My first experience with live blogging

I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of blogging. It’s a bad habit that I will break, but for now I still have trouble updating mine.

However, my first live blogging experience definitely gave me a new perspective. Last month, I attended a candidate forum and live blogged the event. I found that it was challenging to cover because you don’t have much turnaround time. There is always something happening, and you have to decipher what is important for the public to know.

It was an exhausting two hour event, but afterwards I found it to be very rewarding.

Reporting parking issues in Columbia

For most of the semester I have been dedicating my reporting to parking issues in downtown Columbia.

First, the new $14 million 703 spot parking garage opened on March 1. At the same time, the city was pushing to build another garage downtown — the Short Street garage. Mayor Bob McDavid expressed concerns about funding the garage because he felt there was no plan to pay for it (at one point the land purchase bill was tabled). City Council was called in for a work session to discuss options to pay for the garage, and the bill moving the garage forward was approved; a designing firm for the garage has also been chosen.

To pay for the new garage, parking rates will be increased. A discussion on the Missourian website showed that some residents might reconsider where they park.

 

Reporting on a singular issue has been a lot different (and sometimes a struggle) for me. When I first began reporting for the Missourian I did a lot of different stories and reports; at most I would follow up on a story. Being able to take an issue and make it my focus has been challenging, but it has also taught me a lot.

New hotel TIF approved; new garage has potential

On Monday Columbia City Council approved the Regency TIF . The approval is now giving the Short Street garage more ground.

The new garage will definitely be talked about. More to come.

Gov. Nixon appoints new director for DNR

Sara Parker Pauley has been named the new director of Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources.

Other stories and briefs from my first semester at the Missourian

Sometimes I like to come into the Missourian just to see if there are any stories that need to be taken. Some of these stories have been about airport drills, sobriety checks, informing the public on ballot amendments, kickoff times for Mizzou football games, a proposed regional climate center, people who commit arson at concert venues, food drives that need more donations, managers that resign and directors that are named and a question about beards (very manly beards).

These stories are important to my portfolio because they show that news isn’t always flashy. I may not show them to a potential boss, but I may be producing stories for him or her as a reporter.

Columbia Regional Airport manager not worried about TSA

Here’s an interesting story about how TSA and Columbia Regional Airport are dealing with holiday travel.

City of Columbia celebrates new road; police chief disagrees

A new road has opened in Columbia that will create fewer traffic jams in an industrial business complex. Also, the police chief of Columbia sent a letter to the Citizen’s Police Review Board disagreeing with a ruling that a Columbia police officer used excessive force on a citizen.

Pulling an all nighter for Black Friday

I did not sleep on Thanksgiving. Instead, I decided to stay up and go to the mall at 3 a.m

I went to a few stores seeing how far people would go to save money. I definitely met some interesting people and it was the earliest time I have ever reported.

Thanksgiving dinners for everyone.

During the Thanksgiving break I spent the majority of my time working on some stories about Everyone Eats! and Everybody Eats!—two events that allow families and people in need to enjoy a thanksgiving dinner. Before Thanksgiving, there was a basket drive that included a thanksgiving meal for families that had a place to eat, but could not afford the meal. On Thanksgiving day, a feast for 500 people was prepared for everyone in the city of Columbia. Everything was donated.

How to survive Black Friday

If you are thinking about participating in the chaos that is Black Friday, you should read my column. Hopefully the advice can help you prepare.