Journalist at Large
August 2009
Why I love local news: 87-Year-Old Woman Waves Gun While Driving
August 28, 2009
"I'm like no. Come on. ... And she had it sideways like she's a gangster.” ...
Why I love local news: Woman Arrested, Driving on 45 License Suspensions
August 27, 2009
Police say not only was a Detroit woman behind the wheel of a stolen car with a 24-ounce can of beer on her lap, but her license had been suspended 45 times. ...
Why I love local news: Arnold Keeps 'Conan' Sword in Office
August 26, 2009
The sword is stored in a case behind the governor's desk, and he's not afraid to use it. Before the start of budget negotiations in January, Schwarzenegger brought out the sword and placed it on a conference table in front of legislative leaders. ...
Why I love local news: Brett Favre-Themed Goat in Trunk of Car
August 24, 2009
It was painted Minnesota Viking colors -- purple and gold -- with Brett Favre's No. 4 shaved on its side. Favre made his Vikings debut Friday in a preseason game. ...
Reporting: For class of 2009, degree doesn’t mean a job
August 21, 2009
More than half of graduates in the class of 2007 had job offers in hand when they finished school; that figure dropped to one-quarter of 2008 graduates — after the recession began in December 2007 — and for the class of 2009, it was fewer than one-fifth. It’s no surprise, then, that this year’s graduates are “frustrated” and “scared.” ...
Why I love local news: Group Threatens Speeders With Paintballs
August 19, 2009
The group Angry Neighbors With Paintball Guns is fed up with what it calls Durham's inability or unwillingness to deal with speeders. ...
Comment: Enough he-said, she-said on 'death panels'
August 19, 2009
I haven't done any coverage of legislation to revise the health care system, so I don't know enough about the various proposals to hold any strong opinion. One thing that is clear to me, however, is that, in general, we've done a poor job of illuminating them. ...
Why I love local news: Collector Sells $30,000 'Archie' Comic to Protest Storyline
August 18, 2009
"Betty is it. Not Veronica," said Luebke, whose Richmond, Va., store has more than 1 million comics in stock. "This is serious." ...
Why I love local news: Ag Group Holds 'Testicle Festival'
August 18, 2009
Some young farmers and ranchers in Santa Cruz County will be serving up all-you-can-eat bull testicles while asking the all important question: do they really taste like chicken? ...
Comment: So why did msnbc.com buy EveryBlock?
August 18, 2009
It seems likely that Adrian Holovaty (who is a very smart man) and his team, with real funding behind them, could end up establishing the template for hyperlocal data aggregation. ...
Why I love local news: Man's Phone Turns on Oven
August 17, 2009
A Brooklyn man has discovered that his cell phone somehow turns on the broiler on his oven — and repairmen have yet to figure out what's behind the dangerous glitch. ...
Why I love local news: 37-Inch Flat Screen TV for $100 Is Really an Oven Door
August 14, 2009
A brand-new 37-inch Sony flat screen television for $100? Great deal — until you take it out of the box and realize you just bought an oven door. ...
Why I love local news: Local Cat Gets GED
August 14, 2009
"Oreo's a really smart cat... She keeps up with current events," said Collins.
Read more (WMAZ-TV of Macon, Ga.)
Why I love local news: Falling Fish Shatters Driver's Windshield
August 14, 2009
Niles had thought herself lucky to escape damage in another animal encounter shortly before the fishy one. She says a truck hit a small bird, which struck her back passenger door and startled her 5-year-old daughter. ...
Why I love local news: Woman Attacked by Otters
August 14, 2009
D.N.R. and wildlife officials say this behavior is very unusual. ...
Reporting: Cash for Clunkers throws some into reverse
August 13, 2009
Cash for Clunkers is rolling on after President Barack Obama signed a $2 billion extension for the program last week, and new car dealers say buyers are continuing to flock in for the deals. But at the other end of the market, companies and organizations whose business models are built on used vehicles say they’re hurting badly as Americans who might have come to their doors suddenly find themselves better placed to afford a shiny new car. ...
Stress of war takes mental toll on military kids
August 13, 2009
The U.S. "war on terrorism" is taking a significant toll on the children of service members, who are 2½ times more likely to develop psychological problems than American children in general, new research indicates. ...
print version