2 hot button questions STILL being asked

Over the last few months, I've been BOMBARDED with two popular questions:

• Where is Tim White?


• Do I have school tomorrow?

I've already addressed each topic in past 'Swing by and spray' entries.

If you will indulge me, I'd like to revisit these questions.

Though the Tim White question is 'the most popular' of the two, I'm going to talk about school closings and our iAlert School Closing System first, in light of living in the tundra!

Kids out there --we don't know if your schools are closed until YOUR administrators close them!!!! We don't close schools. You can log onto wkyc.com and click iAlerts to get an up-to-the-minute list of all the school closings. If there are many, we will run them throughout the day. Otherwise, school closings scroll throughout all of our live news shows, especially during the weather forecast!

We recently upgraded our school closing system. It's bigger, it's better, and much easier to use. With any new system, there are bugs to work out. So, please bear with us!

I'd like to make the plea to all administrators of schools, churches, businesses, day cares, or any organization out there that would like to be part of our iAlert System--please sign up! Before the snow flies!!!!!

You can call between 7am and 3pm and speak with Amy Sisak to get the ball rolling. Or the easier method may be to fax (216.344.3314) or email (asisak@wkyc.com) a request to become a member on school or company letterhead. Include your name and # and email...your organization....and any other pertinent information you deem important! Ms. Sisak will get back to you as soon as she can to set you up into our system giving you an ID and Password. She will also send out a packet of information to walk you through the system.

Once you are set up, you can actually go to the iAlert website to close your school YOURSELF. It takes seconds. Once you enter your ID and Password and Login, you need to choose a status such as 'closed' or 'evening classes cancelled.' You get the idea. If there is not one tailored to your needs, choose the one CLOSEST to your needs.

You also should be cognizant of choosing an expiration time. If you don't choose one, your school will remain closed past your deadline. That would be bad!!!!

The computer re-opens three times a day: 10am, 4pm, and 10pm. Please be sure to choose the correct expiration prompt.

I can not tell you how many school closings I've had to fix after an administrator entered their closing. I've had to correct dates --let's say it is Tuesday but the administrator closes school for Monday? Doesn't make sense. If there is not an expiration time, we have to manually go in and amend. OR, I've noticed that administrators have been putting an expiration time ONE WEEK from the day they close--which would give their kids a whole week off! I don't think that's their plan!?!?!

I know it's a new system that everyone needs to get used to but please read over your brochures carefully and complete every single step in order to make the system work like a charm!!

Now, the bigger looming question: Where's Tim White?

I get at least a dozen calls every single day, if not more, asking where is Tim White?

• Is he on vacation?


• I've been away for the holidays and just got back, where is he?


• We miss him immensely.


• It's a shame he is no longer on your station.


• He and Romona were the best anchor team in town.


• He was the best anchorman I've ever seen.


• I'm gonna have to switch tv stations.


• Where did he go?


• He was a true professional, it's too bad you let him go.


• I loved watching him report the news.


• He was one of the most intelligent anchors in town.


• We'll have to live with what's left.

And the list goes on and on and on.......every day.....

Heck, I'm sure they will linger on for years--I still get callers asking where Leon Bibb and Connie Dieken are!!!

Tim left the station mid-December. I can not speak for the station or for what transpired in his departure.

Click on the following link which will take you to the story posted on wkyc.com.

Tim White to leave WKYC after contract

To read Tim White's poignant good bye to all, click on 'End of an Era'

I hate to admit it, but I have not spoken to Tim in the new year. I hope to speak to him soon, and when I do, if he's amenable, I'll pass on his update and any kind words he has for his faithful fans and viewers!

Weather whirlwind

I lied.

If you read my last entry about being a looong, tiring week, I lied.

Today has been a fast-paced, exciting day, with energy to spare.

We all knew the snow was coming....Betsy, AJ, Hollie, and Bruce are keeping their eyes on the radar, maps, snow totals and all the high-tech equipment they have to give you the most recent and accurate forecasts.

So, it's a given that we'd have a reporter on weather patrol --Dave Summers and his videographer Randy White were the lucky winners! They ventured out at the beginning of their shift, gave a live update for our 7pm show. As of this writing, they will have a complete report coming up for you at 11pm!

Producer Dan actually included me in his Facebook Promo tonight. All Facebook fanatics, hop on the wkyc page and take a glance at Tuesday's 11pm Promo! It zips along, as swiftly as this night as been hopping along....

The newsroom has been abuzz with a 'flurry' of activity. Eric Mansfield held a web chat on his blog. We are still in the midst of a live wx web chat with Betsy, Frank, and lots of other folks, towering upwards of 100+ chatters.

We've even been talking to our Facebook friends about weather conditions...getting updates from our Facebook friends in other parts of Ohio AND the United States!

I, being on the desk, have been trying to not only keep the producer and web folks informed on accidents, city alerts, snow emergency parking bans, road conditions, airport status, iAlert school closings, and anything else associated with this latest storm, BUT, have also been giving the most pertinent of that information on our live web chat! Everyone in the newsroom, besides doing their normal myriad of tasks, kicked it up a notch (BAM!) to participate in all of our extra social media exercises that sets us apart from the rest! The juggling surely paid off!

Whatever you do, stay tuned to Channel 3 News throughout the day and night for the latest weather updates, up-to-date school closings, and traffic conditions. Hop on wkyc.com and Facebook for the most complete coverage from Channel 3 News and Weather!!!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

(Photo: former intern Mark Zinni who has gone on to much bigger and better tv accomplishments!! He set the bar for wkyc interns!!! I can not ever do an 'intern' story without mentioning Mark)!!

Today's Hidden Gem: WKYC Interns

I was about to pen a totally different Hidden Gem when the sub-zero arctic weather blew into C-Town! Today's original topic will survive another week or two, probably much better than Cleveland's streets, our chapped skin and lips, my nearly flat left rear tire, and Mom's windshield wipers!

Please indulge me this week.

We've just been joined by a new class of interns. And what a week for them to start. Talk about 'trial by fire.'

Aaron, Diana, and Jeff dove into one of the craziest weeks we've had in a long time--with totally open arms.

I'm fortunate to be able to work with all three of them. In past years, the interns and I never crossed paths, or I'd know them to say 'hello' as they worked a different shift or with another department.

Each of them, from day one to the next time they arrived in the newsroom, made quite the leap.

The first day, not necessarily terrifying, but overwhelming. Let's face it--putting yourself in their shoes. You are one person being introduced to dozens and dozens of foreigners, where as everyone else can remember YOUR name. You are given the grand tour, the mandatory meeting with the HR woman, an overview of what is expected, and a bit enamored by the 'stars' roaming around the newsroom. Up 'til now, you've only seen them 'on tv!' Maybe you watch a show from the studio or the control room, which IS tres cool! The day zips by and closing time rolls around before you realize it even began!

Day 2. No nonsense now. The honeymoon is over. Each one of them were given a serious assignment and a series of tasks which made an impact on the newsroom.

There was research to be done......each one of them took a stab at writing for the 11pm news....the obligatory 'beat calls'.....shadowing the producer of their choice.....trying to master a new phone system without losing too many calls....entering data for Metromix.....learning WHO everyone is.....logging the competition......and the grand daddy of them all: the iAlert System.

As I've mentioned in previous entries, we have an improved school closing system, the iAlert School Closing System. It should be a dream when all the bugs get worked out and the users get acclimated to this new process.

Every day, midday, night this week there have been cancellations and delays and our new class of interns have stepped up to the plate to assist with the deluge of calls we've been answering non-stop since Monday.

Today, for some unknown reason, was the craziest. Diana and Jeff were busy entering any closings that administrators were unable to complete via phone or Internet themselves. We all were. When I say 'all,' I mean ALL! In our phone system, you can hit 'directed pickup' and the extension to answer a ringing phone. Every person in the newsroom was answering news desk calls at their desk and jotting down ID's and Passwords to be entered into the system. A true joint effort, which pretty much, went off without too many hitches!

I'm fairly confident that these students from John Carroll and Kent State will be just as busy during the rest of their internship stint...but if not, they have had an exciting week that I'm sure will resonate for years to come.

The more training, advice, hands-on experience, and grooming we can give them will, in the long run, help their cause as well as making OUR lives much easier (at least while they are here).

In their first week alone, all of them have helped me immensely, more than they will ever know. This, alone, is why I have deemed our new crop of newsroom interns this week's Hidden Gems! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!!!!

iAlert System & so much more...news is closed!

Wednesday, thus far, has been an extremely busy news day. And that is why I am in this business! Factoring in the weather and school closings alone would be enough. These tasks are my sole focal point today.

But wait, there's more.

We have Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones in house speaking live on air during our 7pm Show with Senior Political Reporter Tom Beres, Carole Sullivan, and Eric Mansfield about the Medical Mart.

Mike O'Mara covered a story that hits close to home for me. He went to the arraignment of Dr. Yazeed Essa, who has been charged with poisoning his wife, Rosemarie, back in February of 2005. I went to high school with Rosemarie's sister, Deanna. Every time we hear from the DiPuccio family, see Deanna in our video or hear the awful story behind this case, I get chills knowing that someone I know is living this nightmare.

Our newsroom has been bustling today. A few folks from The Plain Dealer dropped in to look around and talk to staffers --why? Honestly, I am not privy to why at this time, and if I were, I'm betting I could not share with you! I'm sure we will all read about it in the PD over the coming days or weeks.

The email continue coming in...and I've learned that even if the email comes in before or after I arrive, I still need to wade through every single piece. It may not be addressed to the entire news desk or some of it may be falling through the cracks due to the mass amount we are dealing with....so better safe than sorry! But, this too, takes up a good bulk of my time!



As many of you already may have heard, we have updated our iAlert School Closing System.

There are now 3 bars of information for our viewers including a 'just in' line for newer closings and delays.

With any new venture or project, there are bugs that need to be worked out...a 'work in progress' so to speak.

So far, my experience with the system has been a dream! It is much quicker, easier and can allow us to type the day closed, status, and include a time for the closing to expire.

I've spoken to many customers who have voiced their concerns, though, about the system.

Many callers say the screen is too much. Others say with their new fancy HDTV's, they can not see the very bottom line or the sides get cut off.

Still other administrators who are trying to use the phone-in system get cut off and can not type in the status they desire. I've been trying to get everyone to log onto the website and do it that way, which is so much easier.

I'm sure, part of the problems are the school folks getting used to the new system, and some user error.


Many supers and program directors claim they never received a new packet of information....


This will be a learning process for all involved. But again, overall, it has been a dream on this end.


I urge superintendents, school and church administrators, company bosses, business leaders who want to be a part of the iAlert System to send or email a request on company letterhead to either newsdesk@wkyc.com or asisak@wkyc.com or fax 216.344.3314. Our system administrator will get back to you with an ID and Password and packet of information on how to use the upgraded system.

And remember for the future, do this BEFORE the snow falls!!!!! It will make your life much easier!!!

Hit or Miss business

Our weather folks did a wonderful job mapping out where the warnings and watches were, who 'should' be getting the heaviest snowfall totals, and sharing all the necessary details our customers needed to know about this new year snow storm.

Kudos to AJ, Betsy, Hollie, and Bruce!

It's hard to do.

From my end of it, I was lucky.

As an assignment editor (and a traveler), I skated by pretty easily with this latest storm.

Friday was like any other day, for the most part.

We had snow. My two reporters were on 'snow patrol' but, at least during my shift, there was nothing 'out of the ordinary.'

No horrendous accidents, no road closings, no airport shutdowns, no planes sliding off runways, no weather-related medical calls.

And considering we have our new and improved I-Alert school closing system, we really had minimal calls from administrators asking for help. They seem to understand the upgraded system. On our end, it is a dream. When I did get school folks calling in, I was able to assist them within seconds! We still need to work out a few bugs, but so far, so good!

The scanners were slow and quiet most of the night.

I even stayed late. We had a 'scheduling snafu.' There was no one scheduled to relieve me. Though I was not required to stay, I wound up staying about 3 extra hours (no charge!) past the end of my shift 'just in case' something happened with the weather (being the dedicated employee I am!!). Nothing!

After hearing there could be 'gloom and doom,' I was a bit anxious at how the roads would be once I did leave the newsroom.

It took me only 10-15 minutes extra to get home. What a dream. At times, the roads were a bit slick, but I was not 'white knuckling' it at all. Getting up a few hills I encounter were fine. And when I got home, I was able to maneuver around my neighborhood, which is usually impossible during big snow storms.

The worst of it: my driveway! Our plow guys never came until Sunday!

Stay warm, stay safe this winter season! And tune into Channel 3 News and wkyc.com for the most accurate weather coverage from all of our forecasters!!!!!