Journalism Perspective

When I first enrolled in this class I thought I would be learning a lot about public relations than what I already know, which I did. I never thought public relations was so complex and involved as much information needed for journalism. I still plan to major in public relations, and I'm extremely happy I took this course. Although very challenging at times, I know now there's so much more I need to know. Journalism is, by no means-easy.

Fairfax Abduction

Renville County Authorities arrested a man in his mid-20s in connection with kidnapping a 14-year old Fairfax girl Tuesday morning. Her mother reported her missing early Tuesday morning, and was later found 10 miles south of Fairfax. The victim managed to flee the suspects vehicle and escaped without any injuries.


http://www.startribune.com/local/92809184.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUs

Story 9-Feature Story

            Being the baby out of the family can definitely have it’s positives throughout life with the benefits of being able to get away with more than some of the older siblings might. However, it also can have its major downfalls with parents holding the youngest to a much higher standard after observing how the other older children turned developed. In some cases, it will only result in the student feeling extremely overwhelmed and inadequate enough which leads students simply just giving up.

            As for 21-year old Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) Cambridge Campus student, Jessica Nelson, without a doubt knows what its like to experience an immense amount of pressure throughout school with the expectations of becoming a high achiever. However, Nelson refuses to let the pressures she faces throughout school, and just life in general slow.

           Nelson is one of two children with her being the youngest. Her family consists of her older brother Derek and her mother and father, Valerie and Darin Nelson. While attending high school at Zimmerman High School, Nelson excelled at academics, as well as playing on the junior varsity soccer team her junior year. “I think I did so well in school because even though I had an enormous amount of pressure riding on me, I still received so much encouragement from my family I would have never even thought of giving up,” stated Nelson.

                After her junior year in high school Nelson knew it was time to start visiting potential colleges that she might possibly attend after graduation. “At first it was extremely hard for me to decide on a school. It was my senior year in high school and I still had absolutely no clue as to what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” says Nelson. When it came time to start applying for colleges, Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) was only another name on the list of colleges Nelson had applied to during her senior year. She researched and considered many different colleges around the state—technical, community, and universities. However, when she had finally visited the ARCC Cambridge campus she thought that it would be just another college on her checklist to cross off and would be effortlessly ruled out. Although after taking a tour of the campus and speaking with several counselors and instructors, her feelings towards the college changed completely. The campus, instructors, and classes ARCC offered was exactly what she was looking for in a school, and was fortunate to live less than 30 minutes away.

                The Cambridge campus’ welcoming environment was what initially drew her attention. She felt that both the staff and the students were more friendly on the Cambridge campus than any other colleges she had visited, and each letter she had received from ARCC was always personalized. “It was a nice feeling knowing that my opinions were actually valued and any questions I had were answered quickly and never judged-I actually felt that there was a genuine appreciation in my interest to learn as much as I possibly could about the school” expressed Nelson. After being impressed with ARCC it made her decision extremely easy as to which college she wanted to attend for the fall semester. “I love the small community feeling here. The experiences I’ve been through and the people I’ve met while attending ARCC have just been great, it’s only made me that much happier with my decision to attend ARCC,” stated Nelson.

               Since starting college, Jessica has continued to keep an exceptionally busy schedule as well as an impressive GPA. Nelson is currently enrolled in four courses at ARCC as well as working two jobs, and is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

               Currently she’s working full-time as a cashier at Casey’s, and the second working part-time as a nursery assistant at Plant Place until she finishes up the semester to begin working full-time at both jobs. “I’m extremely lucky in the fact that I really enjoy both environments at my jobs and what makes it even better is that the people I work with are amazing. Plus my job pretty much rocks at Plant Place considering I get paid to tan-so I’d like to think its a win-win situation for a summer job if you ask me!” stated Nelson.

              To add to her already full schedule, she also helps out assisting a local softball team in Zimmerman as a base coach on Monday nights throughout the summer. “I’m always busy doing something, and I try to manage my time as best as I can so I can still have a social life and see my friends,” stated Nelson. Even dealing with a small amount of free time, she still manages to work on her hobbies making crafts such as ceramics, acrylic paintings, and blankets. When Nelson isn’t in class, studying, or working, she also enjoys spending her time taking advantage of the many lakes Minnesota has to offer and goes fishing. “Last year I remember being extremely excited when I found out I was going on a fishing trip to Mille Lacs Lake. A lot of my friends have been fishing there and told me I was guaranteed to catch a bunch of walleyes while I was up there. Throughout the whole fishing trip I didn’t even get a bite until the last day and it was a northern! I still was happy that I caught a fish, but I still have yet to catch a walleye on Mille Lacs,” stated Nelson.

                 Even after spending time enjoying her hobbies and managing to balance out her hectic schedule, she’s still been able to maintain a close relationship with who she describes as “the love of her life.” Nelson’s boyfriend, 25 year old Derek Zoerb is currently in the military and is stationed in Georgia for another month in a half while he completes his required basic training camp for the National Guard. Following Zoerb’s completion of basic he will be stationed in Missouri for an additional three months while he will be enrolled in the advanced military training program. Although it‘s been incredibly tough being so far away from her boyfriend and not being able to talk to him over a month, Nelson hopes that the time apart will only bring them even closer together. “If I wasn’t as busy as I am now I would probably go nuts spending my free time just thinking about how much longer he’ll be gone for, I don‘t understand how some of the military wives and girlfriends that have their husbands and boyfriends overseas deal with being apart from their loved ones for so long. I’m very thankful that he’s already halfway done with basic and will eventually be a lot closer to Minnesota, and me,” Nelson stated happily.

             While her boyfriend is away, Nelson plans on saving up her additional income for a house that Zoerb and her plan to purchase once he returns back to Minnesota.As for the other half of Nelson’s future, her goal while attending ARCC is to complete her two-year degree with plans to then transfer to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with efforts to finish college with a four-year degree with a major in Medical Administration. “I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I finally knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I was working at Casey‘s and a customer and came in and we began talking about her job. I’ve always want to work in the medical field but knew I could never actually work in an operating room. When I learned about what a medical administrator does I thought-Hey! I could do that!” said Nelson. Once Nelson graduates college with her Bachelors Degree she hopes to begin her career working at the Mayo clinic in Rochester as a Medical Administrator.

              “Although there is times when I start to think about how much free time other people my age actually have, I get a little jealous,” expressed Nelson. “Then I just take a look around and realize that all this time and effort that I’m putting into my future will eventually pay off, and be 100% worth it. I think the reason my parents have held me at a higher standard is because they’ve only wanted the best for me, and have known this whole time how much potential I really do have.”

Two Fatal Crashes in Cambridge

Two fatal crashes occurred in Cambridge over the weekend resulting in the deaths of five people, and leaving the 16 year-old driver of one of the vehicles in critical condition. Even after the crashed occurred, many Minnesotans are still left wondering why the state's teen driving laws are rarely, if ever, enforced. The Minnesota teen driving law took effect in August 2008 which prohibits newly licensed drivers at the age of 16 to be limited to only one passenger in the vehicle and restricts driving after 12 p.m..


http://www.startribune.com/local/92272274.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsl

Career Decisions and Opportunities

Jessica Nelson, Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Cambridge Campus

ARCC first began in 1965 with approximately 600 students in the wing of the Centennial High School building and later moved to the Coon Rapids campus in 1967. The Cambridge campus opened a little over ten years later with enrollment continually growing every year since. As of the 2008-2009 year, more than 11,000 students were enrolled at ARCC. Throughout those years choosing a career is not always an easy choice for the students at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC). Many students enroll at ARCC with the intentions of completing the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MNTC) with the idea of furthering their education to a four-year degree. For some, they fulfill their goals, and for many others their goals might take a different turn in life. A number of students continue to work towards their careers in the fields that they’re most interested in or display immense talent in. The MNTC consists of 10 goal areas which students work towards completing the 40-credit minimum requirement to be eligible for transfer.

ARCC Cambridge Campus student, Jessica Nelson stated, “I first enrolled at ARCC thinking that I would eventually transfer schools and become an art major, but after a few courses I think I would be better in the accounting field. I’ve always liked math, but my teachers here made me enjoy it even more”.

Whether students are planning to enroll in college to exceed in their interest, or talents, they all need direction. “I really had no clue on what I wanted to do with my life. I spoke with a few of the different counselors at the Coon Rapids campus at ARCC and they eventually led me in the direction to teaching elementary. I really love kids, and enjoy watching them absorb knowledge with excitement, so it was an easy choice for me,” said ARCC Coon Rapids student, Michelle Bourbeau.

With ARCC offering hundreds of courses both online and on-campus combined, it makes ARCC a very easy choice for many students. ARCC also offers summer courses to interested students. “When I first started looking for colleges I wanted a school that was affordable, and offered classes that I had the most interest in. I also wanted a college that also had courses online that would relate to my major and ARCC stood out the most to me. I’m now on my second year at ARCC and will be transferring to the University of Minnesota next spring,” stated ARCC student Kyle Silberg.

For potential students interested in becoming a student at ARCC there’s over 10 counselors available to provide any questions and information one might have. There is also the college’s website Anoka Ramsey.edu that also provides many questions and information available to the public.

“For me the college’s website is the easiest and most convenient tool I’ve used here at ARCC. I’m able to pay my tuition, purchase my books, and register for courses. I think I’d be lost without it,” said Nelson.

Target Field Impresses Fans

With Minnesota Twins fans enjoying their new stadium, they’re now faced with one problem-the overwhelming congestion of people at the rails in Minneapolis. Metro Transit is encouraging fans leaving from the games to chose to use the shuttle buses as an alternative to alleviate the traffic.





http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/91126884.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUqCP:iUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUs

Who is paying for the cost of college these days?

              Financial Aid for a majority of the students at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) is one way students are paying for their college tuition.

             Regardless of age or martial status student loans are and will be the common method for students seeking financial aid in a post-secondary education. According to President Barack Obama’s new student loan proposal that has been introduced to legislation, it will increase direct federal loans benefiting the students. With this additional assistance students will have more money available for loans and grants thus creating greater opportunities for the students.

                 For the slight number of students receiving financial assistant from their parents or guardians this noticeably will not effect them. However, students that are in need of further assistant this comes at the perfect time for them. When working full-time and even picking up a part-time job just to provide enough income to support yourself with the rising cost of rent, food, tuition, books, and bills this proposal will offer a much needed sigh of relief for many students. However, the new student loan proposal involves eliminating private student loan programs through banks and companies such as Wells Fargo and as an alternative, students would borrow directly from the government.

            Although there is a positive to the proposal. Since there’s more federal dollars available to students that are guaranteed from the federal government, the less likely students are to rely on private loans which have become very limited. As for students like Rebecca Fore, these loans will bring a little weight off her shoulder.

Missing Redwood Falls Man Found

The body of 22-year old Andrew McNamara from Redwood Falls, MN has recovered today by dive teams in Rice Creek located in southwestern Minnesota. McNamara was reported missing on Sunday evening. Friends and Family members believe McNamara had gone to the location to recover items from his truck that was submerged in the creek where he was also rescued one month ago.



http://www.startribune.com/local/90787219.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsl

Jack Johnson at the Apple River prior to the summer tour and new album release

Jack Johnson at the Apple River prior to the summer tour and new album release

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jack Johnson, he’s a 33-year old musician who is described as laid-back artist with a folk rock-acoustic style who displays an enormous amount of talent. Johnson began playing the guitar by the age of 14, learning to play, “One-by Metallica” as his first song.


Johnson has already released six albums, six soundtracks, and over 26 compilations and is arranged to go on tour this summer beginning on July 9 in efforts of promoting his newest album, “To the Sea” which releases on June 1. Prior to Johnson’s summer tour he will be performing at the Apple River which is already expected to be a sell-out crowd. The concert is set for June 22, 2010 in the Rivers Edge Park in Somerset, WI at the Apple River with his opening act consisting of his longtime friend, Mason Jennings. Tickets went on sale on March 15 are priced at $40 each.

Contact: Rebecca Fore @ Fore0106@metnet.edu with any questions or concerns.
Release Date: April 8th, 2010

Blaine manhunt comes to an end

The manhunt in Blaine finally came to an end this morning when L.C. Wesley Armstrong

turned himself in to authorities. Armstrong, who is a suspect in the stabbing of a Minneapolis Police K-9 and also eluded police officers resulting in the manhunt will be held in the Anoka County Jail.
   
http://www.startribune.com/local/north/89902732.html?elr=KArks:DCiUMcyaL_nDaycUiacyKUnciaec8O7EyUr

Enterprise Topic

I chose "College-The best of times, and the worst of times" for my enterprise story topic. I chose it because I wanted to stray away from the traditional stories that you might read about on campus. In a perfect world most people would claim that college is "the best time of your life." However, is that really the case for ALL students? I want to dive deeper into this subject and learn about current student's experience while attending ARCC as well as staff members observations of other students. Im actually really excited to write this story!

Key Wild players placed on the injured reserved list

Throughout the seasons with the Minnesota Wild there has been many injuries, and on Wednesday night the Minnesota Wild are set to play the Chicago Blackhawks without three of their key players-Harding, Stoner, and Ebbett. With all three of the players being placed on the injured reserved list it will leave the Wild with over 300 men unable to play due to their injuries. The general manager, Chuck Fletcher, announced Tuesday that all three players will more than likely need surgery and will be out for the rest of the season.


http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/89566422.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUI

Tom McCarthy-or as some of his students would say, "Dr. Tom McCarthy"

Tom McCarthy, who is a speech instructor here at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, first began attending college with the intentions of becoming an attorney. McCarthy’s father, who was an attorney, advised him that while he was in college that English would be very useful to him, especially when it came time to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). That’s when McCarthy declared his majored in English.


McCarthy was a graduate from Duluth Cathedral High School (now known as Marshall Cathedral High School) and coincidentally, our college president Pat Johns also a graduated from Cathedral as well. However, “he graduated the year before I started there as a freshman—he (Pat Johns) is much older than I am!” stated McCarthy. 　

While in college McCarthy became more involved in theatre. After being influenced by the faculty that was at St. Mary’s and McCarthy having such a great mentor as a teacher while attending St. Mary’s led him to the decision that he wanted to teach at the college level. “Needless to say, my father wasn’t too happy about the choice at first,” McCarthy mentioned, “I am however, in a commercial where I play a lawyer, so even though I didn’t become a lawyer, I play one on TV!” McCarthy accomplished college with a Bachelors degree in English and a Bachelors degree in Communication Arts from St. Mary’s University in Winona. Then he moved on to complete his Master’s degree at North Dakota State University (NDSU) where he also taught for two years as a graduate assistant. After finishing his Masters degree at NDSU he then moved on to complete his Doctorate at the University of St. Thomas.

McCarthy loved the idea of working in a profession where he would be surrounded by such interesting colleagues that have such sharp minds. “I also loved the idea of using my talents as an actor in front of the classroom and actually making a real living at it,” stated McCarthy. Now 28 years later, McCarthy teaches full-time in the speech department here at ARCC. As for the courses here at ARCC, you’ll find McCarthy in the speech department teaching 1110, 2215, 2251 and 2220.

In addition to teaching, McCarthy and his wife own the theatre section of The Seasons Dinner Theatre on Bunker Hills Golf Course here in Coon Rapids that they started 22 years ago. Two years ago, McCarthy was also one of the directors in the while ARCC was transitioning from Jack Bibee to Blayn Lemke in the theatre department. McCarthy is also involved in the faculty association and currently serving as Faculty President for the second year in a row and about the fifth year overall.

McCarthy described the first day of teaching here at ARCC as “great!” McCarthy didn’t recall being nervous at all. He also had a great mentor here at ARCC Greg LaPanta, who taught speech here and was also from his hometown. “Because he was fifteen years older than me, we didn’t know each other, but our families knew each other, and Greg took me under his wing and taught me so much about teaching. He really made it all seem so easy and rewarding,” stated McCarthy. When McCarthy first began teaching at ARCC he was actually teaching speech classes and coaching the speech team as the Director of Speech Activities. Going into his second quarter of teaching, McCarthy was teaching English and Speech, and also directing the speech team.

One of McCarthy’s most memorable moments while teaching here at ARCC was at the first national tournament he went to where his team won Gold in Readers Theatre. His team was new to the national tournament so they didn’t even realize they had won until after everyone else was clapping for us. “When I finally realized we had won, I was jumping up and down and going crazy and my students were still unsure of what was going on but eventually they figured it out too,” stated McCarthy. His team continued to win over the years but eventually they discontinued the team for budget reasons. However, they still were able to finish third in the nation overall that year.

While teaching here at ARCC, McCarthy was faced with a very terrible life changing moment. “It was the moment Greg LaPanta passed away,” said McCarthy. “I had been teaching here for three years and Greg and I had become best friends. The day before I was leaving for a speech tournament at UW-Eau Claire he told me he was going to the doctor because he was having trouble swallowing. It ended up that he had stomach cancer that had moved into his esophagus.” LaPanta survived another year, but died the following year. It was a life changing experience McCarthy recalls, not only because he was such an important mentor to him, but a very important friend to him as well. “I was there the moment that he died in Mercy Hospital and went to my office at ARCC shortly after and sat in my office and thought--wow, now what do I do? McCarthy came to realize that much of how he viewed himself as a teacher was due to his friendship with Greg.

“I really do love the interaction with the students, McCarthy stated, “I enjoy making learning enjoyable, and realize that because I teach a subject that many students find intimidating (speech) that I have a greater responsibility for making the classroom a comfortable space for students.” McCarthy also really likes seeing the diversity amongst his students, whether it’s ethnic diversity or age related or whatever else it might be. McCarthy also finds the students and faculty to be so interesting. “I really enjoy hearing their life stories and learning more about places I’ve never been or experiences I haven’t had,” stated McCarthy, and “A speech classroom is just the perfect place to hear those stories.”

Highest Paid Contract in Sports History

Joe Mauer, the starting catcher for the Minnesota Twins, signed an eight-year contract extending his stay with the Twins Monday afternoon. Mauer’s $184 million dollar deal with the inclusion of a no-trade clause will ensure him of playing for the Twins throughout his entire career. By Mauer signing the deal, he also made history for the Twins-he’s now the highest paid Twins player in club history.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/88870397.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUqCP:iUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs

Big Buck Hunter Tournaments at Anoka-Ramsey Community College

For students, many events provide knowledge, and offer different experiences for each to gain from. As for the Big Buck Hunter tournament, or also known as Tournament Tuesdays to students here on campus, it offers excitement, and the opportunity to meet other Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) students with similar interests. The event is held on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month in the courtyard commons between 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

The commonly known game Big Buck Hunter, which has also been known to be America's favorite hunting game, is one of many different exciting events held here at ARCC. This event encourages all ARCC students to participate in the hunting simulation game. It challenges each participants’ capability to shoot three bucks in each stage without shooting a doe/female animal, and with the opportunity to shoot critters for additional bonus points.

Each participant competing in the contest must complete the sign in sheet, located on the top right corner of the game in order to be eligible for the prize. Although you have the option of which animal you want to hunt, for this event you’re only allowed to hunt in the southwest region which includes four sites.

Consistency is a factor in this event. A streak bonus will be awarded after the second round is completed with the player that is able to shoot and kill all three bucks during the first and second round. The longer the streak continues, the higher number of bonus points the player will receive.

“You can score more points if the buck is farther away, and weighs more,” said Eugene Vang, a student at ARCC, and a participant in Tournament Tuesdays. Another great way to rack up points is to shoot the critters throughout the stages such as: blue birds, black birds, possums, squirrels, etc. to get the points for the critter bonus. Accuracy is also another factor in this game. If a player displays expert skills in the game, and able to kill each buck, and the critters in one shot, a marksman award is rewarded.

“I really haven’t ever played this game that much, but its pretty easy and me and my friends seen that there was a tournament so we just decided give it a shot while we here,” stated Tim Nguyen, another student at here at ARCC, and one of the first participants in the event.

However, just like everything else in life, there is a catch to the game. If the player shoots a doe or any other female animal, their turn is automatically over for that round, whether it was their first attempt, or not. There’s also a catch in the tournament as well. Each participant in the Tournament Tuesday event is only allowed to compete once, if anyone is caught playing twice they’re immediately disqualified.

To sign up for the event, all you have to do is show up in the courtyard commons located on the first floor and write your name, initials, and telephone number on the sign-in sheet prior to competing in the event. The winner is determined by the participant with the highest score at the end of the tournament and will be notified by the ARCC student government to claim their prize.

Tournament Tuesdays are sponsored by the ARCC Student Government, and any students who are on campus during the days of the event are encourage to sign up. By the end of this weeks tournament there was only 11 participants total. With such a small turn-out for such a widely-known and played game, it has increased the odds for the participants’ prize eligibility for this weeks tournament.

Lawsuit filed against nationwide show, The Doctors

Tyler Bowling, a 22-year-old from Lakeville, MN, filed a lawsuit against the producers at CBS after appearing in an episode on the nationwide show, The Doctors. The lawsuit is a result of the producers misleading Bowling after telling him that no one would see the episode and that it was only seen by students studying to be physicians and older people on an "all-medical network."

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/87109677.html?page=1&c=y

Rosalie Young: Party Planner/Wife/Mother/Grandmother/Student

Helping make memories last as a party planner has not only been a hobby for Rosalie Young, but a career path for the Anoka-Ramsey Community College student as well. With already having planned four of her own daughters wedding, and four high school graduation parties, Young looks forward to eventually being able to plan her last daughters wedding. Although whatever party Young is planning, she says it takes about a year to get all the details finalized. Young’s favorite graduation party she planned had been the one that Eichten's catered. As Young recalls, the food was amazing: custom cheese trays, buffalo and elk salamis, gourmet olive trays, wild rice salad, specialty crackers and breads with beer from all over the world. “I do like weddings more; the flowers and the dresses are more emphasized-both bridal gowns and bridesmaid, and the mother of the bride.” “The food is a little more formal, and I usually use DJs for weddings, This spring will be the first wedding with a live band at the Twin Cities Hot Club,” says Young. However, even with all the details worked out, obstacles will occur in any profession. Luckily, Young has yet to deal with a bridezilla but did face a challenge right before a wedding reception. The caterers key didn’t work for the venue that they needed to get into and they didn‘t have an alternate key. Thankfully one of the building's founders were close in the area, and had a key to open the hall. When Young isn’t busy planning parties, talking with her eight children and grandchildren, she’s busy completing her two long-term goals in her life; majoring in literature, and holistic healing.

Interview with Rosalie Young about Party Planning

Q: First, tell me a bit about yourself:


A: My name is Rosalie Young, I was born in Wyoming, and have been married for more than 30 years. I’m a mother of eight, and also a grandmother of eight. I currently run my own business as a party planner.


Q: How many parties have you planned throughtout your career?

A: 23 total, The sports parties all involved the parents playing the sport with their children then the dinner.



Q: How long does it take to plan a wedding vs. a grad party/sports party?

A: It takes quite a lot of thought and time when planning a party.



Q: What were some memorable moments, both good and bad with planning a wedding and planning a graduation party?

A: My favorite grad party was the one that Eichten's catered. The food was amazing.



Q: What are some of your goals with your career, long and short-term?

A: I have one venue I still want to use and I'm waiting for this last daughter to find a husband so we can use the hall. She's only 17 so I have a few more years before that time. Also, Two majors are my goal: literature and holistic healing.



Q: Have you ever dealt with a “bridezilla?” If so, what problems occurred and what was done about the situation(s)?

A: I’ve never dealt with one so far. Although, I did have one wedding venue where the caterers almost couldn't get into the hall before we showed up with the bridal party. Their key didn't work in the door and they explained later that they called information to see if any of the building's founders{There was a list on a plaque inside the middle doors} were still alive and had a key. Luckily one didn't live too far away and sped over to open up for them. That was a great party too where my 6'8" nephew got plenty of the chicken breasts.



Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: Basketball-high school college and prof girls'teams; Party planning-weddings and grad parties; Scholastic endeavors; Holistic Healing concepts; Travel and linguistic learning

Man jumps from parking ramp at MOA

An unidentified man jumped from the seventh level parking ramp at Mall of America on Monday and died. The driver tried to elude the police during a traffic stop ending at the Mall of America’s east parking ramp. The suspect drove through a barricade on the seventh level towards the south edge of the ramp and parked. The officers approached the vehicle when the unidentified driver climbed onto the wall and jumped falling to seven levels below and was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where he later died.

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/85926747.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsl

The Victim Fights Back

The Victim Fights Back!

Yesterday afternoon around 4 p.m. a robbery occurred at a convenience store on Bonneville Drive. The victim was Michele Schipper, a sophomore majoring in journalism at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC). According to Schipper, she pulled up to the side of the convenience store, and was getting out of her car when she was confronted. Schipper who was reaching in her car to pull out her purse when a man about 6-feet tall approached her and told her to give him her purse. She quickly complied and when she went to reach for her purse she turned around and kicked him in the groin area, and he started to go down. “I was afraid he wouldn’t stay down, and that he would seek some kind of retribution, so while he was down I gave him a roundhouse to the nose,” stated Schipper. “I could hear some crunching, and some blood spurted so I got in my car and drove way and called the cops from a motel down the street,” said Schipper. The police arrived at the convenience store but the suspect had already fled the scene. According to Schipper, there were no eye-witnesses, and with the robbery only lasting seconds she was unable to see the man well enough to identify him.

Gas-leak Explosion

EDINA-Tuesday afternoon after 2:30 p.m., a house exploded that left houses in the same neighborhood six blocks away feeling the impact, but no injuries have been reported. “It appeared that a backhoe working near the house apparently punched through a gas line, sparking a fire that engulfed the entire structure,” said eyewitness, Jake Schlegel. However, a spokeswoman for CenterPoint Energy said the incident was caused by a contractor who severed a gas line while working at a house in the neighboorhood.

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/85086522.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUac8HEaDiaMDCinchO7DU

New HeartMate II pump is latest bridge to life

Leonor Childers, 46, and a mother of four, was pregnant with her second set of twins when diagnosed with breast cancer. Leonor had to undergo A mastectomy, chemotherapy, an emergency C-section, more chemotherapy plus six weeks of radiation. Then two weeks later Childers went into cardiac arrest. With Leonors body not being able to endure a transplant, her doctors used a new technology called the HeartMate II (heartpump- used to sustain heart-failure patients until a donor heart becomes available).

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-02-16-heartdevices16_ST_N.htm

Story Two: Shortchanging the County

ZIMMERMAN-The County Sheriffs' Department & the County Commissioners met Thursday afternoon to discuss issues regarding the sheriffs departments equipment problems and lack of personnel. Disagreements boiled over during the meeting when Sheriff Gus DiCesari accused the County Commissioners of shortchanging the county sheriffs department to save money. Sheriff DiCesari stated, " You're putting the lives of the people in Zimmerman at jeopardy." Dicesari feels that county should be spending more money on the sheriffs' department and law enforcement instead of on programs for migrant workers who come to the community to work, and believes problems throughout the community began when the county allowed migrant workers to come here to work. In reply, President Anne Chenn, of the Commissioners Office said, "the county does not have the money to buy new police cruisers and hire five new sheriff's deputies," and "the migrant workers who come here to work are decent, hardworking people being employed at jobs that local residents don't want to do." Of the 127 million budget the county received, its running short of funds due to the increased cost for health care for employees and higher fuel cost. The county also had to spend an estimated 30 million to build a new prison to alleviate overcrowding. Chenn told DiCesari that he will just have to make due this year with the budget cut, and suggested that the deputies not drive their cruisers home each day to avoid additional mileage and would make the cruisers available to on-duty deputies. DiCesari feels that by letting the deputies drive their cruisers home and parking them in their neighborhoods was a deterrent to crime. However, the commissioners office voted 5-2 against the sheriff's request for additional money for the new equipment and additional personnel.

First Day at ARCC

I remember my first day at ARCC quite vividly. It was a Tuesday morning and my first class was Intro to Communications, taught by Professor McCarthy. This was my first college course so you can only imagine how nervous I was. The morning started off pretty good. I woke up extra early to make sure I was ready on time, and ate a good breakfast as well. I wanted to leave over an hour early for school so I made it there on time, and was able to find my class easily. Unfortunately, I ended up locking my keys in my car, and ended up having to have my neighbor unlock my car, which was after 30 minutes of me struggling alone with a metal coat hanger. My neighbor came over with this odd looking tool that he used when he repossessed car, and was able to unlock my car in about one minute. I was still late to class but its one first day I’ll never forget.

MN Wild face another challenge on the road

The Minnesota Wild has proven to its fans how difficult it is to lead their team to victory against the Dallas Stars with its12th-consecutive loss to Dallas this year on the road. After changing up their two top goalies, and scoring two goals in a power-play, the Wild were still defeated by the Stars 4-2 on Feb. 2, 2010.


http://wild.nhl.com/club/newsindex.htm

Story 1-Exercise 2-Chapter 9

ROGERS-Commuters on Interstate 790 had to take a three-hour detour today after a fatal crash occured, forcing officials to close off I-790 completely. The Rogers Police Department believe the intial crash started at 6:45 a.m. when two tractor-trailers heading northbound collided. Also involved in the crash were four tractor-trailers, along with fourteen cars that smashed into eachother, resulting in the devastating pile-up. According to Sergeant Albert Wei of the Rogers Police Department, the driver of one of the tractor-trailers was a tanker hauling diesel fuel. Today the driver of the tanker is thought to be very lucky considering the tanker didn't roll over, dump fuel, or catch fire.

As a result of the pile-up two people are left people dead, along with 16 others that were injured, and leaving four of the victims in serious condition. The Fire Chief, Tony Sullivan described the scene as if it looked similar to a war zone. Bodies were seen lying along the road and people were sitting next to their cars covered in blood. Sullivan stated that he had "never seen anything that bad in the 18-in-a-half years that hes been on the fire department." Sullivan stated that, “Firefighters had to cut the roofs off three of the cars to be able to free the drivers and passengers that were trapped inside.” All five of Rogers citiy's ambulances were on the scene, along with ambulances from four nearby fire departments as well as the "Life Flight" helicopter transporting two of the worst injuries to the trauma center. The exact cause of the crash has not yet been identified and will be under further investigation by the Rogers Police Department.

Childress has no expectations on Farve's decision

After the Vikings lost against the Saints on Sunday, coach Brad Childress says he has "no expectations" on Brett Farve's decision to play next season as the Vikings starting quaterback. Although Childress will not be giving Farve a deadline for his decision to play next year, still leaves many fans questioning his return or not for his 20th season.

The Dos & Don'ts of Writing Leads

While reading throughout chapter seven I've learned what can make or break a lead. I've also found that they'll not just benefit me in this class, but will be very useful to me for my future career plan in public relations. When writing a lead, it’s especially important to grasp the reader’s attention by being clear and concise with the main point of the story. By doing so you'll want to be as specific as possible while limiting the lead to no more than three typed lines. By having your leads be repetitive and/or including unnecessary detail will only leave your reader confused and difficult for them to identify the lead. Leads that are too wordy or poorly organized may even cause a lack of interest. The most interesting leads are usually the ones that are particularly unusual or unexpected and also use strong active and descriptive verbs. Although, when writing a lead, you’re going to want to be able to relate to your readers. By emphasizing the lead and relating the story to your reader’s causes them to be more concerned of the exact topic considering it impacts, and affects them specifically.

Rebecca Fore

Second Play-Off Game for Minnesota Vikings

On sunday, the Minnesota Vikings needed to prove to every football-lover, even beyond its incredible season, that it is one of the best teams in the NFL 2010 season. If Brett Farve can lead the Vikings with a win against the Saints, it would bring the Vikings to the Superbowl which they have not been to in 33 years.  Brett Farve of the Minnesota Vikings is set to square off against Brees this Sunday at 6:00p.m.

Introduction

Hello! My name is Rebecca Fore and I'm a 21 year old full-time college student and I'm also working full-time as well. After I complete the necessary requirements to transfer to the University of Minnesota I hope to obtain a degree in Public Relations and Sports Broadcasting. I've always really enjoyed sports, especially hockey, but I've never been that great at it. With my degree, my goal is to one day work for the NHL and hopefully one day I could work for my favorite hockey team (the Minnesota Wild.) I have a great family which consists of my Mother & Father-Dottie and Ed, who have been married for 35 years this June, and also my two brothers and one sister, Michael, Eddie, and Sarah. An addition to our family I have two gorgeous nieces, and three amazingly handsome nephews with another surprise on the way!

Rebecca Fore