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Blogger King |
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May 2008
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September 2007 After a tour of duty to a war zone, imagine the activities and entertainments you would look forward to when you returned home. Amazing, I recently met the family of a soldier who helps coordinate other soldiers' funerals, when he himself is not on active duty. Missing woman Tanya Rider was found, in part, thanks to her cell phone. Investigators discovered her hidden crash site by locating the most recent communication between her phone and a tower. It took about two hours -- she'd been missing for eight days. Tonya Rider is Alive. Amazing. You may know the story by now. She left the Fred Meyer in Bellevue back on September 19th at 9am. Her husband, Tom had not seen her since. Yesterday, on the 27th, her crushed Honda Element was found off of Highway 169. Tom Rider tells an amazing story. This couple, m... For decades they've been known as the Huling Bros. dealerships in West Seattle. Last January, Gee Automotive of Spokane bought them, and now they're closing their doors. In my career I have covered hundreds of unfortunate incidents and tragedies. Just last week I came upon a situation that got me thinking. I'm staying away from some specifics because this is not about the family, it's about how we in the media cover these events. Sometimes a story can put life in perspective. This week I met a 12 year old girl named Kiki Castro. Kiki has cancer, and recently she completed several months of chemotherapy. How does one weigh a juvenile's liberties versus other citizens' safety concerns? Federal Way is delicately crafting a curfew proposal for juveniles that would make it illegal to be on the streets between midnight and 6AM, with certain exceptions. ...Do you watch the show "The Deadliest Catch"? I get the feeling that a whoooooole lot of people do, because it seems like everyone I know goes ga-ga whenever the show comes up in conversation. ...Many of us have probably asked ourselves that question -- I know I have! But how often are we actually tested? It started as a $400 dollar, 12-foot section of fence. It's still the same fence, but now it's costing one Redmond-area homeowners' association -- and ultimately the homeowners themselves -- $83,000! Why? Attorneys fees. ... Like most reporters, I've covered lots of floods, and have watched as it takes lots of people to fill lots of sand bags. This scramble to save a town or community is almost always under the pressure of a hydrological prediction when the river will crest in a specific place. It happens every time this year. I get calls and e-mails from young teens asking if they can "shadow" me for a school assignment. I say "yes" whenever possible because I'm a big believer in mentors. ...One joy of journalism is seeing things I might not otherwise. But after a decade on the job, I sometimes grow cynical and feel like I've seen it all. Then, I get dispatched to Redmond, where a 1,800-pound bull named Titan is wandering through an upscale neighborhood. A few minutes after we arrive, a group of neighbors helps the bull's owner catch him, using gentle encouragement and loaves of bread. It was one of the stranger ... How often have you thought you had a great idea, and after mulling it over or even chatting about it with friends, let if fall by the wayside? Today we did a story about a local guy, Scott Truitt, who thought it would be great if people had a simple gesture to express gratitude to military personnel. He's trying to teach people the American Sign Language sign for "thank you from the bottom of my heart" so it can be gestured to a member of th... As reporters, we're frequently dispatched to cover stories of missing hikers, climbers, etc. The experts will tell you, after 48 hours the likelihood of finding a person alive plummets. Five days after Mary Hyde Wingfield went missing, searchers were still looking. While everyone put on a brave face, many admitted they weren't optimistic she would be found alive. I came away from the “Women of Color Empowered” luncheon today inspired by the wisdom of local women mentors. Many overcame hardship, poverty and discrimination to become champions in their fields and are now giving back to the community by mentoring others. Here’s a sampling of what the honorees shared: ... Twice this week the Berenshteins of Mill Creek found swastikas painted all over their cars. And during our interview with the mother, Anna, she told me some important things: I hadn’t seen Hattie Kauffman in 20 years. We were colleagues in the King 5 newsroom when she was a reporter/anchor from 1981-87. She was going to publicly reveal for the first time her battle with breast cancer at the Susan G. Komen Puget Sound Affiliate luncheon in Bellevue today. ...We've heard it all before. Coal and oil power associated with greenhouse gases and pollution. Safety questions and spent fuel issues with nuclear power. Salmon impacts from otherwise non-polluting hydroelectric dams. In the last few weeks I've had the chance to witness new generations of power production in both action and experimentation. ...Tony Murphy and John Preston were driving through Kent last month, when they saw someone's house being consumed by flames. The home already looked as if the roof could cave at any moment... and Tony and John were told there was a man trapped inside. ...This month is a big month not only for Fort Lewis, but for the friends and families scattered across the country anxious for their soldiers to come home. Among those is Adam Rodgers, a Fort Lewis Stryker and dear family friend. For those of you close to a service member during this conflict, you already know how trying and emotionally exhausting these 18 months have been. The rest of us can only imagine what it has been like for Adam and his ... If a neighbor's pet wandered into your yard, would you consider shooting it? We all laughed when Dan Akroyd said it in a mock newscast on Saturday Night Live a few decades ago, but try to slip the "S" word into a mainstream news program these days and forget it. Seattle's new street car has unofficially been dubbed the S.L.U.T., an unfortunate, albeit clever acronym for the South Lake Union Trolley. The problem in covering The Thurmond family is a throwing family. Just about anything heavy and round will do; shotput, hammer, discus but mostly discus. Reedus Thurmond coaches throwing for the U-Dub track team and was a three-time all-American at Auburn. His wife Aretha runs the "Big W" club for former Husky athletes and throws the discus well enough to have made two Olympic teams. And their son Theo just throws everybody for a loop, because at 3 months he is th... After months of fighting &, fingerpointing between downtown residents, nightclubs, police, the mayor's office and city council, many people expected a decision from the Seattle City Council yesterday about whether Seattle should "license" its clubs. But a last minute amendment essentially tabled the issue for another year. After months of trial-and-error fixes, Seattle Schools have finally figured out how fix its broken wheelchair lifts at three of its stadiums (Ingraham, Nathan Hale and Rainier Beach). ...It was a packed church, located between Auburn and Enumclaw. Hundreds of friends of state Fish and Wildlife biologist Rocky Spencer gathered. ... A service will be held for Washington State Fish & Wildlife agent Rocky Spencer today. You all may have heard he was killed during an animal relocation project last weekend. He was struck by a helicopter blade and in a flash, Rocky was gone. ...A lot of wild items pass my desk. The story below has to be among the wildest. I suspect this suggestion will be met with some serious skepticism from salmon protection groups and others. This is definitely a 'Messing with Mother Nature' moment. The answer is "Fun...and depressing." The question: "What was it like covering the Boats Afloat Show?? ...Seattle's "Seal Sitters" want you to help protect baby seals around Puget Sound. They're asking waterfront property owners to anchor small floats, rafts or platforms off their property so that baby seals can lounge there while their mothers are out fishing for food. ...On this 6th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, A USA Today poll found that more than two thirds of Americans view 9/11 as the most memorable news event of their lifetime. First off, thanks to all of you who responded to the blog about this weekend's whale hunt in Neah Bay. I just returned from filing my story today and after reading many of the postings, I wanted to answer, or at least try to, one of the questions that keeps popping up. Like Vance Webster, who posted at 8:42 a.m. on 9/10, many are wonder... Like many people, I'd never heard the term "jumbo loan," until recently. I remember something my dad used to say when he'd find change lying around. "It all spends the same," he would tell me. I remember something my dad used to say when he'd find change lying around. "It all spends the same," he would tell me. Are you afraid of heights? I am. But I'm more afraid of losing my job...so I'll do anything that makes for good television, and that's why I agreed to ride "The Extreme Scream" for my live segments this morning. ...On Saturday night, Seattle police arrested 17 nightclub and bar employees as part of a sting to crack down on underage drinking. They had spent several weeks sending undercover detectives and underage Explorer Scouts to the nightspots to see which allowed the youngsters in even when their ID's had been issued to other individuals and had expired, or, clearly stated they're younger than 21. In two cases, police say bouncers discovered conceal... I was not here in Seattle in 1999 when the first Makah Tribe whale hunt in more than 70 years sparked national and international protests. While I've heard several stories from my co-workers who covered the 1999 controversy, I did not know the whole story. ...Looking at the scene in the Eastlake neighborhood, it's hard to tell who is at fault. I was covering the fatal accident involving a dump truck and two bicyclists heading northbound, just before the University Bridge. The bikes were in a marked bike lane on the far right. The truck was in the right hand vehicle lan... I have a good friend whose mother is not unlike many caring parents. Every month, she sends him a check in the mail with money to help with living expenses. While I applaud her big-hearted intentions, I worry about her outdated method. ...For my segments today, I was at the Everett Events Center visiting with dogs, an elephant and a guy with very tall orange hair. Lorraine Jones has tragically been thrust into the public eye for eleven years. Her son, 23-year-old Rigel Jones, was stabbed in Pioneer Square. When no arrest was made, the Jones family successfully appealed to the public, through a billboard at the murder site. It worked. Two transients were arrested. One man was convicted. Yet, more than a decade later, the Jones family must continue to relive this crime, as a second defendant finds... Dora Anderson is going to have one helluva story to tell. Lost in the Oregon mountains for two weeks, the 76-year-old grandmother was found at the bottom of a ravine, hurt, but ALIVE. Dozens of people searched hundreds of hours over a wide area, but they all missed Dora. By Thursday night Dora's family was with her at the hospital in Baker City, Oregon. So often these stories have a much different ending. Whatever you believe,... Leave it to the Glass Capital of the nation -- Seattle -- to come up with a colorful new place of final repose. Artist Mike Holberg creates hand-blown glass cremation urns. "These are works of art that can be used to hold the remains of a loved one," says Holberg, who worked with Dale Chihuly and has been creating glass art for a dozen years. It makes sense to go this direction in Washington state. We have the nation's second highest cremation... Are you a car person? Are you into cars? Can you tell what the make and model is...even from far away? If you have a personal love affair with the automobile, there is a show that you must not miss. ... Tonight, self-proclaimed pedophile Jack McClellan appeared on a Portland radio station to announce that The Rose City is his new home. After fleeing Snohomish County and being run out of Southern California, he seems to think Portland will be more tolerant of his pedophile views (He says he's never broken the law). The operating room is a place most folks would like to avoid. We spare you the trauma but show you the process of saving lives in 89 procedures a day at Seattle's Children's Hospital. KING 5 has unprecedented access for the upcoming special, "24 Hours Inside the O.R." There's the 14-year-old boy who swallowed a blow dart pin (he meant to blow, but he inhaled instead). And the 16-year-old girl who is scared she might die in brain sur... High profile cases like this one usually bring fellow attorneys, members of the public and a general "buzz" to the courtroom. None of that, however, happened on day one of the trial of accused Tacoma Mall shooter Dominick Maldonado. I wonder if this is because this case doesn't quite rise to the level of horror that other cases have (be... As a new mom I am hyper sensitive to the recent recall of toys made in China. This past weekend I purchased several toys manufactured by a well known German company. I felt very relieved to know this toy company has an excellent track record. Is the fear of being shamed online and on TV really a deterrent to men who seek out prostitutes? Is the fear of being shamed online and on TV really a deterrent to men who seek out prostitutes? I always look forward to the first weekend in September because it's the unofficial kickoff to our soccer team's season. If you ask most folks around here where electricity comes from, they'll probably say hydropower, and only hydropower. Afterall, you can't travel very far around this state without seeing the gigantic dams on the Columbia River or even smaller variations on many of the state's other rivers. ...Sunday, a 51 year old man was attacked by a black bear at Banner Forest Heritage Park near Olalla. The man was riding his bike, with his two dogs in tow, when the bear mauled him. How frightening! Folks who live in that area say it's pretty common to see black bears roaming the park, after all it's their home. What is uncommon is a bear, a black bear, attacking. I met a 17-year-old kid from Issaquah who just joined the Issaquah High School boys tennis team. Garbage used to be garbage. Think about it, it wasn't that long ago when people never thought about recycling, glass, paper and yard waste. Now it's routine, and in some cases even mandatory. But what about this next idea? ...On Friday, I watched Roy Scott of Port Angeles stand in front of a federal judge in US District Court in Seattle. It was the last day of August 2007, a month in which 81 United States military personnel died fighting a difficult and draining war in Iraq.
Well, as they say...me neither. So you want to go to the Olympics? You want to wear the red, white and blue and hear the trumpets and march in the parade of nations and have a chance to stun the world with one great performance on one special day? You want to travel 80 miles and hour flat on your back, feet-first down a bent-up ice rink draped over a cliff? Well here's your chance to get started. ... |