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Brian Baer blog archive
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Accident closes road - Oct. 12, 2009 1:43 pm - Show/hide this post
Jericho Road is closed at its intersection with Ladysmith Road due to an accident. A truck has overturned and the driver is trapped inside. A medical helicopter is en route. Firefighters are working to extricate the driver. State Police are in charge of the scene.
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Mark Warner wins Senate race - Nov. 4, 2008 7:08 pm - Show/hide this post
OK, so there wasn't a lot of suspense involved here, but the Democratic former governor has officially defeated the Republican former Governor (Jim Gilmore), the AP projects.
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Who's got the key? - Nov. 4, 2008 9:11 am - Show/hide this post
Nichole Carpenter was the first in line at Lake of the Woods Church but she
and her daughter, Sierra Ackerman, were joined immediately by Demetrius
Brown.
Carpenter, who lives in Lake of the Woods, said she "drove all the way from DC" this
morning, where she'd been staying with a sick daughter.
Brown, 22, is voting in his first presidential election and drove to the
Orange County subdivision where he used to live (and where he's still
registered) from Fredericksburg to arrive at 4:44 am.
By the time the polling place opened, 116 voters had lined up across the
church parking lot. But the voting couldn't start until elections officials
finally got their hands on the key that opened the voting machines. That
vital piece of equipment had slipped through the cracks, but was brought
from the Registrar's office in the town of Orange and voting started at 6:11
am.
According to Registrar Dinah Waugh, "It was just an oversight of one of us,
but I'm not sure which one of us it was."
With seven voting machines and 17 voting officials the voting pace was quick
after the delayed start.
- Robin Knepper
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Busy in Massaponax - Nov. 4, 2008 6:20 am - Show/hide this post
At 6:15 this morning, about 200 people were in line to vote at Massaponax High School. Reports of expected heavy turnout, it seems, are proving true. Stay tuned for more updates from across the region.
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Game on! - Nov. 4, 2008 4:52 am - Show/hide this post
It's Election Day, and we have big plans for coverage on fredericksburg.com. Starting at 6 a.m., reporters will add to this blog from polling places throughout the area. Check back for notes on wait times, details of any problems, quotes from your neighbors and videos of "voter voices" throughout the day. We'll also have plenty of fresh photos. This evening, we'll have real-time results from across the country, and since Virginia is a battleground state, we'll have an interactive map of the commonwealth with each locality turning red or blue as the numbers come in. We know you'll bounce around the Web today - looking for other election news, goofing off and, occasionally, getting some work done. But we hope you'll find your way back to fredericksburg.com for local results and to connect with your community on this important day. - Brian Baer
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- Sep. 25, 2008 5:50 pm - Show/hide this post
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FredCast - we had a blast - Oct. 12, 2007 2:34 pm - Show/hide this post
Most of the time.
We kicked around the idea of a Webcast on fredericksburg.com last fall. We went live with a once-a-week edition in January. A couple of months later, we were producing FredCast twice a week.
In all, we turned out 68 episodes.
No more.
We're following in the footsteps of Roanoke, which also announced the end of its online Webcast this week.
FredCast was fun, we turned out some nice videos and we learned a lot about producing a Webcast.
Traffic - the standard by which we measure progress - was pretty good. Some episodes would draw only a few hundred page views. Others would generate several thousand.
In the end, we found ourselves rushing to put out FredCast twice a week when we could have used our resources in other ways: shooting more community videos, enhancing other sections of fredericksburg.com; updating more breaking news.
If you haven't seen FredCast, previous episodes will stay online at http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/Web/fredcast.
I'm not saying something similar won't return next year - who knows?!
But for now, it's farewell from the FredCast crew at fredericksburg.com.
A huge thanks to the FredCast anchors and production team, Portsia Smith and Alex Russell for their enormous efforts.
And thanks to those who checked it out from time to time.
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Louisa and Culpeper, welcome aboard! - Aug. 14, 2007 1:43 pm - Show/hide this post
Just a quick note to point out that we've added Culpeper and Louisa to our online community guide.
You can now check out the latest news, contact information, real estate listings, photos and discussion forums for both counties.
They join our existing Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George, Caroline, Orange and Westmoreland guides.
Keep an eye out for expansions of those community guides and new "micro-guides" later this year.
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Are you ready for some football - Aug. 2, 2007 10:23 am - Show/hide this post
Yes, it's August and it's still hot and sticky, but at fredericksburg.com we're already looking forward to fall.
And, for us, that means high school football.
The first local games kick off Aug. 24, and we've been busy getting ready for the season.
Free Lance-Star photojournalist Reza Marvashti put together a cool multimedia trailer to get fans, players, parents and the community pumped up for the season.
Click here to take a look.
Alex Russell is working on another video trailer that we'll unveil in about 10 days.
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Randy Travis contest ends soon - July 24, 2007 9:53 pm - Show/hide this post
Full disclosure: I'm not a huge Randy Travis fan, but I'm familiar with more of his songs than I'm comfortable admitting.
In any event, I wanted to note that you have only until 5 p.m. Wednesday to enter our latest Weekly Challenge. The winner gets two tickets to see the country superstar this Friday night at Wolf Trap in Northern Virginia.
Thanks to WFLS for help scoring the tickets and to FLS newsroom reporter Bill Freehling, who quietly keeps the Challenge going each week.
Now what are you waiting for? Go ahead and enter.
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On faith and football - July 19, 2007 10:28 pm - Show/hide this post
Just a quick note on a couple of upcoming features on fredericksburg.com.
In early August, we'll launch a religion and faith section that will allow readers to share their views, questions and thoughts on a variety of faith-related issues.
And in late August, we'll launch our high school football site for '07. Last year, we posted 28 game-night videos, provided player stats and featured dozens of bonus photos. This year will be even better.
Stay tuned.
Random note: I can't name 10 major league baseball players at the moment, but as a kid I could pretty much recite the starting lineup and current stats for every starter in the league.
And I spent time almost every day during the summer trading baseball cards. I'm not 100 years old, but seems to me a pack of cards went for about 50 cents in the late 70s/early '80s. This evening, I noticed a pack of baseball cards for $3.59.
Yikes.
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College Heights - here you go - June 28, 2007 12:28 pm - Show/hide this post
One of our main goals at fredericksburg.com is to build tools that let our users connect with one another.
We do that, among other ways, by offering a discussion forum, fredtalk, for you to share what's on your mind and to read what other people are thinking; by offering the ability for you to comment at the bottom of any news story; and by displaying photos that you want to share with the community. And don't forget Ask Fred! - where we answer your questions on just about any subject.
This summer, we're trying an experiment with local neighborhoods. Here's a link to our first neighborhood site - for College Heights in the city of Fredericksburg. More 'hood sites are on the way.
If College Heights is your 'hood, we hope you enjoy the site. Please send us feedback.
If you like what you see and want something similar for your neighborhood, drop us a line and we might be able to move you up on our list.
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Details and documents - June 20, 2007 12:31 pm - Show/hide this post
One of the many cool things about the Web is we can share more information than it's possible to print in a newspaper. And we can share that information as soon as it's known.
At fredericksburg.com, we're fortunate to have the resources of The Free Lance-Star and its talented journalists helping us in that area.
Yesterday was a great example.
When news broke in the afternoon that a judge was ordering the city to immediately fix what he says is an unsafe courthouse, newsroom intern Rebecca Blatt broke the news on fredericksburg.com.
Even more, we also posted a pdf of the judge's order on fredericksburg.com.
Sounds impressive, right? But we were actually scooped - by city reporter Emily Battle, who posted the news in her blog 20 minutes before we had the formal story.
And today, Spotsylvania reporter Dan Telvock's blog includes a link to the staff report on the proposed rezoning for a new county hospital. Want details? There you go.
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John Prine review - June 18, 2007 10:27 am - Show/hide this post
From the random notes desk:
Saw John Prine play at the Warner Theater in Washington Friday night.
My wife and I were excited about going, but worried he might not meet our high expectations. We'd seen him a few years earlier at the more intimate Birchmere in Alexandria, and that show made a lasting memory.
The show Friday was even better. At the Birchmere, the tone was a bit somber, dark and quiet. Prine was affable, but didn't interact much with the crowd.
At the sold-out Warner Theater, he danced, high-fived the entire front row and seemed to have more fun than anyone in the audience. His positive vibe was contagious. Prine turns 61 this fall, but seems to have rediscovered his youth.
Highlights included "Fish and Whistle," "Angel from Montgomery," "Please Don't Bury Me," "In Spite of Ourselves (with Iris Dement)," "Unwed Fathers (with Dement)," "Hello in There," "Illegal Smile" - a sing-along verson, "Sam Stone" and "Paradise," one of his encores.
He ended his regular set with the rocking "Lake Marie," a song my wife and I both love, although we're not entirely sure what it's about.
Bottom line: Another lasting memory.
Any other John Prine fans? Anyone else at the show? Anyone have an interpretation of "Lake Marie."
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FredCast preview - June 12, 2007 12:25 pm - Show/hide this post
Here's what's coming for this week's midweek FredCast.
More from the memorial service for the Riverbend High School students who died after a crash in Spotsylvania Sunday night. I attended the memorial, but at the principal's request, did not record images inside the school. However, the words of Hunter Garner's dad, Lowell, carried a powerful message. For those who'd like to share a memory of Brandon or Hunter, some friends have started to do so at the bottom of this story.
Also in FredCast, we'll have an update on the self-proclaimed dominatrix and some highlights from Saturday's Soap Box Derby. We'll also highlight some user-submitted photos.
Check FredCast in a few hours for our latest update.
An early look at our weekend edition plans: We'll have video on a Caroline boy who survived being struck by lightning. We'll also preview a benefit motorcycle ride in honor of Sgt. Joshua Frazier and Sgt. Nicholas C. Mason, two local men who lost their lives in Iraq. We'll also have some picks for your weekend.
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Food court, FredCast and derby notes - June 7, 2007 11:22 am - Show/hide this post
As incentive to post more often, I'm going to use this space to let you know some of the small updates we're working on - including some of our daily plans - in addition to major changes expected in the coming months.
Today, Alex is out at the mall - now known as the Spotsylvania Towne Centre - shooting a video clip of the new food court. Yes, it's finally open. Later this afternoon, we'll turn out our weekend edition of FredCast, which we'll post on Friday morning.
And Saturday, we'll be out in force at the Soap Box Derby downtown, shooting video, posting bonus pictures and putting together some multimedia slide shows. See you there!
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Back to the blog - June 5, 2007 11:24 am - Show/hide this post
So I took a YEAR off from blogging ... what can I say? It happens.
I'll jump back in with a simple reminder: Don't hesitate to email me with ideas, comments or criticism. Many of you have helped improve fredericksburg.com - YOUR Web site - just by dropping us a note.
And if you haven't yet, please check out FredCast, fredericksburg.com's new weekly Webcast. We produce a new one each Tuesday afternoon and Friday morning. Coming soon: FredCast three times a week.
Stay tuned.
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Simply the Best 2006 - July 18, 2006 1:41 pm - Show/hide this post
I'm proud and elated to announce that this year's Simply the Best poll and contest WILL NOT HAPPEN!
That's right. We're not going to ask you to vote on the best restaurants, community events, stores, etc.
Can't catch your breath? Feel a compulsion to vote EVERY SINGLE YEAR? Don't sweat it.
We're one of at least two other local "best of" pollsters around, so you'll still have your chance to vote somewhere.
We lauched Simply the Best at fredericksburg.com four summers ago and
published the results in a Free Lance-Star special section.
It was a lot of fun and quite memorable.
I remember, for instance, how upset people were when we printed the results for the best local shortcut.
In some readers' minds, by printing the answers, we were directing more
traffic down the residential steets their kids played on.
They had a point.
All in all, though, it was a fairly lighthearted, clean launch to what we expected to be an annual poll.
What happened?
It got old. Yes, the Fredericksburg area is growing and we're adding plenty of new restaurants and shops and people each year.
But the answers to Simply the Best always shook out pretty much the same.
We decided to give it a rest this year and see what happens.
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Changes coming to fredericksburg.com - July 12, 2006 9:05 am - Show/hide this post
Over the next 48 hours, you'll notice gradual - and occasionally dramatic - changes to this Web site.
Most notable, our pages will become 20 percent wider, and our site
navigation will move from the left-hand side of every page to the very
top of each page.
You'll also notice more space on our homepage for additonal news, photos and features.
And, over the coming weeks, you'll find more resources to participate
in our site, not only by posting in FredTalk, our online discussion
forum, but also by sharing your photos, your videos, your audio and
much more.
Beginning today, for instance, you can upload your pictures to be featured on fredericksburg.com.
It's as easy as sending an attachment on an email. Click here to give it a try.
Change always has its critics, and we expect a fair share of negative
responses. We're open to feedback of all kinds, and we regularly adjust
our site based on sound suggestions from our users.
We hope this new design makes it easier for you to find the news,
community information, entertainment listings and local resources you
value most on fredericksburg.com.
If you need help finding your favorite pages on our site, please email us at newsroom@fredericksburg.com.
We'll do our best to send you in the right direction and explain how you can get there on your own in the future.
As we turn on the new design, you may find that some pages briefly
don't work correctly. We ask for your patience and hope you find the
end result worth the temporary inconvenience.
Besides our new design, you'll also notice more regular features on the
site in the coming weeks, including a weekly podcast and news Webcasts.
Stay tuned.
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Country mouse, city mouse - June 14, 2006 11:10 am - Show/hide this post
... is the title of a book our daugher, who turns 4 today (happy birthday Tovah!), used to love.
It's about two friends - mice, of course - who come to realize that
each of them prefers to live in a different kind of place. One prefers
the noise and bustle of the city; the other likes the quiet serenity of
the country.
Five years ago, we moved from downtown Fredericksburg to the Massaponax
area of Spotsylvania. Our Realtor explained that it was the "quiet
side" of town. Our commute to work in Fredericksburg started as a
peaceful drive up and down Tidewater Trail, also known as Route 2.
In the five years we lived in Massaponax, at least three major
subdivisions sprouted along Route 2, another (Lee's Parke) popped up
off U.S. 1. Peaceful drives disappeared.
Then there's the matter of the Wal-Mart-Supercenter-anchored Southpoint
II and the soon-to-open Super Target that will anchor Cosner's Corner.
All of a sudden the "quiet side" of town wasn't so quiet.
When I used to cover transportation for the paper, lots of commuters
would tell me they moved down here for a bigger house and a bigger back
yard for their kids to play in.
And I'm sure shopping options - such as the ones now in Massaponax -
were important factors as well. Lots of folks love that about our
counties.
For us, we missed city life, so this winter we decided to move back to
the downtown area, where there's no room for more subdivisions.
In the four months since we've returned to the 'Burg, ironically, we've found city life to be much quieter than county life.
Our older neighborhood's mature trees attract what must be thousands of birds whose singing
wakes us each morning.
Wild rabbits dart from bushes on evening walks.
And we watch fireflies dance in the twilight from our front stoop.
In five years of county living, I don't think we ever heard birds chirp. (Our relatively new
neighborhood had virtually no mature trees for them to play in.)
We didn't see a single rabbit.
And the only fireflies we saw were in children's books we read to our daughter.
If country mouse and city mouse lived in the Fredericksburg area, I think they'd be pretty
confused.
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Changing spaces - May 31, 2006 10:36 am - Show/hide this post
So we're redesigning here at fredericksburg.com.
We're trying to make room for more news, more features and, most important, more of YOUR content.
We'll be sending out Great Big Invitations for you to post your own photos, audio, video and much more on fredericksburg.com.
Our design is very much still in progress, but if you want to take an early look (may change dramatically), you can check out what we're doing by clicking here.
Thoughts? Angry comments? Post 'em here.
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Video killed the static Web site? - May 17, 2006 1:48 pm - Show/hide this post
So the AP has rolled out new video feeds to complement the
national and state headline feeds we've been using for the past several
years.
Basically, rather than (or in addition to) reading the latest national
breaking news, entertainment gossip, etc., you'll now be able to watch
it on fredericksburg.com.
We're playing around with a few different ways to display the video feeds.
Here's a look at some of the options:
http://fredericksburg.com/News/Web/apvideo/samples
We dropped the entertainment video feed on our new arts & entertainment site if you want to take a look. We'll be incorporating other video feeds throughout the site very soon.
An important note: The videos can be viewed only on a PC using Internet
Explorer. The AP is working to nix this limitation, but that's where
things stand now.
On fredericksburg.com, more than 80 percent of our users currently use
IE as their Web browser and about 95 percent of our visitors use a
PC. So the overwhelming majority of our readers will be able to
watch these videos.
Want more video? We'll soon be launching what we expect will be a daily
FREDcast, a roughly five-minute video featuring local news headlines
(with some video and graphics) along with a look at the lighter side of
life with some of the company's (and community's) more interesting
personalities.
Have ideas or suggestions for our FREDcast? Send 'em in.
In completely unrelated news, I know I posted that I'd never write about "American Idol" again, but here goes.
Last night Elliott wore a shirt promoting my high school. Apparently
"E" followed my path through the Henrico County school system.
So it was pretty cool to see him sporting a Freeman Rebels T-shirt.
Unfortunately for him, I'm betting tonight is the last time he'll be on the show.
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True confession - May 15, 2006 12:00 pm - Show/hide this post
OK, so here it is.
I sometimes watch "American Idol."
I've missed most of the shows this year because my kids are usually
still awake, and I don't want Ryan Seacrest (or anything on TV) to be
the last thing they see before going to bed.
That being said, I plan on watching the last few shows.
Why? Elliott.
Along with "E," I'm from Richmond and so I lay immediate claim to the rare cool things that come out of that city.
And - on top of everything - I recently read that Elliott and I went to the same middle school.
Not at the same time, mind you, but still pretty cool, huh?
And (this is true, I swear!), my sister tells me Elliott's cousin (26th?) once stayed at their house for most of a summer.
So clearly, this guy Elliott and I are very close friends. Maybe even family.
I promise to never write about "American Idol" again if you promise not to tell anyone I actually watch it sometimes.
Deal? Cool.
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Listen to this! - May 5, 2006 3:05 pm - Show/hide this post
So I got an Ipod.
Came home from work one day last week and my almost-4-year-old daughter blurts out: "I'm sorry dad but we can't surprise you with your Ipod yet."
What?! I have an amazing wife, but an Ipod surprise? How cool is that?
So with a job and two little kids and everything that goes with that kind of stuff, a few days passed before I was able to play with my new toy.
I uploaded my first CD last night, Vertical Land by Fredericksburg's own Stuart Whitford and friends. Amazing music, by the way.
My wife came home from a meeting last night to find me washing dishes wearing my shiny new earphones and a huge smile.
Wow, an Ipod!
I remember having my tape-eating Walkman and later my oh-so-cool Discman, which I think I still have somewhere - just in case.
My family doesn't splurge on the latest gadgets, so I'm still in shock. (Those of you under 25 are laughing right now.)
It's Friday, the weather calls for a warm sunny weekend, my little girl's running in the Caboose Race Sunday and - yep - I got me an Ipod!
How cool.
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Happy birthday to us! - Apr. 25, 2006 2:39 pm - Show/hide this post
It all started with this napkin.
Free Lance-Star design and graphic guru Scott Carmine had the pen. He
was sketching out a rough idea of what a newspaper company Web site
should look like.
Scott, Bob Absher (who runs the FLS IT department, Nick Cadwallender
(who's now an FLS associate publisher) and I were in a hotel restaurant
(or was it a bar?!) in Norfolk. We were trying to figure out this whole
Internet thing.
(Still are, actually!)
Specifically, we were plotting the launch of The Free Lance-Star Cos.' Web site.
That site, then known as flstarweb.com, went live in April 1996, so this is our 10th birthday.
Click here for information on our family friendly birthday bash this Saturday.
You can bring presents by our office at your convenience.
Some tidbits about how the site worked way back then:
Alex Russell, who's now our multimedia content producer, or I spent a
few hours each afternoon hand-coding every newsroom story in HTML.
If we were feeling especially bold, Bob and I would actually hand-code the box scores for every high school baseball game.
I don't remember having more than a couple of images per day on the site.
The first several days, the homepage hardly changed. It largely promoted the Fredericksburg Pear Blossom Festival, I think.
What's changed?
For one, I'm pretty sure the city is actually cutting down a bunch of its pear
trees because, frankly, they stink. So I doubt we'll be promoting a
pear tree festival anytime soon.
And you now know us as fredericksburg.com. (I think flstarweb.com is for sale, if you're interested.)
Also, all local content from The Free Lance-Star now rolls onto fredericksburg.com automatically just before 1 a.m. each day.
Our site changes not only daily, but oftentimes several times a day -
with breaking news, story updates and occasional multimedia features.
(Have you seen our latest feature on the upcoming City Council elections?)
We have built a ridiculous number of Web Extra sections in recent years (How many of you found your home using our real estate guide? Or found out about your kid's school in our School Zone? Or, just lately, found your weekend plans in our Arts & Entertainment site?) One of my favorite new special sections is our Community Guide.
In there, you can read hyperlocal stories and, literally, connect with your neighbors.
To me, that's what fredericksburg.com is about. In the coming years, we
want to be not only your source for news and information, but also your
favorite place to connect.
For many of the thousands of registered users in our discussion forum, FredTalk, that seems to be the case already.
My wish: Don't just read us - interact with us. Send in your ideas and
suggestions. Or, as some of you prefer, send in complaints. (We
actually don't mind those, either.)
What's next? That's largely up to you.
While the FLS has a huge crop of highly talented journalists and producers, I'm also interested in what YOU have to offer.
We're building tools to make it easier for you to send in YOUR pictures, YOUR stories, YOUR audio and even YOUR videos.
Some of you already have. Dozens of you sent in your family snow
pictures over the winter and they were, by far, the most popular part
of fredericksburg.com that week.
More than once, I've also featured reader-submitted news or feature
pictures on the homepage of fredericksburg.com in recent months.
I love doing that. This is YOUR site and we're working hard to show you how much we appreciate what you have to offer.
Ideas, complaints, pictures, columns or anything else you want to share with us? Click here to send 'em on!
Here's to another great 10 years.
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Of Tom Petty, FredTalk and breaking news - Apr. 7, 2006 1:42 pm - Show/hide this post
I used to have an old live CD of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in which the band belts out the opening licks to "Breakdown."
Then the audience sings the first verse and the chorus.
Tom finally chimes in with, "Whoah! You're gonna put me out of a job."
He then hammers out the rest of the song.
Every now and then, FredTalk reminds me of that song.
Today is one of those times.
At about 1:15, we learned of an incident on I-95 south involving two or three tractor-trailers and possibly a trash truck.
For those of you who read FredTalk, however, you had already known
about the incident for 10 minutes. And while we were gathering facts,
others were posting updates on the incident in the message forum.
This occasionally happens several times a week.
And I think it's really cool.
For one, FredTalk's often filled with a bunch of mindless junk and it's nice to see it put to good use from time to time.
And second, news alerts posted in FredTalk remind us how important it
is to give our online readers the accurate information they need as
fast as we can. Otherwise, they'll find another source who can meet
their needs.
Finally, I now have that song in my head and I really like it.
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Got plans? - Apr. 6, 2006 1:10 pm - Show/hide this post
Our new entertainment site doesn't launch for another week, but you can take an early look by clicking right here.
We're still polishing and fixing a few pieces, but it's pretty darn close.
Other ideas or suggestions? How's it look so far?
If you don't want to post here, you can email me at bbaer@fredericksburg.com.
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Lindsey and Jesse's excellent adventure - Apr. 3, 2006 10:46 am - Show/hide this post
I've got no connection to GMU. Till last week, didn't know the school
nickname, didn't know they even had a basketball team and sure didn't
care.
I've seen a total of about four minutes of their basketball team in
action - unfortunately, it was Saturday night and things weren't going
so well.
But for the first time I actually cared.
Not because of a newspaper story or because of a TV feature. And
certainly not because I care or know anything about college basketball.
I cared because Jesse Scott and Lindsey Marth made me care.
Their "road trip" blog from the Final Four brought home the excitement straight from the hearts of two young college kids.
Through their writing and pictures, I felt like I was traveling with them.
If you haven't already, join them on the road ...
Read their blog.
See their pics.
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What to do? - Mar. 28, 2006 2:45 pm - Show/hide this post
An unnamed fredericksburg.com blogger (we'll call her Portsia) accidentally included a link to our upcoming entertainment site in a recent post.
As part of that site, we'll be offering weekly email alerts on what's going on around town and beyond for the next week.
We'll be able to deliver you family friendly events, concerts listings from D.C. to Richmond, art exhibits and more.
It's pretty simple. You check the boxes for the events that suit your
interests and we send you some choices for the coming week.
We do need your email address, but rest assured we will NOT send you spam and we will NOT sell or share your information.
We hate spam as much as you do!
Entertainment site launches April 13, but you can sign up for the event alerts as of right now.
Here's the link to sign up for the alerts.
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Better now? Or now? - Mar. 9, 2006 10:51 am - Show/hide this post
We're about to launch a new navigation for The Free Lance-Star on fredericksburg.com.
Our hope is that it will make things easier for folks who prefer to
browse the paper by "section" and for those who like to have easy
access to stories they might have missed in the past couple of days.
You'll now be able to view Region, Opinion, Life, Business and other
section pages on fredericksburg.com. In most cases, the section pages
will include stories from the past three days.
Here's the link to what's coming soon.
http://fredericksburg.com/flshome/flshome2
Let us know what you think. You can post responses here or email them to newsroom@fredericksburg.com.
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Heidi's back! - Mar. 7, 2006 8:43 am - Show/hide this post
She's been writing for fredericksburg.com for almost a year and it's
definitely way past time we threw out a very public thank-you.
Heidi Heidel began lending her voice to our Web site last spring, and she's yet to disappoint.
And judging from our traffic, you guys agree.
Little-known fact: Heidi's column is usually among the five top-viewed
stories on fredericksburg.com on the day that it runs. And recently,
she had the most-viewed story on the site.
Not too shabby.
After taking a few weeks off during her move from the 'Burg to the 'burbs, Heidi returns today.
Click here to find out what the fuss is about.
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Two calls. Two tragedies. Two stories to cover. - Feb. 24, 2006 11:42 am - Show/hide this post
No reporter wants these stories, but when they happen it's our job to
bring the facts to our readers as best we can. And as fast as we can.
On fredericksburg.com, that means telling you what we know when we know it.
Last Friday, that meant sending Alex Russell, our multimedia producer,
down to Lake Anna, where authorities were searching for the body of
Tyreek Davis. The little boy had been missing since the fall of 2004,
and the man convicted in his apparent death had reportedly given
details about the child's whereabouts.
Alex, along with a print photographer and reporter, spent all day watching divers, police and investigators work at the scene.
No one said much, but Alex was able to use his cell phone to text-message bits of the story as they unfolded.
Divers were in the water.
The sheriff and commonwealth's attorney were circling in a boat.
An orange bag was just pulled out.
Upon his return, he posted video from the scene.
Yesterday morning, Alex was back on another grim assignment. This one
at the Stafford Regional Airport, where we now know a plane crashed
killing four prominent local residents.
Alex, along with a print reporter and photographer, waited for word
from police and we shared information we were hearing at the office
with him.
When the names of the victims were announced at the scene, he again
text-messaged the information before returning to the scene to post
video of the press conference.
When significant local news unfolds, we strive to bring you the facts as we know them piece by piece.
In the future, we hope to be reporting on happier times.
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Living with the stubborn gene - Feb. 10, 2006 10:26 pm - Show/hide this post
So I've got these three large boxes sitting in my front yard right now waiting to be filled up with our stuff.
We're moving next week, and we opted to go with a place that drops off large storage crates for you to pack at your leisure.
They then re-deliver your stuff to your new home.
I'd set aside this weekend to fill up the boxes, so I was less than thrilled to see a "heavy snow warning" issued for the area.
I decided I wasn't waiting for the snow or even morning.
I'm not known for my patience.
So I picked the largest sofa in our house and have spent the past
hour-plus rearranging other furniture trying to make it to the front
door.
Spent another 15 minutes turning the couch upside down and sideways to
squeeze it out the door. Threw down blankets so I could drag it the 15
or so feet to the closest storage box.
Pushed the sofa in the box and ... the door on the box won't close!!!
Turns out the couch is about an inch longer than the box and the box isn't giving.
I seriously considered crawling into the box and spending the night on the sofa.
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Welcome to the table - Feb. 1, 2006 10:22 am - Show/hide this post
Newspaper editors gather a couple of times each day - sometimes more - to discuss what stories to put in the next day's paper.
They talk about what the most important, interesting or timely stories
are and which ones should be played prominently and which ones should
be played down.
Lately, many of you have had a virtual seat in that meeting room.
Online, we're able to track which stories are read the most and lately we've been sharing that with the print newsroom folks.
It's certainly not their
primary means for deciding how to handle a story, but it's hard to
overlook a story that online drew huge interest or that no one cared
about.
On the Web, things work a bit different.
We do, of course, have our virtual front page on fredericksburg.com, where we choose a few stories as a gateway to today's news.
But all of the stories show up on The Free Lance-Star page at http://fredericksburg.com/flshome.
That's where you guys come in.
In a split second, many of you become instant editors by choosing what stories you think are important.
Every time you click, you're telling us which stories interest our readers.
That doesn't mean we'll be turning fredericksburg.com or The Free
Lance-Star into sensationalistic tabloids (as many of the most popular
stories online involve crime or quirky news).
But your habits do give us another "virtual voice" in both the Web and print newsrooms as we make our editorial decisions.
And although our front pages don't always mirror your habits, we are listening.
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Giving voice to the news - Jan. 24, 2006 1:19 pm - Show/hide this post
I spoke recently with a nationally recognized podcaster who noted one of the really cool things about the technology.
With the Web, through podcasts, we can turn our site into both a TV
station and a radio station with an investment of about 100 bucks: for
a digital recorder and some cheap editing software.
(If our bosses are reading, we'd prefer, of course, to have the really fancy recorders and the high-end editing software.)
For me, one of the great things about podcasts is that they literally give voice to the news.
Today, for instance, we posted a 15-minute interview with Hap Connors, who's chairman of the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors.
He talked about the VRE, education, the updates to the mall and other important issues.
And Thursday, check back to listen to Weekender Sounds editor Emily
Gilmore's interview with local-boy made good Keller Williams, whose
one-man band show draws fans to shows across the country.
Podcasts, by the way, are audio files you can download to your local
machine - or even drop on your portable mp3 player (as in iPod! or
something similar.)
Click here to listen to the Hap Connors podcast.
And don't forget to check back Thursday for the Keller Williams interview.
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A love-hate relationship - Jan. 18, 2006 10:24 am - Show/hide this post
FredTalk, fredericksburg.com's discussion forum, is perhaps my
favorite part of our Web site.
In the five years or so since fredericksburg.com launched the
forums, thousands of local residents have registered, posted,
shared public information, shared personal information, shared
good news, announced tragedies, made friends, made enemies, in a
couple of cases made marriages and, yes, even made
babies.
Members call themselves FUGgers. It's nothing dirty. FUG stands
for FredTalk Users Group.
Over the years, members and Web staff have pondered what the
forums mirror.
Life? The Fredericksburg community?
Sometimes, sadly, I would say FredTalk mirrors my memories of
middle school.
Lots of cliques, childish insults and tattling.
That's been the case this month, anyway, as some users have
decided to turn nasty toward other members. In turn, we've had to
play the ever-popular role of vice principal in warning some
folks, suspending others and in the occasional rare case,
kicking someone out.
It's our least favorite thing to do, but it's worth it to preserve the boards.
Where else can you instantly vote on whether public officials are
making the right decisions? Find out in real time what stores are
coming to the latest shopping center? Or meet strangers willing to
accept you at a weekly coffee gathering just because you have a user
name?
I suspect, however, that there are plenty of folks like me who skim the
topics and drop in on the occasional forum, but who are reluctant to
post for fear of being ridiculed.
That's unfortunate.
If you've found yourself in that place, I encourage you to dig a little deeper in FredTalk.
Check out the community forums, the parenting forums or the schools
forums, for instance, where you're less likely to enter a battle zone.
Some amazing conversations have occurred in FredTalk.
If you've dropped in before, been offended and left, I encourage you to give it another chance - go beyond the Open Forum.
If you've never visited, what are you waiting for?
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- Jan. 12, 2006 12:52 pm - Show/hide this post
Everybody Sudoku!
Don't worry - this isn't another annoying dance. If you still haven't
discovered this fun mind-teaser, check out the interactive one
developed by one of our programmers.
Be advised: May lead to decreased production at work and immobility at home.
But it's fun!
here's the link: Sudoku!
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Who says you can't have fun after college? - Jan. 9, 2006 7:05 am - Show/hide this post
No wonder Marcus Vick is turning pro rather than finding another college to play out his final year of eligibility.
In the NFL, Vick can not only stomp on players' legs, but also spit in their faces.
Just ask Sean Taylor, who was ejected from the 'Skins game against Tampa Saturday for spraying a Buccaneer's helmet.
Taylor, who makes roughly $643 million a year, likely also faces a small fine this week for the incident.
That'll teach him.
Can't wait to see what Marcus has in store for his next act in the
pros. Should be amusing to see which NFL GM reaches for his checkbook
to land him.
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A tragic note for a new year - Jan. 5, 2006 9:21 pm - Show/hide this post
"Have you talked to your mom yet today," my wife asked in a phone call Monday morning.
It was my first day back from a weeklong vacation. I was ready to kick off the new year with a positive attitude and a burst of energy.
Instead, I had to call my mom.
I had naively hoped she hadn't seen the morning paper in Richmond, but I should have realized the story was way too big for her to miss.
My own heart had sunk when I saw it on a news Web site that morning.
A family of four, including two young children, one roughly my daughter's age, had been bound and brutally killed in the basement of their home on New Year's Day.
Then I saw the name, and I knew I'd be talking to my mom soon.
Bryan Harvey had lived in an apartment above mom's shop in Carytown for a period in the '80s, and she adored him. He was a musician, a charmer, played guitar, wrote songs and now, along with his wife and young daughters, he was dead.
The investigation continues.
In the late '80s, Bryan had given my mom a copy of the "Tantilla" record put out by his then-band House of Freaks, to share with me, and I'd loved it.
(
http://www.rhinohandmade.com/browse/ProductLink.lasso?Number=7858)
Mom was so proud to know a musician her teenage son listened to.
The awful story has captivated the Richmond area, but hardly made a ripple here in Fredericksburg.
In honor of the Harvey family, I'm noting the tragedy here.
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Ten years burning down the road ... - Jan. 3, 2006 9:38 pm - Show/hide this post
Ten years ago this spring The Free Lance-Star launched the Web site you've come to know as fredericksburg.com.
A lot has changed since then.
In 1996, I was a young, geeky, copy editor.
Now only one of those things still applies, and I can live with that.
Even more dramatic changes have occurred with our Web site.
This should be an exciting year as we look back at how far we've come and lay out plans for where we plan to go from here.
For now, just a note of thanks to the thousands of folks who visit fredericksburg.com each day, send us feedback, criticize us, praise us and continue to push us to make fredericksburg.com better with each passing day.
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Some mindless thoughts from Vacation Land - Dec. 28, 2005 9:58 pm - Show/hide this post
- Ever wander into Costco and graze from one free-food giveaway to another? You know you're not actually going to buy the product, but you reach for that cracker with the funky cheese as if you might. The salesperson's telling you about the unique blend of spices and oils, and you think to yourself: "I wonder if she'll notice if I take two?" Me, neither.
- Am I the only guy who decides to "grow a beard" every time I have more than a few days off? This time I actually lasted six days before I thought I was going to scratch my face off. Earlier today, in a fit, I actually shaved with a razer in one hand and my 4-month-old son in the other. He didn't want to be put down, and I simply couldn't wait. I looked at it as a bonding experience. He looked at me like I was crazy. I think he was right.
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Play editor for a day - Dec. 19, 2005 8:16 am - Show/hide this post
Think some stories were overplayed last year?
Others didn't get the attention they deserved?
Here's your chance to tell FLS editors what you think were the biggest stories of 2005.
Newsrooms struggle every day - sometimes several times a day - trying to decide which stories go on Page 1, which ones get big pictures, follow-up stories, etc.
It's not an easy job.
This time, you're invited into the process.
Follow this link to vote on the top local stories of 2005. The FLS will publish your choices.
(Link)
Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be invited into the newsroom's decision-making process before the paper goes to press.
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Neil Young's not supposed to wear that - Dec. 18, 2005 7:05 pm - Show/hide this post
Six shopping days till Hannukah and Christmas, and I haven't bought a thing.
Nothing.
Haven't even made a list.
To be honest, now's the first time I've really even thought about it.
Feel better now?
Saturday will likely be pretty hectic.
For now, I'm still trying to get over seeing Neil Young wearing a brown suit on "SNL" last night.
I spent four years dressing like him - flannel shirt and old jeans - in college in the early 90s, and I was shocked to see him look so grown up.
Happy holidays vs. Merry Christmas?
I'm not losing any sleep over it.
Neil Young in a brown suit? Well, that's serious business.
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A decision with serious consequences - Dec. 15, 2005 9:03 am - Show/hide this post
For several days now, a little girl in Spotsylvania has been looking forward to today, when she was supposed to be the Special Helper in her Fredericksburg preschool.
Luckily, her dad was able to sneak out of the house this morning before she was told that her preschool was canceled today because of the weather.
That 3-year-old, my daughter, may have been the only schoolchild in the Fredericksburg region devastated to have a snow day today.
She'll have to wait another several weeks before her turn as Special Helper comes up again.
Here's to all the other little special helpers who didn't get their chance today.
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Remembering Gene McCarthy - Dec. 12, 2005 1:34 pm - Show/hide this post
I hardly knew who Eugene McCarthy was when an editor pulled me aside about six years ago and told me I was going to interview him.
McCarthy, who died Saturday at age 89, was - I would learn - an incredibly important historical figure. His opposition to the Vietnam War galvanized young people in the '60s and brought down Lyndon Johnson's 1968 campaign for the presidency.
All that happened about 30 years before I met with a tall, still-handsome but fragile old man in the living room of his Rappahannock County home.
A few days later, he welcomed me and an FLS photographer into his Washington apartment for a follow-up visit.
He was charming, witty, sharp and amusing. I got the impression he enjoyed reminiscing with a young reporter about the brouhaha he caused in Chicago in 1968.
I know I enjoyed listening to him.
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Welcome! - Dec. 12, 2005 1:33 pm - Show/hide this post
Thanks for stopping by.
I'll use this space mostly to comment on issues related to fredericksburg.com, but will occasionally stray into unrelated topics.
Feel free to reply to my posts or drop me an email if you have concerns, suggestions or criticism related to fredericksburg.com. (Thanks again to the gentlemen who recently likened our staff to monkeys.)
I hope you'll drop by here on occasion to find out what's new on fredericksburg.com and for a little insight into how things work around here.
You'd be surprised how seriously we take your suggestions, so please don't hold back. This is your site as much as ours.
OK, it's a little bit more ours, but you get the point.
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About Brian Baer:
Brian Baer is the Editor of fredericksburg.com
About this blog:
What's new, interesting or changing on fredericksburg.com - along with occasional random notes on unrelated topics.
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