The "Real" Stray Cat Strut

It seems like these days in order to graduate from Winthrop University, students are required to have at least one encounter with stray cats in order to graduate.

On the corner of Ebenezer Rd and Aiken Ave in Rock Hill, SC is a hanging ground for stray cats. From the late afternoon to the early morning, stray cat sightings are normal amongst pedestrians and residents of the area. After witnessing many stray cats on my daily walk to campus, I decided to look into stray cats in York County.

I first went to the York County Animal Shelter for answers. Though unfortunately no one at the shelter was able to talk to me. So like everything in the United States, when the government lets you down it's time to turn to the private sector for answers. In this case it was the Humane Society of York County.

At the Humane Society I talked to Lori Criminger, the shelter manager. There people "surrender" or deliver strays to the shelter for various reasons, but one main reason is that they are unable to properly take care of the cats themselves. At the shelter, stray cats are given the proper veterinary treatment, fed daily, and a little T.L.C. (Tender, Love, and Care) from the volunteers.

Criminger estimates that the numbers of stray cats in York County is in "...the thousands". This year to date, the Humane Society of York County has rescued and found a homes for 251 cats.

If you or anyone you know would like to get involved or volunteer at the shelter, please contact the Humane Society of York County's Volunteer Page. Click here if you or someone that you know would like to adopt a cat or dog.

Strays Saved by the Humane Society of York County

Strays Saved by the Humane Society of York County | Create infographics

Stray Cats Strut For the Better

Final Exam piece on Stray Cats in York County.

A Job That Truly Benefits

Isabel is an Ohio State student whose campus job has opened up the possibility to amazing opportunities. Watch to find out what that opportunities are.

Nightmare on Union Ave

Here is a video I did for a class a while back, around Halloween to be precise. I hope you guys enjoy it.

Ch. 8 Video Story Telling

Here is a video that my partner Clay and I made for our chapter video presentation for MCOM 226.

This Winthrop Life Episode 2: The French Connection

The Greatest Fight in the History of Anything!!!

We've all heard of The Rumble in the Jungle and the most recent Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium, but what about the rumble of reality TV families? My co-producer Clayton James and I went around campus asking people a simple question: Who would win in a fight the Kardashian family or Honey Boo Boo family?

Cutting Carrots with Brea

Visual.ly Fun!

Today in class my partner Clayton James and I presented a demonstration of a fun website called Visual.ly. This website allows the user to easily make infographics and share them with the world via Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and more. Here is some of the work I made as an example for our presentation:

This Winthrop Life Episode One

This American Life Homework

Episode 447: The Incredible Case of the P.I. Moms

1. The purpose of the prologue was Ira Glass setting up the story for the audience, by catching them up to speed the concept of the P.I. moms. Music was only used during the prologue as a transition technique and to set the mood for act one.
2.  The idea of the P.I. moms was that of Chris Butler, a former police officer. He came up with this idea in an attempt to sell the concept to television producers for a reality TV deal. Meanwhile Butler hires a P.I. firm to build a buzz for his moms, which leads to the moms being the topic of an episode on Dr. Phil and even a full page spread in People Magazine. The usage of audio from the Dr. Phil episode draws in the reader.
3. Next, journalist Peter Crook of Diablo Magazine goes on a three month ride along with the moms as they work a case. The job is a normal possible case of spousal infidelity. The moms tail the perp from one car lane away and make the same illegal U-turns as the perp. The reporter at the time does not realize this, but he is being setup on a fake case. Interviews from Peter Cook and the actors involved in this fake case really keep you drawn in.
4. The interviews with Carl Marino, Peter Cook, and other actors involved in the fake case kept your attention to the story. For example when Peter Cook was talking, you could sense a sort of disappoint or embarrassment in his voice, like someone who had just been taken for a ride. Then with the Marino interview you could hear in his voice a sort of smirk when telling his side of the story as in he couldn’t believe how childish and stupid this entire incident was. The only time quotes were used was for the P.I. Agency’s founder Chris Butler, but only because the interviewer had made it clear that he had denied an interview to the program.
5. There were not a whole lot of conversational snippets in this piece. Though the one snippet that stuck out at me was when host Ira Glass was interviewing the hired decoy Carl Marino. During the interview Glass would cut off Marino in mid conversation, whether it was because he couldn’t believe what he was hearing or to reiterate something to keep the listeners attention.

Getty's Festival Fundraiser

Popular French Bakery Lives up to French Hygiene

Health Inspectors Shutdown Amelie's

Recent findings from the Mecklenburg County Health Department has called for health inspectors to temporarily shut down Charlotte’s most popular bakery.

Amelie’s French Bakery of 2424 N. David St was shut down last Friday after failing their fourth health inspection. The bakers’ license was suspended immediately after findings of inadequate refrigeration and thrown trash on the ground were discovered.

The bakery is one of the largest bakeries in they city. They provide breads, pies, cakes, and other pastries to over 100 grocery stores and restaurants, while also supplying 40 employees with employment. It has also hurt the bakery’s’ owners, the brotherly team of Charles and Andrew Kalani.

Attorney Saul Goodman, the brothers’ legal representative has said that his clients are losing $13 thousand and permanent customers each day that the bakery is closed. He went on to say, that she does believe that the health departments’ allegations are exaggerated.

Allen as stated that the Kalani brothers are ready to take their case to the city council tomorrow night. If that attempt fails, then they are ready to take it up to the courts and do what ever it may take to save their business.

Wall Street South

Hard News Leads #2

1. The Rock Hill Police Department today has fired their infamous hero and current Police Officer of the Year, Daniel J. Silverbach after he refused to trim his mustache and sideburns, which were too long by department standards.

2. State of South Carolina officials have advised paraplegic, Dale Snow and his new bride, Terri Snow of 3418 Hazel St. to get divorced in order to continue receiving Dale’s monthly payments from the South Carolina Department of Social Services and federal Supplemental Security Income.

3. 50% of human cremation remains in South Carolina go unclaimed. To deal with this problem the Funeral Directors Association met yesterday to begin lobbying a new state law, which allows funeral homes to dispose of unclaimed remains after 90 days.

4. An excess of $8 thousand of items were stolen yesterday at 2481 Santana Ave., the home of recently widowed Dorothy R. Elam between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. while she was at her deceased husbands’ funeral.

5. Social Security has denied 81-year-old widow, Gladys Anne Riggs four months of payments after a system error claimed that she had been dead since then.

Alternative News Leads

Here are five alternative news leads which I wrote for class.

1.      Yesterday the First Union Bank on 3720 Kohlar Blvd. was robbed. Thanks to one of the bank’s Tellers quick thinking of giving the bank robber a dye pack. The police found the perp down street at a local McDonalds, crouched amongst the trash bin.

2.      Flowers, music, and exchanging of vows are all parts of your traditional wedding, but that’s not the case for Sunni McGrath and Wallace A. Svec. On Monday Judge Samuel McGregor married the couple of three years in his courtroom immediately after sentencing McGrath to one year probation for drunk driving.

3.      A .38 caliber bullet to the head is not the best way to greet a friend. Michael Uosis of 4772 E. Harrison Ave. accidentally shot his friend, Edward Beaumont who simply stopped by for a late night visit at 12:40 a.m. Uosis who had been robbed the previous week believed that his robber had return for a second time.

4.      Stale bread and sticky buns are not what you would think of as weapons, but for 70-year-old Steven Cowles they are. Cowles a janitor at VFW Post #40 at 640 Sherwood Dr. used stale bread and sticky buns to fight off teenage burglars, who came to the lodge with the intent of stealing expensive liquor and cigarettes.

5.      Tuesday morning around 8:30 a.m. at Albertsons on 4240 Michigan St. a car thief, 21-year-old Troy Dysart got more than what expected when he stole Lillian Sodergreen’s parked car. For inside the back of the car were Sodergreens’ two children, 4-year-old Todd Sodergreen and 8-month-old Jena Sodergreen. Dysart claims that he did not see the two children and is charged with grand theft and kidnapping.

Hello World

This is my first post on Blogger. If you can read this then good. If you can't then sorry.