Lee Gordon Says Goodbye

It's the ending of an era. Tomorrow will be Lee Gordon's last day on KRCG. The veteran weather forecaster has been a fixture in Mid-Missouri for over fifty years, but he is officially retiring.

After someone remains at a station so long they become more than just a newsperson. They become who you associate the station. A few other examples come to mind... Lou Martin, Fred Miller, Bob Phillips, Fred Broski. These people don't come around very often. In a world of climbing up the ladder to the next big market, these men chose to make Missouri their home... and our homes have been better for it.

Thanks for your service Lee and have a wonderful retirement!

New KCTV Weekend Meteorologist Named

Bottom Line Communications is reporting that Tom Wachs is the new weekend morning meteorologist for KCTV 5. Wachs has quite an interesting story and appears to be very qualified. You can check out more information on him by clicking here.

Which Springfield Evening News Anchor Team Reigns Supreme?

It is time to pull out the poll question again to get my brain (and this blog) fired back up again. So, who has the best news anchor team in the Springfield market? Vote away!

KY3 News Director Heading To The Indy City

If you have perused the KY3 website lately, you might have noticed that one of the job openings listed is for news director. At a station like KY3 you don't see this position open every day. Having served as news director for "The Place To Be" for eight years, Jeff Benscoter is heading to Indianapolis, Indiana to serve as assistant news direct at the NBC affiliate there.

For complete details on the story, check out the article by the Springfield News-Leader here.

We wish Mr. Benscoter well.

Tom Brokaw To Moderate Meet The Press Through The Election

NBC has announced that Tom Brokaw will serve as moderator of Meet The Press through the election in November. This was announced yesterday. There has been no word yet on an ultimate replacement, although some of the top contendors appear to be NBC/Politico's Chuck Todd, NBC's David Gregory, and PBS's Gwen Ifill.

Heading Home Tomorrow

Tomorrow I will be out the door of this hotel and heading home. It truly will be home sweet home. Give me a few days to get back in the groove of things and I will be back and blogging again regularly by Monday or Tuesday.

It's drier than a PBS Newcast...

Ever been in 2% relative humidity? Me either until this week's working vacation in Las Vegas. I am getting in late every evening and having to get up early so once again I apologize for the infrequency of the updates. Oh, and by the way, I love PBS Newcasts... no offense to Jim Lehrer, Gwen Ifill, and the rest of the gang at PBS. I just had a hard time coming up with a title.

Tim Russert: 1950-2008

As most of you know by now, Tim Russert, moderator of NBC's Meet The Press, passed away yesterday. I have been unable to be near a computer to blog this development, but TV Newser has been providing wall-to-wall coverage. You can check out TVNewser by clicking here.

Let me just take a moment and say that Tim Russert was one of my favorite political analysts. He will be greatly missed.

I am sorry I am away and not able to have blogged about this event earlier.

One More Time...

The recent blog posts have buried my earlier announcement that I will be leaving for Vegas tomorrow so look for limited blogging between now and the 21st. Thank you to everyone who has visited the site in the last 24 hours. The traffic has been overwhelming!

John McCain To Visit Springfield

It was just billed as a "KSPR Exclusive", anchor Joe Daues announced that Republican Presidential candidate John McCain will be coming to Springfield next week. Details were sketchy, but there will be a public event coming, too.

Tornado Photos

WIBW has set up a photo gallery where its viewers can submit their photos. It is quite dramatic to say the least. Click here to see the photos.

Meanwhile, WDAF-TV in Kansas has information on how you can help those whose lives were affected by the storms and tornadoes. You can find that information here.

Storminess Claims Lives

Good morning. Daylight is beginning to bring a better idea about the extent of the damage to the Kansas communities impacted by the tornadoes last night. Depending on who you listen to the number of fatalities at this point is either 1 or 2. Below are some links compiled to provide details on this story for you.

2 Killed in Kansas Storms, Tornadoes

Tornado Destroys Most of Chapman; Manhattan Also Hit

Tornado Kills 2, Damages K-State


Additionally, I don't want people to think I am ignoring the story out of Western Iowa/Eastern Nebraska concerning the Boy Scout camp hit by the twister. That story has been receiving massive media attention (as well it should) so I felt less need to cover it "wall-to-wall" so to speak. You can check out any of the cable news networks for details on this story.

Manhattan, KS Update

Just a quick update before I go to bed... there has been damage on the KState Campus. Locations on the campus that have been reported to have damage per WIBW:

Fiedler Hall
Ward Hall
Weber Hall

Also reports of damage on the north side of the campus specifically, though no buildings have specifically been mentioned.

Additionally... the heaviest damage in the Manhattan area has been the western and southwestern portion of town, including near the airport, Miller Ranch, and Seth Child Rd (especially near Amherst Ave).

If you have any additional reports (including pictures) and you are in the Manhattan area, please comment here or email me at thenews2k@gmail.com ... more as it develops.

Breaking News: Manhattan, KS Hit Directly By Tornado

WIBW Tv in Topeka has been streaming live coverage for the past several hours and are reporting that Manhattan, KS has been hit by a tornado... likely a direct hit. Manhattan is home to K-State University. Chapman, KS was also hit head on by this same tornado. There are numerous injuries in that community.

What Happens In Vegas, Stays There (Kind of)

Hi everyone. You may have noticed a slight drop-off in the number of blog entries the last few days. That is because I spending some time preparing to head out of town for a working vacation in Las Vegas. We officially head out on Friday (the 13th no less) and will return Sunday (the 22nd). During that time, I will have little time for blogging. I will update (hopefully) but it will not be as constant. Please continue to check in and provide tips to me via email: thenews2k@gmail.com even while I am away. I will respond as quickly as I can.

Thank you, thank you very much. ;-)

Laura Ingraham On Her Way "In" To Fox News

TVNewser is reporting this evening that Laura Ingraham will be hosting a program called "Just In" on Fox News, starting next week at 4 p.m. central time. This means that at least for the time being Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer will only be anchoring their morning block for Fox News. This is really bad news for Heather Nauert and John Gibson, who used to occupy the spot with The Big Story. It looks like their show has been canned.

Who is Missouri's Best Meteorologist?

The poll is now up and running to my right. Thank you to everyone who nominated. Please note that you had to receive two nominations in order to make our list to the right. Happy voting!

Just A Few Hours Left...

For you to get your nomination in for Missouri's Best Meteorologist. Send ONE NOMINATION ONLY to thenews2k@gmail.com until 10 p.m. tonight. I will try to have the poll up by midnight. Thanks!

Getting To Know... Kate Stacy

The local news business can be a hectic one. KOLR 10/ KSFX's Kate Stacy exemplifies this as she heads out almost daily in search of bringing viewers of the Ozarks the best story possible. Recently I had a chance to talk to Ms. Stacy about life at the station and beyond.

2K: How long have you been at KOLR?

KS: I've been at KOLR three years. I started here in April of 2005 as a general assignment reporter and became weekend anchor 6 months later.

2K: What is life like behind the scenes at the station?

KS: It's always busy, but a lot of fun! Each shift begins with an editorial news meeting. We discuss story ideas and then crews head out into the field, while producers start to build a newscast. Everyone relies on one another to get a show on the air, so we all work as a team. However, after two and a half years working the weekend show, that crew has become especially close. You'd think we would want a break from one another, but you'll often find us hanging out together after work.

2K: So...I've heard rumors that there is a fierce competition between KOLR and KY3. Care to confirm or deny this rumor?

KS: I don't think you'll find anyone at any station in this market who will tell you they don't want have the best news product possible. We scramble to be the first on a live shot or to scoop a big story. However, several of us in this market have worked together at other stations at another point in our career. And since we're on the same stories, we get a chance to get to know other reporters we haven't met yet. So, while there's competition, I don't think you'll see an "Anchor Man" back alley brawl any time soon. In fact, I'm just weeks away from marrying someone who works in the KY3 newsroom, so we try to keep things as peaceful as possible!

2K: What are some of your favorite shows on television?

KS: Not a day goes by that I don't catch several newscasts...obviously! But when I'm ready to veg out, I try to catch Grey's Anatomy, LOST, How I Met Your Mother and Entourage.

2K: Where is your favorite place to eat in Springfield?

KS: I love going out to eat, so I'm not picky. But some of my more frequent stops include Mijuri and Kai for sushi. I also enjoy Neighborhood Pizza Cafe, D'Arpinos and Touch.

A big thank you to Kate for taking the time to talk to us. Oh, and congratulations on the upcoming wedding!!

Covering Clinton's Exit

Just moments ago, Hillary Clinton endorsed Barack Obama for President and suspended her campaign. As you can guess, the cable news networks were covering it live.

CNN: Wolf Blitzer anchored the coverage for the network with reports from John King, Candy Crowley, and the rest of the CNN team.

FOX NEWS: Chris Wallace anchored the coverage along with Brian Wilson.

MSNBC: Duo Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann anchored the coverage for their network.

Who is the Best TV Meteorologist in Missouri?

Here is a new way to conduct our new poll. For the next few days, I will take nominations for the title of Missouri's best meteorologist. At the end of the weekend, I will post the people receiving the most nominations. Then you will have a chance to vote. ONLY ONE NOMINATION IS ALLOWED PER EMAIL ADDRESS. So... start sending those nominations to: thenews2k@gmail.com . Thanks!!!

Which Kansas City Station Has The Best Newscast?

Those of you who voted have chosen KCTV, barely beating out KSHB by one vote. Next was KMBC, followed up by WDAF (Fox 4). Thank you for participating in the most recent poll. I will have a new poll up later today hopefully.

My $.02: Is the Huge Tornado Outbreak of 1974 Coming... Or Isn't It?

My afternoons have been somewhat calmer than normal the past few days. That has allowed me the chance to browse the internet more than I usually do. A quick visit to KY3's website alarmed me this evening. Their headline reads "Forecasters predict possible huge tornado outbreak on Thursday." (By the way... you can click on the article to read the full story.) I have some knowledge of meteorology, but in no way would I consider myself an expert. I have been following the model data and forecasts for this event for a while now. I knew it could be bad... but this bad? Here?!? I apparently had missed some new developments since the afternoon discussions from the National Weather Service.



I clicked on the link and found these words: "The National Weather Service gave advance warning on Wednesday of a possible tornado outbreak in the Great Plains on Thursday. They say conditions are similar to a deadly day in 1974 when 39 tornadoes touched down."



If that doesn't draw your attention then I don't know what does. Yet, the article itself specifically only refers to areas from Northern Oklahoma through Iowa, specifically Central and Eastern Kansas. The AP article never once references Missouri. So I am left in a quandry: does this article pertain to the Ozarks or does it not? Is the Outbreak of 1974 coming or is it going to remain in Kansas?



My gut instinct knew what to do -- click on the weather forecast. Ron's discussion will be posted and he will have insight into this pending catastrophe. Here are his words of wisdom: "A line of severe storms is forecasted to form along the front and they will approach the Ozarks by early Friday morning. The front will wash out across the Ozarks late Friday and Saturday."



Woah. So it's not going to be bad here... but it is potentially bad enough to post the headline referencing a pending "huge tornado outbreak." Anyone dizzy yet?



This kind of situation is troublesome to me. As someone who has been reading forecast discussions, analyzing model data, and perusing soundings, I feel that tomorrow could be a pretty stormy night around with the threat of tornadoes. The problem exists because the general public is likely walking away from the KY3 website either thinking the world is coming to an end or we will only be getting a few scattered thunderstorms. Either they are stocking up on batteries for their weather radios or they are blissfully ignorant at the potential that exists for an outbreak of storms tomorrow.



Before the posters come on here saying that I must work for KOLR or KSPR and that I secretly hate the KY3 Stormteam, let me say that I respect Ron, Brandon, and Dave. I feel they are a great team of meteorologists. In this instance, however, KY3 needs to pick a position and provide analysis of that opinion. You can't be like the politician who says he has friends on both sides of the issue and that he stands with his friends. Either we have the potential for an outbreak or we don't. So which one is it Stormteam? Sitting on the fence is no place to reside when you claim you are "the place to be."

Update: Who Needs Montana?

The superdelegates sure don't. Barack Obama has been declared the Democratic nominee for President. It is being covered by a lot of other blogs tonight so I won't comment except to say that ABC provided a Special Report first at 5:49 p.m. eastern time, according to TV Newser. All right, so it is Obama vs. McCain.

There will be lots more to blog about on the campaign trail between now and November.

The Final Showdowns

Rumors are floating today about whether or not Hillary Clinton will abandon her race for the White House and concede to Barack Obama. Depending on which television network you listen to, they either seem to confirm or vehemently deny this is going to happen.

Regardless of the outcome of that part of the story, the final Democratic primaries are taking place today in South Dakota and Montana. These two states rarely have any kingmaking ability in the political arena so the states themselves seem uneasy about being in the spotlight.

They won't make or break the results, however, because even if Obama were to win 100% of the vote in both states, he still would be shy of the number of delegates needed to win the nomination. It will all come down to the last few superdelegates.

Sorry CNN and Fox News... after tonight, we won't need your magic walls for a while...

New Tool Coming For KOLR/KSFX

Some exciting news is coming today from a tipster: "Pending a license from the FCC, the playing field in the Springfield news market could level a little."

KOLR/KSFX now have a satellite truck, equipped to handle the upcoming digital switchover. All they are waiting on is for the FCC to approve and the station will be in business.

One employee tells The News2K: "We're all hoping to be the first to go live in some far flung area we've never been able to go live before."

KY3 has had SatCom for years. It will be interesting to see what KY3 does now that their competition has the same technology as they do.

The Rod Smith Plot Thickens

We have been trying to keep you updated on the situation at KRCG since veteran sports anchor Rod Smith was abruptly laid off and sports were cut from the 5 and 6 p.m. newcasts.

New developments are happening almost daily in this story. Here are a couple of updates.

1) The general manager at KRCG, Betsy Farris, has resigned from her post (although she will remain a consultant to the station) as general manager. The article discussing this can be found here. While the parent company Barrington Broadcasting claims that it has nothing to do with the fallout from the Rod Smith firing, I am not so sure.

2) Possibly even more significant, Mike Kehoe of the Mike Kehoe Auto Group is speaking out against the laying off of Rod Smith... so much so that he is running ads in support of Rod before every weather segment this week! You can find his letter to Mid Missouri by clicking on this link. If KRCG eventually loses the Kehoe Auto Group, that could be a big loss for the station itself.

Those are the latest updates as of now. I imagine more will unfold as the week progresses.

My $.02: It's That Time of Year Again

June 1 is always a day I look to with mixed emotions. Today marks the beginning of a period many people, especially along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, have come to dread - hurricane season. From now until November 30, residents across this country will be watching with bated breath every blob that develops from Alabama to Africa.

I hope everyone is prepared.

No longer are hurricanes just a worry for residents within a hundred miles of the ocean though. The next hurricane to threaten the U.S. will have all of us reaching for our remotes to get the latest from the television news media. And if it happens this year, the media will need to cover much more than just the potential impacts from the wind, rain, and the storm surge. The impacts of a strong hurricane will hit each of us in the pocketbook -- hard. As you know, gas prices are already at record highs with no end in sight. A hurricane or a tropical storm anywhere near the US mainland will send crude oil through the roof.

The results? Much higher gas prices, which will in turn increase the price of everything you buy from your morning cereal to your ice cream sandwich you eat for a midnight snack. It won't just be the food you eat that will be impacted. With higher fuel prices, the cost of shipping anything will also increase. With an economy teetering on the brink of a meltdown, this is something we simply can't afford.

I hope the media is prepared to do more than just stand out in the wind and tell everyone else to stay inside. I hope they are prepared to do more than prove to us they can position the most reporters in harm's way. I hope the media is ready to analyze the storm, give those in the direct path the very latest information to help reach safety, and then provide the rest of us with the no-frills analysis of what lies ahead for those who will never have to board up our windows or evacuate because of Hurricane Bertha or Tropical Storm Renee's gale force winds and flooding rain squalls. We will need the media to rise to the task if that time comes. I hope they don't let us down.

June 1st marks the beginning of the hurricane season, but it is much more than that. It begins an anxious 6 months for all of us. I hope we are all ready! For if we aren't, we have no one to blame but ourselves. News networks --- are you listening?

Clinton Projected To Win Puerto Rico

Well, add Puerto Rico to another location in which Hillary Clinton wins in the Democratic primary season. While they don't vote in the fall, they do get to help choose the nominee. Exit polling information was only conducted by CNN and it seems to indicate that Clinton won nearly every demographic. We will have to wait and see about the final numbers, but if Clinton has a big enough win here... Barack Obama will not be able to win the majority of the pledged delegates outright to secure the nomination (and neither will Clinton). It will all come down to the superdelegates. Oh boy... anyone smell this going to the courts?

Thank You

I want to take a moment as we have now rolled over to June and thank the readers of the blog for making May a record month for The News 2K. I am glad that more people continue to find out about the blog, send in suggestions, make comments, and provide tips. Even when I make errors, I appreciate them being pointed out because we are all human and need some correcting from time to time.

If there is ever any story or news item that you think is worthy of my mention here on The News 2K, please feel free to contact me about it via email: thenews2k@gmail.com .

Thanks again for a very successful month of May. Here's to an even better June!