Nelson's News Now!

Bill Carlson died earlier this month, but I think his death was notable for the community. The Star Tribune article written about Carlson followed the standard obituary lead.
"Longtime WCCO-TV anchor Bill Carlson died Friday night at his Eden Prairie home after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. He was 73," the article said.
I think even for someone as significant as Carlson, this lead was the best because all of the necessary information is there.
The sources the article used were people. Fellow anchor, Don Shelby was interviewed as well as WCCO news director, Scott Libin. Other sources were Dark Star, Rob Grubb and J. Marie Fieger. All of these people seemed to know Carlson well. The article did list WCCO as a source at the very end for funeral information. I think this obituary is different than a resume about Carlson, because it was about all of noteworthy accomplishments in life. Had he still been living, one might have focused on recent events or not gone quite as in depth. Also, I don't think it would have been nearly as "quote heavy." People wanted to reflect on how they felt about Carlson. In a resume, we might have seen less than half the amount of quotes.

Posted by nels4812 at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cell phones might be more dangerous than the effects of smoking or asbestos exposure, one scientist says. In an article in the Independent, Dr. Vini Khurana, an award winning cancer experts warned that the industry should take "immediate steps" to solve the problem.
"Using handsets for 10 years or more can double the risk of brain cancer," the article said. Several European countries have all ready warned against extended use of mobile phones, the article said.
"Professor Khurana – a top neurosurgeon who has received 14 awards over the past 16 years, has published more than three dozen scientific papers – reviewed more than 100 studies on the effects of mobile phones. He has put the results on a brain surgery website, and a paper based on the research is currently being peer-reviewed for publication in a scientific journal," the article said.
Other organizations, like the Mobile Operators Association, discounted Khurana's findings calling them unbalanced and "selective," the article said.

Posted by nels4812 at 7:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jean Nouvel, the French architect who designed Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater won the Pritzker Prize on Sunday. According to an article in the Star Tribune, Nouvel received architecture's highest honor in large for his part in the new theater. "The honor, comparable to a Nobel Prize, came in no small part from his work on the blue-clad complex in Minneapolis' mill district, Nouvel's first U.S. project," the article said.
"Nouvel joins Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando and I.M. Pei in receiving the top honor in the field in recognition of his high-rises, museums and performance halls around the world," said and AP article in the Pioneer Press.
Both articles said that Nouvel will receive a $100,000 prize, and that he has worked on over 200 projects, mostly in Europe.
According the the Star Tribune, the Guthrie is the fifth building in Minneapolis to be designed by a Pritzker winner. The others include the IDS tower, an addition made to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The Weisman Art Museum and an addition made to the Walker Arts Center.
"I cannot imagine this building in Paris or in New York City," he said in the Star Tribune article. "It would be ridiculous. It is completely linked to the specifics of the program, the situation, the dialogue with existing buildings and the river. And it is for me great memories."

Posted by nels4812 at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CNN.com reported Sunday that a small plane crashed into at least two properties south of London killing five. According to the article, the plane had two pilots and three passengers. "The identities of the dead had not been released late Sunday," the article said.
The plane crashed into a home in Farnborough and damaged a nearby property. According to the article, the first home was destroyed.
"The homeowners of the destroyed residence were away on vacation," the article said. "There were no serious injuries reported on the ground."
Another report from the BBC, said the plane was a Cessna Citation 1. "The plane - which was en route from nearby Biggin Hill airfield to France - burst into flames, destroying a garage and house, which was empty at the time," the article said.
According to the BBC article, it is though that the plane was having difficulties shortly after take-off and had called for an emergency landing.
"Unfortunately it crashed before reaching the airport," said a representative of the Biggin Hill airfield.

Posted by nels4812 at 6:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reported Wednesday that a gas leak in Rocori High chool in Cold Spring sent 37 to local hospitals. 33 people were admitted to St. Cloud Hospital and 15 were likely to stay overnight said Dr. Tom Schrup in the article.
The remaining four people were treated and released at a hospital in Paynesville.
"The cause of the leak, which prompted a strong emergency response from health and public safety officials, was under investigation and not fully clear late Wednesday," said the article.
According to the article, all but one of the people treated were students. The other was a physical education teacher for ninth and 10th grade class.
Another article in the Pioneer Press said that all of the chemicals were cleared by 4 p.m. "All of the chlorine had been cleared and students and faculty were being allowed back into the building to retrieve personal items," said Cold Spring Mayor Doug Schmitz in the article.
The articles said the chlorine gas came from the pool, but the problem has been contained and the school will open normally on Thursday.

Posted by nels4812 at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Space Shuttle Endeavour and its seven person crew touched down Wednesday in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
According to an AP article on cnn.com the nighttime landing was rare. "It was only the 22nd space shuttle landing in darkness," said the article. "Fewer than one-fifth of all missions have ended at nighttime; the last one was in 2006."
The New York Times said the shuttle's first landing was canceled due to weather. "Clouds threatened to obscure the site," said the article.
Both articles said the mission lasted for 16 days. According to the cnn.com article, "The astronauts installed the first piece of Japan's Kibo lab, put together a giant Canadian robot named Dextre, tested a shuttle repair technique and more.
The shuttle mission continued to bring the International Space Station closer to completion. CNN.com said the station is now 70 percent complete and that NASA wants to have it completed by 2010.

Posted by nels4812 at 9:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Vita.MN advanced Andréa Stanislav's "River to Infinity- The Vanishing Points" in its latest issue.
The article starts out talking about how Stanislav uses the obelisk in here installation calling int "poetic."
The author, Mary Abbe, is advancing the event, because it ends in 11 days, but it has already been running. Her source is her own perception of the installation.
She is very fond of the work, and the advance is positive. "The beauty of Stanislav's installation lies in its evocative ambiguity. It is at once precise yet poetic, lucid yet lyrical, and always richly layered with multiple allusions," said the article.
The author has crafted a story about the artist and her work rather than just mention the exhibit will be ending soon.

Posted by nels4812 at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Google Maps has been banned from producing "close-up, ground-level imagery of US military sites," according to the BBC.
The search engine feature was banned from "making detailed studies of US military bases by the US defense department," on Friday according to the article.
"The move follows the discovery of images of the Fort Sam Houston army base in Texas on Google Maps," said the article.
The new feature called "street view" provided 360-degree views of areas from a street level. Images that were of concern to the government have been removed, said the article.
According to the article, the defense department was quoted by the Associated Foreign Press saying, "such detailed mapping could pose a threat."
"Google has now been barred from filming and conducting detailed studies of bases, following the discovery of detailed, three-dimensional panoramas online - and in particular, views of the Texan base," said the article. A view of the front gate at Fort Sam is still visible online because it is on a road said the article.
"Military officials are currently looking into exactly what imagery is available - though it may not be able to order its removal if images are taken from public streets," said the article.

Posted by nels4812 at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The leaders of Pakistan's two major political parties have agreed to work together to overturn President Pervez Musharraf.
According to an article in The New York Times, the announcement today aims to, "remove the president’s power to dissolve the Pakistani Parliament and his power to appoint the chiefs of the military services."
"The power sharing deal, announced by Asif Ali Zardari, the leader of the largest party, the Pakistan Peoples Party, and Nawaz Sharif, the head of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, represented another tough challenge to the already waning authority of Mr. Musharraf, a favorite ally of the Bush administration," said the article.
Zardari is the husband of the late party leader, Benazir Bhutto.
"Sharif had indicated that members of his party would not sit in the cabinet while Mr. Musharraf remained in power," said the article.
According to the article, Zaardari signed a "Charter for Democracy" while in exile with Bhutto several years ago. "The charter is aimed at bringing Pakistan back to a parliamentary system of government that was initially conceived when the country was founded 60 years ago," said the article.

Posted by nels4812 at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Washington Post reported today that the fierce competition between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could cost democrats the election in November.
Howard Dean, the Chairman for the Democratic National Committee, said, "The only thing that can beat us is that we're divided." Dean spoke on ABC's "This Week" according to the article.
With most primaries and caucuses over, the party is deciding whether or not to allow Florida's and Michigan's votes to count, or to hold a new election in those states.
"Both states held primaries in January, in defiance of an election calendar set up by the committee Dean chairs," said the article.
The competition is so close that the delegates in those states could make a difference for either candidate.
According to the article, Clinton wants the results from the January elections because she won. Obama wants to split the delegates in half or hold a new vote.
The problem is paying for new elections. According to the article, neither the Democratic or Republican party will pay, nor with the governments in the two states.
"Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D), a Clinton supporter, said it would be disastrous for the party to hold a convention without Florida and Michigan represented," said the article.

Posted by nels4812 at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The missing 4-year-old girl was found Saturday less than a day after an Amber Alert was issued for her disappearance.
Anastasia Jones was found unharmed at about 12:30 p.m., said Janell Rasmussen, Amber Alert coordinator for the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in a Star Tribune article. She had disappeared Friday from Hennepin County Medical Center.
The girl was found with her non-custodial mother in Minneapolis. "The mother, Miracle Angel Flowers, 19, recently had lost her parental rights to Anastasia," said the article.
The Amber Alert, the first of the year, was issued Friday describing Anastasia and the car police believed she left in.
"The alert was broadcast on highway electronic billboards and in the media," said the Star Tribune.

Posted by nels4812 at 5:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Adam Thielen, the Monticello teen that suffered a heart attack Friday left the hospital today.
"Days after he collapsed in cardiac arrest during his high school basketball game - and scribbled a question on paper," said the Pioneer Press article. "Did we win?"
Thielen woke from a coma earlier this week.
Paul Thielen, Adam's father, "thanked everyone involved in the care of his son, whose rapid recovery meant he was able to go home today," said the article.
Thielen suffered from short-term memory loss, has a defibrillator implanted and he has been discouraged from "strenuous athletics," according to the article.
"He can resume school soon and continue his ambitions to study sports management in college," said the article.
Thielen collapsed Friday while playing basketball in Monticello. He was transported to Monticello-Big Lake Hospital and later airlifted to North Memorial.

Posted by nels4812 at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

President Bush extended the Andean Trade Preference Act on Friday according to the press release from the White House. The act is now extended until December 31, 2008.
"ATPA is designed to promote economic development and reduce illegal crop production in the Andean region by providing duty-free access to the U.S. market for most imports from Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador," said the release.
Reuters also covered the story on Friday with slightly more analysis. Rather than just give the news, the article provided some context about the situation. "The Andean trade preference program dates back to the early 1990s and allows the four countries to export most of their goods to U.S. market without paying duties," said the article. "It is part of U.S. efforts to discourage cocaine production in the Andean region by providing other job opportunities."
I think the author of the Reuters article had more freedom to write a longer article, and was able to add more content to the story. The White House writer's job was only to give news about what the president signed.
The Reuters author had the choice of what to add to the article where as the other author had the obligation of just the news event.

Posted by nels4812 at 5:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With some of the most important contests coming up this week, Hillary Clinton is putting in extra time in Ohio.
She said today that one of her biggest issues in Ohio is the economic issues facing the U.S. according to an AP article in the Los Angeles Times. "For some people this election is about how you feel, it's about speeches," Clinton Said. "Well, that's not what it's about for me. It's about solutions."
"She told more than 2,000 cheering backers that she wants to solve the economic troubles facing the industrial Midwest," said the article.
Clinton's rival, Barack Obama has won the last 11 caucuses. This weeks contests in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont are imperative for Clinton to stay in the race to the White House.
"Polls show tight contests in Texas and Ohio," said the article.
"The last days leading up until Tuesday are ones where we really need you," Clinton said in the article.
With the recent loses, Clinton's tactics against her rival have changed to more a defensive stance. She accused Barack Obama of just making promises. "I'm not interested in just talking, I'm interested in action," she said in the article.
"Most polls have shown Clinton with a fragile lead," said the article.

Posted by nels4812 at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bill Carlson, a WCCO-TV anchor died Friday from prostate cancer.
According to The Pioneer Press, Carlson was 73, he reported the news for almost 50 years and was inducted in the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame. "Work was extremely important to him," said Mark Rosen, sports director, anchor and reporter at WCCO-TV in the article. "He felt that was his place. That was his motivation."
He was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, said the article, and he decreased his work about a year ago.
He died at home Friday with his wife, Nancy Nelson, and their dogs, said the article.
According to the article, Carlson conducted hundreds of interviews with people like Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne. "He earned a degree in radio and television speech from the University of Minnesota," said the article.
WCCO honored Carlson at the beginning its Friday night newscast.

Posted by nels4812 at 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CNN.com reported today that Prince Harry has safely returned from combat, "a day after he was quickly withdrawn from serving with the British military in Afghanistan because of the media's disclosure of his deployment there."
He was expected to return in a few more weeks, but a website revealed his deployment, ending the agreement between the media and the British government.
"That prompted the British military to withdraw the prince for security reasons four weeks before the end of his 14-week deployment," said the article.
Prince Charles said he was "enormously proud" of Harry in the article. "As you can imagine it's obviously a great relief as far as I'm concerned to see him home in one piece."
"The 23-year-old prince holds the rank of cornet -- equivalent to a second lieutenant -- and served in Afghanistan as a forward air controller with a group called Joint Tactical Air Control, or JTAC," said the article.
The military said Harry's deployment would be manageable only if the media did not disclose the information, said the article. "Because of the unique circumstances of the deployment, CNN, as well as other news organizations, chose to honor an embargo requested by the military."
His involvement was revealed Thursday by a news website, said the article.

Posted by nels4812 at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)