Broncho journalists

It was a pleasure to speak to some journalism students in Chuck Herber's class today at Jefferson High School. The students wanted to learn more about job responsibilities in the broadcasting biz. In a small market like ours, anchors do more than just read the news. We all do multiple tasks. Some reporters also produce and shoot video. We hire college graduates. But, you don't have to be a journalism major. Someone with a degree in political science makes a great government reporter.
I shared with the class that our industry is going through a difficult period. Because of the economic downturn, companies are cutting back on advertising. And with less advertising, radio, TV, and newspapers must also cut back. I told them getting a job in journalism will be more competitive than ever before.

Groundhog Day

Monday is Groundhog Day. We will be watching to see if Chuckie Weezer will see her shadow.
In weather lore, if the groundhog sees its shadow, it will return into its burrow and winter will continue for 6 more weeks. If it's cloudy, the the groundhog remains out and Spring is just around the corner.

Chuckie was born in spring of 2006, she was found beside her mom who had been hit by a car and killed. Her eyes had just opened and she was smaller than a can of pop. She has respiratory issues (kind of like asthma) that prevent her from being released into the wild. The volunteers had picked two different names they liked, Chuckles because she made everyone laugh and Wheezer because of her breathing (she wheezes when she plays hard) so we combined them to name her Chuckie-Wheezer.

Our crew will be out at the Wildcat Wildlife Center on Monday to get Chuckie's prediction. Stay tuned--and let's hope for an early spring!

National Girls & Women in Sports Day

I talked to Sharon Versyp, head coach of the Purdue Women's Basketball team, today during our noon news. The coach is promoting National Girls and Women in Sports Day. On Sunday, February first there will be activities from 11:00am to 1:30pm in Lambert Fieldhouse. They are free and open to all ages. Purdue athletes will be interacting with children at different station's. Then, Purdue will play Northwestern at 2:00pm. The 1999 National Championship Team will be honored. She expects former Coach Carolyn Peck and some of her star players from 10 years ago will be there.

Winter Storm

We have about five inches of snow on the ground. Many schools are closed today because of road conditions. As you can see above, one lane of travel was partially cleared this morning on my way to work on State Road 25.
Tippecanoe County has adopted emergency travel advisories. When you hear we are on Level 3, it means we are under a 'Hazardous Travel Watch Advisory.' It means road conditions can be dangerous. It does not regulate or restrict travel. Level 2 is a Hazardous Transportation Warning. This level means there is significant risk of injury, damage to property, and travel may be significantly delayed. Only essential travel is permitted. Level 1 is a Hazardous Transportation Emergency. Travel is prohibited at that level.

Calling all Polar Bears

Are you interested in taking part in the coolest event of the year? It's an opportunity to freeze your fur off for a great cause. The Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County will be holding its annual Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday, February 21st. The event will be held this year at 2:00p.m. in Tapawingo Park. Call 429-4089 or send an email to psftc@yahoo.com to register and get your official pledge packet.


I have taken the plunge four times. I was out with the flu last year and had to miss it. This year reporter Julie Krizen and Meteorologist Mike Prangley are expected to join me in the icy waters. If you would like to support us, we are accepting donations.

Presidential Inauguration

Thousands of people are gathering in Washington to see Barack Obama become our next president. That includes Lafayette city councilman Steve Meyer and his nephew, Adam Meyer. They are just a few of the many people from our area witnessing history.

This morning Steve updated us: "We woke up at 5:15 am to head to the inaugural. We were surprised to see the crowds at the metro. We got out of car to walk to metro station and only had about half hour wait for train. Hoping to reach capital by 7:30 but having train delays. Expect to stand in more lines at capitol. A man on the train said making history ain't easy!"

Live coverage of the inauguration begins at 10:00 Tuesday and will continue throughout the day. Our stories will include a local celebration at the Lafayette Theatre.

State of the State

Mitch Daniels will be sworn in for his second term as Indiana Governor. A ceremony will be carried live on News Channel 18 or at least on line starting at 11:00a.m. Monday morning. We are still working out some of the logistics. Chief Justice Randall Shepard will administer the oath of office to Daniels, along with Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, Attorney General Greg Zoeller and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett.
On Tuesday, January 13th, we will carry the Governor's State of the State. The address will start at 7:00p.m. The Governor said he will tell taxpayers time are tough, but he's optimistic the state can get through the recession. We will have coverage of the Governor's address, reaction from local lawmakers, and stories on how the Governor's plan may impact our area.

DTV Test - Round 2

WLFI will conduct a second DTV test at 7:30p.m. Monday. If you are getting ready to watch Jeopardy and you see this bulletin your TV is not ready for the transition. If you don't notice any change in programming you are all set. If you have questions, antenna customers can call the TV station at 463-1800. COMCAST customers need to call 1-800-COMCAST. There will be more testing during different times of the day.
During our first test in December, WLFI was flooded with calls from people who saw the notice that their TV was not DTV ready. The problem for many was with their cable company. But COMCAST executives say they made some improvements and changes this week, so all of their cable customers are ready for the transition.
To add to the confusion, President-Elect Obama is asking Congress to delay the planned February 17th transition to digital television broadcasting. He believes too many people are not ready. In addition, the Commerce Department has run out of money for coupons that subsidize the cost of converter boxes. Stay tuned!

Fugitive Search

Fugitive Search is a regular feature on the 6pm news Thursdays on WLFI-TV. It is a cooperative effort between the television station and the Lafayette Police Department.

Thanks to our viewers, many people featured on the program have been captured. In 2008, News Channel 18 featured 48 individuals on Fugitive Search. 27 individuals were captured last year. I look forward to continuing to work with Detective Matt Devine in 2009. Hopefully, we can resolve more cases in Tippecanoe County.

If you have information on where police can locate someone featured on the program, you can contact Lafayette Police at (765) 807-1200. You can also use the WeTip Hotline. That number is 1-800-78-CRIME.

Remembering the flood

It was one year ago that devastating floods hit our area. Hundreds of homes were damaged along the Tippecanoe River. Many families, like the one we are featuring in our news tonight, are still rebuilding.

DANI, the Disaster Assistance for Northwest Indiana, is hosting an evening of remembering Thursday (January 8th) night in three communities. The event is for victims of the flooding, as well as workers who helped them both emergency and long-term. A free dinner is being offered at 6:30p.m. at Remington First Christian Church, Monticello United Methodist Church and Delphi First Presbyterian Church. A ceremony is planned for 7:30p.m. We'll have coverage of the event, as well as a story on changes made at the dams and improvements in warning systems.

Skip in the New Year

Some of you know I spent several years reporting news for WASK/K-105 radio before making the transition to television. While at the radio station I had the pleasure of working with Farm Director Skip Davis. Today he announced he is retiring after 45 years in broadcasting. He says he will be closing the microphone for the last time on Friday, May 29th.

I enjoyed hearing Skip tells stories about his television days back in fort Wayne and Indianapolis. He worked at radio stations in Crawfordsville and Frankfort before joining the staff at WASK in 1982. Locally, we consider him the 'Dean of Indiana Farm Broadcasters.' What I'll miss about Skip: how he pronounced the fish, Crappie; hearing him announce the winners of the grand champions at the 4-H fair, how he helped organize the 2001 Farm Progress Show in Tippecanoe County, and how he kissed a pig to raise money for 4-H scholarships.