week eight

Monday: I went on rounds, but took much longer at Poland than expected because they finally updated their police reports. So instead of heading to Boardman police, I went to Youngstown to interview an upholsterer. He's been in the business for 50-some years and learned from his father-in-law. (I've been named the old-man-still-in-the-business reporter.) I spent about an hour with him, and when I left, I received a call from the office, asking me to specifically get information about some fights at a church festival from Boardman police. While I was there, the three TV stations showed up, so I joined their press conference with the police chief. I interviewed him afterwards, then the cop who fought the juvenile with the gun. Then I went to the church where the fights happened and talked to them.

Tuesday: I spent most of the morning making lists of people to talk to for two stories I had been assigned - one about 7/7/07 being a big wedding day and the other about all the Harry Potter events going on here. I then started writing the Harry Potter story. After lunch, the interns had a "huddle" with the e-i-c and went through some stories in the paper and critiqued some of our own work. I shared my traffic story. With the group's suggestions, I worked on the traffic story the rest of the afternoon. I also wrote a brief about a Salvation Army collection.

Wednesday: I worked on the traffic story and Harry Potter story. I spent a while brushing up on Harry Potter facts and reading fan Web sites. I hadn't realized people liked HP so much. Then Todd, the e-i-c, went through my traffic story with me. I spent most of the afternoon working on that.

Thursday: I talked to Howland police for my traffic story, which was great. They do patrol a specific road different because of all the traffic on it. I worked on Harry Potter, and we put an advertisement on the Web site and in the paper for Harry Potter fans to contact me for the story. I also started writing the story about the upholsterer.

Friday: I made some calls to people that know the upholsterer for some added color for the story and talked to two people. I also started receiving calls and emails from HP fans. I made plans to meet a girl and her dad at Barnes and Noble and then to meet a family with four kids at their house. I went on rounds before my HP interviews and then straight to Barnes and Noble. The girl brought two of her friends, so that was even better. The four kids were funny - they were dressed up in their HP garb when I got to their house. When I returned I worked on the upholsterer story until it was time to go.