Later Avery.

For nine years the Big Raggedy had the pleasure of having the Rock music loving, Star Wars following multi tasker known as Avery Davidson in fold. Unfortunately it was time to say later not good bye. You see Avery will still be in town so it's not like we won't hear from him just not as often. Avery is one of those who scaled the broadcasting ladder. Coming from radio, to producing, to shooting some of his stuff, to being a reporter, and eventually working the weekend desk. I remember when those weekends when we were chasing stories talking in code, mostly in Star Wars geek talk, to keep the competition off our tracks while trying to fill holes in a newscast. Those were some good times. Avery you are a character and it was a joy to work with you, sometimes. You needed something you would go get it. If it took staying late or coming in early you would do it. If something needed to be said to help the product you said it honesty and we try to make it better.
Avery you influenced a lot a lives at the Big Raggedy so here's to you. Next round is on me.

Finally It's Over

No you eyes aren't playing tricks on you. It's me and yes it's daytime. I was needed to come in early which I don't mind. Pookie & Ray Ray are behaving so things have been quiet anyway.
Time to head over to the "Free State". They do things differently over there. You mess up they will find you and they will parade you around to show what kind of Jack Hole you are. Today I get to see another one who's out stayed their welcome.
That is Mark Lewis. He's familiar with the nice sliver bracelets and the Courthouse. Over a year ago A young girl named Kaitlyn Aydell turned up missing in the small town of French Settlement. That sent her mom as well a whole community into a frenzy. Everyone hoped and prayed that they would find her and bring her home. That didn't happen. Young Kaitlyn was found in a bayou in Ascension Parish not far from her hometown. All leads pointed to Lewis. I was there when they brought him in charged him with her murder. I was there when a mom had to start dealing with life without her angel.
A month ago, a jury found Lewis Guilty of 2nd Degree Murder. Today he got his sentence, Life with no parole. No only did he get take his final breath of free air. He had to hear Danette Aydell, Kaitlyn's mom, express what he took from her. Wearing pink a shirt reading "Always In Our Heart" Ms. Danette looked strong. All Lewis could do was look away.

We'll never know how she might change the world. But we know she's looking down over all of us with a beautiful smile on her face.

Mission: Impossible - Big Raggedy Style

Tape Recording: Good Afternoon Senator. Yesterday the a young man was set to join the LA National Guard. An honorable move however the mom thinks something isn't right with the application. Namely the GED that her son never got but was a part of the paperwork to get in. A call was made to the recruiter who then begged the son to destroy the GED in question. Last night we broke the story of the recruiter in question thus putting the Guard into action to resolve the situation. Today the Guard is having a press conference to respond to the story aired on TV. Your mission, that you're going to accept because you have no choice, is to attend the 4pm press conference by the Guard and advance the story with 6pm PKG. As always should you or any member of your team be caught or killed we still want the story for the 6pm news. This message will self destruct in 10 seconds. Good Luck Senator.

So after attending the presser, got back at 5pm. Producer is told it won't be a PKG. VO/SOT is best we can do. No prob. Get the stuff in the computer. Call the reporter, "Stuffs in". "OK" on the other end, "Find a couple of bites that sums up everything and I'll get the VO to you". Like I said, "No Prob". I was paying attention to what was said. Pick a couple next I hear, "OK the audio is in the system we've 30 minutes to get it on". Now it's back to a PKG. No prob. I found the video from yesterday and I shoot some more stuff today. "Wait, I have to add one more piece of audio". OK. It's in time to send it to the sever with 10 minutes to spare. "Hold on, got to recut the first track." Less 5 minutes till show and the lead isn't ready. Audio is in, quick recut, send the story to the sever. What happened next??

Work's Following Me...Again.

It's no secret that Greg "Street Beat" Meriwether has been a fixture to Big Raggedy TV lore for some time. With the daily Beats and now the 9pm show is just about everywhere. I roll out to a scene and it shouted out, "Where's Street Beat"? The masses just can't get enough always thirsting for more and more. Anyway time for a break.Head on over to one of my favorite local places, The Caterie , for the famous Foghorn Leghon. Wonder who's playing this week. Wait a minute. Is that.....? Oh great now he has a band named after him. Just what we needed. More added madness to the Hype Machine known as Street Beat. Time for light reading to go with lunch. This is really disturbing. Everywhere I turn it's Greg This. Street Beat that.

Enough!!!!! Can't take much more, Damn it!!!!

Beat the Wrecker.

There are stories in this business you just want to sink your teeth into. You look forward to taking that big lump of clay and molding it into a work of art. Playing "Beat the Wrecker" is something I could do without. Most of them play like this. Call comes into the newsroom, "There is a bad looking accident over here. There a lot of cop cars blocking off the road". Or the the talk of possible entrapment involving multiple cars. Of course there're entrapments because they can't get the door open because they were just involved in wreck.
If it doesn't shut down a major roadway I do without chasing wrecks like some ambulance chasing lawyer.

A New Lawmaker???

I've hung out with a countless number of political figures while trolling the halls of the Phallus Palace. If they moved my trusted "Fuzzy" mic and I weren't far behind. Some of my peers have made the move to work with some high profile officials through out the years. But this may be a first.That is Helena Moreno. I first met her during Mardi Gras few years ago. She's been mainstay on New Orleans TV for about seven years. All of a sudden this past Monday she just decided it what time for a change and left the bright lights and daily deadlines for something different. Something she said in her final telecast, "I want to do more for the city and for the citizens". Wait a minute that sounds like Political Verbiage. It's been said that she may have interest in running for the 6th Congressional Seat currently being held by Rep. William Jefferson. Keep in mind that she hasn't declared her candidacy for anything yet but the timing and the wave of change in La politics have a lot of heads turning with this one.

I'm On It.

No your eyes aren't playing trick on you. That is another stand off involving some "Jack Hole" who has decided to lock himself in his apartment and has threaten to kill himself. One guess who has to be there also. Maybe I should be a little nicer. Yesterday in Melrose East, know as "Mall City" be some, a mental case decides to lose reality and keep B.R. Finest at bay. Naturally we have to roll on it. We eventually find out that he's by himself and not holding anyone hostage. But since he has armed himself the boys in blue can't just rush in and get him. Gotta wait him out. But while we're waiting the local start getting restless.

One woman comes up to us asking, "Can I go to my apartment, I left my stove on while I was going to the sto". I know she means store but not only do we have stand off we now have the potential of an apartment fire breaking out. There were more complaints, "I need to get home I got to work tomorrow" or "My kids gon catch pneumonia being out in the cold for hours". You name it, they bitched about. I just wanted it to end and end soon.
Night falls. We set a cut off time. Got Avery D. with me and he has to anchor the 9. We start walking to the car and talk to a couple officers working the perimeter. Word comes over the radio that our guys wants to give up. "Son of a bitch" is uttered in unison. Walk back to our spot. Chief comes over and tell us we got him. Yes it's over. But I don't know what's worse. The fool inside causing all of the commotion or the one affected by it.