We got about six inches of snow last night, and that on top of our extended cold snap makes for some cold scenes. My editor sent me out in his 4-wheel drive truck today to get a cold, snowy picture for the paper.
Here's an image from my excursion. It's of the Shenandoah River. (Granted, not all of the river is frozen like this section. Much of it is, though.)
FWIW, today's high was 17 here.
My family has a history of "fire buffing." Basically, we listen to the scanner and respond to fires and take photographs. The photos have been used in textbooks and investigations.
Dad and Michael responded early this morning to the Greenville hotel fire in which 6 people perished, along with a dozen other people injured. Michael and Dad apparently were the only ones on the scene shooting still images.
To make a long story short, Michael sold some images to The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C. and some to the Associated Press.
The AP photos can be seen on Yahoo News. We have to wait until Monday morning to see what placement Michael's images get in The State, but odds are it will be prominent, I'd say.
Michael says, "I recognize that the pictures are not particularly noteworthy. ... They are simply pictures of what became a big news event." Nothing like being at the right place at the right time.
The story was on CNN and Fox News this morning. Online newsites around the country are carrying the story, too. Now we're waiting to see if we can find the photos in papers around the country...
The fun thing is that the local paper, The Greenville News, has turned down Michael in the past, and they've not been too polite about it. They did so again today, when all they have is images of the scene several hours later.
I'd say Michael has paid his dues. It's not his first early-morning, cold, rainy fire.
Congratulations to the kid bro'!
Respond to this post if you see the images in your papers.
Check out this amazing story of a stubborn fire in Maine. The fire occured during the recent cold snap in the Northeast. I don't know how cold it was -- the article fails to mention that -- but the burning building was encased with ice.
Other than not mentioning the temperature, it's a solid article, but the pictures are what make it make it good.
The bottom of the page has links to several other articles. I didn't have time to check them out, but I intend to.
Here's a shot from our recent trip to Washington state to visit my wife's paternal grandparents and aunts/uncles.
Which is better? You decide.
Western skiing Christmas Eve; Stevens Pass, WA
Eastern skiing Last Friday; Massanutten, VA
While researching for a story, I came across a funny item in a National Park Service report. I was looking through daily reports that go to Rangers all over the country. The reports contain news briefs of incidents on Park property all over the country.
What I found was a correction, listed below. (I have cut out some of the report for length's sake.)
MORNING REPORT�
Attention:��Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, NIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network�
Day/Date:��Wednesday, December 1, 1993�
Broadcast:��By 0900 EDT�
4) Clarification - Mount Rainier was inadvertently moved to Oregon on
yesterday's morning report (93-829).� A quick call to the West Coast
revealed that the mountain is still in Washington, and that the incident
actually took place at Crater Lake.� We regret the error.� No need to send
any more witty cc:Mail messages, thank you.
______________
I knew they *moved* the Alamo, but I'd not heard this story.
I've been pretty disillusioned with pro sports, mostly because of the tendency for bad/illegal behavior to go unpunished. Now the Pete Rose scandal is in the news again.
So here's a chance to teach young people--impressionable sports fans--a valuable life lesson. Commissioner Selig should stick by the MLB's lifetime ban on Rose. Reinstating him would negate the punishment they have levied against him.
All kids need is to see another "important" person getting away with something because they are well-known.
Granted, Rose makes a good point by saying that if he had been dealing with a drug/alcohol addiction, MLB would have paid for his treatment, not punish him for gambling. But I don't see that as an air-tight comparison...
What Rose did was wrong. There is a punishment. That punishment should stick. Do the right thing, commissioner.