Victoria woman hit by West Nile virus?

By GabeSemenza in Crowdsourcing

If you're like me and many other Victorians, you've been swatting mosquitoes lately when you're outdoors during the late afternoon and evening. One Victoria woman, we learned from a solid source, can relate. This woman, though, we were told, contracted the ...

UPDATED: Has the tiger at The Texas Zoo roared at you?

By GabeSemenza in Crowdsourcing

I took my niece to the The Texas Zoo in Victoria last week and we watched as one of the Bengal tigers charged from one side of the cage to the other, roaring at a group of visitors. The deep, ...

Would you watch live online video of local newsmakers?

By GabeSemenza in Crowdsourcing

Think of the possibilities: Live interviews of the day's local newsmakers and leaders. And here's the frosting on the cake: You could help interview these newsmakers from the comfort of your home or office chair. If you haven't checked out ...

Anyone helping Hurricane Ike victims?

By GabeSemenza in Crowdsourcing

Advocate reporter Madeline Lewis is working on a story about local efforts -- by churches, volunteers or organizations -- to help raise funds for or to deliver goods to the areas affected most by Hurricane Ike. If you, or anyone or ...

Updated w/ new PHOTOS: Hurricane Blog from northeast Victoria

By GabeSemenza in Crowdsourcing

11:05 p.m. Dust storm? My wife and I walked to our backyard, just east of the sandy, grated proposed site of a future VISD high school, and we looked north to what looked like a blurry, cloudy sky. As winds are ...

Updated: After Claudette, did your power go out for more than a week?

By GabeSemenza in Crowdsourcing

I'm doing a story on lessons power companies learned after Hurricane Claudette -- and plans in place to ensure we won't be without power for too long if Ike knocks down lines. One power company spokesman told me that his company had power ...

Post your Hurricane Ike photos, stories and tips here

By GabeSemenza in Crowdsourcing

As you brace for Ike, we want to follow your preparations and potential evacuations. Please share your stories and photos here each step of the way. This blog will be online and updated regularly until after Ike moves beyond South ...

Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001?

By GabeSemenza in Crowdsourcing

We had an interesting discussion during a newsroom meeting today about publishing stories on the anniversary of tragedies such as Pearl Harbor and Sept. 11. One editor thought publishing such stories year after year becomes predictable and thus uninteresting to readers. ...