m. Friday her team of staff and volunteers will slip into the light and begin their work. Her phone will ring and she'll answer. A group of nephews and nieces will wait on the other side of the line, excited about the day ahead of them.

"Hello, this is Terry," she'll say.

"Mighty Mud, Mighty MUD, MIGHTY MUD," they'll chant, small voices in the small hours of the night.

The call marks the beginning of Mighty Mud Mania, a 34-year-old Scottsdale tradition which attracts thousands of Valley residents.

For three weeks, dinosaur-sized construction equipment rumbled across the park, digging ditches to shape the terrain for a massive mud obstacle course.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Daily Newspaper in your inbox... and top feature today

2009-07-11T09:13:00.003-04:00

Here's what our daily emaillooks like. Since we're only3 days print, we use this topretty much advertise forour website

Bay area boys real in a new experience

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times

Saturday July 11, 2009, 7:30 AM

Andrew Dodson | Booth Mid MichiganThese boys are ready to cast away at the Trout Unlimited youth fishing program. The trip took 20 boys from the Bay City Boys and Girls Clubs to Camp Fish Tales in Pinconning to learn about fishing and enjoy the outdoors.

It was Asher VanDell's first time holding a fishing rod. The 9-year-old Bay City boy felt uncomfortable at first hooking a worm and casting a line, but that feeling didn't last long.

"I did it," he said. "I caught my first fish."

Asher dropped the line again.

"My first seaweed monster!"

Asher and 19 other boys from the Bay City Boys and Girls Clubs participated in the Trout Unlimited Youth Fishing Program on Friday. The program teaches kids the basics of fishing and instills an appreciation for the outdoors.

"We're not here to turn these kids into master fishermen," said Wade Lodewyk, an officer of the Arnold J. Copeland Chapter of Trouts Unlimited in Bay City. "We're here to introduce kids to fishing -- an outdoor activity that will hopefully grow and appreciate with them.

Andrew Dodson | Booth Mid MichiganAsher VanDell, 9, of Bay City hangs on to the first fish that he has ever caught. VanDell and 19 other boys from the Bay City Boys and Girls Clubs participated in the Trout Unlimited Youth Fishing Program on Friday, July 10.

Read the rest here at the Bay City Times

Newcombe helps steer Bay City schools during superintendent search

2009-07-09T08:21:00.001-04:00

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Tuesday June 30, 2009, 2:34 PM

Doug Newcombe had no intentions of becoming a superintendent for a public school, and said he still doesn't.

But after 20 years of service to Bay City Public Schools, he took on the opportunity.

After Carolyn Wierda retired as superintendent earlier this month, the school board approached Newcombe and felt it was in the best interest of the school district to have him sit as interim-superintendent.

"I enjoy what I do and the job I have," said Newcombe. "When they asked if I wanted to be an interim for a year, I said I would be willing to do that for a year to help with stability of the schools."

Read the rest of the story at the Bay City Times

Companies feel strain of complying with safety law

2009-07-08T18:23:00.001-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Reading through the paperwork, Karen Brooks thought it was a joke. It was unlike anything she'd seen in 20 years.

"This can't be happening," she told herself in 2007, as she skimmed through pages of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that had been passed by Congress.

Brooks works for Bumkins, a Scottsdale manufacturer of baby products. As production and sourcing manager, she oversees the Scottsdale location's day-to-day operation. It's her job to make sure the company is in compliance with the evolving federal legislation.

But the law, meant to protect children from harmful products in toys and clothes, is increasing costs for some small business owners, and driving others out of business.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

iTunes U

2009-07-07T12:55:00.002-04:00

I wrote a really long (about 1200 words) article on iTunes U, published in Monday's paper. It's one of my favorite clips so far.

Then, a professor responded on her blog. Kinda neat to get feedback like that.

Weekend feature, etc.

2009-07-05T14:01:00.002-04:00

I wrote this one a while ago, finally made today's edition in the Personal Best section:

Veteran Golden Age Games

Illegal Fireworks

~

Tabor time

2009-06-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

I bugged him to do this, but it looks like I'm going to have to do it for him. Because he's too lazy, I guess (or too busy...). Here you are, the debut of Nick Tabor, video journalist:

EDIT, UPDATE 2: The dog is being sold to a freak show.

We await Tabor's insights on the dog, the Soup Nazi, and the freak show with baited breath.

EDIT: It infuriates me that I cannot embed it, so just click this link. The full story is here. Ain't it cute?

Looks like I wasn't the only one of us to meet a celebrity (yeah, Sajak!)— Nick also met the soup Nazi.

OK, Tabes, I've done your work for you, now give us a real (in your own words) update!

(Sub-question: I've interviewed Sajak, Timpf has done Jamie Farr, Liz has done Lt. Dan. Jill had a bizarre encounter with Kathy Griffin. We should get a list of these celebrity meetings, just for shits and giggles. Anyone game?)

In which John learns some new things about cars, and Liz thinks she is about to die.

2009-06-29T22:28:00.009-04:00

Following a press release, John Krudy (intrepid reporter) and Liz Essley (photographer or, in the words of John on the phone, "my associate") ventured out to the Fed Ex field for a little tire education. Bridgestone hosted an information session and driving experience for car dealers and the press.

The day started with John and Liz deciding they didn't want to wait for the bus. So they walked about a mile and a half from the metro to the FedEx field parking lot. John is going to be a Marine. Liz had to scurry unceremoniously to keep up.

The lot resembled the Gobi desert, at least in barrenness.

First, lectures about tire science and safety. If memory serves, companies at one point spent 3 billion dollars annually on Formula One racing.

Then, driving. The goal? See differences in tires. The method? Drive 2008 BMW 328i sedans really, really fast around really, really tight corners on a course set up in the huge parking lot, with the entire course sprayed wet by a special truck.

They paired the intrepid reporter and photographer with Brian Cole, self-described "high performance driving instructor" and part-time race car driver, a very nice guy. First go-round, he drove slowly. Liz was lulled into a sense of security. Then second go-round, he stepped on the gas. Said John later, "Before that, I didn't know you could do those things with a car." Liz, in the backseat, slammed against one side of the car, then the other, for less than a minute, and expected her stomach to fall out.

Then it was John's turn. He drove several different cars, with different kinds of tires. He drove them all very fast. The car was in "sport" mode.

Don't let the fast shutter speed deceive you. Liz once again thought she might die.
An outside view:The intrepid reporter asked intelligent questions.

Then, despite her protests, John and Mr. Cole prodded Liz into driving a few go-rounds. Heard from Mr. Cole during this time: "C'mon, you're not a grandma yet!" "Gas, gas, gas!" "You're coasting on the straightaway! Gas!"

And the intrepid reporter ended the adventure looking happy.
THE END

Woman's missionary trip changes lives

2009-06-29T21:33:00.002-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Glossy photos cover Carmel Courtright's desk, a polygon timeline of her past two weeks.

A girl named Patricia smiles from one of the photos. Courtright taps it and explains the orphaned girl's story.

"She was four when I first saw her. She's HIV-positive, but Valley Presbyterian Church has gotten her treatment," she said.

Valley Presbyterian Church sent Courtright and seven others on a mission to Malawi, Africa. The group left May 29 and returned June 15, marking the church's third trip to the African village of Matapila.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

**Also, another one that came out in this same issue: Kids rock on at Camp Jam.

PV to reimburse 1,000 cited by traffic camera

2009-06-29T21:32:00.001-04:00

Bad yellow-light timer blamed for $36,000 worth of citations

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Paradise Valley plans to refund a total of $36,000 to more than 1,000 drivers who received tickets for running a faulty traffic light at Tatum Boulevard and McDonald Drive.

The town sent 1,063 letters June 22 informing drivers ticketed between May 7 and June 17 to expect a full refund of their fines.

The yellow left-turn signal at the intersection lasted only three seconds, but town policy states yellow lights should last 4.5 seconds, Town Manager Jim Bacon said Thursday.

Drivers who paid only a citation will receive a refund of $182. Those who attended defensive-driving school will receive $234.

Public Works Director Andrew Cooper said he planned to investigate whether it was equipment or human error.

"We do not have all the data that we've requested," he said. "We definitely know it was a failure."

Cooper would not reveal the source of the data he had requested.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

My first try at a video for the paper

2009-06-29T11:31:00.003-04:00

Lawn Sport Olympics XI

Camaraderie, competitiveness rule at light-hearted Lawn Sport Olympics in Bay City backyard

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Monday June 29, 2009, 8:52 AM

Andrew Dodson | The Bay City TimesEric Beckman of Bay City is the founder and director the Lawn Sport Olympics. The 6th annual party-style event for college buddies and friends was held this past weekend for the first time in Bay City.

When Eric Beckman and his wife Katie moved from Mount Pleasant to Bay City, they searched for a home with only one weekend in mind.

With custom trophies purchased, three kegs full of beer and the determination for one brown jacket, the sixth annual Lawn Sport Olympics made its Bay City debut this weekend, and a champion was crowned.

It started six years ago when Beckman, then in Mount Pleasant, and his college buddies from Central Michigan University came across a box of used trophies on eBay.

Read the rest HERE

Covering the Metro crash

2009-06-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

From WilliamClayton.com

[[With two updates weaved throughout.]]

Monday

5:10 p.m.: Someone in the 5th floor newsroom mentions a Metro crash to the Post copy desk, Morgan writes.

5:20 p.m.: People start flipping on TVs and watching, and we see it's the real deal, writes Morgan, who was working the night as a copy desk "obitter." She checks for AP stuff (none yet) and the newsroom soon realizes that choosing a story for A1 won't require debate.

5:30 p.m.: William gets a phone call while on assignment for the Examiner. Within a minute he is in his car, iPhone and camera in hand, and en route to the scene of a deadly Metro commuter rail crash.

He was perhaps the first Collegiander to catch word. Then it traveled fast.

5:31 p.m.: Times editor yells to Metro to make sure the staff is "getting this," Krudy writes. TVs switch on, three reporters head out. (Later, 25 would chase the story.)

Also about this time, in the Examiner newsroom, someone shouted: "Metro train crash!" "We turned up the TV and watched," Maria writes. "Immediately, our ME sent three reporters out to the scene. I was hoping he would send me, too, but all our reporters were available except one or two, so some of them got to go."

Maria was assigned to the Criss Cross reverse address phone book, making calls to people living near the tracks. "We called a ton of people," Maria writes. "Most didn't
answer, a few said they knew it happened but they didn't want to look outside."

She also put together a history of previous Metro crashes. "During that process, I mentioned to the editors that this must be the worst crash in the history of Metro, as the previous 'record' for deaths was three and at that point we thought there were four," Maria writes.

5:37 p.m.: In Mexico, Liz logs into Twitter and learns about the crash on the red line, her former route to work at the Examiner. She shoots a one-sentence e-mail to Andrea to let her know.

5:45 p.m.: Krudy leaves the business section, headed toward home, "sirens in all directions," he says. By this time, the Post is in full-out "disaster mode," and copy editors are hurrying through the regularly scheduled copy.

5:48 p.m.: Chase sends Tony a Gchat, a "forward" from Morgan about the crash. Tony turns to his colleagues to ask about a wire story. Nothing yet.

5:49 p.m.: One-sentence wire story posted.

5:56 p.m.: Krudy is out the door, headed for the Red Line, but away from the crash site. He calls his mom to say he's OK. "Delays were exaggerated," he writes. "I make it home without much trouble. I pass many ambulances on my walk back, which is notable since I'm all the way across the District from the crash."

6:15 p.m.: William is on scene (more in a moment). And Kat, waiting for a shuttle, meets an intern en route to Howard University Hospital to cover the story. Kat goes too.

William writes:

I went to the east side of the tracks a bit south of where the wreck occurred. The other Examiner photographer said I should go to that side since he was on the other side with tons of other media people who were all getting the same shot. I arrived and could only see emergency vehicles and tape, so I decided I'd head back some then towards the tracks. I went up a driveway into a wide alley with a big warehouse that was divided up into different businesses ... other media people saw me head off and followed.

The first place I went the girl behind the door shut it and locked it after I said, "excuse me ... "

I found a place that had a garage door open -- some sort of food distrubution center and asked if we could get on the roof. He said we couldn't, but we asked about a ladder and he asked if we were really sure. One female reporter assured him we wanted to, so he pulled it out and I was the first to climb up and get on the vast roof which paralleled the metro tracks.

6:31 p.m.: William reaches the roof. He writes:

We all took photos, video ... We pushed too close to being exactly parallel with the wreck where the emergency workers were and we were spotted. Police came up and made us get off after only 10 minutes.

I wandered around and took photos of onlookers and the injured. I was pretty much done shooting by 7:10 p.m. I met up with the other staff photog and we used his laptop and aircard to upload each of our best photos. He really liked my photos since they were different than all the stock images already on AP's website.

7:00 p.m.: Kat arrives at the hospital and waits about three hours to hear from a doctor. She calls in information to her metro editor. "It was all worth it," she writes.

About the coverage, so far, Morgan writes:

Staying on task with regular copy was challenging as information kept pouring in; via broadcast, reporters and Twitter -- people were effectively using Twitter with images and news bits ... I'll admit, as soon as we realized people were using Twitter to put out info, I caved on my Twitter ban and signed up so I could keep tabs on what was happening.

We rushed to finish our section as quickly as possible ... We updated stories through all three editions and completely overhauled the A1 design from the first edition to the second, adding graphics and a fourth story to the package.

I witnessed the debate between calling the Metrorail crash a collision vs. a crash -- there is a difference per AP style, and yesterday's incident was definitely not a collision. (Two objects must be in motion to collide -- but one train struck another at a stand-still). We had to be vigilant about axing "collision" from all keys and articles.

8:00 p.m. Maria leaves the office.

8:45 p.m.: A complete first proof is ready at the Post. "I do want to throw it out there that I was beyond impressed with how The Post had over 20 contributors on their main A1 story, and that they were able to just look around the newsroom and call up people and send anyone who had a notebook and reporting chops out to the scene or to Metro stations or to hospitals," Morgan writes.

9:07 p.m.: Via Gchat, Andrea tells Liz all Collegianders are safe.

10 p.m.: Kat is home: "I ate a Lean Cuisine, watched Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D List, and went to bed."

Tuesday

William and Maria work at the prayer vigil at Metro Headquarters. Maria later works on victim profiles. "We were all frantically trying to call family, get bios online, and beat the Post in everything," writes Maria, who focused on Dennis Hawkins.

Morgan edits Operator Cherished Responsibilities of Job.

More insights are welcome. Check back for updates.

The beauty of online journalism

2009-06-26T10:53:00.001-04:00

The beauty of it is... we can post as much as we want. This is a short article by our GA reporter

Bay City Police 'apprehend' toddler who wandered away from home

by Kyle Feldscher | The Bay City Times
Friday June 26, 2009, 10:45 AM

A toddler wandered away from his home this morning but was retrieved by a Bay City police officer just a few houses away, police said.

Bay City police Sgt. Will Badour said the child was apparently adverse to the police officer taking him back home.

Despite the low-speed chase down Columbus Avenue, the officer was able to bring the child back to his house.

Badour said cases of children leaving their homes on impromptu adventures are not infrequent.

TNV

2009-06-26T09:30:00.000-04:00

Update:
One more to do justice to my newspaper stack:

Dodson:

My desk.

A tour.

TV side.

The Times Office

2009-06-25T21:15:00.005-04:00

Nothing special. I do have a "Virginia Beach: Cathy" magnet on my file drawer.
Kinda creepy how close we are to each other... but fun.
Intrepid reporter.
Morning. Newsroom rather empty.
Chair near the middle of the picture is where I sit, right across from John.
Green stuff out the window is the National Arboretum.

Fun Post of the Day

2009-06-25T16:27:00.004-04:00

So the catch phrase around the office has been, "Post it!" because we have this huge emphasis on online breaking stories, that we try to post as much stuff as we can and frequently. Well, here is our latest post- this story I wrote up on the heat that we got hit with this week. Here's a screen shot... notice how its above this big murder story.

Click here to enjoy this story... the funniest quote comes from the MCHD guy who was dead-pan serious when he said, "Well, for a guy in a Gorilla suit in this kinda heat..." ha, very technical sir.

The Republic

2009-06-24T12:10:00.002-04:00

I posted a couple of pictures of my desk on my blog, here they are as well as a couple of new ones.

The Guide

2009-06-23T18:55:00.013-04:00

I would have been content with showing you the video of my office, but it's dark and stuff. So I'll take the liberty of posting photos it in the daylight.

Excuse the shitty photos for a moment and take note of:
•Curtis Granderson sits above my mangled license plate, a battle scar from a recent accident.
•I actually have kind of a cubicle thing going here, but I don't use the space as well as I could (see: the radio atop the stacks of paper, as well as the papers on the floor).
•Those papers closeup, as you'll see, are full of contacts to area schools and coaches. During the winter I had every small school's basketball scheduled, boys and girls, taking up space. It looked like I was some sort of crazy person with paper on every available nook and cranny.
•When the fall sports season starts in earnest I'm seriously contemplating getting a big whiteboard to keep track of all the games, especially for the Waynesville Tigers football (their schedule, their opponents schedules, their opponents results) as well as for the fall baseball and soccer seasons (how awesome is it to have fall baseball? Seriously, that rules).

All that said, I guarantee that no desk of mine will ever be any cleaner. And that's a promise.

MLive... Detroit?!

2009-06-23T16:22:00.001-04:00

We just got an email about this... I don't know- 2 people covering all of metro Detroit?

click here

Metro Wreck

2009-06-23T15:47:00.003-04:00

I landed my first main cover photo for the Examiner today with this shot. I couldn't see much from the side I was on, so I decided to explore. I wandered into a warehouse area (followed by a trail of other media people) and found a guy who had a ladder he skeptically let us use to climb up on top of the building where we got great shots of this unique angle before we were kicked off. :) You can see the cover and the inside spread in PDF format here. It just so happens that the drink photo in the upper right-hand corner on the cover is also mine.

Show us your office

2009-06-23T10:39:00.005-04:00

Chase put his desk up on his blog... you should do the same- I'm curious to see where people work

Blissfield unicycle rider has heads turning in Bay City

2009-06-20T14:19:00.000-04:00

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Saturday June 20, 2009, 7:00 AM

Andrew Dodson | The Bay City TimesNeil Sauter rides his unicycle on a two-mile trek to work every morning. He says he gets a little bit better with each ride.

Neil Sauter's morning commute requires a careful balancing act.

Sauter, 26, has been pedaling a unicycle on the 2-mile trek to work at the Bay City-based Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy since starting this spring.

"I've been trying to find excuses in the morning not to do it," said Sauter. "But I've been riding almost everyday and it has been a lot of fun."

His average trip across the Lafayette Bridge to the Conservancy offices on Fifth Street in downtown Bay City takes about 20 minutes and frequently draws the attention of drivers on the road.

"I have people honking at me a lot," said Sauter. "It's pretty common to hear, 'You lost a wheel', or something along that line."

Sauter, of Blissfield, is a member of the Huron Pines AmeriCorps, an organization that hires young professionals and sends them to work for different agencies.

His passion for the environment and being outdoors brought him to Bay City and the conservancy, where he works in the education outreach department.

After fulfilling 900 volunteer hours for the conservancy, Sauter will finish his master's degree at Michigan State University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Being new to the area, Sauter says his one-wheeled ride makes it easy to meet people.

"I've been doing workouts at the Riverwalk, and people have come up to me to talk about my unicycling," he said. "Some people have invited me to play a game of volleyball, and I was also invited to join a softball team. It's been a great way to meet new people."

Sauter said unicycle riding is a strenuous workout because you can't coast like you do on a two-wheeler.

"You're always pedaling and trying to balance," he said. "My legs get pretty tired."

Unicycling isn't Saunter's only unique talent. Last summer, he walked -- on stilts -- across the state raising $80,000 for United Cerebral Palsy.

"It was a great way to raise money for cerebral palsy research," said Sauter. "People and businesses would sponsor me for a day or a week, and people would just give money along the way."

Sauter himself has a mild case of cerebral palsy. He said while he has had a couple of foot surgeries and his ankles are weakened, it does not affect his daily life.

He said he aspires to travel across the state again raising money, this time on his unicycle.

"I want to ride as much as I can this summer to see if it's feasible," he said.
Sauter's longest trek so far is six miles in one day, a distance he would need to increase to complete the trek across the state within a few weeks.

"My legs got pretty sore after that day," he said. "It's a lot more strenuous than stilts."
Plopped on the banana-seat of his silver unicycle, cruising down Washington Avenue, Sauter's demeanor sparks conversation.

"Hey, I have one of those at my house," shouted a Bay City shopper, pointing at Sauter. "But I have never tried it."

Sauter smiled and replied, "How about now?" as he slid off his unicycle, offering a ride.

Bay City, Bangor Township students learn science skills at Camp Invention

2009-06-19T09:05:00.003-04:00

Andrew Dodson | Booth Mid-MichiganFrom left, Nick Basket, 6, Joshua Lebsack, 5, and Emma Male, 5, curiously take apart a VCR at Camp Invention on Wednesday at Bangor West Elementary. At the end of the week they will invent something new from the parts of the old machines.

...This has been one of my favorite stories to write here in Bay City so far... it had a nice photo package that I did run with it in the paper. It's been a great week here - I had a front page story and photo package run on school summer construction yesterday (we print 3 days - Thurs, Fri, Sun), and then three big articles today- one on a guy that rides a unicycle to work that Tony will like. Enjoy the story below though- the kids were really cute.

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Friday June 19, 2009, 7:00 AM

Bay City, Michigan - Joshua Lebsack sits at a table unscrewing and prying open a VCR. The 6-year-old plans to use the parts to invent a tool that can cut spider webs and kill spiders.

"I don't like spiders," he said. "They bother me."

Joshua and more than 20 other 5- and 6-year-olds in the room are performing similar tasks at Bangor West Elementary School this week, opening their minds to a world of discovery, invention and science.

This week, Bangor and Bay City schools are hosting Camp Invention, a week-long summer enrichment day camp for kindergarten through sixth-grade students that instills creative problem-solving and critical-thinking skills designed to boost a child's future success.

Read the rest HERE

Checking in from the copy desk

2009-06-18T17:18:00.002-04:00

Hello, all:

I've finally settled into a usual routine in D.C. -- I survived orientation and the infamous intern bus tour of the Washington region (D.C. --> McLean --> Loudoun --> Prince George's County --> Silver Spring --> D.C.) and I've got a work sked that I'm thrilled with: 3:30 - close, Fridays through Tuesdays. I love my copy ed hours, no early mornings for me.

I'm working on the Metro desk, and I'm writing headlines, making sure everything is factual. Upstyle headlines still trip me up a little, but I'm adjusting.

My limited stash of favorite copy ed clips are these:

After Almost 40 Years of Footwear, Shoe Guru Plans to Step Out
For One 'Good Day,' Injured Soldiers Leave Burdens Ashore

No jinx on Troon's No. 13

2009-06-18T15:54:00.003-04:00

So I'm all set up in "The Valley" way over in Phoenix, Ariz.

Yes. The weather is hot.

I have a plate full of pretty cool stories, but most of them are long-term projects. In the meantime I've had a couple of smaller items printed. Here's one of them:

2 holes in one scored at Troon's lucky 13th
BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Gayle Geagan of Scottsdale stepped forward to tee off at Troon Country Club's 13th hole.

Her friends, Linda Tucker and Natalie Mintz, also from Scottsdale, watched her ball fly high above Troon Country Club toward the mountains on June 5, heading straight for the hole about 107 yards away.

The wind at their backs pushed the ball through the air, but just a bit.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Gay marriage recognition goes to D.C. court

2009-06-18T09:31:00.002-04:00

Here's my latest, a follow-up on an ongoing story we've been covering. The City Council decided a month or so ago to allow gay marriages that are legal in other states to be recognized as marriages in D.C. The Stand4MarriageD.C. coalition (against gay marriage) tried to get a referendum on that so it could be voted on. The D.C. Board of Elections said no. So, the coalition appealed to the Superior Court yesterday. The usual guy was gone, so I got to write this. Yay.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Group-sues-to-force-DC-vote-on-same-sex-marriages-48266932.html

Bay City Schools starts final phase of construction projects

2009-06-15T12:48:00.002-04:00

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Monday June 15, 2009, 11:37 AM

Hammers are pounding on McKinley Street with construction crews diving into the final phases of contruction at Washington Elementary School. Along with Washington, three other elementary schools and Handy Middle School are ahead of schedule to complete the 2006 Bay City School's bond project this summer.

"We've been on a pretty aggresive schedule that we're going to meet in the next 10 weeks," said Dave Mrozinski, director of facilities for Bay City Schools.

The total bond project for $66.9 million updated six elementary schools and both middle and high schools.

...read the rest here

Race for the Cure

2009-06-09T23:28:00.002-04:00

My first assignment this summer was last Saturday's Race for the Cure here in D.C. The photo ran in Sunday's Examiner and online. I also had three more photos run in today's issue on pages 4 and 24, respectively.

I'll be posting my photos that run in the Washington Examiner on my site, www.williamclayton.com, so be sure to check there. I post at least one photo a day, so add it your readers and you won't be disappointed.

Plugging away

2009-06-09T11:17:00.002-04:00

I'm still wondering which interns were assigned specific beats. Leave a comment if you're inclined.

:::

Details emerged in court yesterday that made my ongoing coverage of a string of robberies all the more satisfying. Before I arrived at the paper, police arrested a local man for six robberies and one attempted robbery. I picked up the story as it entered the courts.

I also pursued a "weekend" story on the accused robber. I tried to learn about his past by seeking out relatives and friends. I did some public record searches. And I tried to find similarities between the robber's actions during each crime -- discovering that he always used a knife, spoke in a "low voice," and was seen in the same GMC truck.

But the weekender never panned out. No one returned my calls or answered the notes I left in doors and mailboxes. But I still had some of that background to work into subsequent stories (in the latest story linked below, that background lands in the second-to-last graf).

The story has become an exercise in condensing down the latest courtroom developments, which could be a formulaic task. In this case, it's been a pleasure.

:::

I like timelines. Even if they don't make it into print, they help for organizing narratives. In fact, they often make the narrative. After jotting down each date of activity, you'll find yourself better able to write smooth transitions. E.g.: Just three days before the beating, John Doe caught police attention during a call for loud music at a party.

Timelines are like ... a feather in the cap (whatever that means), showing that a reporter has his or her act together.

Most recently:

Failed robbery sparked string of stickups

STAUNTON — When Brian Brubaker attempted to rob Ladd Convenience store last June, his unarmed, towel-covered hand didn’t intimidate a pistol-wielding employee.

The Crimora man fled, cashless but undeterred, authorities said. Within the month, he would rob, at knifepoint, six store clerks in three counties before his arrest in the bathroom of a Harrisonburg car dealership.

CLICK FOR FULL STORY.

Drugs and alcohol

2009-06-09T08:12:00.003-04:00

So today I made The Examiner's cover! A piece I worked my butt off on yesterday (happily) is the lead story:

http://tinyurl.com/lp5p7f

Very interesting to research and write. Loving DC!

Collegian Writers

Hello There

Next year at The Collegian

one year and one tsunami later...

New Fan Page

Moving On

Why I love my job

New web updates for The Collegian

a game

Feeling the Pain

Next

The Borders Within

Satisfying days

post-election hangover

Something to be thankful for

Excalibur

An update and some rock

Bay City principal uses Facebook to keep an eye on students

West of the Fields

Hello from Colorado

Locked up on a prison story

Stupak: Standish prison could be sold by year's end; bringing back former jobs not cut and dry

Liz's summer at The Examiner

In the Valley

Blog revision

attn eds: checking in from gville

Toledo: Best Place Anyplace

A1

On the desk

Things going well in Bay City

Mention with the big dogs

Toledo

Aloha from KP in Honolulu

Tony G editing in W'boro

Summer 2010

Moving

Hello

A Treasury of Cliche Sports Quotes, Part I (of many)

Hawaii Bound

Two awesome things

When Homelessness Hits Home

My television debut

The Times

I can write features

Best Catches

I Turn My Camera On

Abductor to serve 15-year sentence

Wrestlers launch free ‘stimulus’ show

Remembering Ray Keech, former Bay City schools superintendent

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City TimesFriday September 18, 2009, 9:01 AM

For what it's worth...

My first online video

Remembering Horace Davis, former Bay City Country Club general manager

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City TimesFriday August 28, 2009, 8:29 AM

Movin' on up...

a DC update

More previews: will they ever stop?

Summer RV and Camper Jamboree provides long term vacation investment

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City TimesSunday August 16, 2009, 4:30 AM

Fall sports begin

Zimcosky, Bay City native, wins $25,000 on 'Millionaire'

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City TimesThursday August 13, 2009, 8:00 AM

"Fast Track" to teacher certification on the table for Michigan State Board of Education

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City TimesSaturday August 08, 2009, 4:45 AM

Oddities

Bay City Downtown Development plugs in first electric parking spots

Bay City is really jumping on the green bandwagon. This morning I attended this electric parking space unveiling - and put out a story within 20-minutes of it happening- beating out the two tv news stations.

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City TimesMonday August 03, 2009, 11:16 AM

Bay City history buff gets phone call from George McGovern

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times

Sunday August 02, 2009, 5:00 AM

The Deep South

2 fires

Let the Eagle Soar

My favorite interview of the summer.

Holocaust experience

Skydiving Vets, etc.

Journalism works!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Therapy in a saddle

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Friday September 18, 2009, 9:01 AM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Friday August 28, 2009, 8:29 AM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Sunday August 16, 2009, 4:30 AM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Thursday August 13, 2009, 8:00 AM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Saturday August 08, 2009, 4:45 AM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Monday August 03, 2009, 11:16 AM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Tuesday June 30, 2009, 2:34 PM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Monday June 29, 2009, 8:52 AM

by Kyle Feldscher | The Bay City Times
Friday June 26, 2009, 10:45 AM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Saturday June 20, 2009, 7:00 AM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Friday June 19, 2009, 7:00 AM

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Monday June 15, 2009, 11:37 AM