Reporter's Notebook

Gustav

2008-09-03T00:22:00.003-05:00

Long time no blog.

I got back from New Orleans tonight around 8pm. It was quite an experience. Not only did Brad Hood, Brian Covington and I do work for NewsChannel 19, but we also did live shots for Fox 6 in Birmingham and WGNO in New Orleans. That was quite an experience. When I left Sunday morning, I thought I was headed to Gulfport, Ms. But by the time Sunday night rolled around, I was live on the air in New Orleans doing live shots about a city I had never been to before. From what everyone told me, you couldn't tell.

We stayed at the Astor Crown Plaza, which is on the corner of Bourbon and Canal Streets. It was a nice hotel. While Gustav wasn't Katrina, there was one thing that reminded me of what it must have been like after Katrina. The hotel had hired armed guards to protect the place. We had taken a lot of food and water with us. Turns out we didn't need it. The hotel kitchen staff stayed behind and cooked us three meals a day.

The hotel became the headquarters for us and our affiliated stations, including WBRC Fox 6, WHO from Iowa and several other stations. Also at our hotel was Fox News, The Weather Channel and CBN. I saw Geraldo Rivera, Katie Couric, Sheppard Smith, Mike Bettes and a bunch of other Fox reporters who I've seen on TV, but haven't seen enough to remember their names.

It's good to be home.

Living the Life on the Public Payroll

2008-07-17T14:55:00.003-05:00

A little more than a year ago, I switched from working a daytime schedule to working nights. So instead of working 9:30 to 6:30, I now work 1:30 to 10:30. There is one major difference I've found from the switch, good luck trying to find someone in a public official capacity to do an interview. When you come in in the morning, you can usually call their office and catch them to set up an interview. But now that I come in at 1:30pm, it's sometimes downright impossible to catch them. You always get the line, "They've gone for the rest of the day, but they will be back in the morning." That's great, but I won't be here in the morning. I wish I could knock off after about 4 hours.

Jury Deliberations

2008-06-26T13:02:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lack of an update today. So far nothing has happened. The jury deliberated for a few hours and then took a two hour lunch break.

Sentencing Day Three

2008-06-25T09:11:00.036-05:00

Judge Hall is charging the jury. It's expected that the jury will go home for the day and start deliberations in the morning.

Broussard just showed the jury the pants Golden was wearing the day of the shooting. He showed them the stains from him lying on the parking lot, where he was begging for his life.

Broussard: If Albarran could have gotten officer Golden's gun to work, after he had shot him, the Albarran probably would have used it against other responding Huntsville officers.

Broussard: It doesn't matter that the family doesn't want him to get the death penalty.

Broussard: Albarran's family testified that he was a little moody, but not crazy. A complete change from what the defense was saying during the first part of the trial.

Broussard: If poverty is an excuse for murder, then during the great depression there should have been a large amount of violence across the United States.

Broussard: If we heard another word about Albarran's father being sick, I think we all would have gotten up and left the courtroom.

Broussard: Albarran's tiny village and the life he had there is not an excuse to get out of the death penalty.

Rob Broussard is now giving the rebuttal to the Defense's closing arguments.

Court is in recess until 3pm, so the Golden Family can attend the funeral of Daniel Golden's uncle who passed away over the weekend.

Gardner says the decision the jury makes will live with them for the rest of their lives. It will hit them out of the blue and they will think about whether or not you did the right thing.

Gardner says life without parole is a severe sentence.

Gardner says that if Daniel Golden had been anyone other than a police officer, the jury would not even be considering death or life in prison without parole.

Gardner told the jury they are the life support system for Mr. Albarran.

Gardner says that most major decisions in life are reversable. A death sentence is one that is not.

Jaffe finished up and now Bruce Gardner is also giving an argument to the jury.

Jaffe: The death penalty is only for the worst of the worst.

Jaffe: Life without parole is enough punishment for this crime.

Jaffe: The way in which officer Golden was killed was not heinous.

Jaffe: It's absurd to say that Albarran killed Officer Golden to avoid arrest.

Mr. Jaffe says that if the jurors believe in the concept of "an eye for an eye," then they have vioalted their oath.

Mr. Jaffe says that death is not the most severe punishment.

The proseuction has finished. Mr. Jaffe is now up.

The defense just asked for a mistrial because they claimed Mr. Town asked the jury to put themselves in Daniel's position. The motion was denied.

Town: Golden had already been shot in the stomach and was defenseless. Albarran still fired more shots.

Town: After Albarran shot Golden right below the eye, he made the decision to fire one more shot into his head. This is a clear example that Albarran wanted to finish him off.

Town: Golden begged for mercy. Albarran's answer was to pull out another pistol and fire five more shots.

Town: Albarran showed no pity on Officer Golden.

Town: This murder was torturous.

Make that four objections now.

The defense as objected two times to Mr. Town's closing argument.

Town says the letters and video presented on behalf of Albarran are nice, but they don't excuse what has happened. And the family of Golden will never get another letter from Daniel.

Town says the case as met two requirements for the death penalty. One, the murder was committed to avoid arrest and the murder was especially heinous.

Prosecutor Jay Town says the facts in this case merit the death penalty.

Closing arguments are expected to begin shortly. The judge is currently going over the instructions she will give the jury right before they begin their deliberations.

Sentencing Day Two

2008-06-24T09:24:00.010-05:00

Benito's daughter is now being interviewed in the video.

So far the video has shown interviews with about two dozen people who are relatives or friends of Albarran. All ask the jurors to spare his life.

They say that they pray God wil touch the jurors hearts and they will spare Albarran's life.

The video shows several different people asking the jury to spare Albarran's life.

The video is now showing an interview conducted with Albarran's mother.

Court as resumed. We are now watching a 69 minutes video showing Albarran's village (Cacuamanche) in Mexico. The video has an interview with the former mayor of the village.

Roberto Albarran, Benito's brother, is now on the stand.

The second witness of the day is on the stand. She's another sister of Albarran. All of these witnesses basically hit on the same three themes:
1. They grew up poor in Mexico.
2. Their father suffered from mental disease and could be mean.
3. They are Catholics.

Testimony just got underway. Another member of the Albarran family is on the stand. The audience watching the proceedings, is probably the smallest it has been the entire time of the trial.

Albarran Sentencing

2008-06-23T10:37:00.013-05:00

Benito's sister is now on the stand talking about their life growing up in Mexico.

The defense is now calling witnesses. A man is now on the stand who lives in the Mexican village where Albarran grew up.

Some of the words Golden's mother said on the stand: He was breath of sunshine. A child is like your heart walking outside of you. You've ripped our hearts out. Wish we could cut the pain out. It's a struggle to get up in the mornings. We mourn so deeply. He took our Daniel from us.

Diana Golden, Daniel's mother, is on the stand.

He's going over an interview with Albarran's wife in which she says he had been drinking and she told him she was going to call the police.

Prosecution has now called investigator Charlie Grey to the stand.

Jaffe says that if the jury gives Albarran the death penatly, they will be killing the love inside him.

Jaffe is still up.

Richard Jaffe is talking to the jury and trying to convince them that Albarran does not deserve the death penalty.

Prosecutor Rob Broussard just told the jury his side will wrap up in two hours.

Court has resumed. Judge Hall is giving the jury some basic instructions on the decision they have as it regards life in prison or the death penalty.

Nothing really happened this morning. Judge Hall entered and said court would be in recess until 1pm. So we are now waiting for court to get started back up.

The sentencing phase was supposed to begin at 9:30 this morning. Albarran showed up in court unshaven. Judge Hall sent him out to shave before the jury was brought in. But now, attorney's for both sides are in the judge's chambers for a motion hearing. We are not exactly sure what those motions might be.

Day 9

2008-06-19T09:51:00.001-05:00

The jury began their deliberations again this morning at 9:30. They worked for about two hours last night before going home.

Day 8

2008-06-18T12:10:00.022-05:00

Jaffe says there is no way, Albarran could be guilty of capital murder. He says Albarran did not have the intent, required for a capital charge.

Judge Hall gave the jurors a break. Mr. Jaffe has now started back up with his argument.

Jaffe: Witness testimony is a matter of perception.

Jaffe is trying to draw question as to how many shots were actually fired and the sequence they were fired. It's not clear why he is doing this, since they do not contend Albarran did not shoot Officer Golden. Their defense is that he didn't know what he was doing. He doesn't come right out and say it, but he almost seems to be implying to the jury that maybe Officer Golden fired first.

Jaffe is showing the jury crime scene photos.

He says facts show Albarran was "sick."

Jaffe is using a lot of "legalese."

Mr. Jaffe says this is not an open and shut case.

Mr. Jaffe is speaking very low. It's almost hard to hear him.

Richard Jaffe has now started closing arguments for the defense.

Town is wrapping up. He told the jury to be doubtful of a smoke and mirror defense. The devil didn't shoot Golden nor did beer or cocaine.

Town says the defenses argument is all based on maybe. However, the prosecutions side is based on fact. The defense's expert was getting paid 2,000 dollars a day to say what the defense wanted to hear. The prosecution's expert was getting paid nothing to testify.

Town: No evidence Albarran used cocaine or was drunk at time of shooting.

Defense attorney Richard Jaffe has objected three times during Town's argument. He just objected to Town saying, "don't cut him loose."

Town says that on the day of the shooting, Albarran showed a "cold smirk from a cold blooded killer."

CLOSING ARGUMENTS ARE UNDERWAY
Jay Town is giving the closing argument for the prosecution.
Town is reminding the jury of evidence in the case. That Albarran walked out with two guns, because he intended to use them. He shot Officer Golden, even though Golden was begging like a "wounded dog" for his life.

cold smirk from a cold blooded killer

Final arguments were scheduled to start at noon. However, Judge Hall just came in the courtroom to say it would be another 15 to 20 minutes before it would begin. There are a lot more people in the courtroom today. That's typical for closing arguments. I've always found that a little strange, because the meat of a trial always comes from the testimony, not the opening statements or closing arguments. But, people love to hear the closing arguments.

Day 7

2008-06-17T09:39:00.012-05:00

We've had to leave the courtroom to go outside to do our live reports for five and six. We believe that the defense is still cross examining Dr. Hooper. For the second day in a row, Judge Hall had to give the jurors time to get up and move around. This after she saw several of them appear to nod off. Closing arguments are now expected tomorrow. The jury could get the case tomorrow afternoon.

Dr. Hooper is still on the stand. He is being cross examined by the defense, a process that has been going on for almost two hours.

Dr. Hooper says Albarran told him that at the moment he pulled the trigger, he had a vision of the devil.

Dr. Hooper says Albarran showed no signs of mental disease during his evaluation.

Dr. James Hooper is on the stand, testifying for the prosecution. He's the director of the Taylor-Hardin Secure Medical Facility in Tuscaloosa. He evaluated Benito Albarran.

A nurse who treated Albarran at the jail on the night of the shooting is now on the stand.

The prosecution is now calling rebuttal witnesses. So far Ed Cain and David Mullins, both with Huntsville PD, have testified.

Breaking News: The defense has rested their case.

Defense Attorney Bruce Gardner just had Dominga point out a scar on the ear of another sister, named Maria. The scar was supposedly caused by a cut from their father, because he was trying to "mark" all of his children.

Dominga Albarran, the sister of Benito, is on the stand. She is talking about their life growing up in Mexico. This is the first time she has been to the U.S. The defense flew her here just to testify.

Testimony began again at 9:30. Another relative of Albarran's is on the stand discussing the supposed mental disease that runs in the family.

Day 6

2008-06-16T09:24:00.014-05:00

Court has ended for the day. It will resume at 9am in the morning. The defense still has at least one more witness before they rest their case.

Right before a short recess, Judge Karen Hall said some of the jurors appeared to be nodding off. She told them that if they can't stay awake, they need to tell her so she can dismiss them. There are 12 jurors and four alternates.

Prosecutor Rob Broussard is questioning the diagnostic tools used to evaluate Albarran, trying to make the point that the tests are very open ended.

Prosecutors are ripping into Dr. Silva and his past association with other defendents. He claims to work for both the defense and prosecution in cases, but admits it's been a long time since he's had an association with prosecutors. He also says he's charged 250 dollars per hour in the Albarran case. He is also charging $2000 per day to testify. So far he's made around $14,000 in this case.

Court resumed at 1:15. The prosecution is now cross examining Dr. Silva.

Dr. Silva is now reading letters between Albarran and other family members while he has been in jail. A large number of Albarran's family, including many children, are in the courtroom today.

Dr. Silva is now showing a slide that depicts a family tree of Albarran. According to the slide, five members of the family, including Benito Albarran, suffer from mental defects. The slide depicts the family back to Benito's paternal grandfather.

The defense is still questioning their witness, Dr. Silva. Silva is going over some ideas he mentioned on Friday. This is presumably to refresh the jurors minds. Dr. Silva is saying that Albarran suffers from depression and low self-esteem. He says that if he were treating Albarran, he would put him on medication because he is mentally ill.

Dr. Silva says that on the day of the shooting, Albarran believed his wife was somehow connected with Satan. Albarran would speak to Satan and was angry with him.

Testimony has just gotten underway in the Albarran trial after the weekend break. Dr. Jose Silva is still on the stand. Over the weekend the jurors wanted to know more information about the area of Mexico where Albarran grew up. Jurors are now looking at maps of the state of Mexico, inside the country of Mexico.

Day 5 Albarran Trial

2008-06-13T09:16:00.014-05:00

UPDATE: Dr. Jose Silva says that on the day Officer Golden was killed, Benito Albarran was suffering from Cocaine and Alcohol induced psychosis with delusions.

Dr. Silva says another relative of Benito Allbarran also suffers from mental disease. Supposedly she would frequently ride a horse naked through the streets of her Mexican village. She also stole materials from a voting site. Dr. Silva says Allbarran started drinking at the age of 15.

The defense is now going over the psychiatric history of Benito Albarran's father with Dr. Silva. So far there has been very little information about Albarran's own medical evaluation. The defense attorneys tell us Dr. Silva will probably be their last witness of the day.

Dr. Silva says Albarran suffers from impulse control issues. He claims this is the result of genetics, physical abuse and a series of head injuries Albarran suffered as a child.

Shortly after 1pm, court resumed. Dr. Jose Silva from San Jose, California is on the stand. He is a forensic psychologist, called by the Defense.

At 10:20, Benito's cousin, Balentino Albarran is on the stand. He too is talking about family members who have appeared to suffer from mental disease.

The jury is expected to take an early lunch at 11:20.

The trial resumed just after 9am this morning. Currently Albarran's older brother Roberto is on the stand. He lives in Tennessee. He says that their father suffered from mental illness. Roberto says the father once tried to attack a ten-year-old boy with a large knife. He also cut their sisters head with a piece of wood. He says his father also beat him once so hard that blood came out of his back. The father, who still lives in Mexico, has been treated for mental illness. The defense is trying to show a genetic link to mental disease and prove Benito also suffers from the same condition.

Benito Albarran Trial

2008-06-12T09:09:00.007-05:00

Wrap-up: The defense in the case ended up calling two witnesses before ending for the day. I wish I could tell you more about who they were. The problem is that the constraints of TV make it a little difficult. We have to be live at five, which means you really can't stay in the courtroom later than 4:20 or so. The courthouse closes at 5, so we can't get back inside. Testimony begins again at 9am Friday.

Today is the fourth day of the Murder Trial of Benito Albarran. He's the man accused of killing Huntsville Police Officer Daniel Golden in 2005. I'm blogging or at least trying to blog from the courtroom. The station has given me a laptop with an aircard.

The first witness this morning is Glen Brown, a forensic scientist here in Huntsville. He is an expert at testing guns. He performed tests on the weapons used in the shooting.

Midday Update: The jury left for lunch just before noon. Mr. Brown finished his testimony about the guns used in the shooting. One of the last things he said was that from his investigation, he determined that Benito Albarran shot Golden in the head from only about three to six inches away.

One of the interesting parts of this trial, are the number of questions the jury is asking. I covered several murder trials, including the Mary Winkler case last year, and I've never seen this happen. The jurors in this case are actually raising their hands during testimony because they have a question. Judge Karen Hall has now told them that they need to submit their questions in writing. Those questions are being answered if possible.

I'm now sitting in the courtroom waiting for the afternoon session to start. The prosecution is expected to wrap up their case and the defense may very well begin today as well.

Afternoon Update: Dr. Emily Ward is now testifying. She performed the autopsy on Officer Golden. The jury is also looking at the pictures taken of Golden's body during that autopsy.

Dr. Ward has now completed her testimony. The prosecution is now preparing to call their last witness.

Breaking News from Genoa City

2008-03-12T12:26:00.002-05:00

After a mistrial was declared in the Daniel Wade Moore trial we broke into programming to do our jobs. However, this meant we were covering over the comings and goings of the lives of those in Genoa City. For those who don't know, that's the fictional city where "The Young and the Restless" takes place. So we got a few emails saying we shouldn't have done it.
One person called it "bull excrement." From what I've seen of soap operas, I'm not sure what the difference is.

I guess the message here is, don't interrupt fantasy to give us reality. In the future maybe we should just report breaking news as taking place in Genoa City.

Yes, We Have No Gas Today

2008-03-05T16:14:00.002-06:00

I pulled my sexy beast of a news vehicle, a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, into the Warrenton Texaco to fuel up. And what greets me, but the gas pump handle wrapped in a plastic grocery bag. I got to wondering, when did that become the universal sign that either the pump's not working or we're out of gas? Someone says, "The pump's not working." And someone else says, "Well, go wrap it in a grocery bag."

I wonder why they don't come up with a system to let you know they are out of Twix?

A Comment on Comments

2008-03-04T14:01:00.003-06:00

I welcome comments to the postings I make here on the blog. (That doesn't mean they can be filled with curse words, mean spirited things, etc.) However, they should be reasonably short. If your comment goes more than a paragraph, it's no longer a comment. It's a blog posting. I suggest getting a blog of your own.

Uhhhhh, what?????

2008-03-04T12:14:00.002-06:00

From Reuters news service:

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said he had asked the chairman of the FCC to open an inquiry into the February 24 incident at WHNT, a CBS affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama, in which civil rights footage from the 1960s was blacked out.

Did I miss something? We are now accused of blocking civil rights footage?

Where Have All The Emails Gone?

2008-03-03T19:51:00.004-06:00

As quickly as they came, they are gone. They were here but for a season. The emails comparing us to Fascists and Communists have finally stopped. Now, we are back to just the spams about male enhancement. I swear last week during the barrage of 60 Minutes emails, who ever sends out that spam took a vacation.

But anyway, I'm a little misty. So in the spirit of ending last week's post on a song, I'll do the same here. Goodbye never ending email assault. Goodbye.

The Dance

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared
'neath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known
that you'd ever say goodbye
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end
the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known
how the king would fall
Hey who's to say
you know I might have chanced it all
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end
the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Yes my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
but I'd of had to miss the dance

The Night the Lights Went Out at the Big 1-9.

2008-02-28T09:05:00.003-06:00

Well, the week is almost over. Fortunately the emails dripping with snake venom have slowed to a trickle. No doubt the conspiracy theorists are off on another adventure. Whomever is at the receiving end of their ones and zeroes, may God have mercy on their souls and exploding email inboxes.

In my eight years at WHNT, (almost 11, if you count my internship), I've never had a more discouraging week. From the moment our receiver failed Sunday night, the blizzard of emails filled with words like, "communists," "fascists," "Soviets," and another word that begins with "F" and ends with "K" have been non-stop.

Last night someone on one of the cable channels did a segment on what happened. I think that's when I hit rock-bottom. The guy they had on there was just so filled with information that seems to have been manufactured at a factory where they use a lot of high fructose corn syrup. He claimed that WHNT is owned by the Bass Family, who are big Bush Backers, contributors to Republican causes, etc, etc, etc. He also said that because of that, "WHNT was well known for being very negative toward Siegelman during his trial."

Well, first of all, I had no idea who the Bass Family is. When we got the first email mentioning the name Bass, I had to ask someone what they meant. No one from the Bass family has ever even set foot in the building. And during the Siegelman trial in 2006, WHNT was owned by The New York Times. Do you see the problem with his statement then?

I guess I take solice in the fact that the vast, vast majority of the emails came from people who've never seen one second of WHNT programming. Our viewers here in North Alabama know that we would never do the things we're accused of doing.

Oh yeah, I'll have to tell you sometime about the night our receiver failed just as Walker: Texas Ranger was starting. Let's just say it lead to about 6 cars in our parking lot being smashed with a baseball bat. Some people love their Chuck Norris.

In fact, I think I will close with the lyrics to Walker: Texas Ranger.
"In the eyes of a ranger, The unsuspected stranger Had better know the truth of wrong from right, Cuz the eyes of a ranger are upon you, Any wrong you do he's gonna see, When youre in Texas look behind you, Cuz that's where the rangers are gonna be."

8 at the 1-9

2007-10-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

Thursday, October 11th, marked eight years since I started working full time at WHNT. I actually started working on a part-time basis in May of 1997. I wish I could get those years in for my retirement.

My first day was the 11th and the next day I got sent out of town. On October 12, 1999, the state voted on a lottery for education. I was sent, along with Errol Davis and Atticus Rominger to Montgomery to cover the results. The lottery ended up going down in a pretty big defeat.

The next week, I was sent to Tuscaloosa to cover the very first Alabama-Tennessee game at Bryant-Denny. I still had a month left on the lease at my Tuscaloosa apartment. So I said if I was paying for a place, then I was going to stay there rather than in the hotel. That was a big mistake, because their was nothing to sleep on in my apartment. It wasn't a very comfortable night.

In December of 1999, I got to fly to Pennsylvania on a private jet. It was part of a "Home for the Holidays" promotional event. So my first couple of months at 19 were an adventure.

Where I Vote

2007-06-05T18:07:00.000-05:00

I went to vote this morning in the amendment referendum. This was the first time for me to vote since I moved. I've posted a picture of my polling place. It's in an old store. There were no tables inside or chairs. I had to put my ballot on top of an old Coke machine to mark it.

The Mary Winkler Trial

2007-04-12T23:24:00.000-05:00

Today was the fourth day of covering the Mary Winkler Trial here in Selmer, Tennessee. We are working along side our sister station, WREG, in Memphis. The first three days of the trial, we were able to go inside the courtroom and actually sit down and listen to the jury selection process. However, as the trial actually got underway today, we had to spend most of our time inside the satellite truck. The reason, the proceedings are now on TV. So the reporter from WREG and I, sat in our sat truck, writing down the tape code, for the most interesting parts of the trial.

We are, of course, recording the trial. As the tape machine rolls, it has a tape code, kind of like the tape counter on your VCR. We write that code down when we hear something interesting. It allows us to quickly find that spot on the tape later. If we were sitting in the courtroom listening, when we started to work later, we would be lost trying to find the information we need.

Friday's testimony is expected to include an audio recording made by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. ABI investigators made the tape after Mary Winkler's arrest in March of 2006. At some point, very soon, we expect Matthew and Mary's Winkler's oldest daughter, Patricia to take the stand. Once that happens, the camera inside the courtroom will be turned off. So those are a few things to watch for over the next few days.

What's Old, is New Again

2007-02-05T20:33:00.000-06:00

First, I know it's been a very long time since I updated the blog. Sorry about that.

I wanted to talk about our new look and new sound. Last night, after the Super Bowl we unveiled a new graphics look and a new news music package. However, if you are a long time viewer of Channel 19, you will probably notice the new music sounds a lot like the old music we once used.

From 1992 until 2002, we used a news music called Palmer News Package. It was originally written for WBBM, the CBS station in Chicago. The familiar "hook" in the music, actually has words, "Chicago I Love you, Chicago my Home." It has become one of the most famous news music packages ever written.

In the late 1990s, a company called Gari Communications updated the Palmer News Package. They renamed it "Enforcer." That is what we are now using. So what you are hearing is new, but it's old at the same time. I think a lot of people came to associate that music with Channel 19. So I'm glad it's back.

If you go to this website, http://www.southernmedia-nmsa.com/ , click on STATION, then BROADCAST and find WHNT. Then if you click on the icons that look like little TVs, you can hear news music Channel 19 has used since 1975.

School Bus Tragedy

2006-11-21T23:06:00.000-06:00

I've been asked to blog about the deadly school bus accident on Monday. I'm not sure what I can say about the event. I was not directly involved like our other reporters. Brad and I were acually at the Marshall County Courthouse. We were there because a recount was being done on the county commission chairmans race.

Brad had just left to go get video of Albertville's mayor, back on the job from an illness. I was still at the courthouse when my cell phone rang. Our news operations manager Keith Lowhorne was on the other end talking a mile a minute. He was saying, "as soon as you guys get here, I need you to go to Drake Avenue. That's where the technology center is." Well, I had no idea what he was talking about. Actually, I thought he had called the wrong number. Turns out he thought someone else had already called me. So he fills me in on what's going on.

I call Brad and tell him to come back. We jump in our vehicle and off to Huntsville we go. We go straight to the Tech Center. I went inside and tried to get some info from the principal. He was very helpful. I went back outside and called in a live report. Brad and I then went back in the school and got an interview with the principal.

Off to the station we go. Brad dumps the interview down to tape and gets it back to the control room. I get set up in front of the newsroom camera. Lisa and Jerry toss to me and talk about the interview and we air it.

So, after that, it was a quick slice of pizza. Down the street Brad, Ellis and I go to the scene. We were told there would be a news conference there. We get there and are told, no, it's at the hospital. So off to the hospital we go. Skylink (the satellite truck) isn't far behind. I grab a bag full of stuff out of Skylink and up a flight of stairs I go. Other 19ers are there too, running around, trying to get things set so we can carry this news conference live. Amber Stuart is already there. She will be the live reporter for the news conference. But she doesn't have anyone to run the live camera. Her photographer, Dion Hose, needs to record the news conference. So, I became photographer Carson Clark and ran camera for more than an hour.

By the time we are through, Brad has left with Ellis for another story. I'm stranded at the hospital. Amber and Dion are staying put with one of our live vans. Dion goes to get his jeep, parked across the street for me to drive back to the station. While he is gone, a family member of one of the kids hurt comes out of the hospital. I grab Dions camera and shoot an interview with her with Amber. I finally get to go back to the station.

I get there and our news director Denise Vickers says, "I need you to write something up on your technology center stuff for the 5 and 6 shows." And she wants me to take the interviews Dion and Amber have gotten during the day and turn them into a short story for five and a more expanded version(called a package) for the 6. So I start working on that, logging interviews, writing and editing. I'm live in the 5 and the 6.

That's finally done. Then, Denise says "I've got a number for the mother of one of the kids killed in the crash. I want you to call them and see if they have a picture they wouldn't mind us using." She also asks me to see if they wouldn't mind talking to us.

I call and they say, sure come on by. Brad, (I had been reunited with him by then), and I head up the street from the station. We interview the mother, step father and cousin of Chrstine Collier. We get some dinner on the way back to the station. We put together a story for the 10pm and I go live during the 10. We also had to put together a shorter version for the morning news.

The day was finally done. Seems like a lot. But it was actually a lot less stressful than what many others at the station went through.

Equal Time Rule-People Get it Confused

2006-10-11T22:22:00.000-05:00

Election time is here. Politicians are everywhere, trying to get on TV. Something that people seem to confuse is the FCC Equal Time Rule. Yes, there is a rule that requires politicians get equal time. However, it doesn't apply to newscasts.

Here is the rule about newscasts:
Stations who give time to candidates on regularly scheduled newscasts, news interviews shows, documentaries (assuming the candidate wasn't the primary focus of the documentary), or on-the-spot news events do not have to offer equal time to other candidates for that office.

Here is what equal time does refer to:
The Communications Act requires radio and television stations and cable systems which originate their own programming to treat legally qualified political candidates equally when it comes to selling or giving away air time.

Why Was I Wearing that Number?

2006-10-08T10:24:00.000-05:00

Football Friday

2006-09-08T14:14:00.000-05:00

Today is Football Friday Number 2 for the season. Last week I did not participate fully. I had to anchor and produce the weekend morning shows. So since I was going to be up all night, I didn't come in until 8pm Friday night. Brad was already out shooting. So I did football highlights at ten. Then I drove on in to Huntsville and worked the graveyard shift. I won't be doing that tonight.

Back on Blog

2006-09-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since the ole blog got an update. So here I am, back. What have you missed while I've been away? Well, not much. At least I can't think of anything all that exciting that's happened. There have been a lot of news stories. Brad has blogged about most of the big ones over on his blog.

It's September, which is a month I'm always glad to see. Football Friday is back. I'm always glad to see it too. So catch the stories through the week and the football on Friday nights.

I'll be back.....

2006-07-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

If a blog were updated in the woods and there was no one there to see it, was it really updated?

Look Mom, No Tape

2006-04-20T22:32:00.000-05:00

Today Brad was off. So I had the double duty of shooting and reporting. So today was my first time using the new P2 camera. If you've read Brad's blog then you know these cameras don't use tape. Everything is recorded on a card.

Everything was fine today. No problems. But I do miss the clicking sound you get from the camera's that use tape. You know something's going on in there. But tape is slipping into the past, just like film.

When Channel 19 went on the air in 1963, they were using 16mm film for all news stories. They didn't have sound and the film had to be driven back to the station and run through a film developing processor. So there was no quick turn around of shooting something and then getting it on the air. Over the years sound finally came, then color. In 1979 the station switched to videotape. It was called three-quarter tape. It was big and bulky. The station was still using this when I started interning in 1997. So I got use the 3/4 gear. Not fun. The camera was one piece, and then the recorder was another piece.

In 1998, the station switched to the DVC Pro format. It was digital videotape. Much easier to use and the picture quality is also better. Huntsville is still using DVC. But Sand Mountain and the Shoals are now tape free.

Christmas in April?

2006-04-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

Months ago I downloaded "My Home's in Alabama" to my computer. I paid for it. It played fine then. Tonight, when I went to play it off my computer, instead of the group Alabama I heard Michael Buble singing "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow" Why? I haven't downloaded that song.

Friday Night in the Rain

2006-04-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

Friday everyone was set to cover the severe weather expected to move in to North Alabama. Brad and I ended up in Huntsville. We had sent three crews toward the Shoals, because that's where Dan expected the worst weather to be, which turned out to be the case. So Brad and I were brought in to protect the rear flank I guess you could say.

It turned out to be an interesting night. We did live shots from all over, from Limestone County, to Northern Madison County to Huntsville. At one time we were very close to a storm that was trying its hardest to put down a tornado. I know Dan expressed some concern about our safety. I appreciate that concern. I know that several people were also praying for me and that means a great deal. Thank you.

There's No Crying in T-ball

2006-04-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

It's the time of year that little kids are starting to play t-ball and baseball. I was thinking about something that happened when I was playing T-ball. There were no girls on our team, but there were girls on this team we were playing once. I was playing first base and this girl comes up to bat and she hits it right between 1st and 2nd. I go get the ball and realize i'm not going to be able to get back to the base. So I just lean back, throw the ball and hit her in the arm with it. I figured that was the same as tagging her. She cried and I had to sit in the dugout the rest of the game.

5 Years on the Bureau Beat

2006-04-05T09:21:00.000-05:00

Today, April 5th, marks 5 years since I became the station's Sand Mountain reporter. The first story I did was about the ceiling at Plainview School falling in because of heavy rain. In many ways it doesn't seem like five years. When I started we were working out of a small office, not much bigger than a bathroom, in Guntersville. We didn't have internet, nor did we even have a TV in the office. We just had a little laptop computer we could dial into the system in Huntsville and that was it. We also did not have microwave capabilities. That meant we couldn't send our stories to Huntsville. We would have to drive to the station everyday and drive back. That made for some long days.

In these five years, I've covered plenty of meth labs, murders, three Hurricanes, September 11th, the death of one soldier, several others who were hurt, the shooting death of a police chief, was live on the air as a tornado passed right over the bureau, a presidential election, a visit by the vice president, a governor's race(soon to be two), the innauguration of Governor Riley, more high school football games than I can count, a year long court battle over who would be the mayor of Guntersville, five Poke Salat festivals and I've read to about 50 different classes of kids, some of which are now in high school.

I've heard that somewhere before.

2006-03-30T11:09:00.000-06:00

Both of our competitors did a story on a loose tiger in Cullman County. Funny thing, their video, interviews and script were exactly the same. When I saw one of the stories run yesterday there was a line in it that went, "This man believes the Tiger belongs to Ed Smith." I thought, what a poor piece of writing. Why name a name? Who is Ed Smith? I bet there are a lot of Ed Smiths across North Alabama. If you give the name Ed Smith, tell me who Ed Smith is. Why not just say, "This man believes he knows who the tiger belongs to." Then, when I saw the other station run their story this morning, they too used the, "This man believes the Tiger belongs to Ed Smith" line.

This story was done by a Birmingham station and both Huntsville stations got it off the feed and just re-voiced the audio with their own people.

2006-03-29T21:43:00.000-06:00

Here is one more I meant to post. It's me with the U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, Lino Gutierrez. He went to Alabama.

Finally, the Pictures are up.

2006-03-29T21:38:00.000-06:00

I've posted more pictures from Argentina. I took almost 200 pictures, so this is a very small sample.

2006-03-29T21:28:00.001-06:00

Buenos Aires, Argentina

2006-03-29T21:28:00.000-06:00

The United States Embassy. The biggest embassy I saw. Most, like the French embassy, were just converted houses.

2006-03-29T21:27:00.000-06:00

Police outside the U.S. Embassy. There was about to be a protest. It turned out to be pretty weak.

2006-03-29T21:26:00.000-06:00

The Hotel

2006-03-29T21:24:00.000-06:00

A flower sculpture. It actually closes up at night.

2006-03-29T21:23:00.000-06:00

The grave of Evita Peron. She was the first lady of Argentina from the late '40s into the 1950s. "Don't Cry for me Argentina."

2006-03-29T21:22:00.001-06:00

2006-03-29T21:22:00.000-06:00

Argentina's soccer stadium.

2006-03-29T21:20:00.000-06:00

I went to a Fiesta Gaucho, which means Cowboy Party, I guess, about an hour outside Buenos Aires.

2006-03-29T21:19:00.000-06:00

Beef being cooked up at the Fiesta Gaucho. I passed on the blood sausage.

2006-03-29T21:18:00.001-06:00

2006-03-29T21:18:00.000-06:00

These cowboys or gauchos, were racing to see who could get a little ring off that wood frame you see down there.

2006-03-29T21:16:00.000-06:00

Guy on stilts in an area of Buenos Aires called La Boca.

2006-03-29T21:13:00.000-06:00

There were kids everywhere on the streets of Buenos Aires asking for money. These kids were actually doing something to try and earn it.

2006-03-29T21:12:00.000-06:00

Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil.

2006-03-29T21:11:00.001-06:00

2006-03-29T21:11:00.000-06:00

2006-03-29T21:09:00.001-06:00

2006-03-29T21:09:00.000-06:00

2006-03-29T21:08:00.001-06:00

2006-03-29T21:08:00.000-06:00

2006-03-29T21:07:00.000-06:00

The mouth of the falls. The picture captures about 2 percent of the magnitude of what is actually going on here. Awesome

2006-03-29T21:06:00.000-06:00

I visited a school while in Argentina. The worst school in the United States would look like a mansion compared to this school. It was 95 degrees and no A/C.

2006-03-29T21:05:00.000-06:00

The small town of Puerto Iguazu, which is near Iguazu Falls.

2006-03-29T20:48:00.000-06:00

The Three Corners

2006-03-29T20:47:00.000-06:00

Three countries. To the left is Paraguay, to the right is Brazil and in the foreground is Argentina.

2006-03-29T20:45:00.000-06:00

Somewhere over South America

Some Argentina Pictures, more to come

2006-03-27T12:03:00.000-06:00

2006-03-26T18:29:00.000-06:00

At least the number on my shirt isn't four numbers higher.

Why Has It Taken So Long

2006-03-25T21:57:00.000-06:00

for me to post again? I don't know. I guess I've just been really busy. Those Argentina pictures are still going to be coming along soon, I hope. I'm sitting here at 10 o'clock on a Saturday night, killing time before I go in for night number of two of working the graveyard shift.

And it is a killer. If I did this on a regular basis, I think I might hurt myself. I'm sitting here listening to Keith Urban's, "Tonight I Want to Cry." Lack of sleep is a major cause of depression. And I've got it.

I'm Back

2006-03-16T13:13:00.000-06:00

I've been gone to Argentina for the past week. I plan to post pictures soon. So stay tuned.

Beware the Black and Yellow

2006-03-06T22:07:00.000-06:00

The politcal signs are starting to pop up on the side of the road everywhere. This is just an observation on my part, but the candidates who have yellow and black signs never seem to win. It's always the people with some sort of combination of red and blue that seem to win. So I always wonder why people choose Yellow and Black signs.

Heeeeeeeeeeere's Carson

2006-03-01T09:08:00.000-06:00

Amy said I should blog about this, (yes, I take requests) so I am. She asked me how I got my name Carson, because she said it was ahead of its time. She wanted to know if it was a family name. Well, no, I was actually named after Johnny Carson, kind of. My mom wanted to name me Jeremy or Jason. My dad wanted to name me Cale, as in NASCAR driver Cale Yarbrough. They couldn't decide and so one night they are watching the Tonight Show and my dad says, "what about Carson?" And that's how I got my name. It's also kind of a mix between, CAle and jaSON, just missing an R.

The Best of Barney

2006-02-27T20:51:00.000-06:00

Today Brad and I were brought into Huntsville to do two stories on the death of Don Knotts. Saturday from 7pm to 10pm the station will air a Best of Barney Marathon. People can go to whnt.com and pick their favorite from a choice of ten.

I was asked to pick the 10 episodes that people will choose from. It wasn't easy and I'm sure there will be people who aren't happy with my choices. My favorite, although it's not making the cut right now, is "A Black Day for Mayberry." It's the episode where a Gold shipment is coming through town. Barney blabs it to everyone, even though it's supposed to be a big secret. He ends up getting locked in the back of the gold truck. If you don't have a favorite, then go online and choose that one.

A Tough Story to Cover

2006-02-22T11:07:00.000-06:00

Anytime you deal with death, it's always a very tough job. Of course no where near as tough as the family and friends of the person who has lost their life. Last night watching our 10pm news and the coverage of the two firemen in Lawrence County I also felt for Greg, Jerry and Amy. Also, Photographer Dion Hose, Sat Truck Operator Doug Southerland and producer Patrick Ary were behind the camera doing things that were also important.

I thought they did as good a job as you can do covering something so tragic. They were respectful by not showing anything morbid, but at the same time kept people informed. There were a lot of people watching our news last night, who weren't watching just to be watching. They became a part of it and I'm sure there were broken hearts in Fort Payne and Muscle Shoals, just like there were in Moulton.

That John Pearson is a funny guy

2006-02-20T22:31:00.000-06:00

Tonight during sports, John says: This just in. No one is still not watching the Olympics.
Funny stuff.

It Depends on what the Defintion of Is, Is.

2006-02-19T17:55:00.000-06:00

The defintion of Breaking News: Breaking or non-routine news is defined as hard, unplanned news that takes the newsroom by surprise, such as a plane crash or earthquake. Breaking news cannot be predicted. It is also news that is immediate, happening right now or within the past few minutes, up to an hour.

In the six years I've been at 19, I believe we've always used that as a general rule for breaking news. If there is a big story that happened several hours ago and we have new information we always say it's a developing story or there's new information. We would never take a story that happened in the early morning hours and still call it breaking news at 5pm that evening. What is breaking about it all those hours later? This July 20th, you might as well say, "Breaking News, man walked on the moon on this day in 1969."

Freezing in Ardmore

2006-02-19T08:44:00.000-06:00

I got called into work yesterday. We went up to Ardmore to do a story on the weather and the lottery. It was about the coldest out there I've ever been. Just a bitter, down to the bone cold. Why can't we get a good snow? No ice. Who needs ice? Ice is to be put in your drink, not on the roads.

Montgomery

2006-02-15T19:42:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow we go to Montgomery. It's an early day. We have to be there by 9am. So I'm not sure if I will have another update tomorrow or not.

It's the Most Depressing Time of the Year

2006-02-13T21:32:00.000-06:00

January, February and March are just depressing months. I know that any month you're a live is a good time, but I think you know what I mean. These three months are so cold, barren and empty. Nothing happens in these months. The sun goes down early. You'd rather eat, than exercise. All the bills seem to come due this time of the year. It's just so much easier to get up and move during the other nine months of the year.

February is the shortest month, but for some reason it always seems the longest. It's just one of those months that drags and drags.

March is in some ways the worst month of the three. You are so close to warmer temperatures, but so far away. You'll get a nice warm day and then boom, that cold North wind comes roaring back to cut you down. I envy people who live near the equator during these times of the year.

April will be here soon though. I'll be glad to see her.

The Blog is Back

2006-02-13T09:38:00.000-06:00

I'm going to be making every effort to update the blog everyday again. I will try to come up with more stuff. So check back soon.

2006-02-12T08:22:00.000-06:00

These are pictures from outside my house on Brindlee Mountain.

2006-02-12T08:21:00.000-06:00

2006-02-12T08:20:00.000-06:00

2006-02-12T08:19:00.000-06:00

2006-02-12T08:18:00.001-06:00

2006-02-12T08:18:00.000-06:00

Snow Coming Down

2006-02-11T23:16:00.000-06:00

AM Radio

2006-02-11T19:48:00.000-06:00

There is some strange stuff on the radio in the middle of the night. As I was driving to work this morning just before 4, I was scanning around on the AM dial. I came on some show where a woman was talking about the "UFO" that crashed in Roswell back in 1947. She was talking just like it was gospel fact that little alien men were pulled out of a craft there. Interesting stuff. I like AM radio.

No Snow, At Least Not This Morning

2006-02-11T19:45:00.000-06:00

We were live this morning during the 6-8 show. Snow was expected to fall overnight and maybe create some problems in DeKalb and Jackson Counties. It didn't happen. Then later in the day the snow finally showed up. It must have snowed here at my house, but I didn't see it. I went outside and my car was covered. Snow can be sneaky.

Sorry

2006-02-09T22:04:00.000-06:00

It's been so long since I updated the blog. I used to write something everyday. Now, just from time to time. It's a busy time right now. We are in ratings. When we are in a ratings month, it seems like things are always frantic. The good thing is that everyone is on staff.

I lost my voice over the weekend. I had to sit out Tuesday. I'm still not back to 100 percent, but I'm getting close.

Super Bowl in HD

2006-02-04T01:45:00.000-06:00

I've heard that 31 is saying when they air the Superbowl in HD this Sunday it will be the first time the game has ever aired in HD to the Valley. That's interesting. I guess last year when Fox 54 aired the game in HD didn't count.

But to set the record straight, just in case it is true what I'm hearing, the Superbowl aired in HD to the valley for the first time on February 1, 2004 on WHNT. We were also the first commerical station in Huntsville to start broadcasting in HD in May of 2002.

2006-01-29T09:49:00.000-06:00

I had to work late last night anchoring the 10pm. So why then did I wake up early enough this morning to watch our morning newscast? Why does your body do that?

Yo Yo Oil

2006-01-16T07:06:00.000-06:00

Apparently someone can burp in the right place, and these futures markets will use it as an excuse to raise the price of oil. So let's see if I can change it.

I'm announcing today, that I'm thinking about shutting down all my oil wells. We're talking zero production here.

Now, for some reason I wouldn't be surprised to see a story today somewhere that says, "the price of crude oil jumped today, because Carson Clark announced he would shut down his oil production."

No Snow-It Might As Well Be Warm

2006-01-15T09:54:00.000-06:00

I got in from work last night and in my mailbox was a nice surprise. My bill from the Marshall County Gas District was sitting there for me. $122. That's a lot of money, considering that just a few months back, October to be exact, my bill was $7.80.

It's supposed to be above normal this week temperature wise. So maybe my heat bill will cool it.

Pictures

2006-01-07T11:55:00.000-06:00

My Mom had a stack of pictures out for me to scan into the computer. Here are a few.

Spelling Bee

2006-01-06T14:25:00.000-06:00

This morning I was the word caller for the Union Hill School Spelling Bee. I've done it now for 5 or 6 years. I went to school at Union Hill from the 1st through 8th grade.

2006-01-02T20:30:00.000-06:00

So Independence Airlines is biting the dust. I hate to see that. I flew them back in June. It was a good experience, one of the best flights I've ever been on.

2006-01-01T10:03:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year

May she be better than the old one.

Call Me Al

2005-12-27T23:11:00.000-06:00

It's nice when viewers come up and tell you they like watching you on TV. But somtimes I don't think they know exactly who it is they're talking to. Yesterday a woman came up and said, "We sure do like watching you, Chris." Then today at the bank, the teller looks at the deposit, which clearly said Carson and says,"but you go by Garrett right?" I go by Garrett?

Merry Christmas

2005-12-25T00:31:00.000-06:00

Christmas 1980

Christmas 2005

2005-12-19T20:56:00.000-06:00

I hope that everyone who reads this has a really good Christmas this year. Christmas is a happy time, but it can also be a little sad. Especially when you start to look back on the year. It's sad that I've seen so many of my friends hit the road for other places. Melissa Stephens, Dianna Gee, Chris Davis. They're all gone now. Chris is the only one of them I've seen since, and that was just once. All three were and are great people.

Merry Christmas

Lost at the Parade

2005-12-08T22:35:00.000-06:00

I judged the Arab Christmas Parade tonight. It was a lot of fun. But it brings back an unpleasant memory from childhood. I got lost at the Arab Christmas Parade in 1983. I was 7 years old and somehow got separated from my mom and dad. I wandered the sidewalk aimlessly, tears streaming down my face. I finally stumbled across my great aunt, who I recognized. She got me and tried to find my mom and dad. We ended up just having to leave. We drove by my mom's sisters house. They weren't there. So she ended up taking me to my mom's other sister who lived across the road from us. During this whole trip, I'm in the backseat crying. Somehow I was finally reunited with my mom and dad, who didn't seem to be all that worried. I'm not sure what traumatized me the most, getting lost or finally being found.

The Longest Day

2005-11-30T22:49:00.000-06:00

Brian Covington has updated his blog, http://www.whnt.com/Global/Link.asp?L=160944 , with his best picks of 2005.

One of his picks was our trip to Savannah back in January to welcome home the troops of the 279th signal battalion. At the moment I write this, that was longest I've ever gone without sleep covering a news story.

It began at 5am one morning, when I just woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. At 5pm that afternoon I found out we'd be going down to Fort Stewart. We drove all night, never going to sleep, to be live in the morning show, live at noon, live at 4:30, live at 5, live at 6 and a taped story at 10. It finally ended at around 9pm that night, after 39 hours without sleep.
Below are some of the pictures from Savannah, including one of Brian and photographer Dave Schmidt standing out looking at what had to be the biggest ship I've ever seen.