Fire in Edmondson Village, The effect of Hurricane Ike overseas and Infant abuse

For my first news story, I have selected a fire in the Edmondson Village shopping center. This story hits home for me, especially because I live in the proximity of the lower Edmondson Village area and attended Edmondson-Westside High School directly across the street from the incident. The impact is not only devastating for me, but for the community of Edmondson atlarge. Frequently, local shoppers have come to Edmondson Village to accomodate their consumer needs and have looked to this establishment as a resourse. Chief Kevin Cartwright, spokesman for the fire department provides the prominence to this story as an official with insight. Fires typically happen everyday, but it means so much more when it takes place in your community, so residents and consumers would see this as unusual and unfortunate. The story is current and timely, it was reported at 9 a.m. this morning accordingly to the BaltimoreSun.com. This story is definitely newsworthy, due to the way it has rippled through the community and even change the life of one business owner who watched her business go up in smoke.


For my second news story, I've chosen Hurricane Ike. Over the weekend, Maryland experience the rain and high winds of Tropical Storm Hanna, but as Hanna makes her way up the east coast of the country, Ike closes in on the Gulf Coast. The impact is tremendously great to the residents living along the Gulf coast, who vividly remember the wrath exhibited by Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. Before making landfall in the United States, people across the world have already seen the power Ike contains. On Sept. 7, the Island of Providencies, in the Turks and Caicos Islands have been heavily affected and have open shelters and emergency facilities to accomodate residents. The timeliness and currency is present with this story taking place within a 24 hour span. The conflict is the people within these islands battling against nature in a hope to survive and keep their homes secure. Sadly, adding human interest, 47 people were killed in Haiti, raising the death count by the storm to 500 deaths according to the United Nations in the past week. Currently, the proximity of the storm is nearing the Gulf of Mexico and the fear remains of Hurricane Katrina to those who call the coast home. It's not unusual that hurricanes and tropical storms threathen the lives of millions every year, but what makes it news is the effects the storms will have on humanity. Since the encounters of such hurricanes as Katrina and Rita, the country has learned from firsthand experience not to take natural disasters lightly, but be prepared in case of impact.


For my third story, I have selected the case of a man charged for the abuse of his infant daughter. David Scott Bauer, the man responsible for fracturing his infant daughter's skull plead gulity in a Howard County Circuit Court today. The impact of this case not only disturbs the community of Howard County, but has national disapproval. The mere thought of an infant being harmed automatically appeals to human interest. The court hearing occured today, but the crime took place last August. The proximity of where the crime took place was in Howard County, so the news of this crime echos throughout Maryland. I rate this story as very unusual, I can't imagine a parent harming his/her own child for any reason and this is definitely out of the ordinary. I feel there's a strong conflict between David Bauer and parents everywhere. News of this magnitude is unheard of to a parent who brings new life into the world. The prominence is evident by Judge Lenore Gelfman, who sentenced Bauer to 5 years with all but 18 months suspended and for child abuse and 138 days for reckless endangerment. This story is newsworthy because cases like this don't happen everyday, but it shows that not even children are safe in the care of their parents.