Brown Bulletin

I looked at the Cottonwood bus crash. The lead from the original FOX 9 story reported at least 3 deaths. It also said that at that time only one of the deaths were from the school bus.
The report from the following day started with classes being canceled because four students had died.
In the first report as much information that could be gathered and reported was. Most was vague and not the whole story. The follow story gave the scene of what was happining in the town in the wake of the crash.
It then broke additional information down into catagories.
The second story gave a much clearer picture of what happened and the effects it was having in the town and state. The stories were from the same news source.

Posted by brow1355 at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Toshiba announced Tuesday that they will no longer make or market HD DVD products ABC news reported.
The war for which format would eventually become the standard has been going on since 2000 when the two competing companies Sony and Toshiba started to invest money in high definition discs.
When Warner Bros. decided to back Sony's Blu Ray format earlier this month HD DVD finally gave up the battle.
In a war reminiscent of the VHS Betamax battles of the 80s Sony's wins this time around with the Blu Ray.
Many movie studios as well as rental and distribution places have decided to support only Blu Ray which has caused HD DVD to step down and declare Sony the winner.
Computerworld says that in the end it came down to capacity. Blu Ray has more and that is what consumers as well as movie studios want.

Posted by brow1355 at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Three people died in a car accident on Tuesday in southwest Minnesota the Pioneer Press reported.
The accident, involving multiple vehicles including a school bus, happened in Lyon County near Cottonwood, Minnesota.
Fox 9 is reporting that at least one of the three deaths is a child from the bus.
Helicopters were called in to help get the injured to the hospital. Bystanders on the scene were asked to drive children to the hospital as well.

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The possible merger of Northwest Airlines and Delta concerns Minnesota legislators about the future of NWA hub KARE 11 reports.
Governor Tim Pawlenty and other government leaders held a press conference expressing their concern.
NWA, which has its central hub in Minneapolis-St. Paul international airport, is on the verge of a deal which would merge them with Delta Airlines.
The move could potentially move NWA hub to Atlanta, a location where Delta Airlines chief executive Richard Andersen believes the joint hub should be.
Because very little information is available about the deal legislators are meeting to decide what Minnesota's stance and best interests are.
"Northwest Airlines has been excellent for Minnesota, and Minnesota has been excellent for Northwest," Senate Majority Larry Pogemiller said.
The state and airline have had a very intertwined past and NWA still owes the state $445 million in loans and concessions the Pioneer Press reported.
Pawlenty is hoping the airline will stay true to its word and maintain its Minnesota hub. The move of the hub would result in the loss of at least 1,000 jobs at NWA's Eagan headquarters.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul airport is a "highly desirable hub," Pawlenty said.

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The USDA has issued the largest recall of beef in history the Las Angeles Times reported Monday.
The historical recall of 143 million raw and frozen beef comes after a secret video was given to the Humane Society of the United States which then passed it on to the USDA. The video shows numerous health violations and mistreatment of cattle by employees according to The Washington Post.
The Hallmark Meat Packing in Chino was the site of the violations and has been closed since February 4th, after inspectors confirmed what the video showed.
Much of the food was used in school lunches which are believed to have already been consumed. The other locations are two fast-food restaurants that have announced they will not use meat from Westland, a partner of Hallmark Meat Packing.
Despite the recalls size the issue of public safety is much lower in this case. The USDA has said that the chance of health problems related to use of the meat is remote.

Posted by brow1355 at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

President Bush is visiting Africa this week The Associated Press reports.
During his six-day trip to Africa, Bush will visit five countries.
On Monday Bush was in Tanzania showing support for the U.S.'s efforts in the fight against Malaria.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the hardest hit area in the world for Malaria with 100,000 deaths a year in Tanzania alone.
The disease is deadliest for those under age five. The goal is to give enough mosquito coverings for every child under five in the country.
Bush was also praised for his efforts to control and stop the spread of AIDS in Africa. Being touted as a friend of Africa Bush was received with praise everywhere he went. He has spent much more money than former President Bill Clinton did. "African countries held more favorable views of the U.S. than any others in the world," according to a Pew Research Center report.
Bush's next stop on his African journey brings him to Rwanda on Tuesday Reuters reports.
This stop will be much different than the hero’s welcome Bush received in Tanzania. The stop with commemorate 1994's Rwandan genocide, one of the darkest moments in African history. Many survivors are still angry about the U.S.'s lack of involvement and help during the attacks.

Posted by brow1355 at 9:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the Pioneer Press story about the Coon Rapids shooting the story is structured with a hard news lead. The story then progresses with some more specifics and information on how the victim is doing. It ends with a quote from the police about the progress of the investigation.

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ESPN.com reports that Mike Bibby will be traded.
The Sacramento Kings star point guard will be traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for a draft pick and four players, including 2006 fifth overall pick Shelden Williams.
This move sends Bibby, a veteran and playoff tested point guard, from the west to the east where the Hawks are making a run for the playoffs The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
All this comes after many other big trades around the association. The Lakers got a solid all around big man in Pau Gasol and the Suns added Shaq to their line up in hopes that he will be the final piece to the championship puzzle.
The Dallas Mavericks blockbuster trade for Jason Kidd was scratched after a Dallas player enacted his no trade clause. The Mavericks now only have until February 22nd to restructure a deal to bring Kidd to Dallas before the NBA trade deadline.
These moves come during a season which had many big names move prior to the seasons start. Players like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were traded to the Celtics who are now the NBA's best team.
The teams that made these trades including the Hawks hope to see the same results the Celtics did as the NBA begins the second half of the season.

Posted by brow1355 at 6:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Rushford, Minn. man was indicted for bank robbery the Pioneer Press reported.
Jacob Edwin Edwards, 26, was charged in two bank heists. The TCF banks were in Bloomington and Woodbury.
The Associated Press reports that Edwards was caught after the FBI was tipped off to a man that fit the robber's description putting dyed money into slot machines at a casino.
The money from one of the heists was in a bag with a dye pack. The pack bursts and permanently dyes the money so it is difficult to use.
Edwards was connected to both of the robberies in part because of the use of two written heist notes. Also one of the notes was written on the back of a check stub from a job Edwards used to have.

Posted by brow1355 at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Coon Rapids man was shot on Friday while opening his front door WCCO reported.
The 41-year-old man was shot at point blank range through his front door. Investigators believe he was answering a knock on the door when he was shot.
The man was able to call 911 and is in critical condition at a local hospital according to the Pioneer Press.
The police have no suspects at this time and no motive for the attack. The shooting appears random because police do not know why anyone would want to hurt the man.

Posted by brow1355 at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Five students died after a former student opened fire on a university campus Thursday the Washington Post reported.
Stephen Kazmierczak, 27, a former Northern Illinois University student opened fire on that same campus Thursday morning leaving five dead and many injured. Witnesses say the victims were random.
The whole ordeal did not last long according to police. Only a matter of seconds before the gunman turned the gun on himself.
Kazmierczak had three weapons with him including a 12-gauge shot gun and a 9-millimeter Glock.
Kazmierczak was remembered as a good student. He was noted to have been acting erratic in recent weeks after not taking medicine according to The New York Times .
Police response was quick and the whole ordeal was isolated to only Cole lecture hall where an introductory geography class was taking place.

The campus was shut down in December after some threats were found written on campus bathrooms however, authorities do not believe the two are related.
The campus was closed Friday and a candle light vigil will be held Friday at 9 p.m.

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A high ranking Taliban commander was captured on Monday in Pakistan The Guardian reported.
Mansoor Dadullah was the former Taliban commander for southern Afghanistan. He was captured during a gunfight near the city of Zhob.
Dadullah came to power after his brother who was also a Taliban leader was killed last May by British troops.
He was considered a rebel among the leaders and even was said to have been dismissed as a leader by the Taliban central command the Agence France-Presse reports.
All this comes as questions are being raised about border security between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Tariq Azizuddin the envoy to Kabul went missing and is feared abducted according to the State television.

Posted by brow1355 at 6:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looking at the Kare 11 story about the apartment complex fire I counted eight attributions. Six of those times the person was named and two other times they were simply listed as officials. The use of attribution was constant throughout the story.
The information was all from people, most of whom were residents of the apartments. Since the reporter never uses the same source twice is was not confusing to know who was saying what because the attribution was listed after every quote.
I think the attributions were effective and needed. The many quotes from the displaced residents helps to put a voice to the magnitude of the incident.

Posted by brow1355 at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The New York football Giants won the Super Bowl thanks in part to an amazing fourth quarter catch the Associated Press reported.
The catch, which is destined to go down as one of the most amazing plays in Super Bowl history, kept the drive alive that led to the Giants eventual game winning score.
David Tyree, who is a little known receiver for the Giants, has spent more time on special teams making tackles than on offense making catches. He made a circus catch on a desperate toss by pressured quarterback Eli Manning, jumping as high as he could in the midst of numerous defenders and even using his helmet to help secure the ball. Tyree somehow maintained possession and gave the Giants better field position and a new set of downs which set up the game's final touchdown.
The Associated Press is also reporting that this was the highest watched Super Bowl ever. With 97.5 million viewers it eclipsed the previous high of 94.08 million. It was also the second highest watch television show ever behind the 1983 series finale of M*A*S*H which still holds the record at 103 million viewers.

Posted by brow1355 at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A fire broke out at the Plymouth Oaks Apartment complex on Saturday in the same place a fire occurred in July according to Karla Hult of KARE 11 News.
The fire was blamed on electrical wiring officials said, but they are not ruling out other possibilities. Firefighters battled a blaze in the same location just seven months ago.
For many residents the process of rebuilding after another devastating fire is hard to comprehend. "I seriously can't believe this is happening. We were just starting to save for a house and now everything is probably gone," said Jackie, a resident.
The Pioneer Press reported that the fire injured one person and forced 50 people out of their homes.

Posted by brow1355 at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

People showed up in record numbers around Minnesota to take part in the caucus the Pioneer Press reported.Minnesota was one of over 20 states that held caucuses or a primary on what has become known as "Super Tuesday."
In years past Minnesota has held its caucus much later than the rest of the country. This often leads to a lower turnout because by that time the candidates are usually already selected and the votes do not have much of an impact.
This year the races are close and the voting is taking place in line with most of the rest of the country. High turnout was expected but the amount of voters was overwhelming in much of Minnesota. "We guesstimated high as far as supplies, and even our highest estimates weren't enough," said Jeffrey Williams, co-chair of the Republican House District 55A caucus.
The people voiced their support strongly for each party. Democrat candidate Obama won much of the young vote appealing to the college towns of Minnesota Associated Press writer Brian Bakst reported. For the GOP voters selected Mit Romney by a large margin.

Posted by brow1355 at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tornados swept through the Southern United States on Tuesday night Reuters reported.
The unusual winter storms produced a slew of twisters that ripped through Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky.
As of Wednesday at least 50 deaths and thousands of injuries had been linked to the tornados the Agence France-Presse reported.
While the tornado season typically starts in March the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that tornados occur at this time about once a year.
The major difference about this incident is the high death toll and massive area of destruction.

Posted by brow1355 at 1:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After rebel attacks on the capitol city of N'Djamena and a coup attempt on the presidential palace over the weekend Chad's president said "We have total control not only of the capital but of the country," The Press Association reported.

Idriss Deby who has ruled Chad since 1990 said that the attackers have been beaten and are now fleeing back to Sudan. Derby insists that the attackers are being supported by the Sudanese government.

The attack left more than 1,000 people wounded and at least 27 dead the Agence France-Presse reported.

The reaction from around the world has been for peace. The U.N. condemned the attacks and authorized France as well as other nations to help out Chad's government. Even the pope called for an end to the violence.

Posted by brow1355 at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the lead from The Associated Press coverage of the missing man found in the Fridley lake the who, what, where, when, and even something of a why are all present in the first sentence. It is very general in nature. Specifics are not given for any of the information until later in the story.
This lead offers you the barebones information of what happened. For a story where much of the details remain unknown this lead acts as a quick summary of the basic facts that are available.

Posted by brow1355 at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Twins pitching ace Johan Santana finalized a deal with the New York Mets on Friday reports the New York Times. The deal makes Santana the highest paid pitcher in league history as well as the second highest annual salary in all of baseball behind Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez.
The deal sends Santana to the Mets in exchange for one centerfielder and three pitchers. The Twins get an up-and-coming centerfielder who will most likely replace the spot vacated by Torii Hunter, and three young unproven pitching prospects. The Mets get a new headliner to go along with a already strong pitching rotation as well as keeping the core of the team intact.
Johan Santana gets something too, $150 million and an extended six year contract. Santana also will now pitch in the lights of New York City and get a chance to steal some of the spotlight from city rival Yankees.
With the finalizing of this deal major league baseball and many of its players got something too, a glimpse of the future of free agent paydays. Santana's contract is nearly $25 million more than the previous blockbuster deal signed by Barry Zito of the Giants last offseason and over $3 million more annually than the Cubs Carlos Zambrano.
Jayson Stark of ESPN.com says "it was definitely a great day in the life of C.C. Sabathia, too." Sabathia is the reigning Cy Young winner and is set to be a free agent after this season which means he could be seeing lots of dollar signs in his future.
In the end you have two teams going in different directions and a salary increase that will likely set the bar for star pitching contracts in the coming years.

Posted by brow1355 at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Pioneer Press reports that the famous St. Paul winter carnival Vulcans are being acknowledged for their good deeds rather than their dirty deeds this winter. The Vulcans who have been a staple of the carnival for decades have come under scrutiny over the years for lewd acts and raucous behavior. All of this coming to head in 2005 when the Vulcan King pleaded guilty to inappropriate contact with female bartenders at a downtown bar.
Despite the negative image the Vulcans have been tagged with in recent years the organization has a long history of philanthropy and community service. "In the coming year, Vulcans will participate in about 200 events, provide hundreds of holiday meals and gifts, and raise thousands of dollars for various causes." reports Alex Friedrich of the Pioneer Press.
This year they are getting noticed for saving the ever popular snow sculpting contest. Originally cancelled due to lack of funds the Vulcans donated their time and $10,000 to keep the contest. The Associated Press reports that "About 70 former Vulcans will donate their muscle and equipment beginning Sunday to scoop the snow and stuff it into large wooden molds."
Making headlines for charity and service is the image Vulcans are looking for. Even though they have had some rocky years in the past it seems the Vulcans are still beloved as carnival chief Kate Kelly said "Without Vulcans, the Winter Carnival would be "booorrrrrinnngg.''

Posted by brow1355 at 2:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The body of a missing man was found the Pioneer Press reported. The 38 year old man whose identity has not been released was pulled from Moore Lake in Fridley on Thursday. The Associated Press reported Police Captain Brian Weierke saying that foul play was not suspected.
On Wednesday a city employee found personal items including a hat and drivers license frozen in the ice around a hole. The hole which is not hard to see was caused by an aeration system. People do not often fall into these holes "It's very easy to see," Weierke said. "This is an unusual case."
Medical reports are waiting to determine cause of death which is most likely accidental or suicide.

Posted by brow1355 at 2:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)