“You’re going to the Outer Banks tomorrow.” From my boss.

Less than 24 hours later, I was en route to Chocowinity, a small town in eastern North Carolina. CBS19′s sister station, WITN, needed a few extra hands to cover Hurricane Irene as the storm prepared to make landfall. Within one week, I covered a national headline-grabbing earthquake, and now I’m reporting on what’s supposed to be the strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. in a few years.

I left Charlottesville early Friday morning to embark on the four-hour drive to North Carolina. Upon arriving, I was almost immediately sent to interview the interim county manager for Beaufort County. And then I shot a quick story on the supermarket running out of milk, bread and eggs as people began stocking up on supplies.

I left my hotel room shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday, apparently just minutes before it lost power. Hurricane Irene was in full force. I was first sent to a car wreck that was 20 minutes away from the station. After an hour and a half of navigating rural roads I’ve never seen before, I still can’t find the scene. I hit many roadblocks (literally) in the form of downed trees and power lines, flooded roads or some sort of combination. By the time I get close, a firefighter tells me the scene was cleared, but I interviewed him on the condition of the roads. The rest of the day was spent covering the storm itself before spending 12 hours in a powerless, humid motel room.

The busiest day by far was Sunday. The town of Washington, just north of Chocowinity, was covered with water the day before. I covered the damage — a toppled gas canopy, a few missing roofs, countless trees and power lines in the roads — before searching for the Belle of Washington. For that remarkable story, check out the video below.

After three days of 12+ hour shifts, I took had one final sleep in my air condition-less motel and headed back to Charlottesville. It was an eye-opening weekend spent in Mother Nature’s wrath, and I managed to return home relatively dry and with experiences many reporters dream of. (And yes, I did shoot a standup where I am getting dowsed by Hurricane Irene’s heavy rains while trying to maintain balance with the winds. You have to check that one out here.)

From the epicenter of the earthquake to the eye of the hurricane. Maybe the Weather Channel has an opening… (Kidding.)

I looked around, and no one seemed to react. I wasn’t sure what I had just felt, so my natural reaction — I tweeted. “Did I just feel an earthquake!?” My phone then exploded with texts from my brother and friends asking if I was OK or alive.

I rushed home, saw the CNN coverage and tried calling work. Couldn’t get through.

I swapped my shorts for jeans, put on my newly purchased Old Navy flip-flops and ran out the door to work. Within 30 seconds of stepping into the newsroom, I was sent to Mineral, Va., the epicenter of the earthquake.

What amazed me most about covering the earthquake was how eerily normal everything appeared. Sure, there was damage from the earthquake — two homes were destroyed, many others heavily damaged — but you had to look hard for the damage. Still, it was very easy to empathize with those who lost a lot, like the Brunson family I interviewed (in the video below).

Mineral is a small town between Charlottesville and Richmond. There aren’t many tall buildings, if any at all. That might not provide much comfort to those with damaged homes, worrying if insurance will cover the cost of repairs, but should something have happened closer to a metropolis like Richmond, there might have been more than the zero fatalities or serious injuries Central Virginia saw.

As far as news goes, it was exciting to cover a major event in our own backyard that had a national impact. But even one week after the quake, the cleanup continues.

In fact, if you scroll down on the home page of this blog, you can see all six of them and, as an added bonus, a few from 2009.

I know. That’s absolutely pathetic. Fellow journalists and social media experts should be, and I’m sure are, disappointed. Therefore, in 2011, I resolve to do more. I write that knowing that was likely my New Year’s resolution in 2010, as well.

I recently celebrated (commemorated?) my one-year anniversary of joining the Charlottesville Newsplex (yep, that’s the first blog post of 2010). This has ignited a fire in me to blog a bit more. It’s a shame I keep a fire extinguisher in my back pocket.

It’s an unwritten rule (that’s written down on a blog somewhere, I’m sure) that journalists should have a blog. It’s part of our evolving world of multimedia. But what are we supposed to blog about?

There’s a fine line (especially in jobs where contracts are involved) about what journalists are allowed to express opinions about. Typically, it’s nothing. My goal here, as it was for posts here and here (yeah, you could’ve scrolled down), is to give the behind-the-scenes account while I’m out on a story.

Is that the right path?

I’m a believer that any writing is good enough. Just because one person is a “broadcast” journalist doesn’t mean writing isn’t involved. Words are at the core of the profession. That’s why I can be sued for libel, and not slander. In any case, I’m a writer at heart, from my days on my Xanga blog (no, I’m not linking to that) to my days as a legit journalist.

So, as I begin this new blogging trek in 2011, please share your thoughts on what you want to — or should — see on this blog. We’re only getting started.

(P.S. I started this post more than a week ago and saved it as a draft. Hopefully, not a sign of things to come.)

Ruckersville Baptist Church on the morning arsonists set fire to the sanctuary on Aug. 22.

It’s inspiring to witness first-hand how positivity evolves from tragedy.

On Aug. 22, arsonists set fire to Ruckersville Baptist Church. The church’s sanctuary was more or less destroyed, and the quick work of firefighters saved the rest of the building. But the damage is still extensive, and rebuilding has yet to begin.

I covered the initial story and had the opportunity to follow through this past weekend. I didn’t know beforehand what a privilege it would be.

The pastor of Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Madison (about an hour north of Charlottesville), Rev. Alan Follett, invited members of Ruckersville Baptist Church to his own. Ruckersville’s pastor, Rev. Kyle Clements, would speak at the church’s homecoming.

I was immediately welcomed upon arriving at the church, which I was lucky to find. Google Maps didn’t know where it was, so I headed in the general direction of Mt. Zion, hoping I would find it. I arrived to see a handful of workers setting up tables for an early dinner that would follow the service.

Mt. Zion members were excited to welcome Ruckersville members, who have been displaced by the fire. They’ve been worshipping in their fellowship hall and other spaces since the fire.

I spoke with Rev. Clements again. Church members are lucky to have this man as a pastor. He’s been a strong, level-headed leader throughout this ordeal, and he continues to exude positivity as the congregation moves forward. The church has seen an outpouring of support since the fire, which has helped the healing process.

In his sermon, Rev. Clements said that church isn’t a denomination, but rather a community. This was echoed by Mt. Zion members whom I spoke with. It was incredibly inspiring to see the two communities come together as one. A bus filled with Ruckersville church members pulled off, and I recognized some of them from that August day. They’re still supporting their church, even if they don’t have their building.

The service was powerful, and Revs. Clements and Follett are moving, engaging speakers. These are two lucky congregations.

I received a phone call from Rev. Clements yesterday to thank me for the coverage of the service. He told me I conveyed what he felt in his heart. To me, there is no bigger compliment. I look forward to following the story of Ruckersville Baptist Church.

————-

AS I WAS setting up my camera inside a church, a woman from Mt. Zion began chatting with me. She came up to me earlier in the day to give me a program and a bookmark, which read, “Welcome, friend. We are blessed you are here today.”

“You were at the Madison football game, weren’t you?” she asked me as I was setting up. I admitted that I was. On Friday, I shot the Luray vs. Madison high school football game for the weekly Friday Night Endzone show on ABC16. With the number of turnovers (mostly from Luray), those teams had me running along the sidelines all night long.

“Yeah, I saw you running around down there. I have to brag a little. My grandson’s the quarterback. In fact, he’s sitting right over there,” she said, pointing him out to me.

We discussed what a good game he had, as Madison went on to win, 55-14. Her grandson made my final edits and got on TV for a few a few of his good plays. He had many.

I’m realizing more and more how much CBS19 has an impact on the community. From covering the aftermath of a church arson to a high school football game, people rely on us. It’s an honor to help out.

A side effect of this is temporarily being short staffed. Such was the case on Saturday, in which I obtained video for seven separate events. Fourteen hours later, I was ready for bed.

The day started with an emotional tribute to those who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. People gathered outside the Albemarle County Office Building at 8:30 a.m. It was a very musical event, as you can hear below.

Following the memorial was the 2010 Memory Walk for the local Alzheimer’s Association, then the Midtown Festival, then the 2010 Beer Fest. When I finally think there’s time to rest, there’s a gun found outside an elementary school. As I head to shoot exteriors of the school, I find the road is closed. Turns out the house directly across from the school is on fire. So I got two birds with one stone.

The good news here — no one was injured in either incident.

I get back to the station with 20 minutes before the anticipated start of the 6 p.m. newscast. At 6:30, I leave to cover my final event of the day — a 7 p.m. black tie affair for the Jefferson Scholars Foundation at the University of Virginia. When I return back to the station after the event, I learn the 6 p.m. show never happened, thanks to the U.S. Open.

While I had no lunch break and got to bed immediately after returning home, it’s days like this why I love what I do. You never know what’s coming up next.

Seconds before the start of the Charlottesville Women's Four Miler.

Every step counts.

Today, I had the privilege of covering the Charlottesville Women’s Four Miler. It’s an annual race in Albemarle County, where at least 3,500 women participate. No men allowed (except on the sidelines).

The amount of spirit and encouragement that the crowd exuded today was immeasurable. Even though it’s labeled a “race,” the women could run, jog or trot the length of the four-mile trek.

I spoke to a number of people at the event randomly. Two of the five people I chose were breast cancer survivors. Sure, my odds of finding more survivors at an event like this are increased, but it showed how so many people are directly affected by cancer. And the spirits of everyone I met couldn’t be higher.

Coworkers have told me what a great event the Four Miler is, and they were absolutely correct. It’s a great day for the community to come together. As one survivor told me, she doesn’t want to cure breast cancer. She wants to finish it.

The $200,000+ raised so far only makes that more possible.

Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Tom Perriello speak at the 22nd-annual Democratic Party barbecue.

It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday, and I’m eating my dinner (aka Chex Mix and a Butterfigner). And not at a piano bar.

I covered the 22nd-annual Albemarle County Democratic Barbecue today. The goal of the event is to raise money and support for U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat who represents Virginia’s 5th District.

Speaking for the congressman today was U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, also a Virginia Democrat. You may have seen him recently on an episode of Top Chef. All this, and I forgot to ask him how the food was. Although he raved about the brisket today. Definitely a foodie, and a very nice man.

To cover all our bases, I talked to a local man via phone interview who attended the Restoring Honor rally in Washington. Many conservatives headed up there for the rally featuring Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin.

Here’s the behind-the-scenes look…

As soon as I get to the barbecue, I obviously head toward the food. The barbecue smelled very good. There are two men under the tent, who I dubbed the “grill masters.” One was wearing a Yankees hat.

“I’ve gotta say off the bat, I don’t like your hat,” I told one of the guys, adding that I’m a Phillies fan. I won’t respond with his exact response. But we had a good laugh.

I then learned to leave rivalries behind and not criticize someone right before asking them for a favor (such as an on-camera interview). But in the end, I spoke to the other grill master.

Turns out, the guy in the Yankees hat went to school in Philly. Not only did he go to school in Philly, but he went to Temple. And not only did he go to Temple, but he graduated with a degree in communications and worked at WRTI.

“And then I got a job in construction and made the real money,” he said.

He showed me his car, where he displays a Temple window cling proudly. It reminded me of mine, which says, “Temple Owls are Everywhere.”

Today, of all days, is proof of that.

Side note… This is my 300th post on this blog. Normally, I’d call that a milestone. But since this is my third post in eight months (and second today), I’ll hold back.

More on this below.

Good news! I remembered my user name and password.

It’s been quite a few months since I updated this lonely blog. In today’s multimedia world, that’s probably considered eternity plus forever. So, I write today with the hopes of changing that (and to make my subscription dollars worth it).

I have been a utility player at the Charlottesville Newsplex for nearly nine months now. I’ve created and updated content on newsplex.com, I’ve produced some shows (most notably the hour-long 6 p.m. newscast), and I’ve done some reporting on the side. I like to consider myself the Greg Dobbs of the Newsplex.

But all of that will change as I make the transition to full-time reporter. Turnover is a curse in small television markets, especially when many leave at once. We have four much-deserving reporters leaving the Newsplex within the next two weeks, and they’re all headed toward amazing opportunities in (much) larger markets. It goes to show the quality of newscast the Newsplex provides.

In other words, I have big shoes to fill.

What I hope to continue with this blog is a behind-the-scenes look at the stories I cover. I won’t get into much commentary — just providing additional information, quirky stories and whatever else comes to mind.

I look forward to creating discussions on this blog and, maybe more, updating more frequently. I appreciate your clicks and your feedback, so keep them coming.

In other news, in the past eight months, I’ve discovered this phrase and find it fascinating.

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

Yes, that’s a real sentence.

Posts have been sporadic (or nonexistent) as of late thanks to my move to Virginia to work at CBS 19 and the Charlottesville Newsplex. Tomorrow, I’ll begin at the station as a Web producer and reporter.

Charlottesville is an interesting place, from my brief experiences so far. It’s a small, friendly city known for its Downtown Mall, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and the University of Virginia.

My station is also pretty unique. The Newsplex is a group of network affiliates housed in one complex — CBS 19 (the flagship, WCAV), ABC 16 (WVAW) and FOX 27 (WAHU). The station is just more than five years old, and it’s the only country to have that combination of affiliates under one roof.

And that’s that. The plan is to try this out for a while and to determine what I’d like to do with my life. I’ll update every once and a while with behind-the-scenes information from Charlottesville.

For now, that’s the story. We’ll see how it finishes soon.

Courtesy Mainline Magazine | Dave Roberts (pictured with his grandson and son, actor David Boreanaz) announced his retirement from Channel 6 after more than 30 years at the station.

And the call from AccuWeather is… A goodbye from longtime Channel 6 weather guy Dave Roberts.

6ABC promoted a “big decision” that Roberts made and wanted to share tonight on the 11 p.m. newscast. That decision was to retire from broadcasting after more than 55 years in the business.

The 11 p.m. newscast featured Jim Gardner’s one-on-one interview with Roberts. The show had no commercial breaks until after the tribute to Roberts, coming 23 minutes after the hour. When asked what he’d miss most in retirement, Roberts responded:

It’s the people… That’s what I’m gonna miss and I don’t know how I’m going to deal with it.

The Buffalo, N.Y., native began his career in Syracuse before moving back to Buffalo. The 73-year-old joined WPVI-TV Channel 6 in 1978 and began reporting the weather in 1983. With today’s weather technology and green screens, it’s not hard to forget Channel 6′s magnetic weather board, in front of which Roberts was a staple.

Thomas is the father of Bones star David Boreanaz. His last day on Channel 6 will be Dec. 11. Gardner said more features on Roberts’s life and career will be featured leading up to his final broadcast.