Al's Journalism 61 Blog

Extra Credit Topical Blog Post

2010-05-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

I attended the Magazine Club meeting to hear three editors from the San Francisco Panorama who are also a part of McSweeny's, a publishing company. The San Francisco Panorama was a project undertaken by three men: Jesse, Brian and Chris and the idea was to create a newspaper in a more innovative way. The Panorama was about 350 pages and in a sense it was magazine style with an immense amount of large graphics and a more youthful feel than the average newspaper. When talking about their inspirations and aspirations for the final project, Jesse stated that they took into consideration "things paper can do that the internet can't". All three of the editors stressed teh idea behind "having a print physical object in your hand is different than on a screen, no matter how big the screen is", as worded by Chris. Chris also stressed that the Panorama was an example into "putting effort into the way information is portrayed" inferring that this as an art has declined. Brian placed a lot of emphasis on the graphic design aspect of the Panorama. He believed it was necessary to "give the reader something they might want to keep and hang up on their wall".
Overall, I saw the San Francisco Panorama as a succesful project and experiment, and it is unfortunate that they will not be doing it again. It definitely gave me a bit of inspiration to follow my passion for journalism. The stories they featured were "subjects that got less exposure" and/or "subjects magazines have covered but in a more extensive way", as Chris put it, and I really admire that. The Panorama awakened that concept of writing for society and things that truly interest the people. It showed that the news does not always have to be about tragedy and the economy. There are other aspects of our world that are less covered, it is just up to the new generation of journalists to cover them in a more innovative way such as these three editors did.

Broadcast Style Excersise

2010-05-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

NORTHQUEST AIRLINES ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT IT IS CUTTING ITS DOMESTIC FARES BY UP TO 40-PERCENT FOR HOLIDAY TRAVELLERS.

"WE LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS A HOLIDAY GIFT TO OUR CUSTOMERS," SAID FRANK DEWITT, C-E-O OF NORTHQUEST AIRLINES.

DISCOUNTS VARY DEPENDING ON TRAVEL DATES. WITH THE DISCOUNTED, NON-REFUNDIBLE FARES, A PASSENGER COULD TRAVEL ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN BOSTON AND SAN FRANCISCO FOR AS LITTLE AS 3-HUNDRED AND 49 DOLLARS.

TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY JULY 1ST FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN NOVEMBER 20TH AND JANUARY 5TH IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S.

REVISEDVStories Rewritten for Broadcast

2010-05-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

1. AN AMTRAK TRAIN IN RICHMOND STRUCK AND KILLED TWO PEOPLE YESTERDAY. THE TWO WERE HIT ABOUT A HALF MILE SOUTH OF THE RICHMOND AMTRAK STATION NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF CARLSON BOULEVARD AND OHIO AVENUE AT ABOUT 1:40PM. THE 39 PASSENGERS ON BOARD THIS TRAIN WERE ESCORTED ON FOOT TO THE TRAIN STATION AND WERE ABLE TO BOARD ANOTHER TRAIN. BY 5:35PM THE TRACKS WERE REOPENED FOR USE. THE VICTIMS HAVE NOT YET BEEN IDENTIFIED AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR DEATHS ARE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

2.DRIVERS ON HIGHWAY 17 WERE IN STORE FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF COMPANION JOINING THEM FOR THEIR COMMUTE TWO WEEKS AGO. THE HORSE THAT COMMUTERS SPOTTED GALLOPING ALONG SIDE THEM WAS A 22-YEAR OLD WHITE ARABIAN NAMED STAR WHO HAD ESCAPED FROM HIS MONTEVINA ROAD CORRAL.
STAR WAS REUNITED WITH 10-YEAR OLD ATHENA MUZUMDAR AND HER PARENTS AFTER BEING CAUGHT AND TAKEN TO AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
AT FIRST THE HUMANE SOCIETY OFFICIALS WERE SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE HORSE'S RELEASE DUE TO THE BELIEF STAR HAD POSSIBLY BEEN MISTREATED. HOWEVER, ATHENA AND HER PARENTS HAD THE PREVIOUS OWNER CALL THE SHELTER TO EXPLAIN STAR HAS BEEN REGAINING WEIGHT AFTER EXPERIENCING HEALTH PROBLEMS.
THE BIGGER QUESTION OF THIS STORY IS HOW DID STAR ESCAPE IN THE FIRST PLACE? ACCORDING TO THE OWNER OF THE CORRAL SUZANNE CRISTALLO, THE ACCOMPLICE TO STAR'S RELEASE IS A PONY NAMED OREO WHO FINDS ENJOYMENT OUT OF SLIDING OPEN THE LOCKS ON THE METAL GATES THAT HOUSE THE HORSES.

Magazine Blog Post

2010-04-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Truthfully, I do not have a favorite magazine; not beceause I don't like them I just simply don't have the time to read them anymore and I've never been one for picking favorites because my interests are so varied, I will usually read whatever is in front of me. However, the majority of the magazines I read are hip hop magazines. I love music and I love hip hop because it is what I grew up on and I've always felt a connection to what this music genre expresses. The hip hop magazines I read the most are The Source, XXL, and VIBE Magazine. All three have a similar target audience: lovers of hip hop music and culture probably above the age of 16. Some of the content does not always excersise much discretion which is why I think there might be an unsaid age limit. All three of these magazines cover every aspect of hip hop from the culture (What is P.Diddy drinking?) to the women featured in the music videos. I love these magazines and the articles they feature because a lot of people take hip hop at face value: music about flashy cars, women, and money; but these magazines cover that and then some. By "and then some" I mean the hip hop that is not on the radio and new up and coming artists that are not in the spot light. A lot of times there are articles about people that listen to the music. For example, hip hop is marketed towards African-Americans mostly, although it's becoming more mainstream and "Americanized", so these magazines may feature articles about African-American culture, events, and people.
The Source : www.thesource.com
XXL: www.xxlmag.com
VIBE: www.vibe.com

Ethics & Libel

2010-04-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ethics Excersises
Scenario 1: I would ask the official about them when she gets back for two reasons: One reason being that the documents could be insignificant to what I am reporting and she may return any minute. If she returns and I am caught snooping documents that are irrelevant then I will be facing consequences without any type of benefit. A second reason I would ask her about them rather than just looking at them would be because if I were to use information found in those documents without her consent she can then slander me for being a bad reporter and then my reputation as a journalist is ruined and I may lose other journalistic opportunities.
Scenario 2: Yes, I would do it. Many journalists and reporters have performed a job like this one and it has exposed issues resulting in a positive change. It is just another way to take advantage of an opportunity that will be benefitting the people with need-to-know knowledge.
Scenario 3: It would be wise to use the quotes AND cite them as well. The fact that you are including those quotes helps to convey your point but it would be wrong to selfishly use them without any type of credit or citation from its originator, even it is from a website.
Libel Excersise
The libelous part of the draft would be the passage: "Karen Hart, 123 Hill Hall, says the professor, George O.T. Jungle, has touched her during tutoring sessions in his office and has invited her to his apartment several times." That could result in students not signing up for his class and most likely being fired from the university. There really is no way to revise that statement except by saying that there was "inappropriate conduct" and even that is worth raising eyebrows. I would not report the story until after the formal complaint is filed and dealt with.

REVISED Soft Broadcast Lead [Alarming Event]

2010-04-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

Today Mabel McCullough may have had a 95th birthday party for the history books. Moments after blowing out the 95 candles on her cake and sitting down to enjoy the meal, 24 firefighters rushed in. Apparently the smoke from the blown out candles set off the fire alarm.
Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb has been in this profession for 23 years and says that he's never come across a fire alarm being set off because of birthday candles.
The firefighters didn't stick around to enjoy the cake, however they did take some pictures with Ms. McCullough.

REVISED Topical Blog Post

2010-04-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

Angela Davis spoke on Wednesday, April 21 at the Morris Dailey Auditorium on San Jose State Campus about youth activism and the state of our America today in a creative way by comparing her America 40 years ago, to the one we are experiencing today. Because things are "significantly worse" she emphasized that there will always be struggle it is just a matter of overcoming it and she inferred a decline in the sense of activism not being as active as it was in her yotuh.
It quickly turned into the highlight of my freshman year here at this school. I have always had a sleeping passion for social activism and to have her speaking in front of me a matter of yards away was a great inspiration to move forward with my passion and finally act.What was even greater, was the fact that she was so personable. She started of her talk with mentioning how "interesting" it felt to be back in San Jose since this is where she was arrested for murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy, and she said it in such a way that you could not help but laugh.
One thing that Davis is a big advocate for abolishing the prison system or improving it at least. She said that "Many people are in prison because they don't have the ability to imagine a future for themselves" and while they are in prison they do their best to make it work for them and have a positive outcome. When referring to the amount of reading that goes on in prison she joked that she would "rather have prisoners for students...they do a lot more reading". Although she was joking those two statements made offered a lot of insight because it gives the impression that maybe we are taking away too many peoples chances at a productive lifestyle by incarceration.
Her insight sparked a lot in me, which was her purpose of course. Her mission was definitely accomplished in the case of me. Being a part of this youthful generation with a lot to say, I felt like she was speaking to me when she was talking about youth activism. When speaking about education, Davis compared her college experience to the college experience of today: when she was in school she had the opportunity to "absorb [herself] in [her] studies" and that they were not worried about getting a job and paying loans; they were truly learning. Now there is such an emphasis on the need to "professoinalize" and "marketing ourselves" and I never really thought about it until she mentioned it. I know that for as long as I have been in school I have had a passion and drive for learning, and I know that the reason I came to college was for the same reason that she was in college, I would love to be able to "absorb" myself in my studies. But I don't have that same advantage with the econonmy crisis.
Her words on youth activism were the icing on the cake. She talked about Obama and how "many people assumed that this meant the realization of their dreams"; everybody worked so hard to get him into office, people were vocal about their beliefs and wants and needs, and then when he was elected President everybody left the job up to him. Davis said that "we have a tendency to look for a messiah" and in reality "it doesn't work if it is a one day event" and we should have continued with the demonstrating and being vocal. That is the only way we are going to accomplish something.
Angela Davis has had a great impact on society because she was a member of the Black Panther Party and a social and political activist highlighting the struggles of minority groups in California. She managed to spread her message world-wide as well. She has always been an inspiration to me because her values and the things that she represents are important to me. Being half Black and half white, Angela Davis fought for the struggles my parents experienced so that I could be here today. My passion for activism and to make a difference in this world is a tribute to her.
My favorite thing that she said, that will forever stick in my mind, is when she was talking about herself as a young activist. Angela Davis said "even though we didn't win the revolution we thought we were going to win we broadened the terrain". This quote spoke to me personally because yes, they didn't win a "revolution" but they made a huge impact because of the attitude they had envisioning a win. Youth activists of today and those with a voice need to have the attitude that what we want will be accomplished because something will come out of it, even if it isn't a win.

Test Yourself: Excersise#1

2010-04-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

a)Earlier this evening a man was shot and killed by police officers downtown. The man had a gun and wouldn't put it down, so the officer on the scene shot and killed him. This is the second incident like this in two weeks. [REPORTERS NAME] is standing by at the scene.

b)Last night a man severely attacked his wife with a knife after an argument.

c)The Food Sciences Laboratory at Cooper State University finally released the results from their yearlong study on the effects of beets. The study indicated that an increased consumption of the vegetable can reduce foot odor by more than 50-percent.

REVISED Find That Feature Lead

2010-04-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

1.)"It was springtime, when ducks usually are headed north. But suddenly Saturday, the ducks ran amok. In two separate incidents, an intrepid California Highway Patrol officer came to the rescue of ducks attempting to waddle across freeways in the South Bay, in defiance of the laws of nature and the California Vehicle Code."
-Scene-setter lead. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_14905294?source=rss&nclick_check=1

2.)"PEABODY, Mass. – A Massachusetts woman who was born without arms or kneecaps is preparing to test for her black belt in taekwondo. Sheila Radziewicz was scheduled to take her test next month at Bruce McCorry's Martial Arts in Peabody. The 32-year-old brown belt, who was born with thrombocytopenia-absent radius, or TAR syndrome, told The Salem News she's been training in martial arts for three years."
-startling statement lead

REVISED Focus Story

2010-04-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

Pete Stenhoff, a senior at Chula Vista High School in Redmond, California, did not get the chance to live up to his full athletic potential due to an injury that resulted in him being confined to a wheel chair. His senior year of high school, Stenhoff rammed his head into the ball carrier's chest during a football game which led to a cracked vertebrate.
At the time of Stenhoff's accident, he weighed 210 pounds; the aftermath of his injury has left him at 172 pounds. Unfortunately, he did not have the opportunity to graduate with his class and is working towards his diploma by taking correspondence courses.
Stenhoff is not bitter though."I knew the risks involved when I decided to play football," he says, and adds, "I wish I would have known just how bad it could be."
It is reported that there are 20,000 injuries in high school football each year-12 percent of them permanently disable those involved. Of these injuries, 35 percent damage the neck or head like in the case of Pete Stenhoff. Most critics blame these injuries on the helmets, but whatever the reason is for this high amount of injuries it needs to be solved--and quickly.

Column-Topical Commentary

2010-04-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

I never thought that it would come to this point: when I got my first cell phone in the seventh grade I let my foggy view of life cloud the fact that sooner rather than later, my life would depend on this piece of technology that weighs less than a pound. The worst part about it is, I am not the only one.
Slowly but surely the lives of the American people are being run by cell phones, the internet, and other forms of technology. Our lives went from depending on food and water to depending on our cell phones and Facebook. Social networking has moved from kids playing outside to kids playing video games "live"--interacting with others from around the world yet still on the couch.
As advanced as this wonderful technology has made our society has it not also dumbed us down? For example, the iPhone offers an application that will turn off the lights in your house for you; why is it that you just can't get off the couch and do it on your way out of the room?
With technology the pros and cons are all even but one thing is for sure: it is not going anywhere and if it did then we would all be doomed.

Math for Journalists

2010-03-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

1)The budget for a local college is $120 million. Of that total, the state provides about 66% of the funding. Grants, fees, and gifts provide less than half of that; about 29% of funding comes from those areas. The remaining 5% comes from student tuition.

2)*For every 12 months in prison, the person gets about a 1.5 years on probation
*The median: 12 months
*The median is an accurate account because it is the most common number, so the likelihood of a person spending a year in jail is strong.

3)*California state sales tax is 8.25%
*I wasn't sure how to answer the second two bullet points because I didn't know where to get the information to use? Or I wasn't sure what it was asking

AP Style Excersise S-Z

2010-03-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

1) When he heard the building scheme for the new high school had been rejected, Bill pulled out his stationary to write a letter of protest.
2) Ben really knows his scriptures, but he knows little about the Talmud or the Shariah.
3) Her home in upstate New York is surprisingly ultra-modern and rather unique for its middle-class neighborhood.
4) To celebrate Veteran's Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troupes of former soldiers will march down Main Street carrying U.S. flags.
5) Word of mouth has it that Ellen will wind up with the only “A” in the class.
6) When Sara spotted the Louis L'Amour paperback, she asked who's book it was. She couldn't believe it was Johns; after all, nobody reads Westerns anymore, she had no idea he was so weird.

Brite #1-Squirrel

2010-03-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

Tuesday morning 47,000 rail commuters were tied up because of one little critter. A squirrel climbed onto the Metro-North Commuter Railroad power lines.
An electrical power surge occurred that weakened an overhead bracket. Because of the weakened bracket, a wire from the overhead bracket dangled down and got tangled up in a train passing underneath resultng in tearing down all the lines.
Trains were not running out of Manhattan. Commuters waited for hours and the trains never came.
This squirrel caused a huge tie-up for commuters and in the end he got what he deserved, he was electrocuted while sprinting around the power lines.

Applesauce

2010-03-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

The northbound lane of highway 101 in South Sonoma County was blocked off today by road crews but this was not the usual traffic jam. The roads were blocked off due to the sea of apples that flowed out of the back of trucker Robert Urbin's Broadway Transportation truck.
The 24 full apple containers spilled out of the flatbed trailers when Urbin's said that heard a cable snap and the rear flatbed started "whipping" and scattering apples. The rolling apples then created a very sticky and goey mess. "We've got applesauce all over the highway," said CHP officer Wayne Ziese. Highway road crews cleaned up 10 tons of apples, the apples were along the side of the road for 200 to 300 feet.
When the accident happened, there was a mist in the air that made the roads rather slick and that added to the hazard after the apples spilled. It happened just south of Petaluma near Kastania Road, Ziese said.
Urbins said he was driving 55 mph, but he was given a traffic citation for the spilled load. That citation is likely to cost several hundred dollars.
No one was injured in the apple accident. That's according to Ziese. But he added that a motor home that was right behind the flatbed truck sustained minor damage.

Ap Style I-L

2010-02-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

1) The last time she played soccer, she received a serious injury to her knee; sometimes it's hard to understand why she wants to keep playing. (2)

2) He was indicted on a charge of assault, but his lawyer said the case against him is circumstantial and she is sure the inquiry will exonerate him. (2)

3) He knows it isn’t kosher, but green Jell-O is his favorite dessert. This admission has prompted his friends to question both his taste and his judgement. (3)

4) Now that he has DSL, he finds it much easier to go online to check his email and download files. (3)

5) He stood at the lecturn, addressing his long-time colleagues at the Knights of Columbus. (3)

Gas Line Break

2010-02-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

Traffic is at a nasty standstill in the South of Market area in San Francisco and on-lookers are standing around at the edges of the area.
The police have cordoned off all the surrounding streets, effectively shutting down a four-block area. In an interview, a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. worker stated that a private construction crew was trying to repair sewer lines. In the process, they severed a two-inch underground gas pipe with a backhoe, he said and a high-pressure gas pipe was ruptured. This happened a little before 12:30 p.m.
At least 100 people were forced to leave the area, including neighborhood residents, dozens of business owners and their customers, leaving many irate people. I spoke with manager Samantha Feldman of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant. She says her employees and patrons were forced to leave. The restaurant's at the corner where the construction crew had been working. Feldman said the restaurant lost about $500 worth of business in the shutdown.
The gas was finally turned back on at 5:09p.m.

News Story #1-Firefighters

2010-02-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

A man in his 50's was rescued from his single story house yesterday as he was surrounded by fire.
The fire happened in the home of Robert Kent, a retired man living on Annapolis Way. According to fire captain Rob Piper the fire started in the kitchen and spread to the attic, smoke proceeded to engulf the whole house. When firefighters arrived they puulled Kent out of his burning kitchen as his unconcious body was enclosed in flames. There was no smoke detector and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Piper reported that Kent has second and third-degree burns on 50 percent of his body. In an interview with a nursing supervisor at Valley Medical Center in San Jose it was reported that Kent was listed in grave condition.

Got What It Takes To Be A Reporter

2010-02-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

On this quiz I scored a 23: "Journalism is a good fit for you, mostly-- but it may require you to change your attitude and improve some skills."
I expected that my outcome would be something close to this because that's how I feel towards journalism. I love the idea of it (writing, reading, research...) but I still am unsure if it is for me. I think that if I'm willing to make a few changes to my attitude and make more of an effort to be good at it then there is a possibility it will become my passion.

AP Style Excersise E-H

2010-02-20T18:10:00.000-08:00

1.To ensure the accuracy of the news story, Susan Jones checked with his source. For Jones this is an every day practice, not the exception.

2.As the two boys argued over who should get the last piece of pizza, both seemed equally as hungry. Clearly, they had forgotten their earlier decision to forgo having seconds.

3.He suspected his neighbor was selling drugs, so he called the FBI. His neighbor, however, cried foul at the accusation.

4.She grew up on the great plains near Alliance, NE, where the winters are long and harsh and the living is hand-to-mouth.

5.Her car was sideswiped by a hit-and-run driver on route 1-A this morning. She wasn't really injured, but the impact sent the contents of her purse helter-skelter.

Top News Story #3

2010-02-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100220/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul
President Obama plans on soon unveiling his health care plan that will enable more people to have better health care without "breaking the bank". This will be aired on a national scale and is more of a discussion then an actual plan. Obama invited Democrats and Republicans to an open forum, which will hopefully result in some sort of compromise and super-plan. Before the meeting the White House will be posting a plan that modifies the bill passed in the Senate last year.
This is a top news story and important because health care is one of the biggest issues Americans are facing and everybody seems to have an opinion. With the President deciding to have a sort of open forum it gives the added "no secrets" affect, hopefully providing the American people with more trust in the government.

News Story#2: Crashes

2010-02-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

1)Crushed vehicles and broken glass filled a San Mateo parking lot due to a construction truck that crashed into a car.
The construction truck barreled down a hill and into a crowded grocery store parking lot, hitting a black sport-utility vehicle broadside. The impact dragged the SUV about 75 feet into the parking lot. Eight or nine other vehicles in the parking lot were also hit. According to San Mateo Police Captain Kevin Nguyen, the container truck “apparently had some type of mechanical failure” while it was coming down 43rd Avenue, a residential street that dead-ends in a Mollie Stone’s grocery store parking lot.
One victim, an occupant of one of the vehicles that was hit, was declared dead at the scene. A pedestrian was also hit and injured. One of the three injured people was taken to Stanford Hospital by helicopter. The other two were taken by ambulance.

2)A 24-year old San Francisco motorist drove off a 150-foot cliff, miraculously only suffering minor head injuries.
The man was driving his Mazda sedan in dense fog, heading north toward San Francisco, when he missed a turn and drove over the side of the cliff.
Luckily, the car landed on its wheels. The man was able to call 911 because he landed as safe as possible and was wearing his seatbelt.
The road was closed for two hours in both directions. Rescue crews with the California Highway Patrol and Cal Fire had trouble locating the man because of the fog. They finally reached him 45 minutes later by rappelling off the cliff. They pulled up the man in a protective cage. The man was taken to San Francisco General Hospital for observation. His only visible injury was a bump on the head, according to CHP Sgt. Trent Ross. “He did what he was supposed to do; he wore his seat belt,” said Ross, who added that if the driver hadn’t been wearing his seat belt during the accident, “there is no doubt it would have been fatal.”

REVISED: News Story #1

2010-02-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

A 74-year old woman crashed through a convenience store and then got out of the car and tried to purchase a six-pack of beer.
Lynn Rice, of Norwalk, went for a drive yesterday evening ending in her driving halfway through Joe's Food Mart and Video of Los Angeles County. According to the store owner, Joe Awada, Rice got out of the car, walked over to the cooler and pulled out a six-pack of Budweiser beer after the crash. A cashier working at the time then refused her the six-pack and proceeded to call the police.
Lt. Jenny Han of the police department said Rice was taken to a hospital for an examination because she had a medical condition. Rice was also arrested for investigation of misdemeanor driving under the influence. She was released on $15,000bail, authorities said.

FOG Index

2010-02-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

So here is a quick little about me: I'm a freshman at SJSU. Just kidding, there's more than that. I do live on campus in San Jose but I'm from Southern California, so I'm getting the whole college experience. I like to have fun but I also know when "play time" is over and I think that's a good quality to have. I am learning everyday and I recognize that, I am also a very curious person. That may have something to do with me taking this class. I am really excited and happy I have the opportunity to take this class because I am not sure what I want to do in life and hopefully this will help lead me in the right direction. I am easy to get along with and I almost always have a smile on! I think that's me in a nutshell.

14+9=23x0.4=9.2

I chose my About Me for this class because that is my most "me" piece of writing that was about 100 words. Comparing it to my FOG index my writing is not exactly "mature". The "hard" words I use are common and not too complicated and there aren't very many of them. This just shows that maybe I need to broaden my vocabulary a little more.

Lead #5

2010-02-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

1.) A Springfield pipe fitter suffered third-degree burns and was in critical condition at Springfield Hospital.
Duane La Chance, 55, was installing new pipes on the roof of the power plant when he accidentally touched a power line carrying 15,000 volts with a piece of angle iron at the Springfield Municipal Power Plant.

2.) Actor and comedian Chevy Chase was appointed to a position where he may be less in the limelight.
Yesterday Chase was appointed to the college board of trustees for Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. The actor is an alumnus of the college and his new position was announced at an alumni dinner during the universities Homecoming Week.

Lead #4

2010-02-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

A.)Smoke was spotted near the wheels of Flight 428, which resulted in the evacuation of 40 passengers.
At the Municipal Airport in LaCrosse, Wis. a landing tower employee made the call possibly saving the lives of these passengers.

B.)Three years ago, a boy of Brick Township, New Jersey went missing.
Thursday night the seven-year old boy was found due to an observant neighbor. The neighbor was watching the movie Adam: The Song Continues and recognized the picture of the boy shown at the end and called the police. The mother of the seven-year old is now facing charges of kidnapping and interfering with a custody warrant.

Lead #3: Accidental Death

2010-02-13T13:41:00.000-08:00

The ruling of a San Mateo coroner came back today on a woman's body found last month at the Sharp Park Golf Course.
The body Laura Jessica Smythe, 34, of Pacifica was found by a local hiker last month. It was reported that she died of accidental drowning. Robert Foster, the coroner that handled the woman's body stated that her death was "consistent with freshwater drowning, associated with probable hypothermia." Foster also added that she had methamphetamines in her system when she died.

REVISED: Top News Story

2010-02-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

A Korean-American missionary was detained in N.Korea for 43 days and returned to the United States. The Missionary was carrying letters to Kim Jong II to shut down his prison camps and step down from power. North Korea is currently facing a lot of turmoil, and this young man took a risk that could have cost him his life.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100207/ap_on_re_us/us_nkorea_us_missionary

REVISED: Lead #2

2010-02-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

A US airplane crashed into the ground outside Pittsburgh yesterday leaving 131 dead.

REVISED: Leads Excersise #1

2010-02-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

1.A small earthquake hit Santa Clara County in the foothills off Alum Rock Falls Road as reported by a source in the U.S. Geological Survey.

2. The California Department of Transportation closed Highway 9 for almost nine hours yesterday due to several trees falling across the roadway overnight.

About Alyx

2010-01-30T17:03:00.000-08:00