Remember The Sacrifice

It is the final Monday in May. It will bring an extra day off to many in this country. It is considered the “unofficial” start to summer. Kids will have finished the school year. Families will be taking that vacation planned for months.

It’s Memorial Day. The day where we show thanks, respect, and honor to the men and women of the Armed Forces who had the courage to put on the uniform and pay the ultimate price to allow rest of us to have the freedom & liberties of the greatest country on the planet. This day is not about going to the next sale, or sleeping in late, or wondering what is playing on the big screen. It is about showing gratitude to those who couldn’t make it home and to the ones that they left behind.

So before you hit the snooze button, or go to lie on the beach, or fire up the grill just for a moment stop, think, and remember.

Remember Lt. Christopher Barnett of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Remember Army Spec. David Hickman of McLeansville, North Carolina. Remember Cpl. Brian L. Chevalier of Athens, Georgia. Remember all of those men and women. Keep them and their families in your hearts and prayers.

Laura Youngblood visits her husbands grave, Petty Officer Travis L. Youngblood, at Arlington National Cemetery

After all Memorial Day is everyday for some.

Country From Above

It’s been said countless times that there is no place like Death Valley at night. Of course they mean that during the fall as the Purple & Gold wage fierce competition on the gridiron. Well it’s obvious this isn’t the fall, even though the temps can reach into the 90’s, and there’s no football being played. Which can only mean that it’s year three of the biggest outdoor country extravaganza know to man,  Bayou Country Superfest.

The BCS has once again brought some of the biggest names in country music to a legion of fans in the Red Stick. The glitz, the glamour, the sweat, the humidity, and the long hike up to the 400 section to get that beauty shot pictured above, trust me it was worth getting. And if you think it was all controlled crazy inside…

Outside provide the fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet their favorite artists. Guess you better have something ready to be autographed.

Yeah it’s year three and I’ll have to ask yet again…

Can the Senator please get some tickets to next year’s show?

The Times No More

It is the one of the Big Easy's Big Icons. It is synonymous with a bowl of hot Gumbo & cold oyster. It goes with the morning cup of coffee and a plate of beignets from Cafe Du Monde. It is the newspaper known as the Times Picayune. It has brought the news of the region and the world to the fingertips of everyone in South Louisiana. It's 154 year heritage has delivered and endless number of timeless headlines. It survived the storm "Katrina" and helped reinforced the levees by holding those responsible for not maintain them. It could live on forever.

Sadly, just not in the form that it has endured for well over a century. Fine journalism is giving way to overhead. The presses are being slowed because of the bottom line. Circulation of one the finest newspapers in the country is being curtailed because of budget cuts. I knew the media industry was facing tough times but never did I think an institution like the TP would be affected. Gone are the daily editions in the fall of 2012. And with it a line of quality people being shown the door.

I hope that this is just a bad dream and we all will awake from it. But in my heart, this has the feeling of a great entity coming to an end. To all of my friends and peer with the TP, we are competitors but we are journalists first. We stand by your side in this dark time and hope that the light will shine through.

Madness Comes Knocking

Front Lobby of WIBW

I can't explain the sudden rash of instantaneous violence that has suddenly plagued my peers in the TV News World. First it was the shooting that unfolded in near the live truck in Louisville, KY. Now this...

Topeka, KS. What was suppose to be another day in the community turned into a lock down of one of the television stations. A guy, who isn't playing with a full deck, decides to turn himself into a one man invasion force and put the peeps of WIBW in serious danger. It's bad enough when we have to deal with unstable elements while on the street gathering news but it's another level when all kinds of insane comes knocking on the front door.

Just grateful that no one was seriously hurt. Be careful out there everyone.

Birthday At Arkham

Ah yes. Another 365 days around the sun has come again. Another year older, another year wiser, and another Birthday that has to spent in the padded wall of the asylum. Yeah you would like the day off to celebrate the coming of you existence but not the case when your birthday happen in one of the three sweeps months. It's alright someone has to save the newsworld. Just be thankful those you are blessed to call friends remember your special day.

Thanks for everything everyone. Now back to work, the newsworld ain't saving itself.

Caught In The Cross Fire

Courtesy: WAVE 3's James Thomas

In the business of the around the clock news cycle you are eventually going to get sent to whatever form of spot news that is blowing up the scanner that's within ear shot of your assignment editor. Soon you are going to get sent to a shooting in one of the hot spots of town where it's not a matter of if but when it happens. Your goal as always get the scene of flashing lights and blooming yellow crime tape then get out, nothing fancy. Never do you think that once you get there and start doing your job that you are going to be part of the story let alone become a potential victim.

May 17th. Louisville, KY. The Westside area of the city. An early afternoon shooting occurs and WAVE 3's team of Jamie Weiss & James Thomas were sent to the scene of the city's latest homicide. It was going to be the usual for covering spot news. Get law enforcement doing their thing, get the on lookers, get the crime tape, put it on the evening news then go home. Little did they know that would be caught in an episode of The First 48, ironically they have done shows in that city before.

One family discovers that one of their members has been killed. An argument ensues. No sooner than Detectives start their investigation, another shooting breaks out just feet away from the first crime scene. Weiss & James are forced into the cover of their live truck waiting for all hell around them to calm down before setting foot on the streets again. Who would thought that there would be BREAKING NEWS developing from BREAKING NEWS that got there in the first place. The emotions were off the charts. The video is unreal.  It was the start of a really long day for everyone.

Got a feeling the folks from A&E Network will be making another trip to the Ville soon.