The Official FOX 9 Newsroom Blog

I applaud the volunteers I've interviewed over the past few days who are heading to the Gulf Coast.  Fourteen Twin Cities American Red Cross volunteers and four from the Salvation Army  are in Texas or on their way to help with the Hurricane Ike relief effort.  They're putting their own lives on hold, to help others in desperate need.  Some of them were already helping with Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana, when they got the call to move to Texas.

If anyone knows a special volunteer helping with the effort or someone with relatives in the disaster zone, we'd love to hear their stories. 

fox9news@foxtv.com

Thanks,
JodyA.

The stage is set in St. Paul for VP Candidate Sarah Palin to deliver the most anticipated speech of the convention.  Palin has already generated a lot of controversy because of her pregnant 17 year-old daughter and of course, "the experience" issue.  She hasn't yet responded to any of the criticisms.  I'm anxious to see if she will address these concerns during the speech tonight.  I'll be watching with a political consultant to get his take on her performance.  Watch tonight at 10.

JodyA.

 So I'm sitting here with my neighbors watching the Vikings first pre-season game and we decided to look at the schedule and make a prediction.   Neighbor one predicts a 9-7 regular season with the Vikings winning the division.  He believes they'll lose in the first round of the playoffs against the Giants.  Neighbor two predicts a 10-6 season with the Vikings wiinning the division.  In the playoffs they'll defeat the Bears in the first round and lose in the conference finals.  Now, the schedule to begin the season is brutal.  There is high expectations and I believe we will get off to a slow start and finish strong.  I'll predict an 11-5 season but we could do better with more experience behind center.  We will go as far as T-Jackson can take us.  With that the pressure will probably just be too much and we'll lose in the first round to the Cowboys. 

Scott Wasserman & Neighbors

Flames spew from a motorcycle dealership.  A 6-car pile-up backs up traffic for miles.  A violent storm rips through a residential area.  These are stories we cover…with a hover.

Aerial photos and video from a helicopter or airplane have been sporadically used in news coverage for decades.  But, it took “OJ” for the chopper to really take off.  Industry experts, like Bell Helicopters, say it wasn’t until after the infamous Ford Bronco chase that television news stations realized the need for news coverage from the air.  Now, in large markets, every station has a helicopter. 

Here at Fox 9 news, our helicopter (SkyFOX-9) is a vital news gathering tool in covering, not only the metro, but the entire state.  Everyday is something different.  Sometimes, SkyFOX stays parked in the hangar.  Other days, it barely stays on the ground.

My role aboard SkyFOX-9 is to operate the camera and provide live reports on events as they unfold from our perspective. 

A few memorable trips:

The day after the bridge fell was my first day on the job.  We flew over the site from sun-up to well into the day.  From the air, the scene was complex:  Bridge on water.  Bridge on land.  Cars on water.  Cars on land.  A tangled mess of concrete and steel.  It’s an image I will never forget.

In January, the news desk instructed us to check out a car accident in St. Paul.  It turns out the scene was clear once we arrived.  However, on our way back to Flying Cloud Airport (homebase) we noticed a plume of smoke pouring out of a building just north of 94.  Turns out, a recycling facility had erupted in flames.  Sometimes you get lucky while covering news - you’re in the right place at the right time.  We were over the scene faster than the fire crews and shot some great footage.

Lately, it’s been all about what Mother Nature can do.  A neighborhood in Hugo getting swiped by a powerful tornado…The Cedar River spills into downtown Austin…That same river crests at over 30 feet and takes out homes, businesses, and farmland in eastern Iowa…Southeastern Minnesota sees so much rain to not only force the Root River to flood, but cause mudslides too.   This last month has been a lesson in what severe weather can do in the Midwest.

I will continue to post about what we see from…the air up there.

Chopper Dave

(Dave Berggren)

My photographer and I arrived in Hugo during the hail storm which followed the tornado.   It was a tremendously eerie feeling to know the tornado had just passed moments before.  Washington County Sheriff's Deputies had already blocked off the area near 159th and Highway 61 to check homes and search for possible victims.  We made our way into the Water's Edge development, also hit by the tornado.  Neighbors were outside checking on each other and checking out the damage.  Everyone I spoke to commented on how the sirens sounded, and they knew they should take cover.  After getting an up close look at the damage, it's apparent the death toll could've been much higher without the warnings.  I know the community's thoughts and prayers are with the family of the little child killed in the storms.

Jody A.

Is it just me, or do you find it painful to watch the Minnesota Twins on defense? I can't ever remember having to hold my breath and cross my fingers on a routine ground ball. And if it's a double play ball? I quick turn the channel; I'm quite superstitious.

Losing isn't the problem. I suffered through the 1990 season. (I went to every home game that year for work.) But it's how we lose. Gardy said it best when he compared our play to little leaguers.

And what's up with all the sore fingers?

Don't get me wrong. I live for baseball. My husband and I rush home from work, drag the T.V. outside and settle in for a few hours of summer heaven.  When they have a night off, I kind of feel empy inside.  

The glass half full approach; Alexi Castilla had a good week and moving Brendan Harris to short seems to have put a smile on Gardy's face.  Oh, and it's May, a lot of baseball still to play. And anytime Carlos Gomez is in the mix I have to watch; even if I have to hold my breath.

Mim Davey

FOX 9

Over the past 2 years I have focused my reporting on medical stories. Many of these stories have changed my life and the way I cherish my own children.  On Monday May 19th on the 9pm news we will be airing a story on a very special young girl.  I have worked on this story for the past week and while many stories I have covered have touched me personally, this might be at the top of my list.  I don't want to give away anything about this story only to say it is emotion, heart warming and gives you a glimps into the life of a young and the battles she is facing. Please watch on Monday night and you'll understand why this story has become special to me.

Scott Wasserman

Reporter

So often our job in the news is to report the bad news - a tragic accident reminding drivers and passengers to wear their seatbelts, a fatal stray bullet reminding us to work to clean up our streets and fight gang violence, a brutal inhumane act reminding us to protect ourselves and our loved ones.  While we hope lessons accompany our tragic reports, we live for the stories of human resilience, generosity, tenacity - the stories that show the trials and triumph of human spirit.  We live for stories like that of brother and sister Steve Urick and Lisa Edberg.

I had the honor of becoming a small part of Steve and Lisa's lives for the past month.  They invited me into their relationship, sharing childhood stories, laughs, and tears.  Just sitting with these two extraordinary people is enough to brigthen anyone's day, but how they've dealt with adversity is nothing short of inspirational.

10 years ago Steve was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that gradually attacks the liver until it can no longer function.  Steve and Lisa both knew he would need a transplant and that many don't survive waiting for an organ.   Instead of supporting him from the sidelines, Lisa donated over half of her own liver to her brother - giving him a new shot at life.  Knowing their relationship, Steve would have done the same in a heartbeat.

That kind of selflessness, that optimism and resilience is a breath of fresh air in this business of difficult news.  It reminds viewers that there are beautiful people in the world, and it inspires journalists like us to keep going.

-Cortney Dirks

While you were watching American Idol tonight, the Fox 9 news team was working on confirming a story about a ride accident at the Mall of America.

8:24: Newsroom learns about possible accident with injuries from Annie Hua. She's one of our Assignment Editors who learned about the accident while she was at home. We immediately move a crew from Roseville where they were finishing up a story that was supposed to air at 9pm. The reporter and photographer stopped everything and started driving towards the mall. Their live truck operator had to roll up cables, pack up lights, lower a mast that carries a microwave transmitter, and follow along.

8:31: Our reporter Maury Glover and assignment desk confirm the accident and have details of injuries. Back in the newsroom producers alert the anchors and start changing the show’s lineup (what we call the rundown) to include the breaking news. Producer Kara Owens starts digging through file video tape to see if we have pictures of the ride in question. Alexa Klang on the desk starts looking everywhere on the internet for pictures of the ride.

8:35: Maury calls in to say he’s en route and is writing the script with the information he has so far. Back in the newsroom, while working on other potential problems later in the newscast, we come up with a plan to cover the story if the live truck can’t make it to the mall on time.

8:43: We find file video of the amusement park at the mall, but still no video of the ride. At this point Kara Owens is still digging through other stories to see what she can find. A few minutes later, Maury Glover arrives at the mall and calls into the newsroom.

8:51: The reporter is in position for his report. And we have a new development for him. We found video of the ride. He plans on using a still picture, then file video. It’s too soon to go into the mall to find witnesses before the 9pm report. But we have the information. The live truck is now just a few minutes away.

855: The live truck arrives, but it takes several minutes to set up. This is going to be close. This is about the time we can all hear in the background that American Idol is about to announce who is going home. While you’re all in suspense, we’re using that as a time cue to get ready to go on the air.

859: We have color bars from the live truck, but they’re still pulling out a cable to get the camera and audio into the truck and back to the station. We start the newscast with Jeff and Robyne going over everything we know.

9:03: The reporter’s picture and sound are good. We go back to Maury Glover live from the Mall of America with new details in a Fox Alert. Right after Maury’s report, he goes into the mall, checks in with security, tracks down a witness, and then prepares for another report at 10pm.

Keep in mind, there were several other events happening at the same time we were preparing for this Fox Alert. Seconds can be like hours in TV news. But this crew all pulled together to work fast at confirming information so we could bring it to you first.  I hope that your only stress at the time was who would be sent home on Idol!

Have a good night! And thanks to everyone in the newsroom who pulled together to get this story right, and first!

Patrick Armijo
Executive Producer

As I walked up to the apartment building where a man threw a 6-month-old kitten against a wall during a fight with his girlfriend, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had been there before. The address didn't seem familiar, but when you've covered as many crime stories as I have over the years, sometimes they start to blend together.

When I approached the man's girlfriend for an interview,  she told me she couldn't talk to us in the apartment, because the caretaker didn't want any more negative publicity. 

She went on to say that the woman who used to rent her apartment had gotten in trouble for locking her kids in their room at night...  using a bungee chord.

"THAT'S why I remember this apartment building! I HAD been here before!"

The story in question happened back in January, when the caretaker found the previous tennant's 4-year-old daughter wandering around the parking lot in sub zero weather -not wearing any shoes or a coat.  Inside, police found a bungee chord tying the children's bedroom door shut and  the bedroom walls smeared with feces and the girl's 2-year-old brother crying in a urine soaked diaper.

I remember the story not only because of the horrific details, but also because some of my friends wondered how I could keep doing this job when I have to report such disturbing stories.

I remember being contacted by the children's foster father in Blue Earth County who told me the boy and girl had been neglected practically since they were born but that the mother had fought to regain custody of them, only to do this.

I remember thinking that the kids seemed to have no chance at a decent life being shuffled between foster homes and a mother who cared more about her own wellbeing than her kids.

The woman who now lives in the apartment told me that the bedroom in question had a new tile floor because the carpet that was there before had to be ripped out. She also said she was going to move out soon because she thinks the apartment is cursed.

And given that she's 6 months pregnant and seems prepared to take the Kitten Killer back into her life.. I might have to agree.

Maury Glover, reporter

I read a column over the weekend in one of our Twin Cities newspapers suggesting it was getting embarrassing to watch Sen. Hillary Clinton keep up her campaign stops in light of delegate math that adds up to an Obama nomination.

I wonder.  Don't we tell our kids never to give up.  Don't we tell them that if it's something you want bad enough, you shouldn't quit.  Don't offices hang posters touting the virtues of perseverance?

This is clearly something she really wants.  And she's finding the money to keep going after it.

I don't care if in fact it's not possible for her to win.  Ron Paul is still in the race for the Republican nomination.  No one's on his case.

I think this may be a good teaching moment to kids, or perhaps to all of us, about not giving up on your dreams and knowing when to say when.

--Rob Olson, Fox 9 Reporter

Knew it.  You had to click.

Just got back from the Governor's Fishing Opener.  My (admittedly selfish) favorite moments were:  1.  Governor Pawlenty asking me why my dachshund, Munter, was not there.  Answer:  Fear associated with being mistaken for muskie bait. 

2.  Governor Pawlenty asking Tom Butler and Alix Kendall how much they'd pay for him to toss me in the lake (joking.  He was JOKING.) 

While much has been made of Governor Pawlenty's "sex joke" gaffe, I truly think it came from being in high spirits at an event he really, really enjoys.   Perhaps it's not the smartest comment to make when you are under the media microscope, as a possible VP candidate.  But I can assure you, the man who might be VP is taking NO chances when it comes to swag.

In Pequot Lakes, I visited Kris Kristufek who crafts handmade, one-of-a-kind fishing poles.  Works of art, really.  He had been working on one for Governor Pawlenty,  when the gov's people called and said, 'stop, cut--he can't accept that fishing pole.'  Kris would have been happy to have the Governor simply use the pole, then give it to a local kid as a souvenir.  But from a political perspective, it's foolhardy to  risk having the taint of accepting swag--even something that is a heatfelt gift--on your resume.  A resume that may soon--if it's not already--being dissected.

----M.A. Rosko 

Governor Pawlenty went to Breezy Point for the state's fishing opener and came home with a whopper -- of a headache.

During a light-hearted moment with a WCCO radio host, he made this comment about his wife, Mary:

"I have a wife who genuinely loves to fish. I mean, she will take the lead and ask me to go out fishing, and joyfully comes here. She loves football, she'll go to hockey games and, I jokingly say, 'Now, if I could only get her to have sex with me."

He quickly added, "It's a joke, it's a joke."

The "joke" made Pawlenty a punchline on several political blogs, including The Huffington Post and Wonkette. 

A PR consultant I interviewed said if Pawlenty were his client, he'd have him apologize for perpetuating a sterotype about women.  A political science professor told me the political miscue may force John McCain to reconsider Pawlenty as a possible runningmate.

Meanwhile, Govenor Pawlenty called the dustup "kinda silly." He said, "I  said at the time it was a joke and meant in fun and hope it was taken that way."

Talk about the one that got away!

Jamie Reese, FOX 9 Reporter

It’s always the simplest stories that turn out to be the most difficult.  I had to go cover a story about garage sales and a city government wanting to limit the number homeowners have every year.  Obviously, we needed video and sound from the sales.  So we’re cruising along, meeting some really great people at the sales and we hit one advertised as “huge.”  It was the mother load…massive…with tons of cars.  With the photographer at the end of the driveway, all of the sudden this woman comes down screaming at us to stop shooting!  She’s yelling and waving her arms in the air.  She says, “you don’t have permission!”  As some are suspicious of media, I explained it was just a story about garage sales and if she didn’t want to be on camera, we would just shoot her products and people shopping.  She threatens to call police!  I told her that would be just fine, as we were standing on public property…also known as the street.  She became more belligerent and I told her she wasn’t worth the argument and we left.  It was such a strange encounter over such a non-controversial story.  A big crime, with emotional people, I would expect it.  This one was a shock.  We figured she must be hiding something….later, I was told by other garage sale hosts and hostesses, that she was possibly selling samples that would get her in big trouble with her job. Hmmm, now that is the story behind the story.

Karen Scullin