"City invites you to be a girder gazer"

2/22/08: Colorado Springs, CO - Hey... check it out.

From the City website:

Become a Cimarron Bridge girder gazer
Starting at 7 a.m. each day, except Sunday, from Friday, Feb. 22 through at least Feb. 27 (depending on weather, resources, and railroad availability) the new Cimarron Street Bridge will be easier to envision as crews begin placing the 48 concrete girders that will support the bridge deck. This marks a major milestone in the project and is one of the most impressive parts of construction. The public is invited to view the work in progress from the south end of America the Beautiful Park where bleachers will be available. Some fun facts:
- For the east and west spans of the Cimarron Bridge each girder is 85 feet long and 70,402 pounds (approximately 35 tons).
- The center span girders are each 109 feet long and 86,587 pounds (approximately 43 tons).
- The 300-ton capacity crane installing these girders weighs 158,353 pounds (approximately 79 tons) and is currently the largest crane in the state of Colorado.

I did a bit of gazing this afternoon after I got back from my short trip to California. Here's a few pics...

Photos by News Blab

They put up some bleachers for gazing in America the Beautiful park, but they are a bit too far away to get a real good look...  but I guess they had to put them on City property.  I made my way a little closer for my pic taking, though.

"Pismo Beach fun facts"

2/21/08: Pismo Beach, CA - Did you know?

John Madden met Virginia Madden at...

... Harry's Bar in Pismo Beach

Clam chowder is probably the most eaten food on the Pismo Beach Pier

You can get a $100 fine for feeding the birds on Pismo Beach Pier

Sea life can be easily seen...

...when the tide goes out under the pier

Pier maintenance helps keep tourists from falling through the pier

On some days there is only a lone fisherman at the end of the pier

"Within a matter of seconds"

2/20/08: Colorado Springs, CO - So... who was first, with the correct verdict read?  This is still a matter of debate via the "Got a tip?" form.  I've received numerous inputs.

KRDO TV was said to have been first to air the correct verdict since they had a LIVE feed setup right outside the courtroom where it was read.

On the radio side, KZNT is said to have aired the correct verdict when Newstalk 1460 reporter Molly Schmitt text messaged Joe Myers, from inside the courtroom, the second the verdict was announced, and he got on the air, breaking into their regular show and then going back to it. Knowing Joe and Molly, I find this a creditable claim.  I've seen Molly covering many of the local stories, even when no other news radio stations were in sight.

I guess, in this market, ratings do not always reflect the quality of a news product...  There is much the general public never sees or knows when they vote on those ratings forms.

UPDATE: Okay... now I've received a tip that KOAA announced the verdict before KRDO, as Jon Karroll was still talking about, "when the verdict is reached". Since I did not see the LIVE announcements, I was outside the courthouse, I have no idea who is giving me the straight scoop.  Whose claim is correct?

"News Blabbing across the country"

2/19/08: Got some newsie pictures you want to share with News Blab readers? Just attached them to an e-mail and send them to news@newsblab.com  I'll post them here!

For today's installment of "News Blabbing across the country", here are a few pics from the West Coast, Pismo Beach to be exact.  KCOY reporter Sara Cole conducts an interview with Mayor Mary Ann Reiss at the Pismo Beach pier.

Photos special for News Blab from M. S.

"KKTV names new News Director?"

2/18/08: Colorado Springs, CO - I received the below tip via my anonymous "Got a tip?" form.

If this is true, which I am guessing it is since it looks like some sort of CU press release or something, then KKTV may soon be advertising for an assistant News Director since it appears Liz Haltiwanger, who WAS the assistant ND... may be KKTV's newest ND.

From the "Got a tip?" form:

CU Alumni News - Liz Haltiwanger ('02) started producing at KKTV in Colorado Springs the year after graduation. She soon moved from producing the 5:30 p.m. newscast to producing the 10 p.m. show and then became the assistant news director. Liz who has now been named news director at KKTV may be one of the youngest in the country. She replaces Nick Matesi who left KKTV for web sales at a Gray Television affiliate in Omaha Nebraska.

"News Blab reader wants to know,

where was KKTV?"

2/18/08: Colorado Springs, CO - Somebody asked a question via the "Got a tip?" form, wondering why they didn't see KKTV in any of the photos of the media interviewing the defense team or lone juror?

Well... I guess they were elsewhere when that was going on, but I did get some video of them outside the courthouse, so they were there.  Here's some stills from that video.

On the south side, outside the courthouse.

Getting video of me... getting video of them?

Three KKTV reporters on the east side, across from the courthouse.

"A few more photos... after dark"

2/18/08: Colorado Springs, CO - Here are a few more media photos from Friday's verdict announcement coverage.

Photos by News Blab

The DA media person talks with the media about a scheduled DA news conference.

Discussions abound.

KRDO photojournalist Isaac Blancas and reporter/anchor Eric Singer had just

2 1/2 minutes before an unscheduled LIVE shot.

They hustled....

...and got everything set up just in time.

Wow... a new world record... and I got to witness some impressive work.

And as a special treat...

... I got to meet the lovely and talented, Heather Skold.

"Neither rain, nor snow, nor foamy substance..."

2/18/08: Colorado Springs, CO - ... shall keep them from their appointed duty; delivering the news.

And all four TV news stations delivered that news in the form of video of the early AM story about the foamy substance found coming out of a package at the main post office on Fountain Blvd., this morning.

Wow... all the stations (KRDO, KOAA, KKTV, KXRM) got a crew out there at such an early hour.  Kudos to all of you!