44 posts tagged “news”
Dad Watches Sons Graduate Live From Iraq
FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. -- Kyle, Corey and Sean Cooke, brothers and triplets, graduated from Whitewater High School in Fayette County Friday night, and like the other graduates there, their parents were watching with beaming pride.
The big difference is that their father was watching from nearly 7,000 miles away at Camp Victory in Baghdad.
Air Force Captain William Cooke is stationed in Iraq, and asked the faculty at Whitewater High if there was any way he could see the ceremonies so that he could watch his boys graduate. Staff at Whitewater contacted 11Alive.
Staffers from 11Alive News huddled with NBC News and came up with a unique way for Capt. Cooke to be able to watch the graduation ceremony. 11Alive streamed the ceremony live on 11Alive.com, and carried a live stream of Capt. Cooke watching from Baghdad.
The logistical challenges were not only a matter of technology, but also of time.
"It's 7:00 for you, it's 3:00 in the morning for them; so this is a bit of an all-nighter for them," said NBC Southern Regional Director Danny Noa.
Noa, based in Atlanta, worked with the NBC News bureau in Baghdad to arrange for live images of Capt. Cooke watching the ceremony live to be sent back to the United States.
"They're going to where he is, and then you guys have the task of making sure the video is getting streamed back to him," Noa said.
11Alive.com was the staging area for the entire production. One side of the front page of 11Alive.com carried the ceremony live from Fayette County, while the other side carried live images of Capt. Cooke at Camp Victory.
"I grew up watching WXIA. They're simply fantastic," Capt. Cooke said while watching the video feed on 11Alive.com.
Capt. Cooke stood up when the National Anthem was played at the outdoor ceremony on the Whitewater football field, with the stands packed with family and friends. Cooke simply beamed when the Anthem was concluded with an Air Force flyover of the football field.
Hundreds of 11Alive viewers watched on 11Alive.com as the boys walked across the stage to get their diplomas, and as a beaming Capt. Cooke watched from Iraq.
Corey, Kyle and Sean knew their dad was watching from Camp Victory, but the big surprise for the boys was that once they walked across the stage to get their diplomas, they were able to come over to 11Alive's camera position and along with 11Alive's Chris Sweigart and Matt Pearl, actually talk with Capt. Cooke in Baghdad.
"I'm so proud of you boys," Capt. Cooke said, while wiping his eyes, a huge smile of pride on his face.
"We love you, Dad," the boys said, while watching their father on the screen.
"How bout these 11Alive guys putting this together? They're great," Capt. Cooke said to the boys.
After all of the Whitewater graduates passed across the stage, an image of Capt. Cooke watching the ceremony via satellite was displayed on the large screen facing the assembled masses. The appreciative crowd responded with a standing ovation.
As the graduation ceremony came to a close, the new graduates tossed their caps high into the air as fireworks boomed across the football field overhead.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, not only for Kyle, Corey and Sean, but for their father, who despite being away in service to the nation, was able to be there for his boys.
This story made me smile...
news from Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and more
Senior bowlers strike down Hillsboro purse thief
by John Snell, The Oregonian
Friday May 29, 2009, 9:29 PM
HILLSBORO - It turned out to be Pound-A-Punk day Wednesday at the Hillsboro Park Lanes Family Entertainment Center, a bowling alley in Hillsboro.
A 16-year-old would-be thief reportedly tried to swipe two purses from tables inside the bowling alley at 6360 S.E. Alexander St.
Then, at least from the teen's perspective, things went terribly awry.
The purses weren't the easy pickings he apparently thought they'd be. They belonged to two ladies from V.I.P. Summer Trio, a senior league, said Lanes owner Dean Johnson.
The women, along with other bowlers from the senior league, blocked the 16-year-old's escape through an exit on the building's west side. When he ran toward the glass doors at the building's front, league members were in hot and loud pursuit.
"One lady started screaming," said Nathan Krawitz, 44, who saw the whole thing.
Johnson said others in the league also sprang into action.
"A bunch of the senior ladies and senior men started hollering at him and chased him," Johnson said. "That's when Steve, my son, kind of held him down."
The center's front door is sliding glass, and Johnson said that confused the thief long enough for his 22-year-old son to come at him from behind the counter and pin the parried purse-snatcher to the floor.
Several of the senior bowlers dog-piled the teen and held him until police arrived.
Two Hillsboro officers were there within minutes and took the 16-year-old into custody, said Lt. Michael Rouches, spokesman for the Hillsboro Police.
Johnson said the youth told police he steeled his nerves for the caper by drinking a beer and some Robitussin cough medicine a few minutes beforehand.
"I can believe it," Rouches said. "His speech was slurred and he was drooling. I think he was drunk."
Rouches said the boy was held on accusations of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and third-degree robbery. He was taken to the Donald E. Long Juvenile Home in Northeast Portland.
Krawitz, who bowls in the V.I.P. Summer Trio league, said he believes the youth's big mistake came when he selected his victims.
"The lesson is clear," he said. "Bowlers rule. Never fool with a bowler."
-- John Snell;
johnsnell@news.oregonian.com
Another crowning achievement for the City of Newark.
Thought this was interesting. I was surprised to see a couple of the cities that made it on the list.
"The "most listened to man" in broadcasting passed away Saturday. After more than seven decades on the air, venerable radioman Paul Harvey's folksy speech and plain talk are no more.
Radio legend passes away at 90."
While I was never a regular listener, I have caught his show now and then and enjoyed it. Where ever you are at Mr. Harvey, I wish you a good day....
More on the subject can be found here - Radio Legend Paul Harvey Dies
If you haven't seen this, you should. It's actually pretty cool...
The nutshell version - Three time sex offender wins $500k lottery raffle that was designed to benefit a sex abuse victims charity. Below is the whole story....
Lottery winner is a 3-time sex offender
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Alec Ahsoak collected his $500,000 winnings Saturday at Lucky Times Pull Tabs. (Zac Gooch/KTUU-TV) |
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Ahsoak has three convictions for sexual abuse of a minor 2 on his record. (KTUU-TV) |
by Yvonne LaVoie
Saturday, January 10, 2009
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The winner of the $500,000 lottery drawing came forward Saturday to collect his prize, and the man who will pocket a half-million dollars from a raffle designed to benefit a sex abuse victims charity is a three-time sex offender.
Alec Ahsoak of Anchorage was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor twice in 1993 and once in 2000, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety Sex Offender/Child Kidnapper Central Registry.
The lottery, which had its drawing Friday night, was conducted by Lucky Times Pull Tabs. State law says all games of chance must benefit charity, and the organization Standing Together Against Rape, or STAR, was the designated beneficiary.
Ahsoak, who will turn 54 later this month, collected his winnings Saturday at Lucky Times in the form of a ceremonial check presentation.
He says he plans to use the money to buy a home and to improve his life, and late Saturday afternoon said he will donate $100,000 to STAR.
Attempts to reach STAR for comment on Saturday were not successful.
When Channel 2 News first met up with Ahsoak, he couldn't have been more excited. But as the day unfolded, Ahsoak's past came to light in an ironic intersection with the mission of the event.
Ahsoak says he's had a hard-luck life, and the money will help him turn that around. He grew up in foster homes and the Jesse Lee Home for Children in Seward.
In the past he said he has donated money to a children's home in South Dakota, but that could not immediately be verified.
Lucky Times' owners said they started the lottery with the best of intentions and really just wanted to help out a cause they believe in.
They hope just as many residents will want to participate in the charity lotteries to come.
After taxes Ahsoak took home about $350,000.
Contact Yvonne LaVoie at ylavoie@ktuu.com
Doctors have found that prescribing music can improve heart health and lower cholesterol levels. Their research found that if a patient listens to 30 minutes a day of their favourite music, it does more than relaxing them mentally – it also benefits them physically by expanding and clearing blood vessels. More at - Times Online UK
Well I just read that Subaru "...has pulled out of the World Rally Championship, a racing series that the company has competed in for 20 years." I also saw where Honda has pulled out of the Formula One and dropped out of the AMA Superbike Series. So what happens if the Big 3 tanked? Will there still be a NASCAR? Will Toyota shoulder the burden to keep the sport alive? Personally, I'm not a fan of the sport, so I don't have an opinion one way or another. I think it's smart of Honda and Subaru to focus on the core compancies right now. I have no idea how much is spent to support NASCAR. I can only imagine it's a lot.
