1st Trip to Elliott County

I have permission to post this commentary from a day in the life of a TV news reporter and videographer - courtesy of Kristen Pflum (reporting) and featuring my hubby (videographer). Hilarious!! WLEX is definitely "coverage you can count on!"

1st Trip To Elliott County, Definitely A Memorable One - July 22, 2010

There aren't too many counties in central or eastern Kentucky that I have not visited in my five years at WLEX. They're serious when they say "Coverage You Can Count On," even if it's on the boundaries of our viewing area. We go EVERYWHERE.

Obviously, the big news this week has been the constant rain and the havoc it's wreaking on flood prone areas of eastern Kentucky. Monday and Tuesday it was Pikeville, overnight the northeastern part of the state took a pretty good hit, thus my trip today to Elliott County. I always thought that county looked tiny on a map. I found today, winding down miles and miles of rural roads in a 1-ton satellite truck, it's bigger than it seems.

My photographer Keith and I were trying to work quickly so that we could meet our other crew who was covering a missing woman in neighboring Carter County. Long story short, we drove several miles looking for damage visual enough to show in our 5:30 newscast and in the process of searching came across some interesting things. While I was shooting an "as-live" (as we call it) Keith and I heard something in the water. Sounded like a paddle boat swishing around, but then I heard the "mooooo!." It was a poor cow who had become stranded in the flood waters. He was coming to check out what we were doing...and scared the bageezus out of the reporter in the pink boots (me) in the process!

The stylin' pink rain boots

We were then told to keep going down the water covered road to find the bridge that was washed out over Little Brushy Creek. That's when we were told, "just turn at the big, huge red barn." If you saw the picture I posted, the barn didn't match that description AT ALL, but we found what we were looking for so no biggie...

The RED barn that was actually BLACK

When we were finished, we hit the road again that would take us to Carter County and while on our way, we saw one of the cruelest things I've ever witnessed. We were rounding a corner on one very rural road and came up on a woman who was stopped on the side of the road. As we passed (in a rolling billboard of LEX 18 I might add) the woman opened the back door and shooed a small dog out of the car, slammed the door and peeled off. The dog was so confused that he just sort of did a few circles in the middle of the road and took off into the woods. It might have been one of the more heartbreaking things I've ever witnessed. No doubt I've heard about that, but to see it actually happen was very sad. Needless to say it was a looooong day. I didn't pull into my driveway til around 8:15.

My hubby didn't get home until after 9pm because he had to drive home from Lexington.

Cutler Eats Humble Pie

Alan Cutler has been an outstanding sports reporter at WLEX for many years and he has been my friend since I've known my husband.

Although I don't agree with the aggressive behavior some reporters use when trying to nail down a comment - and I don't condone Alan's tactics - I do realize reporters are only doing their jobs.

Where is the outcry over reporters chasing Britney, Lindsay, Rhianna and Octomom? I think the American public has 2 sets of standards - what reporters can do to get comments from a huge celebrity and what they can do to get a local news story. I place a lot of blame on all the UK fans who burned the Internet and other airwaves over the past week with continuous speculation of - will he stay or will he go. Alan was only trying to get the story these people wanted to hear.

Billy Gillipsie made the choice to be in the spotlight and with that exposure there comes a price. If Gillipsie had been guilty of swindling UK out of millions of dollars, I don't think the outcry would have been as vocal.

Alan has apologized to UK and the public and I feel he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Everyone makes mistakes - no one is perfect.

Hang in there, Alan - your family, friends and loyal fans are behind you 100%!

25 Years and Counting

My family and I have just returned from the WLEX TV18 Employee Appreciation Party. This is an annual event to recognize all the hard work these folks go through to bring us the news. There is always good food, good fellowship and good fun had by all - this year was no exception!

This was my hubby's 25th Anniversary with WLEX! Can you imagine? He has spent half of his life working for the number one television station in the state of Kentucky!

My hubby has worked as a weekend news director, master control operator, and Monsterpiece Theater director. He is currently a news videographer and satellite truck operator. Next week he will be leaving for Washington, D.C. to cover the historic inauguration of Barack Obama.

Congratulations baby, I love you!