The goal of this blog is to take you behind the scenes on the stories that I do, the news decisions that were made, and any extra information that was left out of the story. From time-to-time I will also be blogging about various news, sports, and entertainment stories that I think are of interest to you, the viewer...or in this case, the reader. Your comments on blog entries are welcome...just keep it clean! And if you have a story idea, send it my way at daniel.novick@kfoxtv.com. You can also follow me on Twitter -Click Here Thanks for reading!

A Quirk In The Cell Phone Law

3/13/2010

Here is a little known fact about the cell phone ordinance El Paso City Council passed on Tuesday. The ordinance's original language excluded emergency personnel from being covered in the soon to be created law. This was mirrored after the state's law that prohibits texting or talking on a cell phone while driving in a school zone, except for emergency personnel.

But city council representatives decided the ordinance should apply to everyone, and emergency personnel should not get special treatment.

According to the city attorney, since state law supersedes local law, emergency personnel are not allowed to use their cell phones without a handsfree device EXCEPT in school zones. If they are driving in a school zone, they are free to pickup the phone and put it to their ear.

I have to believe that few police officers or firefighters will take advantage of the situation, but it is one of those fascinating quirks of government that I wanted to point out.

Could Raised Taxes Be In Your Near Future?

2/27/2010

You are not going to hear it from anybody right now, as many of my sources don't want to say it on camera, but a number of county employees and leaders tell me there is a good chance El Paso County Commissioners will have to raise taxes for the next fiscal year.

Here is the situation. As I have reported, at last glance, the county is facing an $11.2 million budget shortfall. In order to make up for that shortfall, and not raise taxes, the budget must be cut by 5.2 percent, according to a number of county officials I have spoken with.

Each and every county department has been asked to cut their budget by 5 percent for fiscal year 2011. Remember, every department cut their budgets by 2 percent for this year. And if I can recall correctly, about 30 employees were laid off.

County commissioners are looking at cutting or reducing services in non-mandated departments first, then mandated, and then, if all else fails, they will look at raising taxes.

So what does this mean for you? Expect services to be cut or greatly reduced. Expect all business with the county to take longer.

But I have sat in on some of these budget hearings. And I think in some departments there is just no place to cut, or certainly not enough to cut past 5 percent.

These commissioners are trying their hardest to not raise taxes. There have been countless budget meetings on the issue. But unfortunately, raising taxes might end up being inevitable. I am not guaranteeing this will happen, but commissioners are facing an uphill battle. Not enough money is coming in, for how much is coming out.

RTDNA Issues Media And Blogging Guidelines

2/14/2010

About a month ago, I wrote in this blog about the dilemma of becoming a "fan" of an organization on Facebook like the El Paso County Sheriff's Office or a politician. Well now the Radio Television Digital News Association has issued some guidelines for all of the online issues we journalists face.

In the end, most of it comes down to a need for each and every newsroom to set guidelines and standards. But I did find it interesting that this is a challenge many journalists are facing today.

Here is a link: RTDNA Issues Media And Blogging Guidelines

A Day In The Life Of A Dignitary

1/30/2010

On Friday I got the unique opportunity to see what it was like to be a dignitary or VIP. What does that mean? For the entire day, I was surrounded by a 20-person detail and six SUV motorcade. It was all part of the final day of training for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, El Paso Police Department, ICE, and other organizations on how to protect and secure high profile people See Story Here.

It is nothing short of an absolute surreal experience. The best way I can describe it is that you are completely surrounded and yet you feel totally isolated. Here is how they work (without giving away any trade secrets of course!).

About half of the team is an advance squad. They go to wherever our next destination is and makes sure it is safe and secure. When we arrive, there are a number of officers already at our location ready to surround our SUV. We get the signal that it is safe to get out of our SUV. From there, anywhere we walk there is a four member team providing a tight perimeter around us. Up ahead and behind us are officers looking for potential threats.

The only officer who talks to us is the one that is assigned as our point person. Everyone from the drivers to the advance team do not talk to us unless we talk to them. They have a job to do.

So while you are surrounded by 20 well armed and trained officers, you feel very alone.

Then there are the stares. Anywhere you go with 20 men in suits with guns and earpieces, you get looks. You get long stares. You can just see the look of confusion and awe running through people's heads. Who are they protecting?

Like I said at the beginning, it is a surreal experience. You always see people like Hillary Clinton or Janet Napolitano come visit El Paso and they are surrounded with security. But you never really fully understand what life is like for them until you are inside the bubble that they have to live in. For the 7 hours I was "in the bubble," it was a very lonely experience. Just imagine a lifetime like that.

Fort Bliss Troop Technology

1/24/2010

As you saw in my report on Sunday night about Fort Bliss and the 21st century technology they are using, we got a great opportunity to see and experience what soldiers on post have at their disposal as they train to head off to war See Story Here.

The first part was a virtual shooting range, with guns that are real right up to the point where the weapon is fired, and instead of a live round shooting out of the barrel, a laser tells the computer where the round would have gone had this been a real gun on a real range. It is a safe way to learn about the weapons the soldiers will be using in theatre, without the dangers or costs of using real bullets.

But the impressive part was the second stop on our trip. We get off the bus to see two of what look to be the production trucks that you would see outside of an arena broadcasting for ESPN or something like that. Inside are four simulators, each with a fake Humvee mounted with a machine gun in the turret and rifles in each seat. The humvee is completely surrounded by screens, and on the day we were there, we drove down a common route in Baghdad. So soldiers who have never been to Iraq will instantly recognize parts of Baghdad once they do get deployed, because of this simulator on post. They'll learn common locations that insurgents hide for ambushes, or places where IED attacks have taken place in the past. All of this without ever shedding a single drop of blood.

The advantages these soldiers have over their predecessors is amazing. And it is because of technology. We talk so much about unmanned aircraft and bomb diffusing robots when it comes to the technology of today's military. But simulators like the two we saw on Saturday I believe are the most impressive. They are saving lives as much as anything else.

What is exciting is that this is happening here, at Fort Bliss, in El Paso. We all knew with BRAC that Fort Bliss would get an increased role in the future of the Army. Now the future of the Army is here.

Remaining Unbiased in 2010

1/10/2010

First off, a Happy New Year to everyone who reads the blog and follows us on KFOX14 and kfoxtv.com.

I am facing an ethical problem that may or may not in fact be a problem, but it is certainly not anything I learned about in journalism school. Boy, that was a confusing sentence. Let me tell you what it is, and you tell me if I am over thinking or if in fact I am right on point.

We are taught as journalists to be unbiased. That means don't reveal your political affiliations, don't insert your personal views into a story and don't accept gifts or freebies from people. Of course there is a a gray area with all of this, but in general, journalists have agreed on terms of how to be unbiased.

But what happens when you throw 21st century technology into the mix of trying to remain unbiased? Let me explain.

I have a Facebook account. In fact, I had a Facebook account long before it was cool to have one. It has been a great tool to keep up with old friends, connect with new ones and keep everyone up to date on my life. But lately I have been asked to become a "fan" of certain organizations, entities and people. For example, I'm a fan of KFOX14.

Recently I was asked to become a "fan" of El Paso Firefighters. Then to become a "fan" of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. And I hesitated to say yes.

No doubt I am a fan of what firefighters do and the incredible risks they take to keep us safe. And the exact same thing can be said for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. I have incredible respect for our men and women in uniform. But unfortunately from time-to-time I have to cover controversial or negative stories about our law enforcement or emergency services in the Borderland. Can some take away that since I am a "fan" of an organization, that then my story will be biased as a result?

Maybe it is OK to be a fan of firefighters or peace officers, but what about politicians? They will remain nameless, but some politicians have also asked me to become a "fan" of them. I like and respect many of these people, but if I become a "fan" of one, then don't I have to become a "fan" of all of them? What happens come election time? How do I remain unbiased?

My gut tells me that becoming a "fan" of organizations like firefighters is no big deal, but becoming a "fan" of specific people, especially politicians, is something to stay away from. But where is the line? Is there even a line to begin with?

So my question to you is this: Am I over thinking this, am I right on the mark, or should I just close my Facebook account today?

Wild, Wacky El Paso Weather

12/13/2009

I know this should be in Brad's weather blog, but since I have been out in ALL of the weather, I had to write about it.

It has been a crazy few months of weather! Lets start with the hail storm a few months ago in Far East El Paso. Millions of dollars in damage to not just vehicles, but roofs and even homes. Remember that mobile home park that received severe damage from all the hail? It looked like a bomb went off or a tornado blew through. In the four and a half years of working in El Paso, I have never seen anything like it.

Then the snow. And the ice. I was called in to work the KFOX Morning news a couple of Friday's ago, and there were over 100 car accidents that morning. Every street turned into a sheet of ice, and cars went slipping and sliding in every direction. It was a mess. We have dealt with snow, but the ice was simply devastating. In the four and a half years of working in El Paso, I have never seen anything like it.

Then the wind. Just this week, we saw hurricane gust winds throughout the borderland. I was in Northeast El Paso, which probably got hit the hardest. Roofs were torn off, the canopy at Cohen Stadium was destroyed, power lines down, property damaged. I have done dozens of windy weather stories in El Paso (most in March), but in the four and a half years of working in El Paso, I have never seen anything like it.

I worry about the next time it rains, because I was here for the 2006 floods, and I certainly hope I don't see anything like that again.

So what is going on? Part of the joy of living in El Paso is the wonderful moderate fall and winter weather. This fall has been miserable...maybe the winter will make up for it.

Paranormal Activity In El Paso

11/1/2009

If you haven't heard yet, I did a story on Friday about paranormal activity in El Paso. Story - Click Here

This has easily become one of my favorite stories in the four plus years of my career.

First off, everything was real. Like I said on Friday, except for a little bit of music added at the beginning and the end, everything you heard and saw actually happened. And like I also said on Friday, I went from being very skeptical about spirits and ghosts and paranormal activity, to being an absolute believer. There simply was no explanation as to why we heard those sounds, and why I felt the things that I felt.

But it has become one of my favorite stories not so much because of the actual story or the experience, but because of the reaction. I can only think of a handful of stories I have done that has gotten such a positive response. Everyone I have spoken with has loved the story. That made all the hours of watching video and listening to sound, and my photojournalist Joe Najera editing the piece, completely worth it.

If you have an issue with the story, I think the issue with the story could be, 'Is this news?' I will admit, it is not hard news. This is not a murder or a big investigative piece (that's coming on Tuesday by the way), but I still think it is news. There are people here in El Paso who spend six or eight hours a night a couple of times a month looking for paranormal activity in the Sun City. They spend their evenings in pitch black talking to no one...or at least no one still alive. They have jobs as receptionists and engineers and they have to get their kids ready for school the next day, but they'll go with little to no sleep the next day to be a part of something very unique. It is not hard news, but it is certainly a story.

If nothing else, I hope you were entertained by it all, and maybe you'll think twice next time something unexplainable happens at your home or place of work.

El Paso Has Ugliest Guys In America

10/21/2009

By now you have heard the story about the ugliest men in the United States, and El Paso, Texas tops the list Story - Click Here. It has been a while that we have done such a fun story, especially leading with it during KFOX News at 6 on Tuesday! And for the record, I am originally from Seattle!

While we all got a good laugh, and it certainly got the city talking, the facts behind why El Paso got the title are nothing to laugh at.

Totalbeauty.com ranked El Paso's guys as the ugliest in America for the following reasons:

- 15 percent of El Paso men have less than a 9th grade education

- 32 percent of El Paso men are below average health

- 30 percent do not exercise regularly

These are serious statistics and should not be taken lightly. These statistics should be a wake-up call that we need to pay closer attention to dropout rates and education. We need to pay closer attention to what we eat and how often we exercise. We need to pay closer attention to these things, so that all of us can live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.

It got us all talking and laughing, but now we got to change our habits.

Craziness At County Commissioners Court

10/7/2009

Sorry I haven't written in a while. As I am sure you have noticed, we do "Special Assignments" during certain times of the year...February, May, July and November. These months are our ratings periods where we find out how many people are watching us and thus can tell advertisers how much they should pay for a spot during our newscast. So we put in some extra interesting stories to attract you, the viewer.

Usually we wait until the last minute to turn these stories being the procrastinators that we are, but for November, we actually are trying to get all of them done weeks in advance. So for the last month all of my spare time has been spent working on two really good "Special Assignments" for November. I can't reveal what they are...just tune in on Oct. 29 and Nov. 2 for some good stuff.

But now that most of my work on those is behind me, I have time for another blog entry!

Monday at County Commissioners Court was crazy. After covering court for the last year plus, little surprises me, but Monday's events were very surprising.

As the commissioners introduced the agenda item to approve the budget, the final procedural thing they must do before the budget becomes official, an assistant county attorney stepped to the podium. All they had to do was vote for it, and it was done...so what was a member of the county attorney's office doing?

She had in her hand a temporary restraining order from Constable Jesus Ramirez holding up the budget approval process (Read the story here). So the commissioners couldn't approve the budget. What does that mean?

We come to find out that essentially unless the restraining order was resolved, El Paso County government could come to a grinding halt. Paychecks wouldn't have gone out this Friday. Payment for contractual services would not be paid. And the list goes on.

What's crazier, the temporary restraining order was signed at 11:31am, in my recollection less than half an hour before the budget was going to be voted on. Had the commissioners just moved up the budget agenda item, none of this would have happened.

In the afternoon the attorney for Ramirez, the county attorney and a judge worked out a new temporary restraining order that separated the constable issue from the rest of the county budget, and commissioners were able to pass the budget. But what if that hadn't worked out?

What should have taken one minute to pass the budget turned into an exciting day. I guess you just never know what will happen on any given Monday!

Is It News? You Make The Call

9/14/2009

Often times in a newsroom we come across a story and we have to determine a number of things: 1. Is it news? 2. Do our viewers care? 3. How are we going to tell the story? And the list goes on.

That first question, is it news, can often times create a very large debate in a newsroom on nearly any story.

On Sunday night we had a real difficult one. Around 9:30pm we found out an infant baby had been left at the door step of fire station #22 in West El Paso. So is that news?

Many of you would say yes, that is news...but not so fast. Our newsroom was very split about whether to put something on the air about it (remember, we were right in the middle of KFOX News at Nine). In the end, we decided not to run the story.

Why you might ask? Because if you do not want to keep your baby and for whatever reason you do not go through the adoption process, taking the baby and leaving it at a fire station is by law accepted

Under the "baby Moses" law here in Texas, fire stations, among other places, are considered "safe places" to bring that baby. The child is left in good hands, and the parents can remain anonymous -- a goal that person or people probably had in mind when they decided to not keep the baby, but also not go through the typical adoption process.

So with the incident on Sunday night, a person or people in a difficult situation did the right thing. The baby was not left in a dumpster or some other horrible place, but instead was placed at a fire station, a place where they are trained to handle these kind of situations.

In my opinion, that is not news, or breaking news or a developing story that we would add in the middle of a newscast. The person or people who dropped off that baby did so because they wanted to remain anonymous and they cared for the well being of the child. If we go and report on every baby left at a "safe place," how many parents out there would be hesitant to do the right thing, out of fear that the media might find out who they are?

We have a policy at KFOX that many newsrooms have. Except under extreme circumstances, we do not report on suicides. The theory goes, if you report on suicides, some might be encouraged to commit a suicide just for the attention.

I apply that theory in the opposite way. If we report on babies left at "safe places," then some parents might be encouraged to NOT do the right thing.

While the weekend staff decided not to air the story, our morning staff did, and you saw KFOX Morning Reporter Brenda Medina reporting on the baby left at fire station #22. I do not fault KFOX Morning News for doing the story, as they believed it was news and that was the decision made. Many will agree that was the right call, and I am wrong. In fact, many media outlets on Sunday night also reported on the story.

And throughout the day I have been asking people what they would have done and it is evenly split.

The one thing we can all agree on was that tonight's story on KFOX News at Six by Monica Balderrama that explained the "baby Moses" law and what happens next was an appropriate story. So many El Pasoans do not know about this law and it was extremely informative.

So, were we right on KFOX News at Nine weekend to not air the story, or was KFOX Morning News right for airing the story? I would love to read your comments.

Reflecting On The Launch

9/7/2009

It has been about a week and a half now since Danny Olivas and the rest of the STS-128 crew launched into space, and this is really my first chance to reflect on what I got to see.

Everyone told me night launches are better than daytime launches. After getting the very special opportunity to see both, I would say one is not better than the other, just different.

During the daytime launch of STS-117 in June 2007, I described the launch as some of the most vivid colors of red, orange and yellow that I have ever seen in my life. It was like combining HD with blu-ray and showing it on an IMAX screen. I honestly had never seen such spectacular colors.

The night launch was just bright. You go from the pitch black sky to an incredibly "stare at the sun" bright yellow. And the Florida coastline goes from night to day, an opposite solar eclipse if you will.

Both were incredible and both were something I will never forget.

The other very cool thing I got to do came yesterday, when I had a chance to interview Danny from the International Space Station. Think about that for a second. I was here on the ground, and Danny was in a vehicle traveling more than 17,000 miles per hour more than 200 miles above Earth. Technology is amazing. You can watch the story here.

I am so grateful that I get the opportunity to do these kinds of things. It has been a truly amazing experience.

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