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This was a fun shoot. I got to go to Atlantic Beach and meet Betty Bissett. She moonlights as a dog sitter for extra cash. She was a sweet Southern Belle! And even made my dog, Smarty, some homemade doggy treats!

Covering John Edwards

Couldn't they have at least gotten my name right?!
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/generalities/the_travails_of_a_field_producer_91288.asp



The Travails of a Field Producer
An Associated Press photo from Friday, captioned: "Eva Parts Spero of NBC News, left, attempts to get a dog from former U.S. Sen. John Edwards yard to return home after it came through the fence into the road Friday, Aug. 8, 2008 in Chapel Hill, N.C." (It's actually Eva Parks Spero).



Posted by SteveK 11:22 AM Generalities Email this post 3 Comments

Lucky to be alive!

Car hits man in restaurant in Wilkesboro, NC

July 21: TODAY’s Meredith Vieira talks to Kenny Anderson, a man hit by an SUV while dining in a restaurant.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25780363#25780363

We fell in love with Kenny Anderson. He's lucky to be alive!

tough questions..

During the press conference both Thursday and Friday the family took questions about the case. They asked beforehand that we ask only questions about Nancy, not about her relationship with Brad, details about the custody petition, basically stick to questions about their daughter. Everyone wants to know what they're thinking and how their coping. I believe the press did a good job respecting their wishes and no one crossed the line with questions. I was very nervous but wanted to ask the family if they had a message for the person who did this to their daughter. I held back for a few minutes trying to figure out how in the world I'd ask such a tough question. I tried phrasing it in such a way that they could decline to answer it. I think they felt I was being respectful and they gave the most honest answer I think they could give.
Here's a clip of the question and Garry Rentz and Krista Lister's response.

http://videos.newsobserver.com/index.php?a=player&id=2005711

Day 4 of Covering Nancy Cooper

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,386401,00.html

This one is a little too close to home for me. I don't live very far from where everything is unfolding. Today marks one week since Nancy Cooper went missing. Her body was found late Sunday and identified as her on Tuesday. Police say it’s an "isolated incident." What does that mean? Her husband, Brad Cooper, hasn't been seen or heard from since Tuesday. Their home has been searched and he's been cooperating. Still Police aren't naming him a suspect. They also say no arrests will be made this weekend. Who did it? Where is Brad? Why won’t he talk? His attorney’s spoke at a press conference yesterday and say he’s grieving privately.

It’s very hard to look at Nancy's family when they come in for the Cary Police Press Briefing. I imagine my own mother and father and it breaks my heart to make direct eye contact. There’s a public memorial slated for the public today in Cary. Her family will head home to Canada tomorrow for a memorial there on Wednesday. They’re expected to return on Thursday for another custody hearing on Friday.

Another Soldier..another sad day.

Can someone please tell me what's wrong here in North Carolina?? This marks the 3rd soldier to be murdered since the first of the year.

Jan 11: Maria Lauterbach
Camp Lejeune Marine who was 8 months pregnant found burned to death in the backyard of a fellow marine whom she was having an affair with is accused of her murder. He was captured in Mexico and awaits extradition. NC won’t seek the death penalty to ensure he’s brought back to the US.
June 22: Megan Touma
She was a dental specialist with the US Army at Fort Bragg, who was also 7 months pregnant. She had just returned home from a tour in Germany and was found dead in her hotel bathroom. No one has yet to be charged in her death.

July 13: Holly Wimunc
She was a Marine nurse 2nd Lt from Ft. Bragg who went missing. A fire had been set at her apartment and she along with her husband went missing. Family and friends said they were having marital problems, but no one should be worried for her safety. They found her burned body over 90 miles away in Sneads Ferry, NC. That’s about 20 miles form Camp Lejeune. Her husband and his friend are charged with her murder. Her husband could face the death penalty under NC Law.

You can’t lump these stories together because they are all so unique but what is going on?

I got the call at 6:30 am Monday to head to Sneads Ferry for FNC. I ended up heading back to Jacksonville and got to meet up with my buddy, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown. Sad story that felt a lot like the Lauterbach case. From Jacksonville I headed up to Fayetteville early Tuesday to cover the first court appearance. I got to sit in the courtroom and see the judge charge both men with her murder. It was creepy.

I just don’t understand how someone can kill the mother of their children. Haven't people heard of divorce?? What is wrong with people?

The Zodiac Killer Strikes Fayetteville, NC

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25461596/

Pretty creepy stuff. This marks the 2nd soldier killed here in NC since Jan 2008. I'm so sick of these stories. This one is pretty darn creepy. Apparently the killer used the zodiac moniker on the bathroom mirror. They also sent a letter to the Fayetteville Observer.

When you're out covering stories like this..you draw a rather unique crowd. You'll have people dying to jump in the back of your live shot. They'll be waving and smiling while you're describing a horrible story. I want to yell at them and tell them how stupid they look but I don't. we’ll also get people come to where we are and ask why we only come to cover the bad stories in their town. I want to tell them, tell the bad stories to quit happening so we don’t have to come cover them!

We had this guy come over and ask us what we thought about this story. We told him jokingly that journalists have no opinions on the stories they cover. We asked him what he thought and he said “as a fellow journalist, I guess I can’t have opinions.” He claimed to be a reporter from a paper I’ve never heard of. He went on to say that the zodiac killer didn’t think “highly enough” of his paper to send them the letter. He seemed like a real know it all type so I tried not to make direct contact with him. Another trick I’ve learned in the field is to ignore these nuts at all costs so I don’t get trapped in a conversation with them.

He finally grabbed my attention when he asked us if we knew that the satellite coordinates of Cross Creek Mall resembled the Zodiac Killers moniker. The Mall is a place located a few miles from where Touma was found.


View Larger Map

It’s the sign of the Zodiac Killer, a circle with an X. He also said the Zodiac Killer liked killing near places with names of water: Cross Creek Mall? Now either we were bored out of our minds…or this freak was onto something.

SPECIAL REPORT WITH BRIT HUME

I'm very happy with how the piece turned out. It was sad to interview Maj. Baugess' wife. But comforting to see that his life is living on in her. There's still a war going on and we need to remember those who keep us safe.

Friend or Foe?
"Assassination' of Maj. Baugess by Pakistani soldier highlights difficulty in knowing whom to trust in War on Terror

'Assassination' of Maj. Bauguess by Pakistani soldier highlights difficulty in... knowing whom to trust in War on Terrorhttp://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=1832965&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,47667,00.html

Heading to Fayetteville..

I dont know what the deal is with murdered pregnant women here in NC..and pregnant soldiers at that!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,371141,00.html
But I'm not heading to Fayetteville for that story..I'm heading there for this, which is equally as sad.

On May 15, 2007 there was a mysterious shooting at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Major Larry Bauguess, a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne, was brokering a tripartite meeting between Pakistanis and Afghans to ease tension on the border in Pakistan's tribal areas. As they turned to board their helicopter he was shot and killed by a Pakistani Frontier soldier. Fox News will profile Bauguess by talking to his wife and then use this incident to explain the complexities of the Pak/Afghan border region. A GAO report from this week determined we give more money (billions) to Pakistan to fight the GWOT and in return we have got fighters spilling into Afghanistan and frontier soldiers killing our men. Dan McNeill, outgoing ISAF commander, said that assaination will stick with him and demonstrated how difficult it will be to control this region in the future.

Pain at the pump.

Getting a call at 2pm to be in Durham by 3..is nothing too unusal. Getting across town to feed tape before showtime..nothing unheard of in our biz. Finding out your the lead story 25 minutes to showtime...PRICELESS.

All in a day's work.

School budgets running on empty
June 23: With record high gas prices, schools across the country are cutting down on school buses, field trips, and even textbooks. CNBC's Trish Regan reports.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/25333552#25333552

Twins tip scale at 23 pounds

While I'm staring at Air Force One, I get a call from the Atlanta Bureau asking if I'm available for a shoot on Saturday for Weekend Today. Apparently a woman in Winston Salem had given birth to twins weighing in at 23 pounds!

I got released from POTUS (President of the United States) coverage around 7:30pm. I had to pick up my husband from the airport at 8:30 and desperately needed dinner. I finally got into bed around 10:30. When the alarm went off at 3:30 am, I began to question the assignment. It only took an hour and a half to get to Winston. Driving that early can be rough, but your so pumped to get there pure adrenaline keeps you awake.

Setting up people to be interviewed can be rather tricky. You never know how they'll be. Sometimes they freeze up on camera and are a tough interview. This family was a true gem. They were super nice and great for TV. The dad was hilarious. The twins looked like they were 2 or 3 months old and not new born! The family also said they had no clue twins ran in their family! The dad has a long history of twins. Mom didnt seem pleased ;)

They are healthy and got to go home to start their lives. I wish them the best.

Here's the story details:

Twins tip scale at 23 pounds
June 21: Doctors consider 7-and-a-half pounds to be the average size of a healthy newborn. NBC's Lester Holt and Amy Robach speak with Joey and Erin Maynard, the proud parents of twins, who together, weigh in at 23 pounds, one-ounce.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25300767#25300767

Air Force One

Being able to say you've actually seen the President in person is pretty cool (This is actually my second time!)..But being able to see Air Force One, that by far takes the cake! I couldn't get over how big it is! All the media seemed much more impressed with AF1 than the President himself...we're all so jaded!

A Presidential Wave

This one is for mom!

Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I truly feel like one lucky gal!

Thinking good thoughts

Sometimes I feel really bad covering such saddness.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gNDIXzKvyoGpfOSCYkzQg0thsDvgD912QEMO0

The circus began camping out Monday morning monitoring any movements. I heard one of the camera crew saying we were "on death watch." It sort of made me mad because I guess technically we were, but I just don't think we should phrase it that way. I feel like a lot of what I do is thriving on people's saddness and misery. But I'm thinking good thoughts. The surgery went well and he's home recovering with friends and family!
A happy ending so far...

ONE WILD RIDE

A day in the life of a sleepy producer..

Late Tuesday NBC called and asked if I could do a Today Show Live shot from Kill Devil Hills Wednesday morning. I left the house at 8pm, got to the beach by midnight. woke up at 4am for a 7:30 liveshot! On my way back to Raleigh ABC News called and asked if I could head to Wilmington, NC. It was 1pm, I got to Wilmington by 4. Had Dinner at 6, then they decided the story wasn't panning out so they sent me home. Got home at 8:30...in bed by 9. ONE WILD RIDE...But I'm still smiling..

Here is a link to the story for NBC. We were with the family in Kill Devil Hills. Hero cop survives runaway car May 21: Police officer Jason Sakowski tells TODAY's Meredith Vieira about his ordeal of being struck by an out-of-control car as he pushed a woman to safety.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24757014/

NC PRIMARY

Covering the NC Primary

ABC News hired me to interview voters as they exited the polls and see who they voted for and why. Most everyone we talked to said they voted for Obama. No suprise he took the state. While trolling for voters we stumbled across Jordan Lynch at Pullen Park. Jordan is blind and was the first voter in his precinct to use a special machine that allowed him to vote by himself! It was very cool to see how excited Jordan was about being able to cast his vote. Our competition...my former employer, WRAL captured the moment!
http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/image/2840796/

A soldier's return to squalor

NIGHTLY NEWS

I got to go to Fort Bragg and interview the Brigadier General Arthur M. Bartell. I've never felt so much pressure and stress. While touring the barracks and interviewing the soliders I had an audience of 20+ soliders. Disecting everything I said. Talk about pressure. To make matters worse I was under a tight deadline. After the shoot I had to haul back to Raleigh to feed the tape. Fort Bragg is almost 2 hours away! I left the base around 4pm. I clocked myself going around 90mph...kept reminding myself if I got pulled over it would be the end of the piece! Finally rolled into NBC 17 around 5:40. Was only able to feed in one soundbyte from BG Bartell. I felt bad that we didnt get to show that the repairs had been made to the barracks.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24512102/
April 30: When Sgt. Jeff Frawley returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan to deplorable living conditions in the Fort Bragg, N.C., barracks, his outraged father went public with the story. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.

AMF

WEEKEND TODAY SHOW
This was a sad story with a postive ending. David Fajgenbaum is an amazing person! I hope he continues to inspire!
Student helps others dealing with loss

April 19: When this college freshman's mother was diagnosed with cancer, he decided to help others by forming a support group for students dealing with the illness or loss of a loved one.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/2421366324213663

That day the weather was quite gloomy that day. While we were interviewing one of the students the sun finally peeked through the clouds. I looked up and felt like David's mom, Anne Marie was smiling upon us. I was inspired to take this photo and had it framed. Its now hangs in my dining room and reminds me how precious life can be and now matter what bad comes in your direction, something good can always come from it.

Only in TV..

Do I get to wake up at 4am and hang out with John and Elizabeth Edwards. I got to their house around 5:30am...I can only dream to have a home like that someday! Elizabeth was so friendly and so down to earth. She was cracking jokes at 6am and even gave us a tour of some of the house. They have an amazing fireplace with stonework that can be seen on the other side in the restroom. Right before she went on air John Edwards came out and sipped on OJ. He even introduced himself! These people are cool. I even played with their 3 dogs.

Here's a link to the story.


Elizabeth Edwards one-on-one
April 2: The wife of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards challenges John McCain's heath care plan in an interview with NBC's Meredith Vieira.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23914511#23914511

When the media...cover the media.

I worked for Fox News Channel covering this gruesome story in Jacksonville, NC.

http://www.jdnews.com/articles/laurean_54356___article.html/lauterbach_brown.html

The creepy part was when they found the suspects car less than 2 miles from my house. I spoke to the Sheriff and its quite possible that while I was driving down to cover the story, he was probably heading to Morrisville to dump his truck. We may have passed each other on the road.



While covering the story I made the cover of the local paper. See the red hat in the center of the photo? That's me.

JDNEWS.COM

It was so cold on this story that we all had to load up on new gear at Walmart and The Gap. I ended up buying 3 new hats and kept them in a rotation. Everyone kept wondering what hat I'd be wearing that day.