Current Stories | November 8, 2012
She’s gone viral l Cecilie Engeseth reporting
This chilly season seems to bring viruses with it. But one grandma was faced with a different situation when she went viral last winter. Marilyn Hagerty stays busy cheering on the local college team, still doesn't miss a trick in her bridge club, and writes 5 columns a week for the local paper. But her life took an interesting twist one day when the 86 year old got an unusual phone call. "So I said you know I don't have time for all this crap, I don't care if I am viral. I am going to have play duplicate bridge and I don't have time," says Marilyn Hagerty. She reviews restaurants for one of her columns. Little did she know that her latest article would give the local celebrity national attention. "The first things that came out were the negative things about the people making fun of her for reviewing the Olive Garden," says Mary Ann Devig. Along with other matter-of-fact descriptions, Hegerty’s review said the Olive Garden "is the largest and most beautiful restaurant now operating in Grand Forks." And then it went viral. "And then I got an email saying 'do you know what's happening to you?' and 'you've gone viral.' I didn't know what viral meant," says Hagerty. And what is viral, you may ask? "Well' it's like when you're sick. And your viral spreads. So I didn't know whether it was a sickness or whatever had happened," jokes Hagerty. Her thrust into the spotlight got her 15 seconds of fame. But what meant the most to her personally was when she recently won an award after becoming a national figure. "The frosting on the cake came early this month when I was awarded the Al Neuharth award for journalism,” describes Hagerty. She received the recognition at the University of South Dakota, her alma mater. "That is so prestigious. And for somebody that has worked so hard for her career, and keeps at it and at it and at it have that kind of success and recognition is really exciting," says Devig. Hagerty learned early on what hard work meant as her parents died while her and her siblings were still young. She also knows the importance of an education. "I felt challenge to go to college and get there somehow. And if you really want to go to college you can get there," explains Hagerty. The little old lady now lives in a little white house with an attention-seeking little friend named Dot Com. Whether it is playing bridge with her friends, or going to the local athletic events, Marilyn keeps doing her everyday activities. Even after going viral.
Fighting the Flame | Dag Amdam reporting
To experience a fire at home can be one of the biggest nightmares. The fire department constantly tries to teach us about fire safety because it can happen to anyone. Tim O'Toole has walked up these stairs many times at his house, 117 Fenton Avenue. This house is now part of an alarming statistic. "So it's really dry -- if it catches fire it will burn right now," says O'Toole. A report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows, there was an average of 366,700 unintentional residential fires and property damages for 7 BILLION Dollars between 2008 and 2010. "What that means is that we want a smoke detector in each room that we sleep in and outside of each sleeping area and then one of each level," says Brandon Boespflug, Fire Marshal. The Fire Marshal says having functional smoke detectors in your house is important. "Should we burn candles unattended? What should we do if we have grease fire? Just get out of the building and call the fire department," explains Boespflug. "I'm assuming the fire would have started whenever we started that drier," says O’Toole. This is where the fire started 3 weeks ago when the O’Toole’s wanted to dry their clothes. All you see now is the burn marks as they recover from the fire. 2,300 people on average die in fires every year in the U.S. but thankfully enough no one was home when the fire broke out in O’Toole’s house. But they still suffered loss. "So we lost both of our cats, and the entire upstairs floor had to be gutted to the studs after the smoke fire, it was 99 percent smoke damage," describes O’Toole. With his top story damaged, O’Toole can only walk down his stairs and wait for his house on Fenton Avenue to be fixed.
Daily memory loss: a symptom | Stephanie Getsman reporting
Memory loss that disrupts daily life may be a symptom of Alzheimer's or Dementia. With the number of people diagnosed with memory loss diseases on the rise, so is the demand for memory care facilities. With the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Dementia is on the rise. And so is the demand for memory care facilities. Memory loss is a scary concept. According to the numbers from Alzheimer's Association, 5.4 million people in the US are living with Alzheimer's or a form of dementia. Memory care facilities are here to help, provide, and serve those who cannot help themselves. "We provide assistance and direction for people that have very limited memory loss to very severe types of Dementia," says Mary Meine, Clinical Service Director. Along with providing food, shelter, and a hot bath, memory care facilities encourage activities, whether it be singing, putting together a puzzle, or socializing. However the cost for family members to live in these facilities can get pricy. The average cost for one month can be anywhere from 4,000-7,000 dollars. "It's independent where they can do this on their own obviously we can't charge them for that, but say we have someone in a wheelchair that needs to be totally cared for, it's going to be a little bit more expensive," explains Tami Pearson, CNA. The Alzheimer's Association predicts by the year 2050-over 13 million people will be diagnosed with memory related diseases. Along with that, memory care will be in huge demand. As facilities brace for the increase, it's a safe bet there will be a place for hope and a home for those with memory loss. "The movement right now is to have assisted living and assisted living with memory care," describes Meine.
Johnball | Kyle See-Rockers reporting
Many people remember playing made up games as children. One game thought up by two middle school kids is now making it's across the nation. Taking a walk by this, you may think it looks like a jumbled mess. But, to the athletes playing it, everything is flowing naturally. This game is Johnball. You basically use your bat to hit the balls at other people and if the person gets hit by the ball then they lose a life or a limb, depending on what game we are playing. It's a unique sport made up of many different game types within it. Players say getting bored is not an option. It started with two kids in Minnesota, one of them named John. Gaining popularity, Johnball is making its mark on college campuses nationwide. “So, currently Johnball is in Minnesota, North Dakota, Kansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and I think at one point we were trying to start of chapter in Alabama,” says one player. Making its way down the Mississippi River, players say the game is a fun way to stay active. “I think it has become popular because it's a fun sport, it's a way for college kids to loosen up, relax and just do something goofy and it's like memories from childhood, it's a fun sport,” he explains. Johnball gets all different types of athletes, even people who have never grabbed a whiffle ball bat before. Many people come to college looking for a new experience with Johnball-they get it. “This one it is more unique I think because well it's dodge ball with a whiffle bats, that's why I love Johnball,” he describes. These students have found a way to bring childhood recess to higher education.
Break a nail? | Kayla Jahraus reporting
They help us scratch an itch, pick up an object and make our hands look tidy. Today we spend a day in the life of someone who helps keep nails looking their best. Everyone has a different passion. For Tina Weng, it's a part of your body that always seems to need clipping. "I like to do nails, make them look pretty, how do different color," says Tina Weng, Nail Salon Owner. The chance to bring color to the end of people's digits adds more responsibility than you see in a bottle. "You have to take care of everything from the supplies to the customer to the employee," explains Weng. Just like fingers, her customer's requests come in many shapes and sizes. "No matter what kind of customer, you know? When they come in here we try to do our best," describes Weng. Her clients recognize her hard work. "Customer service is top notch. Anything they do is to perfection," says Anne Black, customer. Everyone is looking for a new way to spice up their nails. When in doubt, Weng offers some free nail knowledge. "If there's something you're not sure of--um-- they give you some advice on what to do," explains Black. With so much variety in her job, Weng has yet to find an itch she can't scratch. "So far I don't have a worst part yet so, so far I have pretty good clients," describes Weng. The constant upkeep of nails may seem like a chore. But for Weng, it's what keeps her passion growing strong.
Mending sound | Jimmy Gefroh reporting
Many people play instruments as a hobby. One man has a close relationship with stringed instruments. Without the presence of music in a concert hall, all that can be heard is silence. Will Richardson strives to bring the music to the listeners' ears. "It’s wanting to keep it sounding great all the time so that you can have this like mouthpiece for the inner workings of your brain I guess," says Will Richardson, Cello player and repairer. Richardson says it is much more than making music with an instrument. He says taking care of the instrument is crucial for producing the best sound possible. "If you do take care of your instrument your instrument sounds better. So that's also important. If you want to sound good, it's not just practicing, but also how you maintain your instrument," explains Simona Barbu, Cello instructor. Richardson says extreme warm and cold temperatures can have an effect on the quality of the instrument sound. He also says his customers develop a close relationship with their instruments. "Especially you know with the cello you're hugging it all the time and it's like this big thing that you carry around,” describes Richardson. Nothing is better than getting a fixed up friend. "I'll fix it up, new sound post, new bridge. And then when they get it they say Is this my violin? That's probably the best thing that they're like what? This is mine?" explains Richardson. His vital ambition is to keep the music alive through mending the wounded instruments for others.
Warning winter drivers | Kellen Peters reporting
Mother Nature is going to bring its most ferocious battle: winter, to your daily ride. The way to counterattack is simply routine maintenance to your vehicle. "Oil changes are the biggest thing, second to that would probably be just letting your car warm up in the morning," says Craig Price, Service Manager. Warming up your vehicle allows it to run more efficiently. The battery is one of the most crucial components of a car. Its quality will diminish if not warmed up before driving. Though overlooked, Price also encourages lifting up the wiper blades while scraping the windshield as it can ruin the wiper motor. “People just coming in trying to use the wiper blades to scrap snow, they're pretty costly. Generally speaking, they are around 300 dollars so it's worth it to take the time and just lift those up to make sure they are not frozen," explains Price. He says good tire pressure and tread will help with better traction. Federal law mandates that each and every tire has something called a ware indicator strip. Once it reaches this point, it’s important to change your tire before it ends up something like this. “Low tire pressure can affect stopping distances as well, so when you are on ice, you want all you can get as well," describes Price. It's better to face the pain of winter preparing your car, than the pain of an empty wallet fixing one.
