Chambliss race tightes, may face runoff for U.S. Senate seat

I feel so lucky to have had the chance to go to Atlanta and attend both the Jim Martin and Saxby Chambliss election night parties. It was such a great experience as a reporter and the night was great. We started at Chambliss' party and spoke to a few people about their support for him and why they wanted him to win the race. Then it was on to Martin's party, where the cycle was repeated.

It was so interesting to see the differences between the two parties, from the location to the dress of the people in attendance to just the overall feel in the air. I would not have traded my experience for sitting in front of the TV all night watching history unfold on CNN. It was a wonderful experience to retire to a coffee shop and write up my portion of the article to submit before presstime. It's nice to see that Atlanta dateline. Click here to read more about election night in Atlanta.

Student accuses other of crime, holds on headlock

Well I had my first experience in breaking news reporting yesterday and I must say there are many things I learned. If I could have a "do-over" I would definitely try to get some more information from people who witnessed the event. Don't get me wrong, I tried...but most people were unwilling to talk (story of a reporter's life?).

I do wish we had addressed the issue of the crime the student was accusing the other of, though. It is sensitive in nature and there have been no police reports filed on the accused crime, but that should have been made more transparent to the reader.

I am looking at this as a learning lesson and welcome such instances so that my writing will improved. Click here to read about the headlock incident, and I apologize if you end up scratching your head. I did too.

Three women report sexual assualt crimes from weekend

Sexual assaults are a very sensitive subject and I think I handled the situation with sensitivity. At least I hope I did. Click here to read more about the reported sexual assault crimes from the weekend.

Police advise caution as crime rates increase

I have been amazed at the amount of entering auto and theft incidents that have happened so far this semester. It really is surprising to me how many people leave the their cars unlocked and leave valuable items in plain view. When we started talking about this in the newsroom, we started to wonder if maybe the economy had something to do with it? Click here to read about the thefts in Athens and how it may (or may not) relate to the economy.

Numerous felony arrests not explainable

There have been six students arrested and charged with felonies in the past month alone. That seems like a lot, especially compared to other semesters, but the UGA police chief said he didn't think there was enough in his numbers to constitute a trend. A lot of these seem to be drug related, which doesn't really play into the intuition that the economy might be the reason. Click here to read more about the felonies this semester.

Univ. students raise dogs to be guides

I greatly enjoyed writing this article. Its happy-go-lucky feel makes me smile and I am particularly fond of the lead. What makes me most happy about it is that it was my idea and it stemmed purely from curiosity. I've had a bit of difficulty coming up with good news ideas and and proud that I am cultivating my curiosity and it it is leading me in a good direction.

Click here to read about students raising guide dogs on campus. As an added bonus you will see an adorable picture of a puppy that is sure to make you smile.

Terry launches creative contest

Orientation for the Terry College of Business' Next Top Entrepreneur contest is today. Click here to read more about the contest.

Student reports rape in downtown Athens

There are a lot of questions that arise in this incident, but since it involves a rape and the information about the woman involved is not known, some of those questions just remain unanswered. It's unfortunate to see the amount of rapes that are reported. I see a lot in the crime reports (but we only print the ones that involve UGA students). Click here to read about the report.

Former UGA running back arrested

A former UGA football player was arrested in downtown Athens Sunday. Click here to find out who and what he was charged with.

FILL UP: Gas shortage hits students, not University

I was only given about 2 or 3 hours notice of this assignment before I turned it in and I am very pleased with how it turned out. It was a great experience working on a deadline and just rolling with the punches.

There's been a gas shortage here in Athens for the past couple of days. Luckily I filled up because I'll be going out of town soon. But with a football game coming up this weekend, my editor felt like it would be important to address the gas shortage. So after she called me to see if I'd do the story, I said yes, headed to the office and got on the phone. Click here to read more about the gas shortage and its effects on UGA students.