June 16, 2008
Tonight, I’m going out to see one of the houses that was severely damaged in the flood. The Grissom family apparently lost everything, and there’s still no roads open to their house, so we’ll have to take a four-wheeler. Will update later…
—Sally Petty
June 16, 2008
Sunday and Monday last week were incredibly busy for me and Nate as we covered the flooding in Elnora. Nate was up there all evening Sunday doing live updates on the Web, and I was up there for probably 7 or 8 hours Monday slogging through ankle-deep mud and sand and interviewing volunteers in the 90+ heat.
Unfortunately, when I went up there, I thought I was going to a press conference with the governor, so I was wearing heels through all that mud and sand. When I got there, I discovered it would be the Lt. Gov., stopping by, and she would be two to three hours late. So I caught a ride out to the levee site to talk to soldier and civilian volunteers who have been working there for a couple of days. The amount of water covering those corn fields up to the levee was amazing — like a huge lake that stretched for miles and miles with a couple houses and a train sticking up here and there.
After a few hours at the levee, I headed back to the command center to get the official word and wait for Becky Skillman, who finally arrived around 5 or 6 p.m. I left at 8 and stopped in Plainville, where the town board was meeting to create a plan of action. I was so exhausted, I fell asleep while waiting on a bench for the private meeting to dismiss. After 9 p.m., I finally arrived back at the newsroom, sweaty, stinky, tired and muddy. It took me about an hour and a half and some of Nate’s good coffee to get the story written.
—Sally Petty
June 6, 2008
Did you see the community calendar and how many meetings there are Monday? Daviess County Commissioners, Martin County Council, several City of Washington meetings… they’ve got Nate and me running all over the place Monday.
In my years of covering government meetings, I’ve rarely seen the general public attend. Now and then a group will show up if they want something or they’re protesting something, but no one goes just to know what’s going on. I admit, I probably wouldn’t if I weren’t a reporter. But, shouldn’t we take a little more interest in our government? Maybe then we won’t have to complain about things we don’t like after they happen; we can get actively involved in the process.
—Sally Petty
June 5, 2008
I have been charged with writing a memorial article for Shay Fischer. I talked to Dave and Shelley last night, and I just couldn’t write, I was so overcome. It really effected me to read her story on Caring Bridge, but I was also encouraged to hear about how strong her faith was. Then, my devotions this morning were about the potter’s hand and how God is in charge, how he chooses how to form us and direct our lives, and it was like God was telling me that’s what she believed and she is with Him now.
—Sally Petty
June 4, 2008
Mom took this one today on her cell phone. You can put this one on your fridge.
—Nate “proud papa” Smith
June 4, 2008
Well, he’s not full time but he’s got skills. Franklin College student Issac Daniel has joined the Times-Herald this summer as an intern. He is more into the visual and multimedia side of the business, but working with him the past three days has been cool. He has talent and sees things differently than we in the newsroom see them. Rookies.
Anyway, he’ll be here until August and Sally and I have invited him to join our blog as a guest blogger. Hopefully he can bring in some more page views.
—Nate Smith
June 3, 2008
Not the greatest pics, but…
—Sally Petty
June 2, 2008
As most of you know by now, Shay Fischer passed away early Monday. I had the opportunity to help with the effort Shay started in collecting blood and bone marrow samples to maybe not help her, but others afflicted with cancer.
I never got the chance to meet Shay, but I kicked a step outside my house and cursed when I read the website this morning on my Blackberry. Part of me knew today was coming, but I wanted her to keep fighting as long as possible.
I hope that her warmth, kindness and strength will continue to inspire many who strive to make cancer a memory. It will for me.
—Nate Smith
June 2, 2008
We began hanging drywall in our bathroom this weekend and installed the ceiling light/fan. We’re going to have to move electrical and water lines around, due to some unforseen space problems, but at least it’s starting to look like a room again.
Meanwhile in the newsroom, the police report for tomorrow has some pretty strange entries — from the guy who hid in a ceiling at a bar trying to evade arrest and the guy who drank so much he got beat up and can’t remember it. One good reason not to drink yourself unconscious.
— Sally Petty
May 29, 2008
Okay folks, this one’s for you “Patriots” out there.
Check this story out from Boston:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/16411373/detail.html
It says Dunkin Donuts had to pull an Internet ad with Rachel Ray because a conservative columnist said she is wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional headdress worn by Arab men.
“The keffiyeh, for the clueless, is the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad,” Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin wrote in her syndicated column.
Dunkin came back and said the scarf was paisley. Wow, Malkin must not have a good idea for her column that week. As for Dunkin Donuts, that’s what you get for supporting the Boston Red Sox. Although, I do like their krulers.
Rachel Ray is not a terrorist, she’s just annoying. I do have to thank her for the Pepin potato recipe that my mom uses.
— Nate Smith
