Final A Section Budget

FRIDAY, OCT. 8,  20 PAGES, 1 ADs 4 advance

TOP STORIES

A1 - FRONT PAGE

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS

JERUSALEM - In the clearest sign that a deal may be emerging to keep the Mideast peace effort alive, a top Palestinian official says his side would accept a U.S. proposal for Israel to avoid new settlement construction for two months. The Israeli prime minister is placating hard-liners with a seemingly unrelated issue - a new loyalty oath to the Jewish state. By Josef Federman.

AFGHANISTAN

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Airstrikes and ground operations by NATO and Afghan troops killed dozens of insurgents, including a senior Taliban leader who spearheaded attacks against security forces, the alliance said Thursday as the war in Afghanistan entered its 10th year. Sixteen militants were killed in air raids and ground fighting overnight in the Darqad, Yangi Qala and Khwaja Bahawuddin districts of Takhar province, Gen. Shah Jahan Noori, provincial police chief, told The Associated Press. More than a dozen insurgents were wounded.

CENTERPIECE PACKAGE

1. MARCO RUBIO — Nuts and bolts story about his campaign event 4 p.m. Thursday at Barnes and Noble.

SHUMAKER w/ assigned art

2. RUBIO REACTION — I’m going to get crowd reaction at the Rubio rally Thursday at Barnes and Noble/Lake Sumter Landing. FORREST w/ assigned art

3. TEASE to PHOTO ESSAY INSIDE A

BOTTOM READ

ADVANCE ITALIAN FEST GOLF CART DECORATION — I’m going to talk with some people prepping for the Italianfest parades Friday. I’ll also include basic information. SHUMAKER w/ assigned art AND MAPS (NEED TO UPDATE), tease to ITALIAN-AMERICAN CLUB ADVANCE STORY.

A2 - NATION/WORLD

BRITAIN TITANIC

Rare Titanic survivor letter to be auctioned

AP Photo LON812, LON811

LONDON (AP) — She heard a terrible rumbling noise, then anguished cries for help as her rowboat pulled away from the sinking ocean liner Titanic that dreadful night in 1912. Now Laura Francatelli’s first person account of the disaster, in the form of a signed affidavit that was given to a British board of inquiry, is set to be auctioned.

JAILED OVER PLEDGE

Miss. judge jails attorney for not reciting pledge WITH MUG

A3 - SECOND FRONT

CLASS SIZE LAWSUIT

Florida class size amendment challenge rejected

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Supreme Court has rejected a teachers union’s challenge to a ballot issue that would loosen the state’s class size limits.

HUNGARY-SLUDGE FLOOD

KOLONTAR, Hungary - Red sludge flows into the mighty Danube, threatening a half-dozen nations along one of Europe's key waterways. Monitors take samples every hour to measure damage from the toxic spill of industrial waste and emergency officials declare one Hungarian tributary dead. There's also encouraging news: The Danube is apparently absorbing the slurry with no immediate harm. By George Jahn.

AP photos, video.

PHILADELPHIA-FLIGHT HALTED

Transportation security officials removed passengers from a Bermuda-bound flight Thursday at Philadelphia International Airport after reports that someone was helping to load the plane without a security badge.

BRIEFS

Bush’s book

Chile mine

California budget

A4- C2C

A5 - JUMP

ADVANCE — ITALIAN-AMERICAN CLUB — Talking to members of the club about the upcoming ItalianFest 4:45 p.m. Friday at both Town Squares. Forrest w/file art

A6 - JUMP

ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS OF YOUR CHOOSING

A7 - JUMP

FLORIDA BRIEFS AS NEEDED

— JURY INSTRUCTIONS — A sharply divided Florida Supreme Court has reversed a criminal conviction because the judge instructed jurors they couldn’t ask to have testimony read back to them.

— BUS STOP SHOOTING — A 13-year-old boy Tampa boy is being treated at a hospital after being shot in the arm at a school bus stop.

— ELDERLY-FATAL BEATING — An 82-year-old man from Delray Beach is being questioned after he told authorities he beat and killed his girlfriend during a fight at their home.

— TROPICAL WEATHER — Otto, which had been a subtropical storm, has transitioned to a tropical storm as it meanders over the Atlantic and could reach hurricane strength.

— SCHOOL SHOOTING — A 17-year-old girl is being treated in the hospital after being struck by a car as she tried to avoid shots that were fired at her Miami Gardens school.

— COURT FEE LAWSUIT — Two lawyers for the state have defended the practice of diverting a portion of court filing fees from a trust fund that helps pay for the judicial system.

— SOLDIER DEATH — A Fort Campbell soldier who twice enlisted in the Army died this week when he was hit by an improvised explosive device while patrolling on foot in southern Afghanistan.AP Photo.

— MAYORAL RECALL — A Miami businessman has been given the go ahead to begin collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to oust Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez.

— FATAL CAR BURGLARY — Authorities say a Florida Gulf Coast man is dead after confronting several suspects who were breaking into cars outside his apartment building.

— UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES — A Board of Governors panel is seeking applicants for openings at boards of trustees at all 11 of Florida’s public universities.

— HELICOPTER-EMERGENCY LANDING — A helicopter landed safely in the median of a Brevard County expressway after a bird struck its blades.

— SMOKING TRIAL — A jury decided that several tobacco companies are not responsible for causing a mans laryngeal cancer after he smoked cigarettes for about 37 years.

— DRUG TRAFFICKING-BOATS — A Colombian native faces at least 10 years in federal prison after admitting that he sold and outfitted “go-fast” boats for drug dealers.

— BEAR ATTACKS GOAT — Wildlife officials are warning against leaving food outdoors after a bear attacked a family’s goat in central Florida.

— ARMS TRAFFICKERS — Two men have pleaded guilty in a Florida federal court to an illegal plot to ship AK-47 assault rifles to Somalia.

A8 - STATE/JUMP

GULF OIL SPILL-LUCRATIVE LAWSUITS

MIAMI — About a dozen attorneys will be given a giant task and the promise of a huge payoff when a judge picks from more than 100 lawyers seeking leadership roles in the gusher of litigation against BP PLC and other companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. By Curt Anderson.

STATE GOVERNMENT BRIEFS

A9 - WASHINGTON

CURRENCY WARS - Fears of an emerging currency war flare as the euro hits $1.40 for the first time in eight months and the U.S. steps up pressure on China to let its currency rise. (with art, but not good art)

STIMULUS CHECKS

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government investigator says 89,000 stimulus payments of $250 each went to people who were either dead or in prison.

OBAMA INTELLIGENCE

WITH SHADED BOX: Obama veto

A10 - RUBIO PHOTO PAGE

A11 - NATION

HONEYBEE QUESTIONS-SHOOTING

LOWELL, Ind. - Each case followed the same pattern: A disheveled man approached people in rural towns and asked nonsensical questions about honeybees - then he started shooting. One person has been killed and two wounded, and authorities have set off on a two-state manhunt to find a gunman some have dubbed “the Honeybee Shooter.” By Tom Coyne.

WITH PHOTO and Sketch of suspect being sought

A thick waist figures big in onset of diabetes, study finds

MED-DIABETES:LA—Although Americans and Brits have similar rates of many diseases, middle-aged and older American men and women have almost twice the rate of diabetes. Americans’ large waists appear to explain much of this difference, according to a new study.

Researchers at Rand Corp. along with British scientists analyzed various risk factors for diabetes and compared these characteristics with diabetes rates in the United States and England. The diabetes rate among American men is 16 percent compared with 11 percent for British men. U.S. women have a rate of 14 percent compared with 7 percent for British women.

The conventional factors related to diabetes risk — age, smoking, socioeconomic status and body mass index — were similar among the Americans and Brits. But the one factor that differed was waist circumference, researchers reported.300 by Shari Roan in Los Angeles.

BRIEFS

City hall shooting

Nevada senate angle with mug

US Obama

Trans hudson tunnel

A12- NATION/WORLD

NOBEL LITERATURE

NEW YORK - The biggest surprise about Mario Vargas Llosa's winning the Nobel prize is that it took so long. The 74-year-old author and political activist, a charter member of the Latin American “Boom” of the 1960s, has for decades been regarded as one of the world's greatest writers, a masterful and provocative mixer of literature and social consciousness in his work and in his life.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

OSLO, Norway (AP) - Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo tops speculation for the Nobel Peace Prize - one betting site has already declared him the winner - though some experts expect a more low-key choice on Friday.

Two women are also hot candidates in this year's Nobel buzz: Afghan women's rights activist Sima Samar and Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina.

Brazil Rio Violence

A13 - NATION/WORLD LATE PAGE

Budget deficit

Border lake shooting with art

Briefs

A14 - WORLD

IRAQ

BAGHDAD (AP) - Back-to-back bombings at a vegetable market south of Baghdad on Thursday afternoon killed at least five people, including a policeman who was searching for explosives, Iraqi security and medical officials said.

PAKISTAN

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - Two suspected suicide bombers attacked the most beloved Sufi shrine in Pakistan's largest city Thursday, killing at least 10 people, wounding 65 others, and sending a stark reminder of the threat posed by Islamist militants to this U.S.-allied nation.

BRIEFS

Haiti earthquake

Iran kurds

Chile mine shaft

AR A15 - NATION

Falling through the cracks of the military’s disability system

DISABLEDVETERANS:SL—Army Reserve Spc. Michael Pyatt mounted a machine gun on the turret of his Humvee in August 2005 for another mission into the volatile city of Hillah, Iraq. As he stepped off the bumper, he landed awkwardly, injuring his hip and back, and leaving him crippled.

Back home, he asked for a medical discharge.

In July 2007, his unit tried to deploy him a second time, even though he wore a knee brace and used a cane.

Just months later, the Department of Veterans Affairs declared Pyatt permanently and totally disabled. Yet today, more than five years after he was hurt, the Army still has not declared Pyatt unfit for duty, which would make him eligible for disability retirement pay and medical insurance for his wife and daughter.

Pyatt’s story is an example of a military disability system that Congress and others contend is woefully unprepared to deal with the hundreds of thousands of troops injured while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

2050 (with trims) by Philip O’Connor in St. Louis. MOVED

PHOTOS SLUGGED: disabled1 and disabled2 (use one on each page)

BE SURE TO INSERT SUBHEADS

JUMP TO A16

AR A16 NATION

Feds get help translating Ebonics, reigniting debate

DEA-EBONICS:RA—The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s decision to hire nine Ebonics translators for the Southeast region briefly reignited a 40-year debate over whether African-American speech constitutes a separate language.

The translators are expected to help the agency decipher wiretapped telephone conversations of suspected drug dealers who speak in the African-American vernacular, which some people think of as little more than slang.

650 by Thomas I. McDonald in Raleigh, N.C. DIVERSITY. MOVED

Jump from A15

Marcetti, Thomas 10/7/10

A17 WORLD ADV

Administration criticized for offering too much to keep Mideast talks going

USMIDEAST:TBW—Only a month into a new round of peace talks, the Obama administration is drawing criticism from allies and veteran diplomats that it is giving away too much just to keep negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians from collapsing.

Administration officials have offered an assortment of inducements to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a freeze on Jewish construction in the West Bank for two months. Palestinian officials have threatened to break off the talks, perhaps as early as this week, unless Israel extends the freeze that expired Sept. 26.

700 (with trims) by Paul Richter in Washington. MOVED

Notorious Tijuana jail to be just a dark memory

TIJUANA-JAIL:LA—If the walls of this Mexican jail could talk, they would curse in Spanish, and English.

Decades ago, when Americans visited this border city in hard-partying hordes, more than a few drunk sailors and brawling bar patrons ended up in one of these dank, fetid cages. They would share cellblocks with drug kingpins, assassins, child molesters and thieves.

There were escapes and riots, fights and bribes.

But Tijuana will soon close the jail and adjoining police headquarters, eager to slam the door on a dark chapter in the city’s history.

1100 (with trims) by Richard Marosi in Tijuana, Mexico. DIVERSITY. MOVED

PHOTOS

Marcetti, Thomas 10/7/10

A18 SCIENCE

Scientists find more efficient, safer way to reprogram cells

SCI-CELLS:MW—Almost three years after the first scientists reprogrammed human cells in Madison, Wis., and Kyoto, Japan, researchers in Boston have developed a new process that appears to eliminate one of the major safety concerns while dramatically increasing the efficiency of the process.

The method, which uses RNA rather than inserted genes, was not only successful in returning adult human cells to the embryonic state, but also in guiding these powerful cells to different fates and even in changing skin cells to muscle cells directly. Such a technology, if proven completely safe, could provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells, allowing scientists to create and bank different cells for therapies, drug testing and the study of diseases.

800 (with trims) by Mark Johnson in Milwaukee. MOVED

SCI BEE DISEASE

Report: Virus, fungus new suspects in bee disease

WASHINGTON (AP) — Researchers have a pair of new suspects in the mysterious collapse of honey bee colonies across the country.

The widespread damage to the bees has caused concern because the insects are needed to pollinate scores of crops.

WITH AP  IMAGES PHOTO SLUGGED: bee disease.jpg

Customize cutline so it goes with this story

SCI Ignition facility

A19  AD

A20  AD

BUSINESS C6-7

RAIL: WALL STREET

CENTERPIECE

RUBY_TUESDAY — Investors apparently anticipated good news from Ruby Tuesday as its stock price increased gradually over the past few days during trading on the New York Stock Exchange. And the Maryville, Tenn.-based restaurant chain, which operates an eatery in Spanish Springs Town Square, met their expectations late Wednesday evening with a positive earnings report. CORDER, with file art moved and Orton graphic

BOTTOM READ

ECONOMY

WASHINGTON — Companies are laying off fewer workers and advertising more job openings. Both are encouraging signs a day before the government issues the September jobs report. But economists say employers aren’t ramping up hiring quickly enough to reduce the unemployment rate, which is forecast to rise to 9.7 percent. By Economics Writer Christopher S. Rugaber.

BRIEFS

Oil prices

Earns Pepsico

Business calendar

Notes on Punctuation

Notes on Punctuation

by Lewis Thomas*

---

There are no precise rules about punctuation (Fowler lays out some general advice (as best he can under the complex circumstances of English prose (he points out, for example, that we possess only four stops (the comma, the semicolon, the colon and the period (the question mark and exclamation point are not, strictly speaking, stops; they are indicators of tone (oddly enough, the Greeks employed the semicolon for their question mark (it produces a strange sensation to read a Greek sentence which is a straightforward question: Why weepest thou; (instead of Why weepest thou? (and, of course, there are parentheses (which are surely a kind of punctuation making this whole matter much more complicated by having to count up the left-handed parentheses in order to be sure of closing with the right number (but if the parentheses were left out, with nothing to work with but the stops we would have considerably more flexibility in the deploying of layers of meaning than if we tried to separate all the clauses by physical barriers (and in the latter case, while we might have more precision and exactitude for our meaning, we would lose the essential flavor of language, which is its wonderful ambiguity )))))))))))).

The commas are the most useful and usable of all the stops. It is highly important to put them in place as you go along. If you try to come back after doing a paragraph and stick them in the various spots that tempt you you will discover that they tend to swarm like minnows in all sorts of crevices whose existence you hadn’t realized and before you know it the whole long sentence becomes immobilized and lashed up squirming in commas. Better to use them sparingly, and with affection, precisely when the need for each one arises, nicely, by itself.

I have grown fond of semicolons in recent years. The semicolon tells you that there is still some question about the preceding full sentence; something needs to be added; it reminds you sometimes of the Greek usage. It is almost always a greater pleasure to come across a semicolon than a period. The period tells you that that is that; if you didn’t get all the meaning you wanted or expected, anyway you got all the writer intended to parcel out and now you have to move along. But with a semicolon there you get a pleasant little feeling of expectancy; there is more to come; to read on; it will get clearer.

Colons are a lot less attractive for several reasons: firstly, they give you the feeling of being rather ordered around, or at least having your nose pointed in a direction you might not be inclined to take if left to yourself, and, secondly, you suspect you’re in for one of those sentences that will be labeling the points to be made: firstly, secondly and so forth, with the implication that you haven’t sense enough to keep track of a sequence of notions without having them numbered. Also, many writers use this system loosely and incompletely, starting out with number one and number two as though counting off on their fingers but then going on and on without the succession of labels you’ve been led to expect, leaving you floundering about searching for the ninethly or seventeenthly that ought to be there but isn’t.

Exclamation points are the most irritating of all. Look! they say, look at what I just said! How amazing is my thought! It is like being forced to watch someone else’s small child jumping up and down crazily in the center of the living room shouting to attract attention. If a sentence really has something of importance to say, something quite remarkable, it doesn’t need a mark to point it out. And if it is really, after all, a banal sentence needing more zing, the exclamation point simply emphasizes its banality!

Quotation marks should be used honestly and sparingly, when there is a genuine quotation at hand, and it is necessary to be very rigorous about the words enclosed by the marks. If something is to be quoted, the exact words must be used. If part of it must be left out because of space limitations, it is good manners to insert three dots to indicate the omission, but it is unethical to do this if it means connecting two thoughts which the original author did not intend to have tied together. Above all, quotation marks should not be used for ideas that you’d like to disown, things in the air so to speak. Nor should they be put in place around clichés; if you want to use a cliché you must take full responsibility for it yourself and not try to fob it off on anon., or on society. The most objectionable misuse of quotation marks, but one which illustrates the danger of misuse in ordinary prose, is seen in advertising, especially in advertisements for small restaurants, for example "just around the corner," or "a good place to eat." No single, identifiable, citable person ever really said, for the record, "just around the corner," much less "a good place to eat," least likely of all for restaurants of the type that use this type of prose.

The dash is a handy device, informal and essentially playful, telling you that you’re about to take off on a different tack but still in some way connected with the present course – only you have to remember that the dash is there, and either put a second dash at the end of the notion to let the reader know that he’s back on course, or else end the sentence, as here, with a period.

The greatest danger in punctuation is for poetry. Here it is necessary to be as economical and parsimonious with commas and periods as with the words themselves, and any marks that seem to carry their own subtle meanings, like dashes and little rows of periods, even semicolons and question marks, should be left out altogether rather than inserted to clog up the thing with ambiguity. A single exclamation point in a poem, no matter what else the poem has to say, is enough to destroy the whole work.

The things I like best in T.S. Eliot’s poetry, especially in the Four Quartets, are the semicolons. You cannot hear them, but they are there, laying out the connections between the images and the ideas. Sometimes you get a glimpse of a semicolon coming, a few lines farther on, and it is like climbing a steep path through woods and seeing a wooden bench just at a bend in the road ahead, a place where you can expect to sit for a moment, catching your breath.

Commas can’t do this sort of thing; they can only tell you how the different parts of a complicated thought are to be fitted together, but you can’t sit, not even to take a breath, just because of a comma,

---

* From The Medusa and the Snail: More Notes of a Biology Watcher (1979:103-6).

Game Film Week 9

1.     NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Flatulence DID IT?  – DOES TEXT SUPPORT THIS LEAD? brought 99 passengers on an American Airlines flight to an unscheduled visit to Nashville

2.     Look up in AP use of ordinal numbers & see this reading on suspensive hyphenation: http://editingmonks.blogspot.com/2006/02/compound-modifiers.html

3.     What issue is raised in the following? The FBI questioned passenger Maria Coyle, who said she struck the matches in an attempt to conceal personal body odor. Coyle lives near Dallas and has a medical condition.

4.     Knowing what you know, which is correct?

a.     said Pat Lowrance, a spokesperson for the Nashville International Airport Authority

b.     said Pat Lowrance, a spokesman for the Nashville International Airport Authority

c.     said Pat Lowrance, a spokeswoman for the Nashville International Airport Authority

5.     Fix this: The plane was able to land safely.

6.     Fix this: (Keep in mind in this story we already know we are at airport).

7.     They responded to the emergency situation at the airport, Lawrence said.

8.     Fix this: The passengers and five crew members were all brought off the plane.

9.     Fix this: bomb-sniffing dogs were able to find used matches

10. Fix this: Striking a match in an airplane can lead to a second-or third-degree misdemeanor arson charge.

11. Fix this: (See AP on “governmental bodies and this ) – The airport authority responded to the emergency.

12. Fix this: (See AP on “governmental bodies) – The port authority responded to the airliner that crashed into the harbor.

13. Fix this: (See AP) "American has banned her for a longtime," Lowrance said

14. Fix this: (See AP)  He is a long time supporter of the Georgia Bulldogs.

15. Fix this: flight 1053 (extrapolate from the AP rule on “room numbers)

16. Fix this: She struck the matches to try and conceal personal body odor.

17. Fix this: The fine for striking a match in an airplane can be considerable. It can range from $5,000 to $10,000. (What does it mean to be “considerable”? A subjective notion variously defined by different people. Make sentence concrete and concise.)

18. Fix this: NASHVILLE – Ninety-nine passengers on an American Airlines flight made an unscheduled visit to Nashville Monday morning around 6 a.m. after a woman tried to hide her body odor.

19. Fix this: … after passengers reported smelling the odor of struck matches.

20. Fix this: A woman used matches in order to eliminate the odor.

21. Fix this: an unscheduled visit to Nashville Monday morning around 6 am.

22. Fix this: The FBI questioned a passenger Maria Coyle, who said she …

23. Fix this: American has banned her for a longtime.

24. Fix this: Striking a match in an airplane can lead to a 2^nd or 3^rd degree misdemeanor arson charge.

25. Which is correct?

a.     NASHVILLE, TENN., – An American Airlines flight

b.     NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An American Airlines flight

c.     NASHVILLE – An American Airlines flight

d.     NASHVILLE, Tenn., – An American Airlines flight

HEDS:

        Struck matches grounds plane early

DWI = Matches struck to hide odor grounds plane

Try to eliminate the echo

	Smell of struck matches grounds plane
	An American Airlines flight made an unscheduled landing in Nashville after passengers complained about the smell of struck matches on the plane.

 

 

What’s missing here? Is it DWI?

Airline bans woman after use of matches

Into/In To; Onto/On To

by Tina Blue / January 19, 2001 / http://grammartips.homestead.com/into.html

See also AP in/into

          The pairs into/in to and onto/on to cause a lot of confusion for writers, but much of that confusion can be cleared up if you focus on exactly what you are trying to say.

A. IN TO vs. INTO:

          I. Into is a preposition. In a sentence, the preposition
into will be part of a prepositional phrase consisting of
into + its object + any modifiers of its objects. The entire phrase it is a part of will function adverbially to modify the
verb or verb phrase that precedes the phrase.

          1. When he walked into the room, he found that the            meeting had already started.

          2. Put the toys into the basket.

          3. The pumpkin was turned into a carriage.

          II. In the phrase in to, in is an adverb, directly modifying a verb, and to is a preposition with its own object. When the word into is used in a sentence where in to is meant, the resulting statement can be absurd.

Game Film Week 8

Game Film Week 8

 See edited version of Violent Crime at this link on my Dropbox account.

NOTE: I am seeing some good editing, but I am also seeing errors the result of a lack of focus. focus. Here is rule to live by. When you think your are done, STOP and go back through your copy word by word.

1. Which ARE  correct?
1. You have to be aware of your surroundings because crime can happen anywhere.
2. You have to be aware of your surroundings, because crime can happen anywhere.
3.  Because crime can happen anywhere, you have to be aware of your surroundings.
4. Because crime can happen anywhere you have to be aware of your surroundings.
5. “It’s a trend that reinforces that, at all times, you have to be aware of your surroundings,” he said. Because crime can happen anywhere.”
6. “It’s a trend that reinforces that, at all times, you have to be aware of your surroundings,” he said, “because crime can happen anywhere.”
2. Which is better?
1. The report compared crime from January to June this year with crime from January to June in 2005.
2. The report compared crime from January to June this year with crime same period  in 2005.
3. Which ARE correct?
1. Robberies increased according to the annual report.
2. Robberies increased, according to the annual report.
3. According to the annual report, robberies increased.
4. According to the annual report robberies increased.
4. “Sgt. Keith Kameg, of the Gainesville Police Department,”  is probably better than “Sgt. Keith Kameg, with the Gainesville Police Department,”
5. Which is correct?
1. He highlighted three reasons for the increase in local crime – increases in population and increases in awareness.
2. He highlighted two reasons for the increase in local crime – increases in population and increases in awareness.
6. Edit this:

The overall goal of the department is to bring all the crime numbers to zero, though a lot of that effort starts with residents being more cautious and protecting themselves, Kameg said.

7. Which is correct?
1. … said Sgt. Keith Kameg of the Gainesville Police Department.
2. … said Sgt. Keith Kame of the Gainesville Police Department.
3. Inconsistent spelling that I need to fact check or ask the reporter what correct spelling is.
8. Fix this: He said there also has been an increase in juvenile crime.

9. When you see Department or Office at the end of an agency – such as the Centre County Sheriff’s Department – and you are not familiar with the agency, what do you do?

10.  Which is better?
1. In Gainesville, the only category that saw a decrease this year …
2. In Gainesville, the only category that decreased this year …
11. Which is correct?
1. The City of Gainesville saw …
2. The city of Gainesville saw …
12. Which is better (think concision)?
1. The City of Gainesville saw …
2. Gainesville saw …
13. Why is this logically unsound? = He highlighted two reasons for the increase in local crime, including increase in population and awareness. (See this link)
14. What is wrong here? In every other category -  overall violent crime, murder, robbery, aggravated assault, property crime, burglary, theft and arson, Gainesville saw at least …
15.  You can go to Sakai and review all your edited work.
1. True
2. False
16. Which is correct?
1. U.S. Army Sgt. Keith Kameg
2. U.S. Army Sergeant Keith Kameg
17. Which is correct?
1. Gainesville Police Department Sgt. Keith Kameg
2. Gainesville Police Department Sergeant Keith Kameg
18. Where do you find in AP the answer to the above two questions?
19.  Careful with the use of word “rate.” Review: How Is Crime Rate Measured?

50 places to shop for story ideas

Every newsroom has ’em: Reporters who come up with their own stories, and reporters who don’t come up with their own stories. The job is much easier – and enjoyable – if you’re a story hunter rather than a perennial assignment receiver. 

Funny, it’s usually the reporters who don’t come up with their own stories who grumble about the assignments they receive and the ‘news’ value of such stories. “Half of what we cover isn’t news!” a perennial assignment receiver might protest. 

Story hunters – whether they be reporters or editors – usually always have a slew of ideas. Perennial assignment receivers can change into story hunters. . . . with a little effort. If you’re having trouble getting your own story ideas, try these 50 tips. They’re simple. They’re effective. And they should virtually guarantee that you will start to get in the habit of hunting for your own ideas. 

1. The Internet: Check out your local Internet service providers’ websites. Most ISPs host free web space for members to have their own websites. Usually, you’ll find people with simple websites about their hobbies, family, groups, etc.
2. The grocery store: Scan those bulletin boards.
3. Veterinarians’ offices: The public loves animal stories. And there’s no shortage here. I once spotted a photo of a badger in a vet’s office. I asked about it, knowing the animal is virtually extinct in Ontario , Canada . Turns out, the animal was found injured only kilometres away and was being rehabilitated.
4. Cable television station: Most run a community events service. Check it out. (And don’t forget your own newspaper’s community events listings)
5. Health department website: It’s interesting what officials will sometimes post on their websites, yet not send press releases to the media. For example, our health department will post notices about beach closings on its website, but will not issue press releases about closings.
6. Start Googling: Google names, Google town names, Google organizations’ names. You’ll be surprised what you find.
7. Arena bulletin boards: Association news gets posted here.
8. Church bulletins: We have a staffer who routinely gets tips from church bulletins.
9. Community signs: Be alert when you’re driving and read community signs. What are people publicizing to other people?
10. Rezoning notices: You see these posted on properties where there is a proposed zoning change. Read them. There’s information there about development happening in your community.
11. Classified ads: People sell items. They look for items. And then there are the oddities such as a cemetery plot for sale. . . you never know what you’ll find.
12. Ads: Don’t confine your reading to the classified ads. Check out the other ads in your paper. Businesses and organizations use ads to announce events.
13. Club notes: Many newspapers print club notes from various organizations and clubs. It’s amazing what groups will bury in these hand-ins. Once, a local club buried an item about the coming visit of a Belgian prince. In another item, a Women’s Institute formed in 1918 announced that it was folding due to declining membership.
14. Your local ISP’s forums: Local Internet Service Providers usually operate discussion forums on their websites. These forums are usually very locally based and feature chatter about all sorts of issues and newsworthy items.
15. Anniversary notices: Read ’em! It’s how you’ll find terrific human interest stories such as Mae and Jack celebrating 75 years of marriage.
16. Graduation notices: These can be a treasure trove of story ideas. Learn about the local high school grad who’s going to university in Australia, or the university grad who’s starting a new career in Hong Kong as an ambassador’s assistant, or the young woman who’s becoming a police officer.
17. Obituaries: There are nuggets buried (pardon the pun) in obituary notices. Nuggets like the person who once taught in a one-room schoolhouse, or the soldier who landed on the beach on D-Day, or the fellow who was a prospector. All stories waiting to be told.
18. School newspapers: Students will publish all kinds of breaking stories about their school in their newspapers. Find out what events are upcoming, what trips are planned, and about staff and student accomplishments.
19. Sports association websites: Find out how teams are doing, what tournaments are scheduled, get association news.
20. Hydro poles: People aren’t supposed to staple notices to hydro poles, but they do. Sure, some notices tout stuff like ‘Lose 10 pounds in 10 Days’, but others may advertise a giant neighbourhood yard sale or a rock concert by an up and coming young band.
21. Sports hand-ins: There are some human interest gems in those writeups that parents and coaches slide through the mailslot late at night at your office: little Johnny who scored six goals in one hockey game, or the basketball game where Jenny netted 47 points.
22. Eavesdrop: Eavesdrop at the grocery store checkout. Eavesdrop at the coffee shop. Eavesdrop at the arena or sports field. Learn to listen to what people are talking about.
23. School websites: Learn about staff news, alumni news, policies, upcoming events and happenings.
24. Blogs: Search for bloggers online in your community. What are they talking about?
25. Meeting minutes: Government organizations (councils, committees, school boards, conservation authorities) usually post notes from their meetings. If you weren’t at the meetings, it’s a quick way to review what was discussed and stay on top of newsworthy decisions. Also, look at agendas before meetings.
26. Tourism websites: Find out what’s being promoted as tourism destinations, and find out what’s being overlooked. Get a list of festivals. Find out who belongs to your local tourist association. Learn where the association is going to promote tourism.
27. Radio, TV: Most have a community events board. Just because a citizen didn’t call you about an event, it doesn’t mean they didn’t call competing media. Find out what the competition has that you don’t.
28. Nature / environmental groups: Most communities have these organizations. Find out about their projects, their issues, unusual animals sightings, field trips, etc.
29. Trends: Get up to date on the latest trends and find out how they’re impacting your community. It might be the hottest new toy for kids. Or it might be something more sinister such as an illegal drug.
30. Cemeteries: Read inscriptions on tombstones. One reporter here noticed a tombstone with the inscription that the man died in Buchenwald concentration camp. With a little digging (sorry for the pun), it turned out the man was a spy for the allies who was caught by the Nazis.
31. Your newspaper’s ad reps: These co-workers walk the business beat on a daily basis. They hear gossip. Ask them what they’re hearing on the street.
32. The What Happens Next factor: Look at stories that have appeared in your paper in the past two weeks. Read them again. And then ask yourself: What happened next? If it hasn’t already been followed up, find out what’s happened.
33. Crime statistics: Talk to police about what trends are happening, what are the most common crimes, get stats on break-ins, car thefts, drunk driving charges, 911 calls, etc.
34. Weather, weather, weather: From your local weather office, monthly stats are readily available on temperatures, snowfall, rainfall, etc. It’s no secret that readers love weather stories.
35. Other newspapers: Read their stories. Look for buried leads. Look for angles that they missed. Look for advancers that tip you off to upcoming events that you were unaware of. Consider how you can give the story a different twist.
36. Use the ‘Is there anything else happening?’ question: When you’re talking with people, or interviewing them, at the end of your conversation, throw in the ‘is there anything else happening that might be newsworthy?’ It’s a simple interview-ending technique that can lead somewhere else.
37. Demographics: Research statistics compiled by sources such as Statistics Canada. You’ll find community populations, age breakdowns, income, etc. How does your community compare with national averages?
38. The Barber / hairdresser: Fifteen minutes chatting while in the chair can produce several leads. Don’t laugh. If it’s happening in the community, a barber or hairdresser has likely heard about from someone sitting in his/her chair.
39. Community centre: All kinds of organizations post information at these places. All kinds of activities take place here.
40. Year in Review: Most newspapers publish a Year in Review every January. Print it off and refer to it throughout the upcoming year. Many stories can be updated.
41. Police briefs: In press releases, police give the media a few paragraphs on crimes that can often be expanded into stories. Also, be alert for multiple briefs over several weeks that show crime patterns.
42. Read magazine covers at the grocery store checkout: No, we’re not talking about the headlines that scream Aliens Cry Foul Over TV Show Mork & Mindy. We’re talking about the magazine covers that try to lure readers with theme statements such as Bicycle Helmets: Should they be mandatory for adults too? Or Skin Cancer: Are you at risk? These theme statements can help you generate localized stories on topical issues.
43. Employment listings: Who’s hiring in your community? Tell your readers about the factory that’s seeking 10 workers due to an extra shift being added. Sometimes a story about the flood of applications for a single job can be a telling story about the employment prospects in your community. And don’t forget about government employment listings. Taxpayers always like to know how their money is being spent to hire staff at municipal offices.
44. Welfare agencies: Who’s helping the poor in your community? Government agencies that distribute welfare payments will keep statistics on how many people are receiving aid. Food banks also keep statistics on how many people are visiting for food. These types of statistics can be reported on a regular basis throughout the year.
45. Member of government websites: Visit the websites of your local member (MP or MPP) of government. Obviously, there will be lots of news releases touting the ‘great work’ they do, but read between the lines and you’ll have lots of conflict-based story ideas: Politicians fighting with groups, rival politicians, policies, legislation, etc.
46. Variety stores: Frequently on a store counter, you’ll find donation jars for various causes or benefits. Occasionally, there are even petitions hoping to attract the signatures of customers.
47. Notices on storefront windows: these windows can feature a mish-mash of notices, everything from community events to legal notices about a business being shut down.
48. Community newsletters: For example, Ontario Power Generation publishes a newsletter for employees and the community. Sure, it’s a public relations vehicle, but there are story tips. Get on the mailing list of companies which send out such newsletters.
49. Go for a walk: Go for a walk through your downtown and ask people and retailers what folks are talking about in town? What’s happening that’s newsworthy? What are some issues? What’s the best thing that’s happening? Who would make a good human interest story?
50. Letters to the editor: They offer additional viewpoints on subjects, possibly other angles for stories. The writers are also commonly Average Joe Citizens bringing to light an injustice, a complaint or opposition/approval of an impending decision by government.

This used to be at: http://www.notrain-nogain.com/Train/Res/Report/50places.asp