Let It Rain

Under normal circumstances a stray shower wouldn't be on my radar. However when we started the month with 16 out of 17 days with temperatures at 90 degrees and above, this is a welcomed sight. Gives us nice little break from the heat. Quite honestly can't remember it being this hot in a long time. And this is before the official start of summer.

With the rain comes a nice breeze, a drop in temperatures on the thermometer, and a chance to enjoy outside under the patio. Just hope no one does anything out of the ordinary. After all it's been some time since the area a little precipitation.

Kiss & Tell

By now we have all witnessed the result from thousands of people who decided it would be a good idea to add insult to injury to a city who had to watch it's only pro franchise lose in the final game of a championship series then watch as some parts of the region be burned and looted. If that is how some fans were going to act when you lose the game I could only imagine what the reaction would be if the Canucks hoisted the Stanley Cup on Canadian soil.

Just when you think that nothing good could come from such destruction, a photographer documenting this event stumbles on to a couple lying on the ground with police and rioters all around them. What in the world could this be? Someone hurt? Someone in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or is it a chance to capture something timeless? It's the photo circulating around the world. It's something of beauty spawning from something very ugly. Is it like the Kiss in Times Square? Maybe not. Is it iconic, without question. The story behind the moment of passion is also worth viewing.

Repercussions & Consequences

I’m willing to bet that most people don’t think that there day would include being walked in front a c couple of television camera wearing a pair of handcuffs. But that’s the case with most accused criminals that wander into the range of the asylum. I’ve shot an endless number perp walks. Some smooth where they don’t say anything. Some are talkative where they cast the shadow of blame on someone else. And some are confrontational, where they want to get physical with you and the camera.

However, every time I shoot one of these I have to ask myself the same thing.

What thoughts run around in a person’s mind? Do they ponder along the line of right and wrong? Do they thing that their actions won’t lead to any consequences? Have they ever wondered if I do this act what lasting impression will be shown for all to see? All of the above is being probable being asked this guy’s conscience as WAFB’s own Kiran Chawla is firing away some direct and potent questions. The guy above, & his partner who’s currently in the hospital, are accused of killing a woman and leaving her daughter fighting for her life in Florida. Like most accused criminals the first thought is to flee the scene away from the local law enforcement. Find a safe haven until the heat wears off. So their race from the law brought them to West Baton Rouge. A deputy sees a traffic violation and decides to pull them over. But like most accused criminals they decide to flee from the long arm of the law. A high speed chase into a neighboring parish leads to their arrest. All of this because a couple of guys didn’t think their actions would catch up to them.

Bet they thought that justice wouldn’t catch up to them either let alone it being on the evening news.

Storms Coming

Just when I thought I was going to have a nice, easy day Mother Nature decides to crack her whip and start to get things jumping around the area. A quick cell of thunderstorms pop up on the radar, the weather guys monitors any & all alerts, and yours truly is out of the door looking for what ever I can find. To be honest with other areas in the country dealing with massive amounts of devastation , we are getting a lucky break with just lighting and some trees being knocked down. Besides with temperatures shattering weather records the last 72 hours the rain is a welcomed sight.

Good Bye, Ms. Jeanne

When most start their morning routine I’m willing to bet part of it was waking up, turning on the TV, and seeing the intelligent and beautiful Jeanne Burns recapping the news events from the night before. How she did it for over a decade I will never know. It takes a special person to get up before the sun peaks over the eastern horizon. Wouldn't suprise me most people had the alarms set to welcome her into their homes & hearts since she was pretty much family.

There’re times the Bat Signal would get sent up into the night sky. I would head out gather whatever the breaking news was happening, drive back to the asylum, and see her and the team putting the final pieces of the show together. She would look up and see me then say, “Sorry we had to wake you up.” I would tell her that’s alright. It’s part of the job. Once I was finish and say my good byes to everyone, she would always say, “Thank you handsome.” She was always kind to me; guess it was part of her personality that made her who she is.

Now after 14 years, she’s stepping away from the scanner traffic, the newsroom, and the anchor desk. Putting aside the daily grind of deadlines and proofreading scripts to concentrate on life outside of the world we call the asylum. Being there to enjoy time with her family at home while relishing her new, and probably important, role as mom. Jeanne you are truly a blessing. I’m glad I got the chance to met you and eventfully work with you during your time here. You can only be succeeded and never replaced.

So go ahead, turn off the alarm clock and sleep in tomorrow. You earned it Ms. Jeanne. And thanks for not killing me and the Meeks for the blooper reel we made for the show. Take care and don’t be a stranger to us.

Flurricane 2011

As my lovely co-worker expressed to everyone, "Flurricane Season 2011 is officially underway." For those who don't live along the Gulf Coast or South Eastern part of the country, June 1st is the official start of hurricane season. Where small tropical waves turn into massive disturbances causing havoc for anything and anyone in their way. Everyone knows about the record season of 2005, where there were so many storms we ran out of names to call them.

If that weren't enough to deal with factor in that the waters of the Mississippi River as well as the other basins are still high and parts of the area are still flooded from the Spillways being opened. Granted the water will recede soon but this is the last thing the peeps of the Bayou State needed right now.

Better keep the boots ready, gotta feeling that we got a long six months in front of us.