Very early on the morning on May 5, 2007 I got a call from NBC News to hurry from Denver to Greensburg, Kansas. There had been a huge tornado and the town was devastated. Go! Go! When I pulled into the town six hours later I was stunned to see wreckage so complete that even the bark had been pulled off the trees. These skeleton … Continue reading The Greening of Greensburg
I had a hunch as soon as I sat down by Scott on the flight to Anchorage that he was on his way to the funeral of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. He was in a suit with a Lockheed Martin pin and was busily cranking away on his Blackberry. Once we were airborne we started to talk and he regaled me with stories of his … Continue reading Remembering Uncle Ted
In June 2009 I posted a blog about the dire condition of the River Jordan and how a unique collaboration of Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians are cooperating to save it and care for the needs of a parched region. National Geographic Magazine has done the story “Parting the Waters” for its April edition on Water. It showcases the environmental dilemma, the political issues that have led to it, and … Continue reading River Jordan Redux
Immediately after the opening ceremony people began to run. They hoofed it to the International Broadcast Centre to see the after party. Wayne Gretzky rode in a flatebed truck with the Olympic torch aloft to light an external flame outside the building. The crowd went wild, shouting “Gretzky, Gretzky, Gretzky.” Amazing to see how Canadians adore The Great One. A Shaun White look alike and his sidekicks led the crowd in the … Continue reading Gretzky Lights the Flame
Hawaii is seeing the biggest waves in 40 years. We were at this exact spot on the North Shore of Oahu at the end of October. Waimea Bay was calm and my son, Blair, jumped off the rocks that these people are videotaping from. To give perspective Da Big Rock, as it is called, is about 75 feet high. Earlier this week the waves were up to … Continue reading Hawaii’s Big Waves
My 11 year old son, Blair, wanted to go to Cirque du Soleil this year, but because our schedules were so busy, we missed it. Instead he went to the Balloon Boy media circus. Because my husband was traveling and I was a single mom over the weekend I didn’t want to leave him at home while I was working 24/7 for NBC News. Instead … Continue reading Blair and the Balloon Boy
William Gray, Phillip Klotzbach and their forecasters at Colorado State University have come out with their predictions for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season which runs from June 1 to November 30. It’s expected to be active with three hurricanes becoming major Category 3 storms. In the press release they remark, “NOAA’s National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center says there is a 70 percent chance of having nine … Continue reading Hurricane Season
Vicky Collins Online 