by: Megan Gosch
When analyzing the article "As hog prices soar, thieves act," reported by the Star Tribune, three sources are used to explain the story. The sources named are Ryan Bode, a pig farmer, Kent Bauman, a local detective, and Rick Grommersch, a pork board member.
The sources used are scattered throughout the story and made very clear who they are. The sources are also introduced very clearly so that the reader knows who is speaking and how they relate to the story. The information in this story is mostly from the people involved in the story.
The reporter has set up the attribution to the story clearly by stating their first and last name, then explaining their title or who they are (occupation or otherwise). The attributions are effective because they clearly state who the person being introduced is without interrupting the story or blurring them with the facts.
The attributions in this story were very clear and effective, and helped to create a cohesive and interesting article.
September 2011 Archives
by: Megan Gosch
U.S. video gamers have solved the puzzle of a protein similar to that of HIV and AIDS, which could contribute to the discovery of a cure for the disease.
Players of the community protein-folding game named Foldit have unlocked the structure of a Mason-Pfizer virus within three weeks. The virus is a retroviral protease that spreads much like the HIV virus as well as AIDS.
The solution to the structure of the Mason-Pfizer virus may provide the information needed to create drugs to prevent the virus, which could in turn reveal a possible cure for the HIV or AIDS virus that have impacted more than 37 million people worldwide, reported Time - Techland.
"This is one small piece of the puzzle in being able to help with AIDS," said Firas Khatib, a biochemist at the University of Washington, in reference to the protein solved by gamers.
The same protein that video gamers took less than three weeks to solve remained unanswered by a team of international scientists over a span of more than a decade, reported MSN news. With this success, scientists are considering using the game to solve additional protein-related mysteries.
"My hope is that scientist will see this research and give us more of those cases," said Khatib.
by: Megan Gosch
Authorities are currently investigating the theft of 150 pigs, stolen from a pig farmer near Lafayette in Nicollet County, in connection with previous pig thefts.
Ryan Bode, a southern Minnesota farmer, noticed that 150 of his pigs were stolen last weekend from one of his many hog barns. The hogs are estimated to be worth over $30,000.
The robbery of Bode's pigs was discovered about a month after 590 hogs worth over $100,000 were stolen August 15, from another farm in southern Minnesota, reported the Pioneer Press.
Kent Bauman, a detective in Kandiyohi County, believes that the pig thieves would have to be "very knowledgeable in livestock" to be successful in this type of robbery. Although Bode's barn had a security system, his alarm never sounded because the thieves broke in through the mesh that is used to keep birds out of the barn and keep the hogs cool in hot weather, reported the Star Tribune.
Bode believes that the thieves came to the barn repeatedly and are pig farmers themselves. He thinks that his stolen pigs have been mixed with that of another pig farmer because it is the "only way to get them into a packing plant," said Bode.
While Bauman and the Kandiyohi County sheriff's office will continue to investigate the strange robberies, local pig farmers will be on the lookout for their own hogs, beginning to lock their barns and install security systems.
by: Megan Gosch
A 20-year-old Minnetonka man on a study-abroad trip in India, went missing Thursday after falling 100 yards during a hike near the Ganges River.
Tom Plotkin, an international business student at the University of Iowa, twisted his ankle and fell while on a 57 day hiking trip with five other students. While Plotkin remains missing , his jacket and head lamp were found by searchers
A group of about 600 military personnel and volunteers have conducted a search for Plotkin that has extended 25 miles, delayed by nightfall. The Associated Press reported for the Pioneer Press that the rescue search for Plotkin was expected to continue today.
Plotkin is an international business student at the University of Iowa. He left for India in August after enrolling in the National Outdoor Leadership School of Lander, Wyo, reported the Star Tribune.
Phil Forve, a family friend of Plotkin, described him as "physically fit" and that he loved the outdoors.
Authorities have now considered the search for Plotkin an attempt to recover his body, said Forve.
by Megan Gosch
Troy Davis was executed in Georgia on Wednesday, after several last minute attempts to save his life were rejected.
Davis, a 42-year-old man, was put to death by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 11:08 p.m., 22 years after he was convicted of murdering Mark MacPhail, a Savannah police officer. He plead innocent to the murder.
"I am innocent. The incident that happened the night is not my fault," Davis said as he was strapped to a gurney in the death chamber, reported the Washington Post.
Davis' attorney and supporters worked until the very end to stay his execution. Early on Wednesday, a lie detector test was requested to try to prove his innocence, but was denied by the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parole.
The Supreme Court also received a petition to review Davis' case and stay the execution, but denied any reconsideration hours before his death. Members of the Georgia chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People were also working with the Department of Justice to reach a decision of clemency for Davis.
Supporters and protestors alike gathered outside of the prison as Davis' execution was enacted, reported the New York Times. Davis' case attracted national and international attention as a test against the death penalty and its legal standing.
by: Megan Gosch
Government officials have ordered extensive tests following the discovery of high levels of radiation in Japanese rice crops that have been linked to the nuclear disaster in Fukushima earlier this year.
This has been the first case of radiation exceeding 500 becqueres of cesium per kilogram in Japan, and will require further inspection to determine whether the rice is safe to consume. The radioactive rice was from the city of Nihonmatsu, about 35 miles from Fukushima's destroyed nuclear plant, reported the New York Times.
Government guidelines instruct that rice containing more than 200 becquerels of cesium per kilogram must be tested thoroughly, while rice shipments found to contain more than 500 becquerels per kilogram are halted, reported Think Progress.
Rice from more than 400 locations around Fukushima has been tested for high levels radiation and until recently, the highest detected level s of cesium in rice were less than 150 becquerels per kg.
Cesium radiation poses a major threat to the Japanese, with rice accounting for a large portion of their diet.
Japanese beef, milk, spinach and tea leaves have also been contaminated by the radiation. In July, beef from cattle in Fukushima was banned after found to contain high levels of radioactive cesium. The ban was later lifted after a series of extensive tests.
by: Megan Gosch
As can be seen in "Minnesota forest fire spreads plume far and wide" by the Associated Press, a news lead works in a story to use the five W's to hook in a reader to read the rest of the story.
The five W's, the key elements of a news lead, provide the reader with "the who," "the what," "the where," "the when," and "the why." This AP article's lead details the what (a plume of smoke), the where (Minnesota's north woods and Milwaukee/Chicago), the when (Tuesday), and the why ( a Minnesota fire).
The general (v. detailed) information provided by this story's lead included the location of the fire. The lead stated that the wildfire took place in "Minnesota's north woods" rather than stating a more specific location. This lead is also very general in addressing who is affected by the fire, leaving the reader to imply that Milwaukeeans and Chicagoans have been impacted by the smoke.
This story did use a hard news lead to get the message to the reader directly, preventing any delays, rather than using a news lead with a type of angle.
by: Megan Gosch
Target's temporary collaboration with the designer Missoni, caused extreme excitement and chaos among customers as well as the crash of the corporation's website Tuesday morning.
The Missoni for Target line premiered at 6 a.m. on Target.com, only to be brought down a few hours later by an unmanageable amount of traffic on the site, reported The New York Times.
Target's collaboration with the Italian designer has created a great deal of excitement among Target customers and fashion editors alike, drawing a great deal of attention for offering products by the designer at an incredibly discount of the regular retail price.
Although Target has collaborated with several other high-end designers for temporary lines, the Missioni for Target line has created a momentum that was unforeseen, leaving customers frustrated and angry.
Target will be working diligently to maintain Target.com and to keep up with customer demand for the Missoni line.
by: Megan Gosch
A 22-year-old man was the second to die in Minnesota in connection with the use of synthetic marijuana.
Alex Winterhalter was originally believed to have committed suicide this April by shooting himself in the head, but after months of investigation his death has been linked to his use of "mind-altering" synthetic drugs, reported police.
Winterhalter was seen by friends the night before his death, smoking synthetic pot and exhibiting dangerous behavior, including driving recklessly and playing with the gun that later ended his life.
Police have found no evidence that Winterhalter's death was intentional, and have concluded that the death was a result of an altered state of mind often caused by the use of synthetic drugs.
Although Winterhalter's parents maintain that synthetic drugs were not the cause of their son's death, more than 20 other deaths have been linked to the use of the unpredictable alternatives, reported The Star Tribune.
by: Megan Gosch
A wild fire, believed to have begun August 18 in the Boundary Waters area of the Minnesota-Canada border, has continued to spread, impacting neighboring states Wisconsin and Illinois.
The fire was ignited by a lightning strike and has since begun to spread rapidly, covering nearly 16 square miles within a day, reported Google News.
The fire's plume of smoke has since caused a haze in Milwaukee, responsible for the closing of Miller Park's roof Tuesday, to prevent the cancellation of a Brewers game. An air quality alert was also issued by The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in response to the air pollution.
The National Weather Service reported difficulty breathing by those living in Chicago, and the town of Isabella, Minn. awaits a possible evacuation if the fire worsens.
Four Minnesota National Guard helicopters and nearly 200 firefighters have been assigned to fight the fire.
While there have been no reported injuries, deaths, or burned structures at this point, various paths of entry into the Boundary Waters have been blocked to prevent additional visitors to the area.
by Megan Gosch
Eleanor Mondale, daughter of former vice-president Walter Mondale, passed away from brain cancer Saturday at the age of 51, reported the Mondale family spokeswoman.
Mondale was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2005 after suffering from seizures and the discovery of a tumor. She endured chemotherapy and radiation, suppressing the tumor until 2008, when she was once again suffering from the cancer. She underwent surgery to battle the reoccurring illness without success.
Although well-known as a part of her father's political career, Mondale was able to forge her own path as a reporter and radio show host. Although she attempted an acting career, Mondale found more success reporting for Minneapolis' WCCO-TV, the WLOL-FM radio station, E! Entertainment and ESPN, ending her career as a co-host on WCCO-AM, stated Today on MSNBC.
Mondale married three times, most recently to musician Chan Poling of the Suburbs. She and Poling lived near Prior Lake.
by: Megan Gosch
The owner of the M.V. Spice Islander, and three others were charged Friday by Tanzanian authorities for negligence that caused the ferry to sink and the loss of more than 200 passengers in East Africa.
As reported by The New York Times, ferry owner Yusuf Suleiman Malik, first officer Abdallah Mohamed Ali, and employee Silima Nyange Silima will be held responsible of the ferry sinking or violating the Maritime Act, overloading the ferry with cargo and passengers.
The captain of the ferry has also been charged but has been missing since the sinking in the early hours of September 10
A plea was not permitted to the suspects after their charges were read to them
The unauthorized amount of cargo and passengers on board at the time of sinking have made it difficult for authorities to determine how many may still be missing.
Including the confirmed 800 survivors and the loved ones of the 240 lives lost, Tanzanians eagerly await legal action and packed the courtroom as the charges were read to the suspects.
