Hurry up and wait...

Today, I covered my first ever homecoming. 300 out of 1,000 Marines and sailors came home from Iraq, it was the largest group from 2/8 to arrive at one time.

Photographer Randy Davey and I arrived at Camp Lejeune around 2 p.m., to meet the Public Affairs Officer at the gate at 2:15 for a 2:30-3p.m. arrival. At 3:15, we were told that it would be about an hour, hour and a half. ... I returned to the office at 6p.m., to type the article up quickly, and get to the 7 p.m. Onslow County Board of Commissioners meeting.

While I would be completely full of it if I said I was not aggravated this afternoon, homecomings are a beautiful thing. You have fathers, wives, daughters, sons, girlfriends, boyfriends, parents and children all waiting to see a loved one, some of which are meeting daddy for the first time. Over 30 children were born while their father was away, but Maj Rob Peterson said it right, a newborn is better than a death in the family.

Despite my sunburn, hydration and nicotine fit, even I was elated when the buses pulled up. It was a beautiful sight, one I am sure many families look forward to.

Catching up on lost time...

Here is every thing you may have missed in the last two months while I've been working on graduating from UNC Pembroke.

March 19: Montessori warned on child care
http://www.jdnews.com/news/school_55554___article.html/child_notice.html

March 20: Firsthand experience with terror
http://www.jdnews.com/news/matthews_55566___article.html/marine_beirut.html

March 21: Separating fact from fiction
http://www.jdnews.com/news/students_55576___article.html/baptiste_history.html

March 22: Shelter receives its needed funds
http://www.jdnews.com/news/shelter_55610___article.html/wyrick_community.html

March 22: Joint Easter Service will not happen
http://www.jdnews.com/news/service_55611___article.html/year_phillips.html

March 22: Rotary South seeks match of donations
http://www.jdnews.com/news/rotary_55613___article.html/shelter_papurca.html

March 23: A day of worship and praise
http://www.jdnews.com/news/jesus_55623___article.html/church_going.html

March 28: Silverdale students thank the troops
http://www.jdnews.com/news/students_55706___article.html/school_silverdale.html

March 30: Survivors tap into support network
http://www.jdnews.com/news/wersel_55745___article.html/support_group.html

March 30: Jacks and Jills of all trades
http://www.jdnews.com/news/onslow_55746___article.html/county_jacksonville.html

April 1: Globalization has reached Parkwood Elementary School
http://www.jdnews.com/news/people_55802___article.html/community_world.html

April 1: Homeless shelter will remain open
http://www.jdnews.com/news/shelter_55801___article.html/wyrick_donations.html

April 2: Lee Greenwood sings to his favorite candidate
http://www.jdnews.com/news/smith_55815___article.html/greenwood_state.html

April 3: Modern warfare, modern weapons
http://www.jdnews.com/news/vehicle_55826___article.html/marine_new.html

April 5: Spotlight falls on silent fear
http://www.jdnews.com/news/child_55862___article.html/children_abuse.html

April 7: Wright relinquishes command of MALS-26 to Hallstrom
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/marine_55898___article.html/hallstrom_squadron.html

April 9: N.C. 53 plans create work for ONWASA
http://www.jdnews.com/news/plans_55946___article.html/three_road.html

April 9: Five White Oak High School Students face marijuana charge
http://www.jdnews.com/news/school_55948___article.html/brown_search.html

April 9: Bill Clinton to campaign for Hillary in Jacksonville
http://www.jdnews.com/news/clinton_55950___article.html/campaign_jacksonville.html

April 10: Names not released in White Oak bust
http://www.jdnews.com/news/school_55956___article.html/taylor_students.html

April 12: Corps gets new Osprey squadron
http://www.jdnews.com/news/squadron_56019___article.html/command_bianca.html

April 12: Voters get educated on school board candidates
http://www.jdnews.com/news/education_56018___article.html/good_child.html

April 13: Kids see Newton's laws of physics in action
http://www.jdnews.com/news/students_56026___article.html/rockets_newton.html

April 16: Spring Breaks good time to volunteer
http://www.jdnews.com/news/students_56081___article.html/volunteer_onslow.html

April 16: Hitting the links for the heroes
http://www.jdnews.com/news/golf_56078___article.html/wounded_jones.html

April 17: City official suspects Onslow commissioners of stalling on sales tax issue
http://www.jdnews.com/news/commissioners_56087___article.html/county_sales.html

April 18: Onslow voters take advantage of early period <--Front Page
http://www.jdnews.com/news/period_56098___article.html/voters_advantage.html

April 18: Marines make clean sweep on base
http://www.jdnews.com/news/marines_56105___article.html/clean_martinez.html

April 20: Bombs Away rises from ashes
http://www.jdnews.com/news/bombs_56138___article.html/wolfe_andrews.html

April 21: You can go home again
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/cook_56157___article.html/location_dalton.html

April 21: Creativity takes Parkwood students to the top
http://www.jdnews.com/news/competition_56145___article.html/team_mccallister.html

April 22: Richlands sewer moratorium could soon be lifted
http://www.jdnews.com/news/onwasa_56174___article.html/sewer_richlands.html

April 23: Students at Clyde Erwin pick up litter
http://www.jdnews.com/news/earth_56184___article.html/trash_clean.html

April 23: Safety is a must with open fires
http://www.jdnews.com/news/burning_56187___article.html/burn_decker.html

April 26: Fighting cancer, step at a time
http://www.jdnews.com/news/cancer_56244___article.html/relay_lap.html

April 27: Onslow history, one document at a time
http://www.jdnews.com/news/office_56258___article.html/records_register.html

April 27: Folks step up to 'fill the boot'
http://www.jdnews.com/news/romero_56256___article.html/boot_jacksonville.html

April 27: Breaking News: Marine sought in series of collissions http://www.jdnews.com/news/wrecks_56262___article.html/series_battalion.html

April 28: Board responsible for all board policy
http://www.jdnews.com/news/board_56282___article.html/chairman_members.html

April 28: Marine sought in series of collissions (print version) (front page)http://www.jdnews.com/news/kirk_56263___article.html/zuspann_contact.html

April 28: No charges yet in Friday wreck (breaking news)http://www.jdnews.com/news/zuspann_56288___article.html/kirk_charges.html

April 29: Taxpayers await their rebate checks (front page)http://www.jdnews.com/news/rebate_56302___article.html/taxpayers_await.html

April 29: Onslow health officials conduct annual county survey
http://www.jdnews.com/news/county_56304___article.html/health_officials.html

April 29: Investigation continues into multiple wrecks (print) (front page)http://www.jdnews.com/news/zuspann_56288___article.html/kirk_charges.html

April 29: School election bell rings in a week
http://www.jdnews.com/news/rings_56291___article.html/school_week.html

April 30: DSS employee wins top award
http://www.jdnews.com/news/nominated_56312___article.html/didn_administrative.html

May 1: Onslow's past meets the present
http://www.jdnews.com/news/onslow_56319___article.html/whitman_grice.html

May 2: Small step for democracy
http://www.jdnews.com/news/vote_56378___article.html/jones_wanted.html

May 9: Breaking news: Police believe camerman warned club manager of raid
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/club_56536___article.html/enforcement_law.html

May 7: Gaskins, Ridge off Board of Education
http://www.jdnews.com/news/board_56498___article.html/percent_votes.html

May 7: Pollard takes GOP primary in race for Onslow County Register of Deeds
http://www.jdnews.com/news/deeds_56500___article.html/register_pollard.html

May 11: Mother and child celebrations
http://www.jdnews.com/news/krystal_56555___article.html/jan_mother.html

May 11: ONWASA works on water plan
http://www.jdnews.com/news/able_56553___article.html/water_service.html

May 11: Beach gets clean sweep
http://www.jdnews.com/news/clean_56550___article.html/sweep_big.html

May 11: Breaking News: Tornado hits Belgrade
http://www.jdnews.com/news/area_56559___article.html/onslow_through.html

May 12: Program tears down walls
http://www.jdnews.com/news/students_56565___article.html/oclc_walls.html

May 12: Day camp registration opens
http://www.jdnews.com/news/lukasina_56568___article.html/camp_program.html

May 12: 'I thank God we're all alive'
http://www.jdnews.com/news/smith_56572___article.html/home_family.html

PHOTOS:
http://www.jdnews.com/share/photo/?plckPhotoID=fdc16bfe-8a26-445e-94f6-f932dd686c02&plckGalleryID=1adb71ab-eb2b-4302-9678-54e86df31ce6

http://www.jdnews.com/news/smith_56572___article.html/home_family.html

http://www.jdnews.com/share/photo/?plckPhotoID=46525afa-b0ee-4b1b-bf66-14b7a1fb7ed5&plckGalleryID=1adb71ab-eb2b-4302-9678-54e86df31ce6

http://www.jdnews.com/share/photo/?plckPhotoID=a1ff45c8-909c-45da-a0f5-c0b72a5bedd4&plckGalleryID=1adb71ab-eb2b-4302-9678-54e86df31ce6

http://www.jdnews.com/share/photo/?plckPhotoID=0b813d1f-0b11-48c7-a541-6f7e7a1cdb37&plckGalleryID=1adb71ab-eb2b-4302-9678-54e86df31ce6

http://www.jdnews.com/share/photo/?plckPhotoID=65b5e349-2ed7-4eee-8702-81622fc63db4&plckGalleryID=1adb71ab-eb2b-4302-9678-54e86df31ce6

It's been a long time...

So, it's been a long time. Hopefully, now that school is out I will blog more often. I make no promises, but I do have great intentions. I promise.

The last 24 hours have been the most exhilirating of my seven years in journalism so far. Last night shortly before this time, I was just getting back from the magistrate's office. I was planning on going home early. Little did I know, that simply was not in the cards. Instead, Cyndi Brown, my fabulous editor, told me that a hurricane had touched down in Belgrade -- right before the Onslow County line. So, I went from my desk to my car.

I drove in the pouring down rain, with my hands clenched. If both hands were not on the wheel, I had a cigarette in one. Sometimes a cell phone. I could not reach where the tornado struck because the road was closed. A tree had fallen across the highway. So, I turned my car around and went back to the office, where I proceeded to call everyone from the Sheriff to Emergency Management. There were six injuries, all minor, but an awful lot of damage. That was the front page of today's edition.

Last night, it was estimated that there were 15 to 20 structures damaged, including one variety store that was positively demolished.

This morning, I woke up early. Well, early given the adrenaline I had last night. I was at the scene by 8:40 a.m. When I got there, I began walking down Swansboro-Belgrade Ext. Road. The damage was amazing, in a non scary way. When Timmi Toler arrived on the scene (she's an AMAZING columnist/feature writer/overall guru at The Daily News), we worked seperately. She talked to the owner of the store, while I talked to a man whose race car was picked up out of a field and placed between two buildings. She talked to a man whose son went to training for the National Guard on Friday, while I talked to two neighbors who both watched the tornado come towards them. She talked to a man whose trailer flipped while him, his wife and daughter weere in it, while I parked the car on the side of the road and walked to meet her. However, I got the photo that immediately went on the Web site with the initial story.

Within three hours, we had every single word of a 55 inch story that has been online since about 2 p.m., as well as will be in the print edition of The Daily News.

Hearing those people's stories, seeing the destruction, dodging fallen wires and stepping over puddles... THAT is what makes journalism worthwhile.