Back in the blogosphere

I'm happy to be blogging again.

I wrote a blog called "Rusty's World" at my last TV station and I had fun doing it.  I would write about the people, places and things I would encounter everyday as a news reporter and the feedback from our viewers was great.  It's nice to ‘be back.'

I've had enough happen this week that could take up several blog entries here on News9.com, but I'll keep it short and sweet.

On Wednesday, photojournalist Scott Buechner and I were called to an alleged kidnapping on Northwest 42^nd Street.  Upon hearing this call come across the scanners we immediately dispatched ground crews and SkyNews 9.   Once we arrived in the neighborhood the officers there told us it may or may not be a legit kidnapping. 

I talked with the so-called witness who was a 13-year old girl.  She told me she saw a small child being forced into a car by a "big white man".  She said the girl was screaming in fear and the driver sped off once he had the child in the car.   We stuck around for 30 minutes, waiting for officers to confirm it was the ‘real deal', but nothing ever surfaced to substantiate the witness's claims.

On Thursday Scott and I were working on a story about local hospitals at or near capacity with patients suffering from flu-like symptoms when we were pulled off that story for a shooting at the Church's Chicken on Northwest 23^rd Street. 

The surprising part of that assignment is the cooperation we received from the employees of the restaurant.  Most big businesses we deal with give us the "corporate doesn't allow us to talk to the media - no comment" statement.   As police wrapped up their investigation of the drive-thru shooting I went inside and the manager said it was okay for us to interview the employees about what they saw and heard.  It added some interesting details to our story.

On Friday we were sent to Fairview, Oklahoma for a teenager who was busted with several live pipe bombs in his home.   His mom was arrested for purchasing the supplies.

Whatever happened to Nintendo and skateboarding?   In his defense, the teen told the cops the explosives were part of a "science experiment."   "E" for effort, but "F" for failing to realize the danger he allegedly put his family and others in.

I'll end this blog on a lighter note.

I was two minutes away from going on-air Sunday night to discuss the opposition surrounding the one-cents tax extension vote on March 4^th when ... plop.  I looked over at my right shoulder and my coat was covered in bird waste.   Yup.  I got a few laughs back at the station.  I'm just thankful it was a nighttime shot and it wasn't visible on TV.