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Tomorrow marks a dark day in U.S. history. 30 years ago Tuesday, more than 900 people killed themselves as part of a mass suicide in Guyana. They were followers of radical cult leader Jim Jones. That story itself has always fascinated me; I’ve wondered how people can so blindly follow someone to the point they’re willing to kill their children on his orders. But, I was only four months old when the suicides at Jonestown took place. I didn’t know the whole story - the one about the innocent victims - until I came to kxly and started working with a man whose father was murdered that dark day.

In November 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan paid a visit to Jonestown as part of a government investigation. He brought with him relatives of people living at Jonestown and members of an NBC News crew. They spent several days at Jonestown and didn’t suspect people there were in danger. The night before they left, though, someone slipped reporter Don Harris a note saying they wanted to escape. Harris kept the note in his boot overnight, then confronted Jim Jones on camera about it the next day. Jones was visibly agitated and that’s how he stayed until the group pulled out and got ready to head back to the U.S. Most of them never made it. Jones sent his men to ambush the group on the airstrip. Congressman Ryan was killed, along with a defecting member of the cult and three journalists, including Don Harris. Harris left behind a wife, Shirley and three children, including a 17-year old son. That son followed in his father’s footsteps and became a journalist. His name is Jeff Humphrey.

Jeff doesn’t talk about his dad much - at least not in the newsroom or in a public way. Until last week, I’d probably heard him talk about it one time in the five or so years I’ve worked with him. As early as last week, the story of this anniversary was everywhere. CNN did a number of special reports on it and some newspapers contacted Jeff. Jeff decided it was time - for the first time - to share his father’s story with our viewers.

On the air and in the field, Jeff is confident and driven. He puts his head down and works hard on every story - and, is happy to break stories whenever he can. Off-camera, Jeff is one of the more humble people I’ve ever met. He’s not sharing his story for ratings or to get attention. He’s telling it for one very specific reason: to honor his dad. Last Friday, I interviewed Jeff and his mom about Don and about Jonestown. They both opened up about what it was like to get the news - and, how they’ve honored his memory ever since. Jeff talked about what he learned from his dad - and, what he puts into practice in his job every day. He talked about building trust with your sources, about protecting on-going investigations and about showing compassion to people who’ve lost loved ones in a public way. After all, he knows how they feel. It was surreal to sit across from a man I’ve competed with as a reporter (both when he was at another local station and when he and I were both reporters here) - and, see a very vulnerable side. I am touched he felt comfortable sharing these emotions with me, but I know it’s not about me at all. It’s not about Jeff, either. It’s about a journalist who put his life on the line to get the truth. Even though Don Harris died that day, his story brought the truth about Jonestown to the world. He asked questions that lesser journalists would shy away from - and, he paid for those questions with his life. We hope to honor him the way Jeff tries to honor him every day: by telling his story and living up to the principals for which he died.

As my husband would readily tell you, I am not someone who should be dispensing advice on how to save money. I spend money on frivilous things - and, I’m like Donna Reed when it comes to handling personal finances (my husband does all of it - and, he’s really good at it). But, this week, I’m hoping to learn something from a series of stories we’re doing on kxly4. And, I hope you’ll learn something, too.

Monday morning kicks off “Save You Money” week on Good Morning Northwest on kxly4 HD News at 5. Granted, we do a lot of money-saving stories anyway… but, this is a very focused effort to get as many money-saving tips out as we can. We’ll feature everything from how to save money by only using cash to ways to save money on appliances. We’ll tell you how to save money at the butcher’s counter and how you can get your bank to pay you for things you would buy anyway. And, we’ll see the return of the “Diva of Deals” - a local woman who takes coupon clipping to a whole new level. The last story we did on her drew national attention - this week, she’ll show you how buying in bulk can save you money at the grocery store.

I hope you’ll join us on Good Morning Northwest and the News at 5. Also, I hope you’ll use this blog to share your money-saving secrets. We could all use the help these days!

Forgive the bad pun there, I swear it’s unintentional. I wanted to write, though, about what has turned into one of the most controversial stories we’ve done in recent years. We’ve received dozens of calls and emails about the story - and, it hasn’t even aired yet. As soon as we started airing a promo called “Last Chance Auction”, the phones starting ringing and our email boxes were filling up. Everyone wanted to weigh in on this story - and, now that it’s airing, we want to hear what you think.

The story is fairly complicated and, like all good stories, there are many sides and many points of view. The basic gist is this: last year, the United States outlawed the slaughter of horses. But, every year, there are tens of thousands of unwanted horses. Some are crippled and unadoptable - others are neglected or abandoned because the cost to take care of them is just too high. Hay prices are skyrocketing - and, people have a hard enough time feeding themselves, let alone their horses. In fact, at a recent horse auction in Davenport, a perfectly good horse sold for $25. Those horses have to go somewhere. Many of them go to rescue groups, that take as many as they can. Others, though, are simply unadoptable. They will end up at a slaughter house. But, since the U.S has closed slaughter houses in this country, the horses are shipped to Canada and Mexico, where the regulations for slaughter can be very different. Some of the conditions are downright cruel and deplorable. So, what’s right? It depends on who you ask.

If you want to weigh in on this story - continue the conversation here. This is absolutely not the end of this story - especially because there’s pending legislation that would outlaw the export of horses for slaughter. Send me your comments - we’ll follow up.

So, it seems every dog owner in America is now weighing in on probably the most important issue surrounding the election of Barack Obama: what kind of dog will the Obamas get? Typical America: this is definitely the crucial issue facing our country right now (I’m only half-kidding). I have bad news, though, for the Obama family. The best two dogs in America are already taken.

The country seems to be captivated right now by first dog fever! The American Kennel Club is weighing in, saying the Obamas should get a poodle. PETA launched an all-out campaign to convince the Obamas to adopt a shelter dog, rather than pay for a purebred pooch. He even took time out of his first news conference since the election to address the issue, saying the most email his website is getting right now are suggestions of what type of dog he should get. I think he needs to hear from one more voice: mine.

Here’s my advice to President-Elect Obama and his family: skip the breeders and the purebreds and get a shelter dog. Get the dog that’s been there awhile, not the adorable puppy that will have no problem attracting a family. Get a dog that’s a few months - or a few years - old, because they’re already “broken in” and, again, there’s less a chance they’ll be adopted by someone else. Get the dog who meets your gaze with yearning, rather than the adorable puppy that mesmerizes you with tricks and soft fur. In other words, get dogs like mine.

We got Chewy from a shelter just a day or two before he would have been put down. He was anti-social and terrified in the shelter - and, he was already four months old. He didn’t look like a puppy. But, turning that dog into the adorable, lovable mutt he is today is one of my life’s greatest accomplishments. I’ve never met a more loving dog. We got Roxie this summer at another local shelter. She’s five years old - and, her family just never claimed her. She had been there a couple weeks and probably did not have much time left. No dog kisses and loves like Roxie. She’s loving and caring to a fault. She’s also very smart and protective - and, we could not have asked for a better companion for Chewy. You can see the picture - these dogs are in love.

Sorry, Obamas. You may get a great dog to scratch up the floors and furniture in the White House. But, America’s best dogs are already taken.

I was extremely surprised to see several emails today saying we should stop talking about Barack Obama’s race. “He’s just a man, it doesn’t matter. Stop talking about it,” said one comment. I could not disagree more. Obama’s race is still VERY significant - and, worth celebrating for at least a little while longer.

It seems some people in this country have forgotten about the history of race relations in this country. Only 44 years ago, the Civil Rights Act was passed. It was 1956 (after both my parents were born) that Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white woman. It was 1963 - still in our very recent past - that Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream Speech” from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. And, just five years ago - right here in the Inland Northwest - I interviewed Aryan Nations leader Richard Butler when he decided to run for mayor. I knew that day racism was alive and well in this country; I stared it right in the face. And, don’t forget… there are people in this country who are just a generation or two removed from relatives who were brought to this country chained to the bottom of ships; brought here as slaves from their homes in Africa. Electing a black president is a very big deal.

I’m not saying any of us should carry any amount of guilt for the racism that has existed in this country. Unless you are racist yourself, you should not be held accountable for the actions of ignorant people. But, to say race does not matter - that we should “stop talking about it” misses the point of this historic day. Yes, eventually we will see Obama as just another president. But, for now, he is a symbol of how far we’ve come as a nation.

As I confessed on our live blog last night, I’m a bit of a news nerd. I spent a good portion of my night last night on newspaper websites from across the country, looking for their headlines on this historic occasion. If you’re interested in doing the same, I found a way to save you the time. Check out this link to the Newseum’s website - featuring more than 400 headlines from around the world.

I was a little busy in the newsroom last night, so I didn’t get to see the McCain or Obama speeches in their entirity. Fortunately, the cable news networks replayed them a couple times late last night. Regardless of how you voted, I don’t think you can deny one thing: both candidates delivered gracious and eloquent speeches last night. I wanted to post the text of both, so you can read for yourself. I think Obama’s speech, particularly, will be one we talk about for decades to come. We’re so fortunate we had two class acts running for office this year. THAT is what I believe is truly historic.

Here’s Obama’s speech:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-text1105,0,2684817.story

 And, McCain’s:

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/fromcomments/265801.php

It’s hard to sum up what gets news people so excited on Election Day. Thankfully, CNN did it for us. The network took out a full page ad in today’s New York Times. Here’s the text:

There is a moment, a simple moment, before history gets recorded.

Before it goes in the books.

Before it appears as a question on a game show.

Or, on a midterm exam.

A moment right before the headline is written.

There is a moment when history lives in the present.

When we can watch it unfold in real time, right before our eyes.

And we can all assume our place in it.

Some people live for history

We live for the moment just before.

-Cnn ad in the New York Times

I’m still a few hours from going into work this Election Day, but it’s rainy and cold out and there’s not enough time to do anything productive, so I thought I’d write another blog. I’ve also decided that if I leave now, I can score all the freebies promised this Election Day!

There are federal statutes that govern what and how businesses can give away free stuff on Election Day. The government has to assure there’s no inpropriety or “paying” for votes. But, businesses are doing what they can to make sure you can score some free stuff - and, feel like a winner today!

 Here’s a rundown:

Coffee: Starbucks expects to give away thousands of free 12 0z. coffees today (may be the only thing to get me past by typical 9:30 bedtime!)

Doughnuts: Krispy Kreme will sweeten your day with star-shaped red, white and blue sprinkled doughnuts (though not all stores are participating)

Ice Cream: Between 5 & 8 tonight, Ben and Jerry’s will give out free single-scoop cones (I’m going to ask for two - since, I’m eating and voting for two anyway!)

Some other nationwide chains are giving away everything from free sandwiches to free haircuts, though none of those stores have locations in Spokane. Still, there should be enough here to fill you up this election day - and, give you enough sugar and caffiene to stay awake until the results are final!

Okay, that blog title seems a little obvious. Of course we’ll have you covered; every station will! But, we’re doing things this Election Day we’ve never done before. Because of the ABC News coverage of the election, we are at the network’s mercy when it comes to when we can share results with you live on TV. We will have live cut-ins every half hour throughout the evening, with extended coverage beginning at 8:00, when polls close in Washington. We have crews all over the state covering this election, including two crews in Seattle covering what will likely be another knock-down, drag-out fight for governor. But, we’re going beyond that and I wanted to share some of the things you’ll be seeing on our KXLY properties tonight.

We’re doing more right here on the web than we’ve ever done before. In addition to constantly updating results, we’ll be live-blogging, so you can interact with kxly.com publishers and kxly4 staff  - asking questions and sharing your opinions. We’ll also be hosting a live webcast throughout the nights, featuring special expert guests and tidbits about the election so far. The web will be a huge part of what we do this election night - so, get your laptops ready so you can follow along (and join in) while you watch the results.

We’re so lucky to have a radio station right in our newsroom, as it’s just one more way we can bring you coverage of this Election Day. Mike Fitzsimmons begins our coverage at 3:00 this afternoon and continues throughout the night. Mike has been around for quite a few elections - and, he brings such a unique perspective to our coverage. You’ll also hear from kxly4 personalities and local election experts - and be able to weigh in throughout the night.

Finally, of course, we’re covering this election with everything we have on TV. Nearly our entire staff will be working tonight, from those out covering the candidates to those entering numbers here in the newsroom. You’ll see, as I mentioned, cut-ins throughout the night and constantly updated local results as they come in. Our producer, Chris, has been working his tail off for weeks putting together incredible plans for tonight. Those plans include a virtual set, where our anchors can walk around a map of the country and show you what’s happening in those battleground states. It’s really cool - our production staff did an awesome job putting it together. We’ll also have the same touch-screen technology the networks have to give you an up-close and personal look at what’s happening with local and national races. Finally, we’ve brought in a team of election experts, including two university professors and former Congressman George Nethercutt. I’m sure Congressman Nethercutt will provide a very unique perspective about not only the race, but what’s going through candidates minds’ the night of an election.

I hope you’ll join us on one of our platforms tonight (actually, I hope you find a way to participate in all three simultaneously!) And if you have questions or comments about our coverage, stop by the live blog here on kxly.com and weigh in.

Enjoy your election day!