1) He hopes to make a billion dollars by the time he’s forty. Already he figures his net worth is between $2 million and $3 million, depending on current stock market prices. (3)
2) Lt. Cmdr. John Carpenter was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet. (4 pts. - this one's tricky, so give it some thought)
3) Twenty-one winners were named two days after the third annual Procrastination Awards Ceremony. (3)
4) It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the playoff, when his ball went out-of-bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands. (4)
5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday's race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line. (3)
6) Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Panama. (3)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
REVISIONS!
Copy Edit the World Part 1
1. In response to your confusion about error #1, there was a fragment in between both of the paragraphs I included in my sample of the article. "Open primaries" does not make sense or stand on its own as a sentence, and yet it is placed on the page as if it is supposed to be an entire paragraph or something. The words don't make sense there! (It was really weird).
Two Feature Leads
TULSA, Oklah. – Firefighters were alarmed yesterday when 95-year-old woman’s “torch” of a birthday cake set off fire alarm.
Everything kicked off when all 95 candles on Mabel McCollough's cake were lit.
Eddi Carlin, one of the guests at the event, remarked, “There wasn’t an inch to spare [on the cake]. By the time we had them all lit, it looked like a torch.”
It was no surprise when a huge cloud of smoke was left hanging in the room after McCollough blew them out! No one, however, expected that it would attract 24 firefighters to the scene in search of a fire to put out! Apparently the smoke from the blown out candles had set off a smoke alarm, which attracted them to the scene.
"In my 23 years on the job, I've seen a lot of things set off a fire alarm, but I don't think I've ever heard of one going off because of a birthday cake," said Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb.
The firefighters didn't stick around for birthday cake, but did take pictures with the birthday girl.
News Story #4: The Carjacker
1. In response to your confusion about error #1, there was a fragment in between both of the paragraphs I included in my sample of the article. "Open primaries" does not make sense or stand on its own as a sentence, and yet it is placed on the page as if it is supposed to be an entire paragraph or something. The words don't make sense there! (It was really weird).
Two Feature Leads
TULSA, Oklah. – Firefighters were alarmed yesterday when 95-year-old woman’s “torch” of a birthday cake set off fire alarm.
Everything kicked off when all 95 candles on Mabel McCollough's cake were lit.
Eddi Carlin, one of the guests at the event, remarked, “There wasn’t an inch to spare [on the cake]. By the time we had them all lit, it looked like a torch.”
It was no surprise when a huge cloud of smoke was left hanging in the room after McCollough blew them out! No one, however, expected that it would attract 24 firefighters to the scene in search of a fire to put out! Apparently the smoke from the blown out candles had set off a smoke alarm, which attracted them to the scene.
"In my 23 years on the job, I've seen a lot of things set off a fire alarm, but I don't think I've ever heard of one going off because of a birthday cake," said Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb.
The firefighters didn't stick around for birthday cake, but did take pictures with the birthday girl.
News Story #4: The Carjacker
A newlywed couple was carjacked Saturday night in San Mateo when they stopped for a snack at the Taco Bell on East Fourth Ave. on the way to their honeymoon suite.
According to Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney, the groom had left his wife in the passenger seat of their 2003 Nissan Ultima. He had barely made it to the entrance of the restaurant when a man high on methamphetamines bolted across the parking lot and leaped into their idling vehicle.
According to the police the groom managed to pull his screaming wife from their car just before their confused assailant, 21-year-old Alan Ticas-Soto, crashed it into a Taco Bell sign. Ticas-Soto then took off running and was later found going southbound on South Delaware Street where he was arrested without incident.
He is currently being held in San Mateo County Prison and is faced with carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges. “If he is found guilty, [he] could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking,” says Wolcott.
According to Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney, the groom had left his wife in the passenger seat of their 2003 Nissan Ultima. He had barely made it to the entrance of the restaurant when a man high on methamphetamines bolted across the parking lot and leaped into their idling vehicle.
According to the police the groom managed to pull his screaming wife from their car just before their confused assailant, 21-year-old Alan Ticas-Soto, crashed it into a Taco Bell sign. Ticas-Soto then took off running and was later found going southbound on South Delaware Street where he was arrested without incident.
He is currently being held in San Mateo County Prison and is faced with carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges. “If he is found guilty, [he] could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking,” says Wolcott.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Future of News
The problem with moving the news online is that so far we have not found a way to securely finance and profit from doing so. Judging from the readings we were assigned for this assignment I have come to the conclusion that journalism agencies will only succeed in their online endeavors if they do the following things.
First of all, and most importantly, news agencies must not begin to charge their readers for content that they already receive for free. Doing so will only redirect readers to other news sources that offer similar content for nothing at all, especially now during the economic crisis. However, charging people to access a more expansive and innovated version of what they can already access for free is more likely to generate profits by tantalizing people into subscribing to it.
It is also absolutely imperative for news agencies to create creative and entertaining websites if they are to succeed. The more innovative and original a website it, the more likely it is to accumulate fans and loyal readers. In order to gain advertising revenue you have to first become popular and gain viewers; you can’t to that by being like every other news website!
After reading a handful of articles about the fiuture of journalism I have come to the conclusion that creating a small online news website could be a possible career endeavor for me. Judging from Ryan Sholins’s article, “Are we asking the right questions about online revenue models?”,I realized that creating a news website dedicated to covering local news could be profitable. If you cover a relatively small you can use local businesses to advertise on your site; thar way they would be able to target people in the area and you would be able to profit from it. He also pointed out that craigslist.com hasn’t completely taken over classified ad sales, and that there is still a dollar to be made selling classified ads. People would also be attracted by the proximity of the stories featured on the site.
First of all, and most importantly, news agencies must not begin to charge their readers for content that they already receive for free. Doing so will only redirect readers to other news sources that offer similar content for nothing at all, especially now during the economic crisis. However, charging people to access a more expansive and innovated version of what they can already access for free is more likely to generate profits by tantalizing people into subscribing to it.
It is also absolutely imperative for news agencies to create creative and entertaining websites if they are to succeed. The more innovative and original a website it, the more likely it is to accumulate fans and loyal readers. In order to gain advertising revenue you have to first become popular and gain viewers; you can’t to that by being like every other news website!
After reading a handful of articles about the fiuture of journalism I have come to the conclusion that creating a small online news website could be a possible career endeavor for me. Judging from Ryan Sholins’s article, “Are we asking the right questions about online revenue models?”,I realized that creating a news website dedicated to covering local news could be profitable. If you cover a relatively small you can use local businesses to advertise on your site; thar way they would be able to target people in the area and you would be able to profit from it. He also pointed out that craigslist.com hasn’t completely taken over classified ad sales, and that there is still a dollar to be made selling classified ads. People would also be attracted by the proximity of the stories featured on the site.
News Story #5
A crash involving a runaway asphalt truck left four people injured, a house in flames and several cities without power in and around El Cerrito today.
The crash happened when the driver of the 10-wheel hauler lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the side of Moeser Lane. Five vehicles were smashed and one power pole snapped in two before the vehicle finally came to a stop after plowing into a residential home, causing both the truck and the single-story house to go up in flames.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene and said that he immediately heard cries coming from the burning house and truck. Maples immediately began digging through the debris and found the driver of the truck mangled and unable to move. He and another rescue worker were able to grab his hand and pull him to safety just in the nick of time.
Maples said, "We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there."
The truck also hit a Honda sedan, which was left so crumpled that rescue workers had to slice and peel back its roof in order to free the driver trapped inside. Two other vehicles, including one with a man and boy inside, were also hit by the truck, but no other injuries were reported.
Ruben Sharma, who lives across the street from the house that was hit, said that at first he thought the crash was an earthquake. “This is unbelievable” he said while looking across the street and surveying the smoldering aftermath of the accident.
The driver of the truck, a San Jose man whose name has not yet been released, broke both of his legs in the crash and is currently listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. We do not currently know how the driver lost control of the vehicle.
The crash happened when the driver of the 10-wheel hauler lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the side of Moeser Lane. Five vehicles were smashed and one power pole snapped in two before the vehicle finally came to a stop after plowing into a residential home, causing both the truck and the single-story house to go up in flames.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene and said that he immediately heard cries coming from the burning house and truck. Maples immediately began digging through the debris and found the driver of the truck mangled and unable to move. He and another rescue worker were able to grab his hand and pull him to safety just in the nick of time.
Maples said, "We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there."
The truck also hit a Honda sedan, which was left so crumpled that rescue workers had to slice and peel back its roof in order to free the driver trapped inside. Two other vehicles, including one with a man and boy inside, were also hit by the truck, but no other injuries were reported.
Ruben Sharma, who lives across the street from the house that was hit, said that at first he thought the crash was an earthquake. “This is unbelievable” he said while looking across the street and surveying the smoldering aftermath of the accident.
The driver of the truck, a San Jose man whose name has not yet been released, broke both of his legs in the crash and is currently listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. We do not currently know how the driver lost control of the vehicle.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Copy Edit the World Part 1
1. I found the following peculiar mistake in Mike Zapler's article, "Schwarzenegger signs budget deal" that was placed in Friday's edition of the San Jose Mercury News.
"... Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento — who Tuesday had ordered that legislators be locked inside the Capitol building until they forged a deal — at one point ordered recalcitrant Democrats into his office one by one to try to win their cooperation.
Open primaries
Even so, when the Senate resumed session about 3:40 a.m., four Democrats initially refused to vote for Maldonado's..."
THE MISTAKE : There is a fragment in-between both of these body paragraphs. The author should have edited it out or expanded upon its original purpose.
Open primaries
Even so, when the Senate resumed session about 3:40 a.m., four Democrats initially refused to vote for Maldonado's..."
THE MISTAKE : There is a fragment in-between both of these body paragraphs. The author should have edited it out or expanded upon its original purpose.
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11750411?nclick_check=1
2. I found another grammatical error in one of the later paragraphs of the same article by Mike Zapler. Here is the sentence with the problem:
"State Controller John Chiang's office is awaiting the state Department of Finance to provide details of the budget, which are expected in about a week, before determining when payments can resume".
THE MISTAKE: The author forgot to put a period mark after the last word of this sentence, 'resume'.
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11750411?nclick_check=1
3. 1. While surfing www.omg.yahoo.com I came accross a photo of Jessica Alba that had a typo in it's caption:
"Jessica Alba may be back to her pre-baby body, but getting their wasn't easy. The actress told Elle magazine that her workouts were so grueling that she would cry afterwards."
THE MISTAKE: Whoever wrote this made a word usage mistake. He or she should have used the word "there" instead of "their" in the first sentence.
LINK : http://omg.yahoo.com/photos/week-in-photos-february-1-7-2009/2636?nc#id=9
4. I noticed a spelling mistake in the first sentence of the directions for our "News Story #2 : Cathedral Robbery" assignment:
"You're at your desk in the San Francisco bureau of a newspaper, working on a sotry and listening to the police scanner.
THE MISTAKE : The word "story" is mistakenly spelled "sotry" in the first sentence.
LINK : http://jmcweb.sjsu.edu/mccune/61/cathedralrobbery.html
5. While reading through the article, "Dating Secret Exposed: Why Nice Guys Finish Last" by April Masini (a "Special to Yahoo! Personals) I noticed that the author started a lot of her sentences incorrectly, as in the following example:
"And as obvious as that sounds, if you are one of those guys I described that is exactly what you are trying to do. And it won't work."
THE MISTAKE: The author started these sentences with "and", which is grammatically incorrect. She should have omitted the word 'and' from the first sentence and changed the period at the end of the first sentence into a comma.
LINK: http://dating.personals.yahoo.com/singles/datingtips/85967/dating-secret-exposed-why-nice-guys-finish-last
TOP NEWS #4
Mike Zapler and Edwin Garcia wrote a newsworthy piece in yesterday's San Jose Mercury News that is simply titled, "Schwarzenegger signs budget deal".
This article is newsworthy because...
1. Governor Swarzenegger is the man who signed the bill and is mentioned in the title, which adds prominence to the issue at hand.
2. It is also current, since the whole ordeal of coming up with a budget to save California from going broke has been in the news for the past three months.
3. Since the budget deal will steeply increase taxes wether voters accept it or not, the article has an impact factor that makes it newsworthy.
4. The budget was signed recently, which makes this article timely.
5. The fact California assembly members were literally forced to stay at their jobs until they came up with a budget deal adds an element of the bizarre to this story.
6. The article also addressed the conflict between assembly members as they created the budget deal.
7. To top it off the budget deal that was signed by the governor will only affect Californians, which make up the San Jose Mercury New's primary audience (proximity).
Two Feature Leads
TULSA, Oklah. – Firefighters alarmed by 95-year-old woman’s “torch” of a birthday cake.
The women from the United Methodist Church’s women’s group decided to throw Mabel McCollough a party for her 95th birthday. Although seemingly excessive and uncommon amongst elderly birthday celebrators, it was decided that Mable would have her cake adorned with one candle per year that she has lived; a total of 95 candles. Eddi Carlin, one of the guests at the event, remarked, “There wasn’t an inch to spare [on the cake]. By the time we had them all lit, it looked like a torch.” It was no surprise when a big cloud of smoke was left hanging in the room after Mable blew them out!
No one, however, expected that it would attract 24 firefighters to the scene in search of a fire to put out! Apparently the smoke from the blown out candles had set off a smoke alarm, which attracted them to the scene. "In my 23 years on the job, I've seen a lot of things set off a fire alarm, but I don't think I've ever heard of one going off because of a birthday cake," said Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb.
The firefighters didn't stick around for birthday cake, but did take pictures with the birthday girl.
News Story #4: The Carjacker
A newlywed couple was carjacked Saturday night when they stopped for a snack at the Taco Bell on East Fourth Ave. on the way to their honeymoon suite.
According to Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney, the groom had left his wife in the passenger seat of their 2003 Nissan Ultima and had barely made it to the entrance of the restaurant when a man high on methamphetamines bolted across the parking lot and leaped into their idling vehicle.
The groom managed to pull his screaming wife from their car just before their confused assailant, 21-year-old Alan Ticas-Soto, crashed it into a Taco Bell sign. Ticas-Soto then took off running and was later found going southbound on South Delaware Street where he was arrested without incident.
He is currently being held in San Mateo County Prison and is faced with carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges. “If he is found guilty, [he] could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking,” says Wolcott.
According to Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney, the groom had left his wife in the passenger seat of their 2003 Nissan Ultima and had barely made it to the entrance of the restaurant when a man high on methamphetamines bolted across the parking lot and leaped into their idling vehicle.
The groom managed to pull his screaming wife from their car just before their confused assailant, 21-year-old Alan Ticas-Soto, crashed it into a Taco Bell sign. Ticas-Soto then took off running and was later found going southbound on South Delaware Street where he was arrested without incident.
He is currently being held in San Mateo County Prison and is faced with carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges. “If he is found guilty, [he] could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking,” says Wolcott.
News Story #3: Gas Line Break
Four blocks were evacuated yesterday in the aftermath of the accidental severing of a high-pressure gas pipe near Folsom and 11th Streets.
A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. worker on the scene said that a private construction crew had accidentally severed the two-inch underground pipe with a backhoe a little before 12:30 p.m.while trying to repair sewer lines. The resulting gas expulsion posed such a hazard that police cordoned off four blocks surrounding the area, which led to tied up traffic and the complete evacuation of the entire four block area.
At least 100 people were evacuated, including neighborhood residents, business owners and their customers. Samantha Feldman, manager of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant, says that she lost about $500 worth of business in the shutdown after her employees and patrons were forced to leave.
One business managed to remain open throughout the ordeal. Carlann Lauria, the manager of a self-storage company on Folsom near 10th St., moved her employees outside of the police perimeter and conducted business as usual. When asked how she felt about the accident, Lauria said, “Just ask my customers. They were pretty irate.”
According the PG&E the gas was finally turned back on at approximately 5:09 p.m. yesterday.
A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. worker on the scene said that a private construction crew had accidentally severed the two-inch underground pipe with a backhoe a little before 12:30 p.m.while trying to repair sewer lines. The resulting gas expulsion posed such a hazard that police cordoned off four blocks surrounding the area, which led to tied up traffic and the complete evacuation of the entire four block area.
At least 100 people were evacuated, including neighborhood residents, business owners and their customers. Samantha Feldman, manager of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant, says that she lost about $500 worth of business in the shutdown after her employees and patrons were forced to leave.
One business managed to remain open throughout the ordeal. Carlann Lauria, the manager of a self-storage company on Folsom near 10th St., moved her employees outside of the police perimeter and conducted business as usual. When asked how she felt about the accident, Lauria said, “Just ask my customers. They were pretty irate.”
According the PG&E the gas was finally turned back on at approximately 5:09 p.m. yesterday.
JOUR 61 – AP Style Exercise (I-L)
1) The last time she played soccer, she suffered a serious injury to her knee. Sometimes it's hard to understand why she wants to keep playing. (2)
2) He was indicted on a charge of assault, but his lawyer said the case against him is circumstantial and she is sure the inquiry will exonerate him. (2)
3) He knows it isn’t kosher, but green Jell-O is his favorite dessert. This admission has prompted his friends to question both his taste and his judgment. (3)
4) Now that he has DSL, he finds it much easier to go online to check his e-mail and download files. (3)
2) He was indicted on a charge of assault, but his lawyer said the case against him is circumstantial and she is sure the inquiry will exonerate him. (2)
3) He knows it isn’t kosher, but green Jell-O is his favorite dessert. This admission has prompted his friends to question both his taste and his judgment. (3)
4) Now that he has DSL, he finds it much easier to go online to check his e-mail and download files. (3)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Top News 3
An article that I found on abc.com entitled "Senate Approves $787B Stimulus Plan" that was written by Jonathan Karl, Byron Wold, Huma Khan and Christina Caron is newsworthy in every single way mentioned on the UNCP website.
The article describes how the $787 billion economic stimulus bill was passed by the Senate late Friday night by a vote of 60-38. Apparently it was almost entirely supported by Democrats, with no Republicans whatsoever supporting the measure. The stimulus plan consists of a package of tax cuts and public works spending. President Obama also is quoted in the article saying that the results of this huge expenditure might not be noticeable for years to come.
The article is newsworthy first and foremost because the topic of the stimulus plan is currently a timely topic that has been splattered all over the media for the past year. It will affect all Americans, which adds proximity to the story.The article also quotes Obama saying that the positive results associated with the plan will not begin to have take effect as soon as we all expected, which will definitely have an impact on all Americans, especially their attitudes.
The article is also newsworthy because it addresses the controversy and strife now present between the Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, which makes for intriguing news.
To top it off, this story definately has an element of the bizarre. It is undeniably strange that the bill, which will have a huge impact on Americans, was passed without the well-wishing of any of the Republicans in the Senate!
LINK: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6870873&page=1
The article describes how the $787 billion economic stimulus bill was passed by the Senate late Friday night by a vote of 60-38. Apparently it was almost entirely supported by Democrats, with no Republicans whatsoever supporting the measure. The stimulus plan consists of a package of tax cuts and public works spending. President Obama also is quoted in the article saying that the results of this huge expenditure might not be noticeable for years to come.
The article is newsworthy first and foremost because the topic of the stimulus plan is currently a timely topic that has been splattered all over the media for the past year. It will affect all Americans, which adds proximity to the story.The article also quotes Obama saying that the positive results associated with the plan will not begin to have take effect as soon as we all expected, which will definitely have an impact on all Americans, especially their attitudes.
The article is also newsworthy because it addresses the controversy and strife now present between the Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, which makes for intriguing news.
To top it off, this story definately has an element of the bizarre. It is undeniably strange that the bill, which will have a huge impact on Americans, was passed without the well-wishing of any of the Republicans in the Senate!
LINK: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6870873&page=1
Friday, February 13, 2009
AP Style #2 (E-H)
1. His new book on elections and the Electoral College is entitled “Does Your Vote Count”?
2. Brianna looked so sad that he wanted to envelop her in his arms and give her a big hug, but he was afraid the attention might faze her.
3. They were so impressed by her flair for decorating that they offered praise and agreed to distribute her promotional flier.
4. He suspected his neighbor was selling drugs, so he called the FBI. His neighbor, however, cried foul at the accusation.
5. The boys' stories didn’t jibe, so their father threw down the gauntlet and demanded the truth.
6. My great-grandfather is a real gourmet, so I always let him pick the wine whenever we have dinner.
2. Brianna looked so sad that he wanted to envelop her in his arms and give her a big hug, but he was afraid the attention might faze her.
3. They were so impressed by her flair for decorating that they offered praise and agreed to distribute her promotional flier.
4. He suspected his neighbor was selling drugs, so he called the FBI. His neighbor, however, cried foul at the accusation.
5. The boys' stories didn’t jibe, so their father threw down the gauntlet and demanded the truth.
6. My great-grandfather is a real gourmet, so I always let him pick the wine whenever we have dinner.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
News Writing #2 : Cathedral Robbery
Two Taiwanese tourists were robbed at gunpoint today in St. Mary’s Cathedral parking lot, according to Sgt. Lawrence Price of the San Francisco Police Department.
The victims, WeiMing Chen, 28, and his wife, Li Lu, 30, were robbed at around 10 a.m. when they separated from their tour group to take pictures. Alone and in the cathedral’s lower parking lot they were then approached by a man who threatened them with a gun and demanded their money. Not satisfied with the $100 dollars WeiMing initially handed over, the offender only fled the scene after the couple had also surrendered their passports, camera and airline tickets.
The victims described their assailant, who has not yet been captured by police, as being approximately 18-years-old and wearing a black jacket. Nobody knows if the victims were able to made it back home to Taipei with the rest of their tour group, who were scheduled to leave today at 1 p.m.
The victims, WeiMing Chen, 28, and his wife, Li Lu, 30, were robbed at around 10 a.m. when they separated from their tour group to take pictures. Alone and in the cathedral’s lower parking lot they were then approached by a man who threatened them with a gun and demanded their money. Not satisfied with the $100 dollars WeiMing initially handed over, the offender only fled the scene after the couple had also surrendered their passports, camera and airline tickets.
The victims described their assailant, who has not yet been captured by police, as being approximately 18-years-old and wearing a black jacket. Nobody knows if the victims were able to made it back home to Taipei with the rest of their tour group, who were scheduled to leave today at 1 p.m.
News Story #1 - Firefighters
A fifty-year old man was rescued by firefighters from his burning home on Annapolis Way yesterday.
San Jose fire Captain Rob Piper attests that the victim, a retired Robert Kent, was found lying unconscious and surrounded by flames on his kitchen floor. Firefighters quickly pulled him to safety, but not before he had suffered second and third-degree burns on 50% of his body.
Apparently Kent did not have a fire alarm installed in his home, which prevented a prompt response from firefighters. By the time help arrived on the scene smoke had engulfed the entire single-story home and the fire within it had already spread to the attic.
Kent is currently being treated at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center where a nursing supervisor has commented that he is in grave condition.
San Jose fire Captain Rob Piper attests that the victim, a retired Robert Kent, was found lying unconscious and surrounded by flames on his kitchen floor. Firefighters quickly pulled him to safety, but not before he had suffered second and third-degree burns on 50% of his body.
Apparently Kent did not have a fire alarm installed in his home, which prevented a prompt response from firefighters. By the time help arrived on the scene smoke had engulfed the entire single-story home and the fire within it had already spread to the attic.
Kent is currently being treated at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center where a nursing supervisor has commented that he is in grave condition.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Top News #2
Although not on the front page of the Mercury News, the article titled, "Obama: FDA too slow in tracking tainted food" and written by the Associated Press, is beyond newsworthy.
The article addresses Obama's reaction to the wide distribution of salmonella-laced peanut products that has lead to 550 cases of poisoning and 8 deaths as of far. Apparently the distributor, Peanut Corp., had tested their products, found they were contaminated and still placed them into the open market. The scariest part of this is that a large percentage of the contaminated peanut products went to public schools.
Because Peanut Corp. also chose not to disclose the salmonella outbreak to the FDA, Obama has decided to take firm action to prevent future outbreaks.
This issue is important mostly because of the impact it has already had on the American people in lieu of the deaths and sicknesses caused by the salmonella outbreak. Because the outbreak ocurred here in the U.S. and was affecting public school students, many people will also be afraid for their own personal safety as well as that of their families. This alone is guaranteed to get people interested in the topic due to its fear factor.
Besides all of that the article is also timely and current; people are presently all too eager to hear about the changes Obama will make while in office. This article will surely grab their attention.
Leads Exercise 5
Fact Set #1: Pipe fitter
Immediate Identification Lead
- Duane La Chance, a Gross Engineers employee, suffered third degree burns and was listed in serious condition last night after accidentally electrocuting himself on the job at the Springfield Municipal Power Plant.
Delayed Identification Lead
- A Gross Engineers employee was rushed into the intensive care unit yesterday after being injured on the job. He was listed as being in serious condition Wednesday.
Fact Set #2: Car Accident
Immediate Identification Lead
- No serious injuries resulted when Wayne Clay, 19, crossed over the divider line and crashed head-on into James Cunning's Ford Focus on U.S. 63 today. Cunning is currently in satisfactory condition at Springfield hospital.
Delayed Identification Lead
- A head on collision between a Ford Focus and a vehicle that crossed over the divider line north of Blue Ridge Road on U.S. 63 left no one seriously injured, said Lincoln County Sheriff Dept.
Leads #4
4a) Smoking Wheels
A Northwest Airlines jet was evacuated at Wisconsin's Municipal Airport today after it was deemed unsafe to take off.
Passengers aboard Flight 428 were following up a flight from Minneapolis when a landing tower employee spotted smoke near the plane's wheels. All forty passengers were promptly escorted off, and the cause of the smoke is currently unknown.
4b) Missing Boy
A boy who had been missing for three years was found after a missing child alert was aired at a movie showing in Brick Township, New Jersey.
After recognizing the boy's picture in the alert that aired after the showing of Adam: The Song Continues, a neighbor promptly called the police. The boys' mother, one Ellen Lynn Conner, is now facing charges of kidnapping and interference with a custody warrant.
Lead #3
The Amtrak train Colonial collided into three Conrail locomotives near Chase today. The northbound Conrails appear to have run a stop sign at a track merger, Amtrak spokesperson Larry Chase said.
Friday, February 6, 2009
AP Style Exercise (A-D)
1. Mayor Richard Wrigley expressed confidence that the gubernatorial debate, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will have a positive effect on his candidacy. He added, "Gov. Red Davidson is a master of dirty politics, but I won't take any of his baloney."(4)
2. For her birthday, the 9-year-old girl invited five good friends over for ice cream and cake. The chocolate cake was so good that any one of the children could have eaten it all, but they carefully divided it among themselves. (4)
3. Persuaded of the bill's importance, members of the Democratic and Republican parties came together on Capitol Hill to support anti-terrorism legislation, despite their differences on other issues. (4)
4. ROME - All around the world, Roman Catholics today listened as the pope delivered his homily. (3)
Week 1 Assignment Revisions
LEADS EXERCISES #1
Lead #1 : A local couple won $150,000 in damages in Butte County Court today after suffering injuries in a car crash in March.
Lead #3 : Three firefighters were injured fighting a fire in a six-story building at 204 Union Ave today. All 41 families living in the building were successfully evacuated, police say.
LEADS EXERCISES #2
One hundred-and-thirty-one people aboard a U.S. Air plane died yesterday in one of the worst airplane disasters the United States has seen in three years. The plane, which was flying out of Chicago and headed towards Pittsburgh, crashed into the ground during landing for reasons that remain unknown.
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