I seldom give my opinion when regarding the news, but I want to open some areas up for discussion here.  Sure, there were lots of problems with how the Gustav evacuation process was handled by Louisiana-run shelters.  And yes, a lot of people yelled really loud about what they didn’t get.  Some were justified (conditions were awful at some shelters!)  That wasn’t the case with others.  Regardless, the negative cries (whether justified or not), got the attention of the national media.   And the national media bought it, in many cases, as the only side to the story. 

It’s clear the state needs to get its act together if it’s going to continue in the business of sheltering.  Some of the near life threatening situations involving the elderly on behalf of the state are shameful!  You can’t expect a 94 year old woman to survive a 7=10 hour mandatory bus ride with absolutely no attention to fare well.  That’s abuse.   

But maybe the national media big guns stopping there were more than a tad irresponsible.  Please let me know if there are exceptions, because I haven’t seen them. 

I spent today interviewing more than a dozen volunteers, organizers and evacuees from most all of the shelters here.  There were lots of fear-based rumors, due to a lack of official answers given to evacuees there.

AND I found story after story of compassion and gratitude.  There were stories of evacuees helping other evacuees, volunteer medical personnel spending the entire week at the state-run Sam’s Club shelter and the old Sports Outlet Mall shelter.  Some of the nurses and PAs I spoke with had medical ailments of their own (broken limbs, etc.).  Their family members had to force them to sleep,   Many slept prior to my interview with them today.   I saw an evacuee taking charge and proudly becoming a calming force.  (See more on Dee Dee, who lost four family members to Katrina, including her mother, then took charge at the Sam’s Club Shelter and brought peace there during chaos.  That airs Monday night at 10 on KTBS and on www.ktbs.com, keyword:  miracle).  

I am awestruck by the generosity and compassion that emerges here in situations like Gustav.  I applaud the women I saw in the grocery store, a small sample of what was going on across the ArkLaTex.  The women were planning meals for evacuees and sweating over the details about what our guests would or wouldn’t like to eat.   

I heard today from those in the trenches that maybe the faith-based community didn’t respond as strongly this time as it did during Katrina because of those who weren’t grateful…no…because of those who thought the initials of the volunteers who were helping them were F.U.    

But it’s not just Gustav.  It’s not even Katrina.  Year after year, research shows the ArkLaTex, one of the most cynical , conservative, fishing and Bible-reading markets in the nation, also rivals, if not is, the most generous. 

But please don’t take our generosity for granite.  We give hard.  It’s there and it’s solid.  But, you might be best not testin’ it without some gratitude.   

I’m so proud to live, work and do my part in a community where we give thanks.   

Hundreds of evacuees are housing their pets in a shelter at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds in Shreveport, but no felines there are quite this big!  This cat, named Theodore, was brought up by his owners from south Louisiana.  Theodore weighs about 40 pounds and looks like a really fat cat.  But his owners say he’s not fat.  They say Theodore is part bobcat.  What do you think? 

Many of you have been asking about news from Baton Rouge, since much of the national focus is still on New Orleans.  Look on www.ktbs.com.  Right now you’ll see video on President Bush’s visit to BR and a detailed map of power outages across the state. We’ve taken our regular website and made it into a continuous source for news.  We have staff feeding this site as fast as the news comes in.  We’d planned to launch this format later, but jumped in with it as soon as we saw Gustav coming. 

Stay safe.   

Our internet and news teams are bringin’ it.  Makes me so proud to work with these people.  Internet guru Brad Pollitt set up a webcam at my desk, where Meteorologist Joe Haynes and I chatted live with commenters for more than an hour just now.  What a great exchange of information!

We’re cranking up the webcam again Monday morning, so watch www.ktbs.com for the Gustav-live webcam/chat icon.  When it pops up, jump in and we’ll do our best to answer your questions as you comment.  We’d also love to hear how you’re affected by Gustav. 

HRB, could use some Houston perspective before the power goes out!  Hope to see you in the morning.  Stay safe. 

Our internet and news teams are continuously feeding www.ktbs.com with the latest information on Gustav.  Please check for updates on shelters, evacuees, the storm’s path, etc.  We’re on your side.

The staggering numbers of people having to leave their homes along the gulf coast!  Of course, we’re hoping for the best and that those improved levees hold.  But with the possibility of not having a home upon return, how do you decide what do you take with you?  

Evacuees from Katrina packed the basics for clothing and survival.  Some told me they grabbed pictures, financial documents and sentimental items. 

How do you decide what to leave and what to take with you?     

Sorry for being so absent with posts here lately.  We’ve been fully engulfed in Gustav coverage at the station.  One of my main jobs is to work with our team in keeping you up to date on KTBS 24 Hour News Now www.ktbs.com .  Today, we told you the LSU game has been moved up to 10:00 in the morning.  The first busloads of evacuees from south Louisiana is arriving in Shreveport for shelter this evening.  We have crews on the way toward Gustav.  Check in during the next few days on www.chrisredford.com and www.morningguyed.com for blogs on coverage. 

It’ll be a long, laborious weekend for us.  How about you?  Do you have evacuees/friends coming in from the gulf region?  Going to the LSU game?  How will you be affected, if at all? 

North Carolina man uses Barbie fishing rod to make record catch

The Associated Press
Originally published 12:34 p.m., August 22, 2008
Updated 12:34 p.m., August 22, 2008

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

David Hayes holds his state record-breaking channel catfish while his 3-year-old granddaughter Alyssa holds the Barbie rod and reel that Hayes used to reel in the 21-pound, 1 ounce fish in Elkin, N.C.

 

Did something inside you believe it to be true?  Were you hoping it were true?  Are you annoyed by someone’s attempt to dupe you, apparently for profit? 

The news today is that what two researchers say they found and claimed to be the body of Bigfoot was slowly thawed out and discovered to be a rubber gorilla outfit.   

According to the Associated Press, Matt Whitton, an officer who has been on medical leave from the Clayton County Police Department, and Rick Dyer, a former Georgia corrections officer, announced the find in early July on YouTube videos and a Web site.

“Everyone who has talked down to us is going to eat their words,” Whitton said at the time.

Phone calls to Whitton and Dyer went unreturned today.  Whitton’s police chief is reportedly in the process of firing him. 

It’s not official.  We’re awaiting drug test results.  But Hazel and Jimmy have apparently each nabbed the gold in some yet-to-be-announced event.     

Rumor has it that Hazel got drunk, fell off the high dive and accidentally didn’t make much of a splash on her entry.  That vaulted the little trollop to the top of the rankings. 

I also heard from a solid source that Jimmy was tested for probable use of performance enhancing drugs (compensating for the blue dress).

Rumors are all I have to go on since the creepy babies’ cell phones were confiscated by the Chinese government.  Anyone know their events?