Quiet Start

Good morning,

This week is off to a quiet start in the newsroom.  REporter Lynda Figueredo is working on a local follow-up to the outstanding series on the problems with the probation system statewide.  Those articles in the News and Observer and it’s good reading.

Reporter Gavin Johnson is at Wrightsville Beach on an environmental story and doing a preview of tomorrow night’s Wilmington City Council meeting on the proposed Monkey Junction annexation.

We have our investigative unit at the airport this morning for a story that should turn later today.  That should be a real interesting piece and especially timely with so many people on the go this time of year.

You may notice some typos and other glitches in this post.  Our blog provider has gone to a new system and I’m just getting the hang of it.

Jim

Rudolph

Good morning,

Have an interesting story working.

A Wilmington elementary school has dropped Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer from its holiday concert after a complaing from a parent.

Reporter Laura Sinacori is talking to parents on both sides of the issue.

Reporter Joe Keiley is at Oak Island where town officials are releasing new video of the bridge accident and reporter Gavin Johnson is back from a forum in downtown Wilmington on the future of the local real estate industry.

Hope to see you tonight in Carolina Beach where I’m the, drum roll please, grand marshal of the Island of Lights Holiday Parade.

Multiple Events

Lots going on in our area today and our reporters are out hustling.

Lynda Figueredo is at UNCW where a one-armed golfer is demonstrating how he has overcome his handicap.  She’s with chief photographer Ryan Koresko so that figures to be a visual and interesting story.

Gavin Johnson is at the National Cemetery on Market Street where repairs are underway to gravestones.  He’s also following up on the fire at Malpass Corner Elementary School.

Reporter Max Winitz is already back from an early morning assignement, a fascinating story about fishing but that won’t air until this weekend.  He’s at a Historic Wilmington Foundation event where homeowners are signing easements.  Look for that story tonight.

Joe Keiley is in Burgaw, reporting on the proposed auto bailout and how it will affect local dealers.  Then he’s going to the New Hanover County Complex to report on an event where local government leaders are learning about the federal procurement process.

Later today, Claire Simms will head to Leland to do a story about their new police station.

That’s a quick look at a busy newsroom.

See ya’ on TV…

jim

Day Off

You’ve got to feel for the parents of children who attend Malpass Corner Elementary School today.  As we reported yesterday morning, a fire forced the school to close early yesterday and it’s closed again today.  Reporter Gavin Johnson is at Malpass Corner this morning, hoping to get an inside look at the fire damage.  Coming off the four-day Thanksgiving break, parents now have to find a new way to entertain the kids on a rainy, gloomy day.

Reporter Lynda Figueredo is battling a cold.  If you heard her report yesterday on a fire in Leland, you know she’s suffering a bit.  She’s working on a story about a robbery and police chase this morning.

Reporter Max Winitz has just returned from downtown Wilmington.  He’s putting together a short story on the upcoming Historical Society Candlelight Tour of Homes.  They’re decorated for Christmas and Max was there as a Victorian Christmas Tree went up at the Latimer House.

WECT General Manager Gary McNair has commentary tonight.  He’s offering something new, a mix of comments from viewers on several subjects.

We also plan to cover tonight’s ceremony at the New Hanover County School Board meeting.  New member Elizabeth Redenbaugh will take the oath of office and begin her term.

Finally, look for an interesting story from Myrtle Beach by our friend Tayleigh Davis.  She grew up in Wilmington and interned in our newsroom.  She’s now a producer-reporter at our sister station, WMBF, and we try to run her stories as often as we can.  That should air tonight on WECT News at 5.

Stay warm and dry…

Jim

Jobs

Love it when Monday starts with good news.   This from a press release just sent by Gov. Easley:

“Gov. Mike Easley announced today that Dynapar Corp., an international supplier of automated equipment control devices, plans to expand its Elizabethtown plant, investing $1.5 million and adding 79 jobs during the next three years.  The expansion was made possible in part by a $150,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.”

We’ll have that story on our evening newscasts.  Meanwhile, reporter Lynda Figueredo is following up on a fire in Leland that destroyed a house and reporter Gavin Johnson is at a school that was shut down by a small fire.

Reporter Laura Sinacori will be at Halyburton Park tonight for the first meeting on the plans for a controlled burn, a story we broke about three weeks ago.

Anchor Jon Evans is heading to the New Hanover County Commissioners meeting for a live report on the swearing in of two new members, Jason Thompson and Jonathon Barfield.

Those are some of the stories you’ll see on WECT News at 6.  We’ll also have a Bob Townsend story on the Oak Island Coast Guard Station at 5.  And we’ll have a story about the new Obama cabinet nominees.  He’s going to announce those in about four minutes so I need to turn my attention to that.

Have a good day..

Jim

Siege in Mumbai

Good morning.  The mayhem in India continues and it is hitting closer to home.  Two women from central Virginia were apparently among the hostages killed.  A Wilmington synogogue is planning prayers tonight for the hostages killed in an attack on the Jewish Center in Mumbai.  Reporter Max Winitz is following those developments for us and we’ll be counting on NBC’s resources for our coverage of the situation as it unfolds.

Reporter Joe Keiley is headed to Fort Fisher for a story on the impending temporary shutdown of the Fort Fisher Ferry.  And anchor Jon Evans is headed downtown tonight for the lighting of the Christmas tree on the waterfront.

We’ll also be previewing tomorrow’s Flotilla at Wrightsville Beach and sports anchor Bob Bonner is on top of tonight’s handful of high school football playoff games.  Also, ECU has a home game this afternoon so Bob should have highlights of that.

We’ve got a group of Tiger Scouts visiting the station this afternoon and that should be one of the highlights of the day.

As for the Shopocalypse!…anchor Kim Ratcliff was at Best Buy at dawn this morning as the crowds surged in.  Her story on that experience is in the final editing stages right now.  That’s where we stand this morning.  Have a good Friday…

Jim

Defrost

If you’re reading this and not defrosting your turkey, you may be in deep trouble.

While Tom thaws out, we’ll keep you updated on what’s going on around the region.  Frankly, not a whole lot at this point in the day.

Reporter Joe Keiley is headed to the airport to check out their new family friendly check in line.   Reporter Claire Simms is heading to the stores to do a preview of what’s new and different for the Friday sales.

Reporter Max WInitz is checking on the Christmas tree supply and following up on a Silver Alert involving a missing Wilmington man.

We’re also making plans for tomorrow’s coverage.  It is traditionally, along with New Year’s Day, about the slowest news day of the year.

If you have tips or suggestions (not about the turkey..can’t help you there), email them to me at jhanchett@wect.com

Obama at Lunchtime

Good morning.  Barack Obama names his core group of economic advisors at noon today.  We’ll be carrying that announcement live.  I’m anchoring the noon newscast which may get quite truncated by the Obama announcement.

Reporter Laura Sinacori is headed over to the funeral home for the service for Myia Shepherd, the woman killed in the crash on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge last week.

Reporter Gavin Johnson is head to Pender County.  He’s working up a story on turkey manure and why not everybody wants to smell it.  He’s also checking in with a woman who is tending for dozens of baby squirrels.  Gavin just got off the phone, make it 42 squirrels.  That’s nuts.  (sorry..won’t say that on the air).

Reporter Claire Simms is working on a couple of holiday shopping-related stories.  And one of our photographers is just getting back from Cape Fear Academy where students have put together a monumental effort to feed the hungry.

That’s a look at the day ahead here.

As for what’s going on over at the Star News…here’s Si Cantwell’s blog..

http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news09

Sick of the Weather

It’s a sick day today for scores of children.  Strep throat is apparently sweeping through local schools with the victims packing into pediatricians’ offices.  New Hanover High School’s football team has been hit hard with about 8 players in jeopardy of missing out on tonight’s game.

Reporter Joe Keiley is on the strep patrol for us.   Joe has just shot some pictures at hair salon in downtown Wilmington that was badly vandalized overnight.  We’re trying to get that on our noon newscast.

Sports anchor Bob Bonner is on the football beat, of course.  Both Hoggard and New Hanover play at home tonight so Bob will have his hands full.

We’ve got a couple other stories in the works but it’s too early to say much about them.  Hope you can spend most of the day indoors.  It’s raw out there…

Jim

Heading to Tampa

Just heard the scanner traffic from the airport.  Allegiant’s first flight to Tampa/St. Pete has taken off from ILM.  We sent reporter Laura Sinacori flying out the door to document the first trip and I can’t say for sure whether she got there in time to do it.

Also on today’s news agenda, reporter Gavin Johnson is at a Carolina Beach diner getting reaction to today’s Great American Smokeout and then he’ll head over to the UNCW women’s basketball game at noon.  It’s a special day for hundreds of elementary school children who are attending the game and enjoying other activities with UNCW athletes.

We’re also working on a follow-up to yesterday’s crash on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.  The mother of the victim just graciously sent us a photo of the victim and you should find that in another spot on this site.

Later tonight, the New Hanover County School Board meets for a redistricting session and to reveal their latest map.  Reporter Claire Simms will be on top of that in the evening newscasts.

That’s a fast look at the newsroom this morning.  Cold as it is here, sure wish I was on that plane winging south.

Jim