My three most noteworthy news experiences

Every night, local news broadcasts air live on television, and every night I ask myself, "Which station do I want to watch tonight?" On an average basis, my answer is Kare 11 news. Kare 11 news doesn't have the fullest national coverage; I occasionally watch other local stations and see that they run more national stories. However, I consistently keep turning back to Kare 11. I look for the reason why. I listen to the newscasters as they recount the day's events. I watch their faces as they relate the story of a policeman's death or an upcoming charity walk. The passion that the Kare 11 newscasters have for their local news is evident in their faces. That passion shows me that they care about their community. That is why I watch Kare 11 news, and I hope that the more I watch that local station, the more I will learn from its caring newscasters.

There was no other motorsports radio show in the upper Midwest except FAN Motorsports. Now it is gone. Its rise to success started ten years ago, when its first host, Russ Bohaty, began the show as a local racing show on Thursday nights. In the next few years, FAN Motorsports gained listeners rapidly and was moved to a Saturday. The show also welcomed its second and final host, Chris Hawkey, who guided the show through its glory years. Hawkey invited his listeners to call his show and discuss their opinions with him on the air. Many motorsports racing fans, including myself, called in regularly. Hawkey hosted racing greats such as John Force, Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, and Richard Petty, but always kept his listeners informed of current racing news and of events taking place at local racing tracks around the Midwest. The decline of FAN Motorsports was gradual as the show became a victim of our nation's economy. In November 2008, Hawkey announced that his friend and co-host, Jordan Bianchi, had been let go from the show. The show ended in May of 2009 and became available in podcast form. On the final edition of FAN Motorsports, I was the first listener to call in and wish Chris Hawkey and his show goodbye. Hawkey expressed his hope that someday FAN Motorsports will return to the air, but that day has not yet come.

I don't receive any daily newspaper at my house and usually don't buy one, but the day after November 4th, 2008, I knew I wanted to have a print edition of any newspaper. Barack Obama had just been elected president, and I wanted a tangible reminder of the historic day. Unfortunately, by the time I looked for a newspaper at my local grocery store, they were all sold out. I realized how much people still value newspapers, not only as keepsakes and reminders of historic days, but to connect them to the current news and to make them feel a part of it. Luckily for me, my dad found a newspaper covering Barack Obama's election and brought it home. I'll always keep it, and I know many other people will keep theirs as well.