Local news embarrassment

I turned on the local news from Charlotte, NC today and the weather report was on. We are getting hit by a big winter storm. And it has been forecasted for a week with lots of specific warnings, etc.

So the weather man says that if you are stuck in your car, "do not get out of you car because it is dangerous."

Not 20 minutes later the station goes live to the scene of a road where people in cars are stuck in traffic for MILES! A woman reporter is shown--wait for it!--walking in the road to go interview people stopped in their cars ... as in walking in the road between cars to interview people!

You just cannot make this stuff up.

And then ... eventually ... station management asks her NOT to walk out into traffic! Um, duh!

What did the reporter ask the motorists? "Did you expect this?"

And they said, "No."

Incredible.

For local news, nothing is as dependable as ...

CRIME!

See?

Crime Reports Every Wednesday; Weekly Police Reports from Around the High Country; Aug. 31 to Sept. 10

‘Crime of the Week’ – Sex Toys and More Stolen from Night Secrets on Sept. 4, Public Assistance Sought

Do people read it?

Does it make our lives better?

Does it help us understand some grand problem facing us?

What exactly is the point of this?

Is this really my lovely little mountain town?

So says the news it is:

UPDATE: Man Injured in Watauga Shooting
The Watauga Sheriff’s Office has identified the gunshot victim from an incident reported last night in far western Watauga County, an incident described to responding law enforcement as accidental.  The call came in at 9pm Full Story

Watauga Commission Issues Proclamation for Fallen Deputy
The Watauga Commissioners formerly thanked the family of Deputy William Mast Jr. for his giving of his life in service to his county—commission chair Nathan Miller, “Whereas on the morning of July 26th, 2012, deputies from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office Full Story


UPDATE: Man Airlifted After Found Bleeding from Neck Wound
The man stabbed and airlifted from a landing zone set up in the middle of US 421 at the Blue Ridge Parkway overpass at about noon yesterday is still not identified, but Parkway Rangers say the man is stable today at Carolinas Medical Center. (video at: http://www.youtube.com/user/GoBlueRidgeNews ) Full Story

Ashe Meth House Busted; Two Children Inside
A meth lab—and children exposed to the dangerous chemicals—that’s what Narcotics Detectives of the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by Jefferson Police Department, discovered early this morning.  The discovery led to the arrest of Full Story

Arrest Made in Meat Camp Stabbing
The Watauga Sheriff’s Office released the name of the woman charged and the man stabbed in an incident early last Thursday morning in Meat Camp. Wendy Melissa Miller, 38, was originally held without bond after being charged Full Story

Crimestoppers, Avery SO Nab SuspectsCrimestoppers helped find another man wanted in a number of area counties. July 28th Avery County Sheriff’s Officers received information about the location of twenty one year old Calvin Cook.  Officers relayed the information Full Story

 

UPDATE: 108 Arrests, 258 Charges at Gnarnia FestThe North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement office out of Conover released information about arrests made over the weekend at the Gnarnia Festival in Beech Mountain. A total of 108 individuals face 258 charges, including cocaine, Full Story

Crimestoppers Seeks Two Suspects
Crimestoppers is helping the Avery Sheriff’s Office in looking for two suspects. Forty two year old Douglas Ray Turbyfill is wanted in Guilford and Avery County on outstanding warrants, and also has outstanding charges in Carter County Tennessee. Full Story

 See, nothing good ever happens here, or at least so says the news.

How the local news works

If you pay attention, you see it every day. This is how the local news works.

First, you find a local crime story (or regional one if a local one is not available, and if that fails, a national one that is random or bizarre or that involves a young, white, female victim).

This will do:

Cops shoot man dead — at wrong address

Officers looking for an attempted murder suspect knock on the wrong door, with tragic results. 'Bizarre' circumstances

Then you link it to any other stories that are similar in any way, such as:

Deadly Toronto shooting

Gang leader escapes jail

Sheriff Joe’s challenge

And then you run them, all together.

See the link? Story one is about a tragic shooting. Story two is also about a shooting. The two have nothing to do with each other, but since they share the word "shooting" you go with it.

People that shoot others can go to jail. So you run the third story because it has the word "jail" in it. Finally, story four deals with a Sheriff who runs a famous jail, so you can run that, too.

It is sad, but it is in the news every day, just like this. And people are constantly bombarded with this news, thinking the world is a much meaner and scarier place than it really is.

Local stories lack context

Check it out. In today's local news from the Watauga Democrat, there are NO stories about street crime, other than a tax refund scam (which is a form of fraud but not like that committed by elites!).

But in these stories, there is no context provided. For example, how widespread is the crime? And what is the risk of being a victim?

Further, with regard to one of the other stories, why are gas prices going up? And what can be done about it, if anything? Silence on this issue.

• Beware tax refund scam, phishing attempt
• Watauga County budget process cranks up
• Gas prices expected to rise
• School board, commissioner filings heat up
• NCDOT explores possibility of new road in Boone

As for GoBlueRidge.net ... SIGH!

The crime of the week is a hit and run by one car against another car in a parking lot!

And there are missing kids?

And another man was arrested?

And a bunch of sports.

So that is pretty much all that happens in Boone.

As for that polluted water story, there is also no context provided. Why? And what can be done about it?

Crickets!

Crime of the Week from ARH PoliceWatauga County Crimestoppers and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System Police seek the public’s assistance in solving the following crime: On the afternoon of Tuesday February 21st at around 3:30 p.m., a silver Toyota Avalon was struck by an unknown vehicle in the parking lot of the Watauga Medical Center. Full Story   Missing Children Found OKThere were moments of panic for a Zionville mother just as dark approached last night, realizing that her two children were missing. Emergency crews from Watauga Emergency Management, Watauga Rescue, Zionville Fire, and the Watauga Search and Rescue Team were called in around 6 last evening Full Story   Input Asked as Impaired Waters List ReleasedNorth Carolina Division of Water Quality has released its biannual list of “impaired” waterways as mandated in the federal Clean Water Act of 1972. While the lists of impaired creeks and rivers is long the further east you go in the state, there are a number of waterways listed as impaired in the High Country. Full Story   Blowing Rock Construction UpdateAn update on the construction on US 321 through Blowing Rock: Crews continue to clear along  the path as part of the widening project. The majority of work is taking place along “Area I,” which is the U.S. 321 business corridor from the U.S. 321/North Main Street intersection at Shoppes on the Parkway Full Story   Mountain City Man Arrested on NC CountsA Mountain City man was arrested while visiting someone in a Johnson City hospital, charged with being a fugitive from justice on North Carolina warrants.  According to reports from the Johnson City Police Department, their officers caught up with Joshua Pate, 35, of 611 South Church Street, Mountain City Saturday night Full Story

Ivey Joins ASU Coaching StaffFootballscoop.com, the premier source for coaching jobs, is reporting that head coach Jerry Moore has added another assistant coach to his staff. Mike Ivey will coach the outside linebackers and special teams. Ivey is the head coach at Barron Collier High School in Florida. and is an Full Story   Gas Goin' Higher...It’s all too reminiscent—gas prices crossing $3.70.  It was last spring—April and May—that regular gas pushed across that threshold, finally peaking at about  $3.85 in early May before falling back.  Want some good news? Crude is down a buck in early trading today. Full Story   UPDATED: ASU Takes Series from No. 7 LSU with 11-1 Rout  Appalachian State University sent shockwaves through the college-baseball world on Sunday with a series-clinching 11-1 rout over No. 7 LSU at Alex Box Stadium. With the blowout victory, Appalachian (4-2) took 2-of-3 games from the seventh-ranked Tigers, marking the program’s first-ever three-game series win Full Story   Wineberg Wins State TitleJosh Wineberg, who signed his National Letter of Intent to play football at Western Carolina University on February 1, closed out his high school career in a big way Saturday night. The Ashe County High senior Full Story   Arrowood, Hyatt Blank No. 7 LSU, 1-0Ryan Arrowood (Rutherfordton, N.C./R-S Central) and Nathan Hyatt (Brevard, N.C./Brevard) combined on a three-hit shutout and Daniel Kassouf’s (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) solo home run in the fourth inning proved to be the only scoring Appalachian State University baseball needed in a Full Story

All that matters in Boone: Crime and sports

You can see it from the local news, every single day. They are the only two issues that are covered here.

What does this say about us as a people that we either: a) only care about these issues; or b) care about other issues but don't demand that the local media cover them?!?!?!

GoBlueRidge.Net

Vigils Planned, Search Continues for DaraTwo vigils, one planned for Mount Pleasant and one for Boone, will be held for those expressing their love and concern for Dara Lee Watson and the Watson family. The Boone vigil is at 7pm on King Street, where friends and anyone interested can express themselves by bringing a note, picture,Full Story Mabel Community Thanked for Water Crisis ResponseSuperintendent, Dr. Dick Jones, opened Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting by expressing thanks to many people for their response to the concern over potentially contaminated water at Mabel Elementary School.Full Story UPDATE: Surveillance Photos Released in Boone Business Break-InBoone investigators converged on the scene of the Gold & Closeout Connection on East King Street where a smash and grab type of break-in occurred this morning. The alarm sounded there at 3:28 this morning with the front door forced, and police were on the scene within two minutes,Full Story ASU Adds Two Assistant Coaches Appalachian State University football head coach Jerry Moore announced on Thursday that Dwayne Ledford and Bryan Brown have officially joined the ASU staff as assistant coaches. Ledford will serve as Appalachian’s offensive line coach and Brown will be an assistant coachFull Story

Your local news in Boone

See? Even in Boone, NC, it's all about crime.

Here are your top stories:

GoBlueRidge.Net

Lenoir Teen Arrested in Assault on Two Boone WomenBoone Police have charged a Lenoir man in that Saturday morning assault of two women, followed from the lot of the Cook Out restaurant on Blowing Rock Road. In what the police release call “a notable assault incident,” Ketoine Jamahl Mitchell, 19 of Lenoir,Full Story Watson Search Continues in Two AreasThere was a two-front search for Dara Lee Watson yesterday, an effort at the property she shared with fiancé David Hedrick, and in the Francis Marion National Forest, where her GMC SUV was found just over a week ago. Other details surfaced yesterday, like that friends arriving at Hedrick’s house in Mount PleasantFull Story Guns Taken in Early Morning Boone Break-InBoone investigators converged on the Gold & Closeout store on East King Street where a smash and grab type of break-in occurred this morning. The alarm sounded there at 3:28 this morning, and police were on the scene within two minutes,Full Story SECOND Fire Set at Old WHS Overnight; Three ChargedA second fire was apparently set at the Old Watauga High early this morning, and three suspects have been arrested and charged. Watauga deputies and Boone Police responded at 1:13 to 400 High School DriveFull Story   Smile! You've been arrested!

But ... but ... but Boone is a really nice place to live

Local news today?

Guns, crime, crime, sports, car wreck, crime, car wreck, crime, missing man, car crash.

Is all that happens here?

No, lots of great stuff happens here, but the media generally fail to discuss it.

GoBlueRidge.Net

Ashe Commissioners Deal with Gun Issue“There will come a day, a point in time, when that frog is cooked, and all our rights and all our freedoms and all our liberties are going to be gone, folks,” comments made by Ashe County Commissioner, Gerald Price, in support of a motion he had made to not ban the carrying of concealed weapons on county property. Full Story   Two Arrests in Mountain City Double MurderTwo arrests have been made by Tennessee authorities, a week to the day after a Mountain City Couple were found dead in their home—their son still unharmed in his mother’s arms.  The arrests were made this morning, according to WCYB, saying Jamie Curd and Marvin Potter Junior are in custody facing two charges of first degree murder. Full Story   Two Asheville Teens, Driver Charged in 1st Degree BurglaryBoone Police have made three arrests—two in connection with an early-morning break-in at a Sunset Drive home—and a driver.  19-year olds Grant Weldon Gousby and Owen Dean Alspaugh Jr., both of Ashville were arrested and charged with one count each of first degree burglary. Full Story   Presley, Quick Invited To NFL CombineAthlete DeAndre Presley and wide receiver Brian Quick of Appalachian State University head a list of 22 Football Championship Sub-Division players that have been invited to the National Football League Scouting Combine Full Story   Another Wreck Just South of Blowing RockInjuries were called in with a crash on US 321 on the south end of Blowing Rock last night, but no one was transported after Watauga Medics arrived at the scene along with Blowing Rock Fire/Rescue.  The crash was said to have been just a short distance south of the Green Park Inn Full Story

Early Morning Burglary Yields Boone ArrestsDetails are still being derived as Boone Police have a first degree burglary—a serious felony—under investigation this morning.  Officers and detectives followed a trail of goods stolen in the break-in along Sunset Drive just off NC 105 Extension through the early morning darkness, and have taken suspects into custody. Full Story   Foggy Crash in Deep GapThick fog lead to a two-vehicle crash in front of Blue Ridge Diner in Deep Gap this morning late in the 8 ‘o clock hour.  Injuries were initially reported in the crash, but the state patrol said no one was transported from the scene.  Trooper Collier cited a driver trying to turn left across the south-bound lane Full Story   Boone Ford Break-In; B&E's Continue in BooneAnother business break-in was  filed with the Boone Policed Department—the second recent break-in at Boone Ford Lincoln Mercury, and incident that occurred sometime between February 3rd and 4th.  It was reported that the unknown suspect(s) made entry in several offices taking an undisclosed amount of cash. Full Story   Avery Searchers Locate Missing ManAvery authorities quickly mounted a search late yesterday afternoon after a 72-year old man left a Grandfather Golf & Country Club residence and disappeared.  The man, suffering some sort of dementia, was missed by family within five minutes of his leaving the home, and within 20 minutes, Full Story   Three Injuries in Late Saturday Afternoon AccidentsSeveral injuries came in late Saturday afternoon traffic accidents, with three transported by medics.  An Ashe County woman backed out of her Island Ford Road home and into the waters of the New River.  The emergency call indicated she was trapped in the vehicle, but as first responders arrived, Full Story

The "local news" at 4pm

This is why I don't watch the local news ...

Channel 36, NBC from Charlotte, at 4pm, which they declared to be "news you need to know" ...

Top stories:

1) Super Bowl champs return home (this is relevant for us because???). Perhaps this is due to the fact that NBC carried the Super Bowl?

2) Man walks into Wal Mart, steals a flat screen TV that was on display ... they showed his picture and said "We need your help finding this man."

3) Fatal accident, charges pending. Story includes video from the scene.

4) Man on bike exposes himself while riding the bike!

5) Speaking of sex offenders! Did you know there is a new APP for your phone that allows you to search for sex offenders in your area, and even can alert you via text messages if you sign up? We'll show you how later in the news!

6) Water line breaks, causing a major delay in the local courts! People show up only to be turned away. Angry woman with poor English skills expresses frustration.

7) "More unrest in the Middle East." True (Syria) but relevant for the local news?

8) Riot at UMASS after Patriots lose Super Bowl. Police come out, use tear gas. And this is news because?

9) Speaking of the Super Bowl, the ratings show it was the most watched show even on US TV!

10) Man loses hundreds of pounds, we'll show you how!

11) Quick weather update, more coming later.

So I think you get the point. This is where I turned it off, 15 minutes in.

Only thing left -- weather, sports, feel good story.

Did I feel more informed? Nope. So what is the point of the "news?"

Looking at today's top stories ...

These are the top stories from Yahoo News. Notice the latter three stories are unique to my state and thus come from North Carolina news sources. You Yahoo News will specialize the top (crime) stories from your area (Yay!).

Of the top 9 stories, 4 specifically deal with crime. They are bolded below.

• Iran starts moving uranium centrifuges to bunker
• Karl Rove predicts Sarah Palin will make presidential run
• Jobless total exceeds population of all but four states
• Rep. Maxine Waters attacks the tea party
• Pennsylvania woman fatally shot at gun shop, police say
• U.S. won’t deport man who is married to an male citizen
• Charlotte man charged in Lincoln County- Charlotte Observer
• Police investigating rash of water meter thefts- WCNC
• Police: Drunk driver with 3 children in…- Rock Hill He…

 Four of nine is 44%! Crime pays, at least for the news.

Local TV news: It's killing us

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a 478-page report warning that local television news coverage is suffering due to a greater emphasis on sensationalistic, tabloid-style reporting.

"The stations are generally pumping up the volume of news while reducing staff, and give short shrift to serious topics like education, health care, and government," noted the FCC report, according to the web site paidContent. "The [FCC] report cites a TV news study by the Annenberg School of Communications that found such hard news topics took up a little over one minute in a 30-minute news broadcast. While coverage of city government withers, crime news proliferates. And the report notes the disturbing trend of 'pay-for-play' arrangements, as well as the airing of 'video press releases' masquerading as news."

Now there is a novel (a form of media) out that captures what can happen in such a world.

Death by Deadline is written by Larry Kane, a 40-year veteran of the news business and an Emmy Awarding-winning news anchor in Philadelphia and other major markets.

I say check it out.

But before you do, consider what is already happening to us all in this media world where crime dominates and serious issues are ignored.

People are afraid.

Turn on the news at any time and you'll see bad news, crime news, disaster news, disorder news. Reporters move from one such story to the next, without any effort to provide any greater context, leaving the viewer with the sense that the world is ending and that there is no good in it.

And we're getting dumber.

Without serious discussion of important issues, Americans get less informed every year. And thus politics turns into a shouting match between parties so uninformed about the issues that there is not even a chance of reasoning rationally with them.

And we blame the education system for this problem. The fault may also be with the media.

http://www.truth-out.org/can-out-control-local-news-kill-people/1313673998

Top news stories in your local area?

Here are the top news stories in our local area right now, from the Watauga Democrat:

News

• No injuries in Boone collision
• Vehicle leads Boone police on chase
• Motorcycle wreck sends man to hospital
• Sheriff's office warns of scam
• Deputies arrest Tenn. man accused of assault, theft

Five stories, all bad.

Collision.
Police chase/crime.
Wreck.
Scam/crime.
Assault and theft/crime.

So you can understand maybe why people are so mad right now, and so afraid, and so worried.



But there is good news here, too. And lots of people doing great things.

Yet, none of it is in the paper right now.

As explained in the book, the media focus mostly on bad news, crime making up a significant portion of that. Apparently that is what sells, so they keep reporting it.

But I'm not buying it. So at least I am not part of the problem.

What is happening to my town? Crime in Boone

We went out of town this weekend to the beach. Apparently it is a good thing we did, since Boone was struck by a crime spree of sorts.

Now Boone has always had crime. But things have gotten so much worse as the town has developed and grown, as would be predicted by anomie theory.

As a former Chief of Boone Police Department once told me, "Wal Mart is the worst thing that ever happened to Boone."

Wal Mart came to Boone about 15 years ago. That led to the further development of Boone, including the paving of a whole side of town. Gone are the local businesses and one of kind restaurants. Now present are the chain restaurants and hotels and miles and miles of hot pavement. Developers even flattened part of a mountain above all this to put in some apartments, so the pavement literally goes up to the sky.

Now that side of Boone--"NEW BOONE"-- is like "anywhere USA."

And now, you can find the same things in Boone that you can find anywhere else in the USA.

Guess what this includes? Crime.

Here is what happened in Boone while we were gone.

Robbery-Assault in BooneBoone Police yesterday investigated the robbery and assault of a man near Boone Mall.  The 6pm incident was near the bus stop that uses the mall lot for passengers.  Police found the victim near the front of the mall, suffering some injuries from the assault, reporting that he had his wallet and other good stolen, but that he struggled to keep his duffle bag, Full Story   Man Slashed in AltercationWatauga Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a disturbance at an area mobile home park from in which a man was slashed in the arm by a knife.  The 9pm altercation was at an address on Hensel’s Lane, Full Story Driver Darkens Perkinsville Boone Police have arrested the driver of a pickup that slammed into a utility pole on Perkinsville Drive yesterday evening.  The suspect fled the scene, but was soon found by officers, who charged Charles Saffer of Boone with a number of counts. Full Story Of course, the media here are as fascinated with crime as they are anywhere else. So this stuff makes the front page of the newspapers and the top stories of local news websites.

Look at all the white people!

... getting arrested!

Frankly, it's a nice change from what is normally in the news. There tends to be far more media coverage of minorities than whites, especially negative coverage pertaining to issues such as crime.

But then, that is what happens in an area as white as Boone, NC.

Man arrested in February receives more charges A man arrested in Boone in February has been charged in connection with several crimes, the Boone Police Department announced Monday.

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Man arrested in connection to wallet, credit card theft A Boone man was arrested Friday in connection with crimes recently reported in Crimestoppers alerts.

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Officers arrest man for meth possession Officers arrested a man for possession of crystal meth last week in the parking lot of the Deep Gap Food Lion, the Watauga County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday.

A look at the local news

Stories in the local paper today are about car crashes, a wallet thief, a marijuana arrest, and another meth arrest.

Yes, there is more, but not much more.

Officers arrest man for meth possession Officers arrested a man for possession of crystal meth last week in the parking lot of the Deep Gap Food Lion, the Watauga County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday.

Marijuana-growing operation seized Authorities seized more than 100 marijuana plants and arrested two suspects after serving search warrants at a duplex off of Adam's Apple Road near the Watauga County line. Officials said the home had one of the most elaborate indoor marijuana-growing systems ever discovered in Avery County.

Crimestoppers seeks wallet thief Watauga County Crimestoppers and the Boone Police Department are seeking information about a wallet theft Friday at Walmart.