Journalism

Taking this class has taught me a lot about journalism. I have learned the complication and the tasks at hand when writing every news story. Journalists not only have to interview sources and learn about the topic or new event, but they also have to write an interesting story about it. In each and every news story that is published, there is a tremendous amount of time and effort put into it; I now have a new appreciation for journalists. I am glad I took this class and I feel that my overall writing skills have taken great leaps this semester.

Journal Entry

Curtis Lee Adams, 23, is facing charges of burglary, cruelty to animals and other charges after he allegedly entered a barn south of Truman and stabbed 29 pigs. Authorities say Adams was drunk when he was found in the barn early April 27, and had blood on his knuckles and smelled of pigs and pig manure.

Original article:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_15017665?nclick_check=1

Story 9

Some hockey players have skill, some have heart and most have determination; but the most successful players have all three.

Zach Tolkinen, 20, has made his NCAA Division 1 (D-1) dream come true by committing to play defense at Quinnipiac University located in Hamden, Conn.

Tolkinen grew up in Lino Lakes, Minn. and hockey was an instant passion. He started skating at age 3 on the pond in his backyard and at many other outdoor rinks in the winter. Tolkinen began playing hockey for the Centennial Youth Hockey Association (CYHA) at age 7. He had a very successful youth hockey career participating in an ‘A’ peewee state tournament (12-13 year olds) and also played in an ‘A’ bantam state tournament (14-15 year olds). “My first year peewee coach, Eric Eclund, was one of my favorite coaches in my hockey career thus far,” said Tolkinen, “he was always positive with the guys and was a blast to play for.”

Tolkinen continued to play after youth hockey for Centennial High School. He played junior varsity his sophomore year, but made vast improvements that summer and made varsity as a junior in high school. His father, Gary Tolkinen, is the assistant coach on the Centennial boys’ varsity team. “It was a great honor to play for my dad. He influences my career the most and really pushed me towards becoming a better hockey player,” said Tolkinen.

“I loved playing high school hockey. It was a special experience to have the support of the school and your peers, which is something kids who play midgets don't get for the most part. I was able to stay at home and play a very high level of competitive hockey,” stated Tolkinen about his high school hockey experience.

Following his high school career, Tolkinen went on to play junior hockey in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for the Owatonna Express. In his rookie season in the NAHL, he played in 37 games and had five points. Owatonna, however, released his rights at the end of the season, making Tolkinen a free agent. After weighing his options and trying to find the most comfortable team, Tolkinen decided to play his second year of junior hockey in Fairbanks, Alaska, for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL.

When asked about why he chose the Ice Dogs, Tolkinen said, “The head coach of the Ice Dogs, Josh Hauge, had come to watch me skate in the summer and talked with me afterwards, as well as frequent phone calls. I liked the up and down style the Ice Dogs played and the way they wanted to get their defensemen to get up in the play offensively. Another huge part of my decision was the amount of players the Ice Dogs moved on to NCAA Division 1 hockey. Probably the biggest reason, though, was that I trusted Coach Hauge and I heard he was a good man. I wanted to play for a coach I could trust and one that wanted me to play for him.”

Tolkinen has had a very successful year with the Ice Dogs thus far, playing in 56 regular season games and 6 playoff games (so far) and has scored 13 goals and has 28 assists for a total of 41 points. “I contribute my success this year to hard work and dedication in the off-season,” said Tolkinen, “and I also have been fortunate enough to play well and be put in positions (by my coaches) to succeed.”

Tolkinen’s hard work and effort also made one of his athletic dreams come true; to sign with an NCAA Division 1 hockey team. Tolkinen committed to play his next year of hockey at Quinnipiac University. He also had contact with other D-1 schools such as: University of Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota-State Mankato, Michigan Tech University and Dartmouth.

“I chose Quinnipiac because it has the combination of top tier academics and hockey that I was looking for in a school. The school is on par with that of an Ivy League school, but it had a less arrogant feeling, and the hockey team is young and very talented, and was ranked in the top 3 nationally at one point this season,” said Tolkinen.

Tolkinen has worked hard and achieved one of his many goals in life. “It is a great feeling knowing you accomplished a dream you had since you were a little kid. I'm excited to see what my future in hockey holds,” said Tolkinen with a sense of satisfaction in his eyes. The Ice Dogs are currently still in the NAHL playoffs, but he is excited to get to Quinnipiac next year to continue his hockey career.

Journal Entry

Winona police found an unattended car on Thursday morning that had crashed into an Xcel Energy pole. Michael Allen Butler, 18, called to police to confess that is was his vehicle. His excuse for crashing into the pole was that his dog vomited on him. Butler was cited for driving without insurance or a Minnesota driver's license.

Original article:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14969476

Story 8

For most college students the “freshman 15” whey’s heavily on their minds. The “freshman 15” is the slang term used for the weight gained by first-year college students.

One way to avoid the extra weight gain is exercise. In a recent survey of 19 Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) students 52.6 percent said that they exercise five-to-six times per week and 21.1 percent said they exercise every day. Three students of the 19 surveyed said they exercise three-to-four times per week, while three more of the students said they exercise one-to-two times each week. The data shows that ARCC students are on average, active about five times each week.

The data of the survey also shows that 57.9 percent of students that are physically active exercise for more than one hour. 21.1 percent work out for exactly one hour and four of the 19 surveyed exercise for 30 minutes or less. “I like to work out for about 2 hours,” said Andy Pearson of Burnsville, Minn., “I really enjoy feeling the burn.”

Exercise can be done just about anywhere. 11 of the students surveyed said that they prefer to exercise in a gym or outside, while the other eight surveyed said they prefer to be physically active while playing sports. “It doesn’t matter how you exercise, as long as you’re doing it,” said Kyle Fuechtmann of Lino Lakes, Minn. “I just like to run, play football with my friends in the backyard or maybe baseball, but the gym just isn’t for me.” Each individual person is different and needs to find their niche for exercise or working out.

17 of the 19 students surveyed thought that having an exercise partner would help. “A work out partner helps because they give you more competition so you work harder,” said Pearson. Exercising with another person could be beneficial to make it more fun; while jogging or walking outside, many people enjoy talking to a friend. “I run with my buddies all the time,” said Fuechtmann, “it helps me forget about the run and just to let it happen.”

James Jechort, a freshman at the University of Minnesota said, “My physics Prof. once told me, the freshman 15 is result of the temptations college offers. Students are on their own and free to eat what they want, when they want it.” Students that can exercise enough to compensate for the over-eating will avoid the feared “freshman 15”.

Journal Entry

Ming Sen Shiue, a killer and kidnapper from Roseville, Minn., apologized to his victims for the first time in 30 years. Shiue committed the crimes in 1980 and has been in jail since then. He apologized to his victims stating that, "I give my solemn pledge that I will never hurt my victims in any way."

Original article:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14917636?nclick_check=1

Story 7

The question for students graduating high school is: what is the next step? For some students the next stage of life is college and for some the next step may be work.

A recent survey of 16 Anoka-Ramsey Community College students, 56.3 percent of them went to school directly out of high school. Also, 25.0 percent of those surveyed didn’t go directly to college out of high school, while the other 18.6 percent are talking PSEO classes through their high school.

The survey also showed that of the 16 students currently attending ARCC, only 50.0 percent of them knew their major. One could argue that if a student doesn’t know their major that they would be wasting money. On the other side though, students in college usually have to take two years of general classes before they start taking classes for their major; meaning in the two years of general classes the student has time to decide on a major.

The opinions of the students surveyed a majority 62.5 percent thought it is a better idea to go to college directly after graduating high school. Although 25.0 percent thought it would be best to take a year off and 12.5 percent doesn’t think it matters at all.

Chad Jameson, a graduate of Centennial High School, stated, “I took a year off because I didn’t know what school I wanted to attend. I know I want to major in but I couldn’t seem to find a school I felt comfortable with at the time.” Jameson is currently working at Splatball to save money for school and plans on attending St. Cloud State University next to major in business.

Whether a high school student wants to attend college the year following high school or not, they must make sure that the choice is in their best interest.

Journal Entry

The new Lexus GX 460 series of SUV made by Toyota has been halted from sales. Toyota stopped selling the vehicle because Consumer Reports magazine deemed the SUV unsafe. Consumer Reports said the vehicle has handling issues that could cause the automobile to roll-over easily.

Original Article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/business/14auto.html?hp

Press Release

STU

University of Minnesota-Duluth

1117 University Drive

Duluth, MN 55812

Contact: Stu

Phoneline: (651)-890-7558

Minnesota can welcome a new rapper to the scene. His name is Kyle Stutz, but better known as Stu. Stu has recently found the hip-hop world while attending University of Minnesota-Duluth and hasn’t looked back since. With new songs such as “Victory” and “Struggle for Air” Stu hopes to get his big break soon. Look him up at http://www.youtube.com/user/hockstud185?feature=mhw4 and be the first in your neighborhood to get a glance at Minnesota’s future star.

###

Journal Entry

Mount Redoubt, about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, had a swarm of small earthquakes all day Monday. The 10,197-foot volcano has erupted numerous times since 1960 and could erupt again soon. Scientists plan on flying to Mount Redoubt to measure volcanic gases, hopefully to find a time frame for when the volcano could erupt.

Original article:

http://www.adn.com/2010/04/06/1214559/earthquakes-wane-on-redoubt-volcano.html

Enterprise Topic

I chose to look into whether going to college right away after high school is the best option. I will be looking into the difference between taking a year off (or more) could actually be beneficial or not. I chose this topic because it affects many high schoolers who may not have decided their major yet or are unsure of the school they would like to go to. I find it interesting because I would like to know why students go to college (or don't) after high school. I will also find out the reasons some may not have gone to school after high school.

Journal Entry

The number of homeless in Times Square has dropped from 55 (in 2005) to 7 this past summer. But now, there is only one; his name is Heavy and he refuses to leave the streets. He has politely declined housing offers and claims he is a protector of the streets. Social workers continue to offer him housing and they hope that one day he will accept their offer.

Original article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/nyregion/30heavy.html?ref=todayspaper

Story 6

Hours in airports, days of travel and living out of a suitcase—the life of an airplane pilot. Tim Mesjak of Woodland, Wash. knows the sacrifice and at the end of the day says it is all worth it.

Mesjak, 37, has had an interest in airplanes since his sophomore year in high school. He grew up in Brooklyn Park, Minn. and it was there that he found his love for flying. “I took an aviation class (in high school) and really found airplanes interesting,” he said. Mesjak decided to further his education and interest in airplanes at University of North Dakota (UND), where he received his Bachelor of Science in airway science: air craft systems management in 1996. A Bachelor of Science in airway science: air craft systems management “is basically designed to make you a professional pilot, an aviation inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or an accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSP),” stated Mesjak.

Tim has been a pilot since graduating, first working for Horizon and is currently flying for Alaska Airlines. He has been with Alaska Airlines for five years now and is ranked First Officer for flying a Boeing 737 jet. The next step in ranks for Tim is Captain, “The difference between a Captain and First Officer is the Captain calls all the shots and deals with other issues,” said Mesjak, “but as far as actually flying the plane goes, there is no difference.” The First Officer sits to the right of the Captain in the cockpit. He has flown all around the U.S. and said his favorite place he’s flown into was Kauai, Hawaii.

Being a pilot, Mesjak spends a lot of time in airports and away from home. “The only downside to being a pilot is the four or five day trips where you bounce from airport to airport and hotel to hotel,” he said. Through all the travel and the time being spent away from home Tim still maintains a relationship with his wife of four years, Carly Mesjak. He met her through a mutual friend in aviation. She works as an air traffic controller for the Portland Airport, so she understands the aviation and/or traveling lifestyle. Tim and Carly recently built a house on five acres of land in Woodland, Wash. “It’s nice to be in small town and get some peace and quiet. It really is relaxing being surrounded by woods after a long week on the road in big cities such as New York,” said Tim.

When he is not on the road traveling, Tim enjoys playing golf, water-skiing, going on nature walks with his wife and watching sports and relaxing. Being a pilot is what he always wanted to do and he says it is very rewarding. “It gets stressful at times,” he said, “but there isn’t a better feeling than flying an airplane and there is nothing I’d rather be doing.” Tim plans to keep flying for Alaska Airlines and hopes that in the years to come he will be a Captain.

Journal Entry

A man from Crystal, Minn. was found dead in the street due to blunt force trauma. Michael John Rymer was pronounced dead by Hennepin County medical examiners yesterday. Witnesses say they saw an SUV drive by, strike the man, and keep going. Police are still investigating the death.

Original article:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14730074

Anoka-Ramsey Community College Introduces Softball

Despite a rough start to the season the Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) Golden Rams women’s fast pitch softball team shows promise for the future. Although losing by significant numbers in their first 5 games, Coach Dave Alto said, “It’s been a tough start, but I’m not asking for wins right now, all I’m asking is that the girls show improvement every day.” The team held a media event March 9, 2010, where reporters could watch practice and interview the coaches and the team.

Alto has been coaching fast pitch softball for 19 years throughout different high schools in Minn. This is his first year coaching at the collegiate level and he is hoping things can progressively begin to improve. “I enjoy watching and helping student-athletes mature into adults,” he said, “I have a passion for the game and this is what I love to do.”

The players for the softball team all signed up this fall and were not recruited. The Golden Rams held a 14-practice tryout last fall for all the girls that signed up. The team consists of all freshmen hailing from the high schools: Anoka, Coon Rapids, Cambridge, North Branch, Mora, Princeton, Spring Lake Park (2), St. Francis (3) and Turtle Lake High. Coach Alto plans to start recruiting for the team next year.

The team practices in the Armed Forces Reserve Community Center gym, located in Cambridge, Minn. Before the practice started, the girls joked around and got their pictures taken while sporting their new white, purple and yellow jerseys that said Anoka-Ramsey on the front. Once the practice began, though, they got to work and things became more serious. The general theme of the practice seemed to be hard-work and getting better every day.

The team started by doing warm-up activities including lunges, jogging and stretching. After the girls were all warmed up, they began playing catch with the softball and their gloves. The girls chose partners to throw with and started tossing the ball from a sitting position, but then progressed to their knees and eventually standing throws. The next drill they did was called “soft hands” in which one partner rolled the ball to the other partner, who would caress the ball, then throw it back. The practice continued for just over an hour and the team was tired after. “It’s tough, but we all enjoy the game,” said outfielder Erin Cahoon, slightly out of breath after the long practice.

Coach Alto was very involved in the practice. He pointed out bad technique and constructively helped the girls correct the issue. Alto never once yelled, but when he spoke, the team listened. Alto seemed to be a great motivating coach because he included competitions in the practice, allowing the team to work hard and have fun.

By the beginning of next year the team hopes to have an on-campus field to use for home games and practices. The Golden Rams currently have a 0-5 record, but they are keeping their hopes up and have another 42 games left this year.

To view video footage follow the link.

http://www.youtube.com/user/gmoola89?feature=mhw4#p/u/1/qKtMtUB65QQ

Journal Entry

Eric J.Orloske of St. Paul shot and killed his brother, Brian Orloske last Saturday. When the police arrived at Eric J. Orloske's home, they found him next to his brother holding a rag or towel against the man's head-wound saying, "Kill me too, kill me too." Eric J. Orloske was charged yesterday with second-degree murder without intent.

Original article:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14634919?nclick_check=1

Interview Story

In the age of technology and mass numbers of opinions, Josh Gloe, a high school student, has the perfect answer.

Among volunteering at the local church and Feed My Starving Children, Gloe has found time to create the next hit website; Project:Informed. Gloe grew up in St. Francis, Minn. and played baseball for most of his childhood. But even then, he saw a bigger picture.

Gloe created a website called Project:Informed in late December of last year. It is a discussion forum in which members can chat, talk about or debate any topic they please. The goal of the site is to get people involved in current issues and for the members to freely discuss their side of the argument. The forum includes discussions on anything ranging from videogames to religion.

“I hope to turn the board into a thriving community to debate and share thoughts,” says the 17-year-old Gloe. Even after just being launched a few months ago, the site already has 30 members and continues to grow. “We have members as young as 13 and as old as 50,” says Gloe, “so certainly everyone is welcome.”

The forum has a section for general thoughts as well as an opinion section. The opinion section is moderated by Gloe, so that the debates don’t become offensive or derogatory, making the site safe for young members.

Armed with a new site and goals attend a four-year university to double-major in mass communications and marketing; Gloe is just scratching the surface of his potential. He encourages people to check out the site stating, “It has a laid-back and welcoming feeling with plenty of areas for fun, but also a professional and controlled area for members to debate and discuss more serious issues.”

Interview

Hey Josh, I’m writing a story about you for Media Writing, so I'd like to learn a little more about you..hobbies, unique qualities and general information.

Well I'm a PSEO student (obviously at Anoka-Ramsey Community College). I've done PSEO here since my junior year in high school. I'm going to transfer to a four-year college (not sure which one yet) after I graduate from high school this year. At the four-year college I'll double major in Marketing and Mass Communications. I've always liked web design, writing, graphic design, etc. I've never really been good at many sports. I'm definitely an indoor guy.

Q:What activities were you involved with growing up as a kid? Sports, clubs, other activities.

A: I did baseball for probably 5 years when I was younger, and one fall during high school. Other than baseball I was never really in any sports. I volunteered at the St. Francis library for 3 years, volunteered at the organization Feed My Starving Children where I packaged food for dying people, particularly children, in other countries such as Haiti. I was involved in several bible studies and religious groups through my church.\

Q:What activities are you currently involved with in high school?

A: Since high school, and currently, I still volunteer at Feed My Starving Children occasionally. I volunteer at our parish doing graphic design work. I'm involved in a religious organization through our church called Schoenstatt. A few weeks ago I went on my first TEC (Together Encountering Christ) retreat and I will most likely continue staying involved with that. Of course, I have my website which I have mentioned. I also just love meeting new people and hanging out with my friends whenever I can.

I read on your blog that you have created your own website. Could you tell me about that? What is it about/for? Why you created it? When it was created?

I made my website Project:Informed for discussion, basically. Members can discuss different issues and just hang out and chat. They can talk about politics, religion, and debate anything in a moderated environment. I created it last December. I'm hoping it will grow into a thriving community to debate and share thoughts, talents, etc.

Q:What is your website called?

A: Project:Informed

Q:When did you create the site? And did you create it with anyone else?

A: I created Project:Informed in late December. It was a solo project that I decided to launch in my free time. It also allows me to develop my skills in graphic design as well as my administrative skills, which I will need in my future major of Mass Communications.

Q:What is the purpose of the website? And how did you think of the idea?

A: The purpose of Project:Informed is to provide for its members a controlled environment to discuss, debate, and share. It is a discussion forum with boards to talk about whatever members want. There are laid-back chat areas where members can talk about whatever random topics they want, as well as controlled debate boards on all issues from politics to religion or science.

Q:What age groups and type of people are you trying to target with the website?

A: Project:Informed is for all age groups, but is specifically targeted for high school and college students. We have members as young as thirteen and as old as their fifties. All age-groups are welcome, but if a primary age group would have to be chosen, it would be the generations that are the future of America and the world, particularly students in high school and college.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish as users of your site continue to grow? And how many users are there currently?

A: I hope that Project:Informed continues to develop into an active and lively community. I want it to have a laid-back and welcoming feeling with plenty of area for fun, but also a professional and controlled area for members to debate and discuss more serious issues. Currently Project:Informed has just over thirty members, but I am hoping that the site continues to grow into a thriving online community.

Thanks Josh

Journal Entry

Minnesota's projected $1.2 billion deficit has been trimmed and is now at $994 million. A state economist declared the recession all but over as he predicted a steady climb back to financial stability. Although the state's unemployment rate stands at 7.3 percent, that is lower than the national average at 9.7 percent.

Original article:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14497680?nclick_check=1

LINO LAKES—In a matter of seconds, everything can change. That was the case for 37-year-old Marsha L. Taylor.

Taylor, a bicycling guru and McDonald’s manager, had just gotten back home from the U.S. Tour and decided to take a short ride, when suddenly things went sour. “I was riding down 72^nd Street almost to South Boulevard when a car hit me from behind and sent me flying off my bike,” said Taylor. “That’s all I remember until I was in the hospital.”

Taylor sustained many injuries including: a mild concussion, a broken neck, six broken ribs, a broken arm and a broken pelvis. The doctors at Mercy Hospital were worried about her condition because there were so many bones broken. “The broken neck concerned them the most,” said Taylor. One doctor told Taylor that is was a miracle she wasn’t paralyzed.

Recovery was the next step for Taylor, but it didn’t go well. She explained that things just got worse while doing rehabilitation. The doctors found some internal injuries; a perforated intestine and liver and gall bladder damage as well. The internal damages caused her skin to turn orange and her mother called her a “Halloween” pumpkin. The recovery time doubled from two months-to-four months and Taylor still goes to the rehabilitation facility three times every week.

Taylor’s attitude towards bicycling has not changed stating, “No. I still want to ride. If I could, I’d be out there right now, but it’s hard to ride a bike when you have to use crutches. If you take precautions and are careful, bicycling is pretty safe.” The major precaution is to wear a helmet at all times while on a bicycle, “It probably saved my life this time,” she said.

Taylor has been riding since college and started riding seriously after she graduated. She got into the sport mainly to kill time between job interviews and to keep in shape. Taylor rode roughly 3,500 miles this past year; riding across not only Minnesota, but the whole country. The sport has turned into a major part of her life saying that, “I can’t imagine what my life would be like without bicycling.”

U.S.-Canada Game Sets Record for Viewers

The U.S.A. men's hockey team played Canada this past Sunday. The American team won 5-3, but Canada won in the viewer count. At one point, 13 million Canadian viewers watched the game and on average there were 10.6 million viewers. In the U.S., the game was seen by an average of 8.22 million viewers.

Original article:

http://vancouver2010.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/u-s-a-canada-game-sets-record-for-viewers/?ref=sports

Obituary

Joseph Richard Schmitz, a distinguished business man and a loving husband father of two sons, died yesterday,at age 89, of natural causes. "He came into this world with nothing and left with everything, happily," said his oldest son Jobin. "My dad was a respected man, not only by his co-workers and colleagues, but by us, his family."

Joseph grew up playing sports, he was a starting football and baseball player at his high school in Lino Lakes, Minn. He then went on to play football at the University of Minnesota, where he found his love for the business industry and for his wife, Amy. Joseph and Amy started their own business together and hit it big; starting the well-known casino chain Ace High.

Joseph left behind his fortune to his two sons; Jobin and Pete. The service will be held from 12-4 p.m. Saturday Feb. 19, 2010 at the Strandford & Son's funeral home in Blaine, Minn.

Journal Entry

An 18-year-old man, Aramis Diamante-Sanitino Gaither, shot his 45-year-old father, Anthony Tyrone Gaither. Aramis's parents were arguing and Aramis claims he was protecting his mother. Aramis shot his father six times outside of their home in St. Paul, Minn. Aramis is currently awaiting trial on intentional second-degree murder.

Original article:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14411052?nclick_check=1

Story 2

ANOKA COUNTY—Anoka County Sheriff, Gus DiCesari, and several Anoka County commissioners met to discuss funds on Feb. 11, 2010, but when the situation got heated, conversation turned from fiscal issues to immigrant issues.

DiCesari accused the county commissioners of “shortchanging” the county sheriff’s department to save money, saying “You’re putting the lives of the people of this county in jeopardy.” Sheriff DiCesari wanted eight new department vehicles and five new deputies, which would cost roughly 580-thousand dollars.

Commission President Anne Chenn said that the county does not have the money to buy new police cruisers and to hire five new deputies. Chenn stated that the county’s budget was $127 million and that $30 million had already been spent on a new prison to alleviate crowding. Also, the county had to spend more money due to the increased cost of fuel and health care Chenn said.

Supporting Sheriff DiCesari, Commissioners Anita Shenuski and Raymond Laybourne stated that the county should spend more on the sheriff’s department and law enforcement programs, rather than programs for migrant workers that simply come to the county to work.

After that statement, things got heated between Shenuski and Chenn; Shenuski then saying “We never had problems until we began letting migrants into this county to work. They are a problem for our law enforcement, our schools and our healthcare system.”

Chenn countered by saying, “Those people who come here to work are decent, hardworking people being employed at jobs that local residents don’t want to do. They add a great deal to the economy and they pay taxes. You are being a hypocrite when you to blame those people for everything.”

Commissoner Jose Gardez , supporting Chenn, claimed that many of the migrant workers become permanent members of the county, opening businesses and eventually earning citizenship. And of the five-thousand migrant families in Anoka County, most work in agricultural, construction and service industry jobs.

Once the immigration argument was settled, Chenn told DiCesari that the sheriff’s department would have to make due for this year as the commissioners voted against the sheriff’s request 5-2.

Journal Entry

Costa Ricans elected their first female president, Lauren Chinchilla. She won 47 percent of the vote, and both other candidates conceded before 10 p.m. on Sunday. The global economic crisis pushed Costa Rica into a recession last year, and Chinchilla is expected to help the economy grow this year.

Original article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/world/americas/09costarica.html?ref=todayspaper

First day..

This journal entry won't be too exciting, especially since I never have actually been to the ARCC campus. The only class's I am taking are online and ordered my books online as well.

I wish I had a fun story about how I got lost and scrambled into my first class tardy, however, I do not. It's hard to be late for a class you're taking online.

Although, this is how I would picture my first day at ARCC. I would arrive to the school roughly twenty minutes before my first class starts. I then would have looked around to see if saw any familiar faces, when I didn't, I would walk alone to my class with a false sense of excitement. After arriving to my class, I would probably get bored (since it's the first day) and lose interest quickly. I would continue to all of my classes that day with virtually the same routine, hoping no homework would follow. That was my hypothetical first day, just about as lame as the truth huh?

Journal Entry

In the month of January, Toyota's sales dropped, while other automakers' sales rose. Automakers compare every January to see where their sales are at. Toyota's Camry dropped 24 percent from the month a year ago. While Ford estimated that sales increased 16 percent in this year’s January.

Original article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/business/03auto.html?ref=business

Story 1

LINO LAKES—At 6:45 a.m. an accident on Interstate 790 containing four tractor-trailers and 14 other cars leaves two dead and 20 others injured.

This horrific accident killed two drivers and sent 20 more people to the hospital. Of those 20, four of them were seriously hurt with life-threatening injuries and were taken to the hospital. The two worst injuries were taken by the “Life Flight” helicopter to the trauma center in Statesville, 50 miles away.

According to Sgt. Albert Wei of the Lino Lakes Police Department, the accident occurred when two tractor trailers collided. After the tractors lost control and crashed, a chain reaction ensued, causing two other trailers and 14 cars to add to the wreckage.

One of the tractor-trailers was a tanker hauling diesel fuel; Wei stated that it was very luck the trailer didn't flip and explode or set anything a flame.

Fire Chief Tony Sullivan said that in his 18 and a half years he hadn't seen anything that bad. Sullivan described the scene as a war zone, with people covered in blood next to their cars, emergency workers scampering to help the injured and nothing but the blaring sirens in the background.

Police are still investigating the accident and according to Wei, Interstate 790 is still closed and has backed up traffic on Interstate 690 for three hours.

G.M. Strikes Deal to Save Saab

General Motors has made a preliminary deal to sell Saab to Spyker Cars, a small Dutch maker of sports cars. G.M. is selling Saab for $74 million in cash and $326 million in preferred shares of the new company. The deal is supposed to close in mid-February.

original article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/business/global/27saab.html?ref=business

Leads

I have learned a lot of information about leads, but I still have a long way to go. I don't completely understand how to write and find leads for newspaper articles.

One of the biggest "dos" I have learned is that a lead must answer the 6 questions: Who? Where? How? Why? When? and What? Leads need to be as specific as possible and answer as many of the 6 questions as possible.

Leads that are long and that drag on are a big "don't". The reader will get confused and not understand the story they are about to read. Another "don't" is that writers should not include opinions in their leads (assuming it isn't an opinion article).

Those are some of the "dos" and "don'ts" I have learned thus far, but as mentioned before I have a long way to go before I can fully understand leads.

Journal Entry

Companies such as Google, Adobe, and Cisco Systems are all in danger. Chinese based attackers have recently tried hacking Google and some 30 other web-based companies to steal their source codes. Verisign iDefense (security intelligence) has been working with companies to try and find the people behind the attacks.

Original Article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/technology/20code.html?ref=business

Introduction

Forgot to post this originally. Hey everyone! I'm Joe. I graduated from Centennial HS last year and played hockey for them. I enjoy any kind of sports or outdoor activities including golf, water skiing, and beach volleyball.

I started this year playing junior hockey in Souix City, Iowa, but then I was traded to play for the Owatonna Express (Owatonna, MN). I love playing hockey and my goal is to play in college. Unfortunately though, I dislocated my shoulder numerous times and ended up having season ending surgery on my labrum.

Now I'm back at home trying to keep busy and figured I'd take the opportunity to further my writing skills!

Newspapers!

The newspapers that I have started following are the Pioneer Press and the New York Times (online). I chose the Pioneer Press because that is the paper I receive daily at my house. As of now I have mainly been reading the sports page because that is what interests me the most. I figured I would start my newspaper reading "experience" by reading articles that intrigue the greatest amount.

I have chosen to follow the New York Times because it is one of the most popular newspapers in America and it carries the biggest stories from around the world. I have also heard that some of the best columnists write for the NY times.

I am really hoping that by reading these newspapers to not only learn about current events, but become a better writer from absorbing their methods.