KGW Anchors

Joe's Night Out

2009-10-21T23:40:55Z

I got an email earlier this year - that I can't stop thinking about. It came from a 52 year old man named Dan, who was at the end of his rope. A single father, raising 3 small kids, who was about to lose his small apartment because he couldn't pay the rent. It was a well crafted letter from a man who was obviously in a desperate situation. He acknowledged that, and asked if I had any suggestions to get him through the end of the month, so he didn't have to tell his kids they no longer had a home.

The reason I'm still thinking about it -- is because I didn't get back to him right away. I was upside down myself, putting out my own fires. When I tried to send him an email three days later, it was kicked back as 'undeliverable.' I tried the cell number he left, and it had already been disconnected. I missed him.

This has been a brutal year, for so many people just like Dan. I wanted so badly to tell him about the Community Relief Campaign, sponsored by the United Way. It helps people pay rent, utilities, and more - and there is money AVAILABLE.

In light of that email, and much much more -- I thought our city was overdue for a 'feel good' night. So, I came up with something I'm calling, "Joe's Night Out" (my thanks to Tracy Barry for coming up with the name!). It's basically a chance to get out, enjoy an evening on the town - and help some of the most vulnerable people in our community at the same time.

I've spent the last 6 weeks, planning the first event, and I'm hoping you can join us at 8pm on Friday, November 13. We'll be at the beautiful Newmark Theatre in downtown Portland for a night of uplifting and inspirational music. Entertainer Julianne Johnson will be the headliner for the show. Several of her musical friends will be dropping in, including Michael Allen Harrison, Patrick Lamb, and Janice Scroggins. Julianne has also enlisted the Centennial Gospel Choir - some 50 members strong, along with a performance by the Jefferson Dancers. It's going to be a great night - to bring a lot of people together.

What's better, ALL the money we raise - will be going to Northwest Children's Outreach. It's a local, all volunteer organization, that operates five centers around the Portland/Vancouver area. NCO provides many of life's basic necessities for children whose parents are homeless, or living in poverty. With the money raised from this heartwarming event, the organization is hoping to open two additional centers - to help 'bridge the gap' for even more of our neighbors in need.

I would like to thank Howard Hedinger and Junki Yoshida - for playing a critical role in underwriting the costs associated with this event. Their generosity will make certain that every possible dollar raised on this evening, will go directly to helping children in our community. This event - literally - would not have happened, without their financial backing.

Most of the tickets are $20, with premier seats priced at $40 (before service charge). Tickets go on sale Friday, October 23 at 10am at the PCPA box office and all Ticketmaster Outlets. You can reach ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. You'll also find a seating chart for the Newmark Theatre, at the PCPA web site.

I hope to see you on NOVEMBER 13, for "Joe's Night Out!"

SAFE!

2009-10-15T22:11:47Z

Oh my gosh you guys... they just found the six year old SAFE at home... hiding! I We hardly ever get happy endings like this... how wonderful!

Tracy

The sky search

2009-10-15T21:42:35Z

Could you even breath watching the coverage of the homemade hot air balloon with the little boy inside?

I had actually gone down to the Studio on the Square to meet Brenda B. for a cup of coffee after the noon. We never got to the coffee because of the extended coverage, but what a wrenching story. As the mother of a six year old I cheered when the balloon touched down and nearly cried when it was empty. Hard to imagine it will end well. It just leaves you heartsick.

We'll have the latest on the search at five... and in an effort to fight the swine flu, a tutorial on the proper way to wash your hands. Yes, there is a proper way and apparently most of us aren't doing it. So until then just don't touch anything :) and as always thanks for watching.

Tracy Barry

COMING UP AFTER JAY LENO....

2009-09-15T21:49:06Z

Me :) Thought I'd give you a heads up so you don't think you need to adjust your set. Laural is taking a little time off so I'll be bugging Joe during the 11 for a week or so starting on Wednesday. I'll try to keep my yawning confined to commercial breaks.

After working nights for 18 plus years, I was a major nightowl. But that was before the arrival of our DD's (darling daughters) and early morning school schedules.

Still sleep depravation can lead to some funny moments,so be sure to tune in! ha! And I can always take a catnap during weather.(Yes, I have seen others do it!) If only Matt would tone it down a little.

Pass the coffee please, and as always, thanks for watching.

Tracy Barry

Your email questions answered!

2009-08-25T23:14:39Z

After taking a week off to get the kids ready for school I'm back at work to get some rest! Ha!

Upon my return I was met with many emails. Since I can't get to them all quickly enough I thought I would do my best to answer the three most popular questions now.

Number 3. For those of you who like my hair, my hairdresser is a darling person by the name of Kirsten. She works at Bella Pearl Salon at 5th and Northwest Everett near the Chinese Garden. The salon number is 503-294-0055. For those of you who don't like my hair, nevermind.

Number 2: When is Steph coming back? Funny, I get this question alot more whenever I fill in on the 7! I know, I know, I'm no Steph but I'm doing the best I can here people :) The answer is we are still not sure when Steph will be back. She is savoring her time with baby Elle and as any parent will tell you, they grow up way too fast!

And the Number 1 question... drum roll please... what happened to Dave Salesky? Well, Dave got a wonderful offer to be the number one weatherguy at another station in town. We are very happy for him even though we already miss him tons. Nobody loves a good snow storm like David! He's not on the air yet, but it probably won't be long. In the meantime, do check out our new guy Nick. Very good.

And now for the question my producer just asked... have you read the scripts yet? The answer is no, so I had better get busy.

And as always, thanks for watching!

Tracy

Leverage Relived

2009-08-18T22:40:33Z

I was only on - for a few seconds. Okay, maybe 30 seconds. Still, I can't believe how many people contacted me about on my cameo in the TNT show 'Leverage.' Actually, I think 'cameo' is reserved for a BIG star - who shows up in an unexpected place. Let's face it, I was below a bit player. But the great thing was, the crew made all of us 'feel' like stars. Five different people connected with the show - called me with information and instructions - starting a week before the shoot.

Considering the response, I thought I'd share a bit more about my experience. We shot the scene almost two months ago. I had to be at the sound stage in Clackamas - at 8:00am. First stop, was the camp of trailers - where I was to prepare for hair, makeup, and wardrobe. As my escort lead me toward the first trailer - one of the stars of the show, Christian Kane, stepped out of the door and introduced himself. We talked for a few minutes, and then I started to enter the trailer - looking for a place to set down some of the things I had brought. That's when Christian smiled and said, "Dude, where are you going?" Frankly, I had no idea. Turns out, I was about to walk into HIS trailer. Oops. My escort then waved me down to the last trailer in the row - and showed me my designated trailer space.

From there, it was on to hair and make-up. It's sort of like a rolling spa. Talk about pampering. Not to complain, but I'm on my own with all this stuff - at the station. And trust me, I'm usually out the door -- in about 2 minutes. After 15 to 20 minutes in the make up chair - I shifted over to the next seat, and got a nifty haircut - which I needed.

Here's a shot I took in the makeup trailer. That's local actor Benedict Herman, with local make-up artist extraordinaire Stephanie Johnson. Benedict played 'The Congressman' in the episode - who had an unfortunate misunderstanding of 'Desire.'   Think 'stripper.' Stephanie, btw, is a very funny and interesting follow on Twitter @Sugarpuss.

One thing that surprised me, was how many people involved in the production of this show - are LOCAL. I figured the vast majority of them would be from Los Angeles. Not the case. They've been very busy - with all the productions underway here this summer. For their sake, I hope that continues.

Yes, it's good work - if you can get it. I realized that, as I passed the 'Craft Services' bus on my way to makeup. If you're hungry, hop on board and help yourself. Sandwich? Peanuts?   Fruit? M&M's? I missed breakfast on my way out the door, so I was more than happy to catch this bus.

After I got settled into my trailer space, there was a knock on my door. At this point, it was probably 9:30am, and I thought perhaps we were getting close to shooting the scene. Turns out, it was Bill Wheeler, the man I was to 'interview' in the upcoming scene.

Bill is an actor from Seattle, who could not have been nicer. He offered to run through our lines a few times, which I appreciated. It was all a bit surreal, frankly. I'm not used to getting a 'second' take.

I spent the rest of the morning, walking around the sound stage - and watching the main actors shoot a number of scenes. It's amazing to see how much time and effort goes into EACH SCENE.

After a catered lunch -- Bill and I were on. The crew made arrangements to move the shoot 'up' -- so I could get to the station for our evening newscasts. The one thing that surprised me - more than anything - was the number of people who are 'behind' the camera during the scene. The hair experts were popping in - to make adjustments, the makeup artists were touching up their work, the wardrobe rep was tweaking the tie she picked out for me. And that doesn't include the directors, writers, producers, photographers, etc. who are responsible for the final product.

When we anchor the news, we are literally the only people in the studio. The cameras are all robotic, and the producer and director give us any necessary instructions through our earpieces. Anyway, we did probably 15 or 20 takes of the scene -- from a number of different camera angles. And just like that, the crew was breaking down and moving to set up and shoot the next scene.

For those of us who get the honor of drifting briefly into this lifestyle, it's an amazing experience -- and every bit as 'glamorous' as it seems. But for those who live it every day, it is a grind. They work LONG hours, and they work incredibly hard. At one point later in the week, the crew had been shooting more of the episode in the KGW studios. They were there all day and night. When I went into the studio to anchor our 10@10 show, I had never seen so much gear in the first floor hallway. It was literally lined up, floor to ceiling -- end-to-end. And when I came out of the studio a half hour later -- it was GONE. All of it. It was as if they had never been there.

Everyone I crossed paths with, was cordial and friendly. Timothy Hutton rode up to the studio on a bike. Beth Riesgraf stopped to chat and take a picture. They all talked about how much they LOVED shooting in Portland. Christian Kane has been playing in a band during his stay here. They were genuine in their desire to have the show return here - next season.

My thanks to casting director Lana Veenker (another local & fun follow @lanaveenker). She was literally looking for Anderson Cooper to play the role -- but had to settle for me. Click here to watch the entire episode - featuring a paranoid investigative reporter. My 15 minutes --- err -- 15 seconds of fame, are at the very end.   It was a great day.

Joe

Why I Race For The Cure

2009-08-18T07:13:25Z

We packed up the whole dog gone family, actually the "dog wasn't gone"...
we took him,too, on our family road trip the first week of August.
We headed back to Eastern Idaho where my kids were born and visited my in laws.
It was a summer week of togetherness that reminded me of how precious our families are.
Fishing, barbecues, four-wheeling,story telling with grandparents.
The kind of things children remember when they're grown.
My mother-in-law,Marilyn, treated us to fabulous dinners. My kids couldn't get over all the desserts.
We rarely have dessert, but on this trip, sometimes Grandma made two.
Strawberry shortcake AND huckleberry crisp.
My children, all teenagers and older now,couldn't have been happier.
It's these times when I'm especially aware of the reason I am dedicated to Komen For the Cure, and why I run in the Race For The Cure.
It's because of the ones we love.
For my Mother-in-law, my children's grandmother, Marilyn, who is coming up on ten years as a breast cancer survivor.
It's in the memory of my Step-Mother,Suzan Porter, also a survivor, who died of another illness two years ago.
And it's for my four children. And for your children and grandchildren.
It's for all the survivors and their families and friends I meet every year at the Race For the Cure luncheons, and at the race itself.
I race so that one day our children,your children, our grandchildren will one day live in a world free of breast cancer.

Thank you for joining us at this year's Komen Portland Race For The Cure on Sunday, September 20th.
Together,we can, we will find a cure for breast cancer.

Laural

My Chappelle Show

2009-07-15T21:34:18Z

Everyone in the newsroom had been talking about it. There were rumors flying on Twitter. There were sightings around town. Wildly popular and elusive comedian Dave Chappelle was apparently in Portland -- somewhere. And to make the story even juicier, there was word that Chappelle was planning an impromptu show at Pioneer Courthouse Square - at midnight. As I wrapped up Live @ 7 from the Square, someone sent a tweet that had him at the Delta Cafe in Southeast.

After the summer we've had with movie star sightings - I figured it was probably true, but didn't give it much thought as I began my nightly walk back to the studio on SW Jefferson. Understand, there are probably 50 ways to get there, and each night - I seem to find a different path, depending on which way the wind blows. Last night, I happened to walk up Broadway - and as I made my way past the Heathman hotel, I looked over at two people sitting at a sidewalk table. I must have looked like a cartoon character - doing the animated double take- because it was HIM. Dave Chappelle was sitting right there -relaxing with a cup of coffee.

I introduced myself, and said, "So, it's true. You ARE here. Everyone's talking about it, you know." He was gracious and courteous - but clearly cautious when he heard I was a news anchor. That's why my next question probably wasn't the best. "What are you doing in town?" He cocked an eyebrow - gave me that classic Dave Chappelle look - and said, "You're a journalist? I'm not sure I want to answer that." Fair enough. So we moved on to other things - after I convinced him that I literally just happened to walk past.

I started with the rumor of this midnight show. He seemed genuinely surprised, and said - "How did you hear about that?" I told him about all the chatter we'd been hearing on Twitter and elsewhere - and he seemed almost stunned.

He then asked me about the local TV business. We talked about the dwindling ad revenues, the layoffs, the cutbacks, and the bankruptcies - and he was truly intrigued about the money, and where it all went. We talked about how people consume their news, the impact of the internet on that consumption, and our mutual admiration for Ted Koppel. He also added his take on the difference between 'news' and 'journalism' and the changes he thought had killed 'good journalism.'

Not wanting to hover, I thanked him for his time and told him to enjoy his visit. But as I walked away, he called me back - and wanted to talk about this midnight 'show.' What did I know about The Square, and could he do this without a permit? "Technically, you need a permit. It's a city park, and it closes at midnight," I told him. "But if YOU show up, I'm not really sure what would happen. I can tell you this, I will put out the word on Twitter - and on our newscasts, and you'll fill that place up." Chappelle shook his head, and said he didn't want me to do that. "I want it to be a 'word of mouth' thing." At which point, I said, "Twitter is the ultimate word of mouth -- and trust me, it's already out there." I went on to tell him that there was a stage set up for Noon Tunes, but I wondered how everyone was going to hear him. He told me he was thinking about bringing an amp - and doing a 20 minute set. He also said he asked a Portland police officer about this at some point during his visit, but he clearly had his doubts. We have since learned - that Chappelle said he had told a total of FIVE people he was thinking about doing this.

Honoring his request, I didn't tweet everything I knew. Hoping to give people a hint, however, I simply said, "I disagree with those of you doubting the Chappelle rumors, and that's ALL i'm saying."

Then, during our 11 o'clock news, it was clear that SOMETHING was going on at The Square. There were too many people there - to ignore. So, before Matt started his weather segment, we showed our Pioneer Courthouse Square camera - and talked about the Dave
Chappelle 'rumors' - and this possible 'show' at midnight. A group of us decided to join the speculation, and see if Chappelle would show. So, a bunch of us left the station - and joined the THRONGS of people streaming toward The Square - at midnight, on a Tuesday night. It was unreal. Granted, I had spent 15 minutes with the man - but I really had NO IDEA if this thing was going to happen. In fact, at about 12:50am, we decided to pack it in, and grab a cold beer and a bite up the street. At that point, police had the entire Square blocked off to traffic -- and there were THOUSANDS of people EVERYWHERE.

So, yes - we missed the show. Although apparently there wasn't much to 'hear.' Chappelle's idea with the amp - certainly wasn't enough to get the job done. But I can tell you this -- based on our conversation earlier in the evening, I truly believe there is NO WAY he thought that many people would show up.

Either way, it was an incredibly fun night for the crowd that gathered - even just to see the 'event.' It was also an amazing lesson in the power of social media - and word of mouth.

And perhaps more than anything, it was a testament to how popular Dave Chappelle is. Here's a guy who walked away from a multi million dollar offer from Comedy Central.. and he shows up at a public square in Porland, Oregon - for a free midnight show - with a battery powered amplifier.

How great is that?

Fences for Fido

2009-07-09T21:38:55Z

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

I love that quote from Margaret Mead. I also believe it. I've witnessed the power of people coming together for a good cause repeatedly. And I will offer you more proof of that tonight in a story running during our 6 o'clock newscast.

It started with a Portland women seeing a story on U-tube and then forwarding it to a friend, who then forwarded it to another friend and so on. The U-tube piece was about a group of people in North Carolina who decided they could make this a better world by getting dogs off of chains.

And they could do that by offering to build fences for free.

Well the more these Portland friends talked about it the more they thought ..we could do that too! And now a year later that is exactly what they are doing. A couple of the folks from North Carolina even flew out last month to help them with their first build!

I love that because most of us are inspired from time to time, but not many of us follow through. Turning inspiration into reality is tough and they did it!

The Portland group calls their new non-profit "Fences for Fido" and they have already changed the lives of two lucky pups.

But what I didn't have time to tell you about in the t-v story is that they have also changed the lives of the owners as well. You'll meet Chopper who lived at the end of a chain for six years and is still one of the sweetest Lab mixes you can imagine. He even pals around with a cat.

Andrea Kozil of Fences for Fido says Choppers owner Keith is a wonderful guy who just couldn't meet all of Choppers needs. He was thrilled when they approached him about building a fence.

Keith didn't want to be interviewed on camera but he is only too happy to say off camera that the fence has completely changed his relationship with Chopper. He now spends more time in his backyard playing with Chopper and the bond between them has grown tremendously.

Andrea says owners who keep their dogs tied up usually feel bad about it and sometimes avoid the animal because of that. So a simple fence can free them up to enjoy each other again. And many of you know the power of an animal's unconditional love.

I wanted to pass on their website address where you can learn all about Fences for Fido.

www.fencesforfido.org

They are also holding their first fundraiser on August 16^th. There is more information on their website but I can tell you they will be serving a drink named after Chopper.

And this is a link to a slide show from their second fence building for a dog named Darwin. The photography is so beautiful and haunting.

www.davidchildsphotography.com/FencesDarwinSlides.html

Hope you enjoy the story and as always thanks for watching.

Tracy Barry

Is it just me?

2009-07-06T22:42:14Z

Let me start by saying I know that Michael Jackson was a musical genius who leaves a lasting legacy. I get that part, I really do. An incredible talent.

That said, apart from Presidents and Princesses I can't really remember this kind of coverage of a memorial service and passing. Keep in mind though that I don't have the best memory.

This is just a bit of a release we got today giving us a heads up about NBC's coverage.

NBC News will provide live coverage to all time zones of Michael Jackson's public memorial service at approximately 1:00pm ET/10:00am PT. Brian Williams will anchor from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the site of the service, and will be joined by Lester Holt.

TODAY: Meredith Vieira will broadcast live from the Staples Center tomorrow and will also attend the memorial service later that morning.

NIGHTLY NEWS: Brian Williams will anchor Nightly News from Los Angeles tomorrow night.

PRIMETIME COVERAGE: Tonight, Hoda Kotb anchors "Dateline" which will feature the latest updates on Michael Jackson's memorial service and funeral arrangements, plus the making of the "Thriller" music video.

On Tuesday, Lester Holt will anchor a special edition of " Dateline" which will include highlights from the memorial service and reactions from fans of Michael Jackson around the country.

That's just a few of the highlights. There's more to come. Given the number of people who went on line to try and get tickets to the memorial I suspect that I am the one out of touch here and that the number of people watching will likely be huge.

As I sit here writing this quick entry I realize my true frustration is NOT that Michael Jackson's death gets so much coverage, but that so many other critical issues and amazing people DON'T get any.

As always, thanks for watching.

Tracy Barry

Losing sleep over dead children

2009-06-08T02:53:25Z

By Amy Troy

The last time I posted a blog about losing sleep it had to do with my baby. Typical new mom stuff - newborn's not sleeping, so you're not sleeping.

This time - it has everything to do with someone else's baby. Someone else's children.

During the past three consecutive Saturdays we've covered three truly horrific stories -- each involving local parents and children.

Each story, on its own, is enough to make you lose sleep.

Three weeks ago, a mother was arrested for murder and attempted murder. She's accused of forcing her two young children off the Sellwood Bridge after one o'clock in the morning. The kids fell some 80 feet. One of them, a girl, survived, and was rescued after screaming for help, in the black of night, from the frigid waters of the Willamette.

If that wasn't disturbing enough, the following Saturday we learned painful details about a dad, accused of shooting to death his two young children, then himself. He'd taken the kids to a beautiful park on a sunny afternoon -- witnesses heard three quick gunshots.

And then, this past Saturday, we learned why Washington County investigators took so much time on what they called a "complicated" death investigation. They later arrested a mom -- she's accused of murdering a pregnant woman, hiding her body in the crawl space of a house, taking the baby and pretending the child was her own. The baby died.

What's going on here? Sure, we report tough stories every day. But not stories like this -- in our community -- three weekends in a row. I'm losing sleep over it and I know I'm not alone.

It won't hurt a bit!

2009-03-31T00:37:50Z

A handful of long sharp needles might not make you feel calmer, but its working wonders for some Oregon veterans. I hope you have a chance to watch my "Giving Back" story Tuesday on the 5 pm newscast.

It's about a free acupuncture clinic set up to help veterans deal with the stress of returning to civilian life.

Rick De Troye is an acupuncturist who has worked with patients going through drug and alcohol treatment. When the wars started in Iraq and Afghanistan he wanted to do something to help the troops and thought his skills might be just the thing.

So he came together with a couple of other friends and set up the once a week clinic in Southeast Portland. The thing that has surprised him the most is just how many Vietnam vets still need help.

It was an honor to meet and visit with a couple of those Vietnam veterans who frequent the clinic. I wish we had done better by that group when they came home from combat. Their stories are very different but they share a common concern. They both hope the soldiers coming home today won't wait as long as they did to get help.

Rick said something that keeps playing in my head. Basically that we need to stop sending people into combat expecting them to come back the same person they were before.

If you'd like to know more about the Portland Veterans Acupuncture Project check out their website at www.portlandveteranacupuncture.homestead.com

They'd love to find a bigger place for the clinic so they can help more Veterans.

And as always... Thanks for watching.

The Big Move!

2009-03-13T16:34:06Z

I feel re-energized!

After 20 years in the TV news business, I tried something completely new and totally exciting today.

Bright and early at 4:30AM this morning, we began broadcasting from our new studio at Pioneer Courthouse Square. We'll be here each day from 4:30-7AM, Noon. Stephanie's "Live at 7" show is here too.

The space was once Powell's Travel Books but when I toured the building last year, it had been vacant for several years and was a mess. Thanks to some incredible work by the construction crew and KGW engineers, the transformation has been incredible. Everyone has worked really hard over the last several months to make sure all the technical pieces fit together and the first broadcast went off today without a hitch, which is amazing!

Many of you have already seen the new place for yourselves. We held an open house recently and hundreds of people stood in the rain to get a quick tour. It was great to meet so many Sunrise viewers. A few dedicated souls braved the rain this morning to stand outside and watch our first broadcast -- very cool.

As I watch the school kids and commuters from our window here on the Square, I can't help but think what a big deal this is.. not just for KGW but for Portland. You can find streetside TV studios in New York, Chicago and now the Rose City. Each morning Brenda, Dave, Michael and I will bring you the news from the heart of the city.

I hope you'll come down and see us at the Square, say "hello" and maybe come in for a quick tour. We plan on having a lot of fun down here and it might get crazy once in a while but no matter what happens, we'll continue to bring you the reliable information you expect from Newschannel Eight.

Talk to you soon,

Russ

Giving Back

2009-03-09T22:13:50Z

I'm so excited!

I don't know about you but it is hard not to get down in these troubled times. Or at the very least to spend too much time worrying about things you can't control anyway. I'm actually quite a pro at that.

So tonight something different! I'm starting a segment called "Giving Back". It's a chance to report on some of the really wonderful things people are doing in our community to help others.

My first report profiles a Lake Oswego High School senior named Griffin Gaffney. He is a wildly talented viola player who started out on the violin in the 4th grade.Griffin can't imagine a world or even a school without music though that is the reality in many districts. So he came up with the idea of giving free lessons to children who wouldn't get them otherwise.

He organized a charity concert with Tom Grant and Rebecca Kilgore and some student musicians. And with the 22-hundred dollars he raised he was able to buy 10 violins. Now every Tuesday he races to the Friendly House Community Center in Northwest Portland to give lessons.

It's delightful, hopeful, encouraging and fun. I hope you'll watch it and that it will be a bright spot in your day. It certainly was in mine.

And as always, thanks for watching.

Tracy Barry

Day Dreaming

2009-03-03T00:44:20Z

Oh my gosh do you have spring fever today? All the bulbs are poking through and it seems so warm.

Especially since the Northeast is getting hammered with one of the biggest storms of the season. The video in our early shows of all the snow and ice is amazing. Looking out the window it's hard to believe you could be in all that in just a few hours by plane. That's not counting the delays and tarmac time of course J

My husband is home trying to put the fence back up that came down with a tree during the December storms. The girls skipped the heavy jackets today and headed off to school in sweatshirts.

My other favorite story today is the "new study" on red wine. I promise you that just last week we had a story on saying drinking it could increase your risk of cancer, including esophagus cancer. Guess what... tonight's story says it can drop your risk dramatically! Believe what you wish and enjoy our first taste of spring. It's probably just a tease.

And as always, thanks for watching.

Tracy Barry