Dream Addict

Look Mom! It is Santa!

2011-12-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

'You live only once, make it count,' somebody told me a couple of years ago. Recently, a friend of mine passed away and I have become much more aware of my own mortality. That life is really short and one day I may not have the opportunity to do all the things I ever planned to do. Three years ago, I really wanted to surprise my family and travel home unannounced for Christmas in a Santa outfit. I ended up going but couldn't find the costume. This time I did. I brought some candy with me for all the people I would meet while traveling five thousand miles over seven different time zones. My friends expressed legitimate concerns that the TSA may have me go through extra screening. If anything, the TSA staff were very welcoming. In Chicago, I have been given priority check-in. I gave out lots of candy to kids, airport personnel, crews, flights attendants. Some kids were shy, one screamed, 'look Mom, it's Santa'. While roaming around the airport in Chicago, KLM staff was trying to get me to fly with them to Amsterdam. My flight has been delayed so I had plenty of time to kill at the gate. Two kids would approach me every few minutes to fill up their pockets with candy. Their Mom ended up chasing them around the lounge. It was hilarious. Some people asked for gifts such as an iPad or a new car but I politely said that times are tough and candy would have to do. Others asked if Santa has been on diet. This morning, after 14 hours on the road I reached my final destination. Didn't even ring the bell, just opened the door and said, 'hey, what's up?.' It was quite a surprise. A big thank you goes to my friends, Jonah, Adrienne, Darlene, Frank, Taka, Beth, Maciek, Pawel and Dorota. Merry Christmas everyone. Now 48 hours at home and will be hitting the road again. You live only once, make it count! PS One thing I learned is that if you offer kindness, a smile most people will return it.

Will you?

2011-09-30T04:47:00.001-07:00

The city of love

2011-09-28T04:42:00.001-07:00

Iron Man build-up

2011-09-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

70.3 bragging

2011-09-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Iron Man 70.3

2011-09-18T19:37:00.001-07:00

My bike fell apart on mile 35. I've only had one gear for the next 10 miles. The last 5 miles before transition 2 the bike wouldn't go so I had to run with it for the rest of the course. I have been told to quit at least three times. Reaching T2, I wasn't sure if I would make the cut off time. Then, I got lost on the running course so had to do two miles extra. For the first 8 miles of the run I thought I would be disqualified for not finishing on time. My gear may break down but you can't break my spirit. Iron Man 70.3 finisher! Dream accomplished. Whatever your dream is never give up. Never. Now off to the next dream.

Life

2011-09-07T05:17:00.001-07:00

Home

2011-07-31T06:30:00.001-07:00

Les Bourgeois, Rocheport, Missouri

2011-06-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

KSPR

2011-06-11T20:53:00.001-07:00

Kansas City

2011-05-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

Missouri sunsents

2011-05-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Sedalia tornado continued

2011-05-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Twister destroys a trailer park in Sedalia

2011-05-26T08:10:00.001-07:00

A dreamer and an avid traveler

2011-05-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Born and raised in Poland, Kuba has visited more than a dozen countries with no plans on stopping. In 2010 alone, he traveled 25,000 miles.

At 21, he moved to England and spent three years working and attending college. It was in the agricultural area of Northeast England where Kuba got his first taste of photojournalism. While interning at a local newspaper, he took pictures of a marina. When he brought back the pictures to the newsroom, fellow reporters thought the photos were taken in Hawaii! Needless to say, the pictures went to print.

A couple months later, Kuba moved from Boston, Lincolnshire to London to study journalism at the University of Westminster. His sophomore year, he had the chance to study abroad. Kuba dreamed of going to Australia to learn surfing but somehow ended up in Missouri— a choice he doesn’t regret. Attending the University of Missouri and working at KOMU-TV allowed him to break into the TV news business. His first teacher told him to never give up, so Kuba has followed that advice while working odd side jobs like sorting broccoli, collecting glass and working at a fashion store on London’s busiest street. He also produced a radio program and served as a reporter at a sports TV station in Poland. Kuba never gave up on his dream of being a photographer. He was offered a chance to master his photojournalism skills at KSPR. In one year, Kuba traveled enough miles to make it around the Equator. Nowadays, you can catch him driving back and forth to Columbia, where he’s pursuing his Master’s degree in journalism.

43 sunsets

2011-03-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Copyrights 2011 © KSPR-TV, KY3 Inc.

Ft. Leonard Wood tornado damage

2011-01-07T03:31:00.000-08:00

Entire Neighborhood Inside Fort Leonard Wood Leveled by Likely EF3 Tornado: housing destroyed, tornado damage, Ft. Leonard Wood - kspr.com

Marlboro Marine

2010-11-30T13:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.mediastorm.com/publication/the-marlboro-marine

Sara Johnson

2010-11-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

Multiple flash

2010-11-11T13:25:00.001-08:00

Fill flash

2010-10-28T10:19:00.001-07:00

Color Correction

2010-10-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Gilbert Pardue from Fulton plays pool at the Senior Center in Columbia, MO on 19th of October, 2010. "We don't pay attention who wins any more, we are too old for that," says Pardue.

Bird hunting

2010-10-19T17:24:00.001-07:00

Single Flash

2010-10-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Veena Sahota of India cutting cupons off newspapers at the Senior Center in Columbia on Wednesday, October 15th, 2010. Sahota became a citizen of the United States 20 years ago but still wears traditional Indian dresses.

A wheelchair

2010-10-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

Metal assignment

2010-09-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Rachel Coward

2010-09-23T09:59:00.001-07:00

Edit Shane Epping

A baseball tournament

2010-07-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

When Warsaw felt silent

2010-04-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

10.04.2010

2010-04-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

Martin Kallen

2010-03-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

An interview with the Ambassador of Canada to Poland

2010-02-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

Lacrosse

2009-11-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

Parachute jumping long version

2009-08-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Do one thing everyday that scares you...

2009-08-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

Photojournalism Demo

2008-12-31T10:35:00.000-08:00

Homecoming parade

2008-10-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Annual Pumpkin Festival in Hartsburg

2008-10-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

Resume tape

2008-10-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

Prince liveshot

2008-09-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Woman found dead

2008-09-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

An unwanted visitor

2008-09-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

Moberly taser death

2008-08-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Reported by N. Berardini, shot by Kuba Wuls

Gas prices going down

2008-08-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Humane Society

2008-08-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

Balloon Festival

2008-08-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

Child Abduction

2008-08-22T03:27:00.000-07:00

Taser papers

2008-08-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Children Health Care

2008-08-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Special Olympics

2008-08-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Live shot from Centralia

2008-08-12T12:20:00.001-07:00

Missouri State Fair

2008-08-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Megan Murphy, a KOMU anchor and sometimes daily assignment chair, I got a chance to go to Sedalia to cover the State Fair. On my way to Sedalia (75 miles) I was thinking what the hell have I done wrong that they sent me there. I think this summer I traveled at least 1,000 miles to cover KOMU stories. I've been to the Lake of the Ozarks two or three times, Mark Twain Lake, Jefferson City numerous times and now Sedalia. Well, I can't complain as it gives me a chance to see Missouri landscape. Anyways, I get there and it's hot. It takes me a while to find a parking spot as the organizers wouldn't allow me to use the media parking without their press-pass. After almost 20 minutes of cruising for a parking spot and carrying the stuff out of the car I sit on a bench and start thinking what the hell I am going to do with this fair. As I'm sitting and thinking a girl in a near-by hod-dog place plays J.Holiday "Bed" song. And somehow things started to puzzle-up.

Restaurant Prices Go Up

2008-08-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA - Due to higher prices for ingredients to make the food they serve, area restaurants are raising prices. Some local restaurants are having trouble paying for ingredients to make our meals. When a customer orders a breakfast at one of Columbia's diners, the chef almost always reaches for eggs. Restaurant owners are paying more--not only for eggs--but also for oils and other ingredients. Ernie's Diner has raised its prices twice in the last 18 months by about 30 percent. Ernie's owner Tony Spurling said, "The bottom line is that the consumer pays the higher price. As food cost continues to rise and the labor cost continues to rise, you've got one avenue, and that's to raise prices across the board. Ultimately, the consumer pays that bottom line price."
It used to cost a restaurant owner about 7 cents to buy one egg from wholesalers. Now, the same egg will cost 11 cents. At Columbia's Bread Basket Cafe, owners have increased prices twice this year by a dollar or two on some sandwiches. Manager Stacie Ayers said, "For instance, we might have paid 16, 26 dollars for flour and it's like 40 dollars now. So definitely, we had to raise prices."
Food prices have gone up due to higher oil and energy prices, but also because of growing demand for food from China and India, as well as the weak dollar driving inflation.
Restaurant owners are also complaining about higher labor costs as the minimum wage goes up.

Missouri Deadily Drivers

2008-08-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA - Across the country, teen drivers account for 12 percent of motor vehicle deaths, and a new study shows that Missouri is one of the deadliest states for young drivers.Kayla Sallee came to the license bureau to take her driving test. She passed the test and got her license on her second try. But Kayla might think twice when she hits the road. In 2005, 244 teen drivers died on Missouri roads. That's 19 percent of total driving fatalities. This deadly statistic places Missouri fifth in the nation after Delware, Maine, Iowa and Wisconsin. Sallee's best friend died last month in a traffic accident caused by speeding and inattention. Sallee's father is confident in her driving skills but is still concerned about her safety.
"I'll worry about her. I'm concerned and I'll remind her regularly to practice that defensive driving. To look after herself and to look after other drivers. To be defensive, okay. Because other people make mistakes as well as she does," said David Sallee.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the high number of youth traffic fatalities isn't a surprise.
"We've been aware of the problem for some time. We are trying innovative techniques not only enforcement-wise but also help to stress the importance of driving and how dangerous driving can be," said Lt. John Hotz of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Careless driving, speeding, and not paying attention to traffic are most often what get young people into auto accidents. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says young drivers in particular have to make sure they buckle up before they drive. The study comes from the Coalition to End Needless Death on our Roadways. The group based its findings on 2005 data, the latest available.

Mark Twain Lake Closed

2008-08-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Gas stations' inspections

2008-08-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA - With gas prices hitting almost four dollars a gallon, more motorists have filed complaints about the accuracy of fuel pumps across the state.
Not quite seven months into 2008, the number of complaints about gas pump inaccuracies across Missouri has already reached the total of complaints from 2007. The Missouri Department of Agriculture says that high gas prices probably adds to the number of complaints.
"Many times, the big shock is seeing the dollar amount," says Ronald Hayes, director of the Weights and Measures Division at the department. "I've never put $75 worth of gas into my car before."
But inspector Steve Wadley says that not all pumps 'under-pump' fuel, and looks for violations where pumps dispense too much gas as well. A few weeks ago, Wadley closed down a pump that was giving away 12 gallons instead of 5.
"The industry actually wants us here because they don't want to be giving away product for free," says Wadley, who has been an inspector for 19 years. "But it's also consumer protection because they don't want to be getting less than they are supposed to be getting."
The Department of Agriculture says that 2.5 percent of pumps at gas stations statewide are inaccurate.

Fireworks prices go up

2008-08-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA - One local fireworks manager is seeing fewer customers from last year.
Doug Rayl is the manager of a Columbia fireworks station and has been selling them for two years. Compared to last year, he said he is getting fewer customers. However, Rayl doesn't blame the economy or gas prices but the weather. Some states are reporting higher fireworks prices, but at Rayl's stand, only a few prices have gone up.

"We've only had just a few items that have gone up in price from last year," said Rayl. "This is from $0.99 to $ 1.50. But you know almost everything at this station is almost the same price as it was last year with very few exceptions."

Bottle rockets are the most popular item. Their price has jumped from 99 cents to $1.50, which is a 50-percent jump from last year. Some customers have taken note of the price changes and are more conservative when it comes to spending.
"I didn't spent over 10 dollars and that's plenty," said customer Danielle Brechenridge. "The fireworks display this evening will be enough. And I really think that we could do without fireworks."
Rayl said there have been fewer customers, but those who have come, are spending more money. Price jumps have been for a number of reasons, including because of shorter supplies. China is the world's largest exporter of fireworks, but they have exported less because of some warehouse explosions.

Fertilizer prices going up

2008-08-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

ARMSTRONG - Farmers are paying more for production components such as feed and fertilizer.
The price of fertilizer increased 65 percent since last year.
Fertilizer and gas price increases are putting a burden on farmers like Joseph Fornili.
"Right now we have to downsize our production because the cost is too hard to maintain the amount of livestock that we were maintaining before. We're downsizing and keeping fewer of our animals. Raising feed and the cost of also stopped us from trying to expand to other avenues." said Fornili.

The result of increasing costs on Missouri farms is higher food prices.
This means consumers like Eric Kioh need to find new ways to manage their budgets for the time-being.
"I just buy different food. You go with the more off brands things. You don't stay as close with name brands and everything. We plan by weekly more than monthly. Monthly with the raising prices of everything is little too especially if you are on fixed income and stuff like that," said Kioh.

Farmers say they are not only paying more for just fertilizer, but also seed.

Dry Drowning

2008-08-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA - It sounds like a contradiction, but "dry drowning" is a term parents should get familiar with.
The case of a South Carolina boy who died more than an hour after he'd gone swimming has families on alert.
Rachel Jokerst brings her two sons for swimming lessons at Macher Swim School in Columbia. She is concerned about dry drowning, but she says swimming skills are more important.
"It is something to be worry about but I think that the benefits that you get from learning swimming at an early age are well surpass the small cases of dry drowning," said parent Rachel Jokerst.
We all know the symptoms of drowning: panic, distress and shortness of breath. When it comes to dry drowning symptoms are not as obvious. It can happen when a little water gets into the lungs. Lungs then close off, creating a vacuum and oxygen can't get inside. Symptoms can occur up to 24 hours after the incident. They include shortness of breath, extreme tiredness and strange changes in behavior. We all played and tried to hold our breath under water, but now experts say it might be dangerous.
Jimmy Heiner of the MU Aquatics Pool agreed that too much time underwater can lead to dry drowning.
"If people can get away from that whether it is excessive laps underwater, who can do most laps underwater or who can withhold their breath longer," stated Heiner.
The statistics about drowning are alarming. Every day there are 10 drownings nationwide. Dry drownings make up two of all incidents. Drowning is the second most common death reason in the U.S. next to driving. For more information on dry drowning, click on the link included.

Economic stimulus checks

2008-08-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

JEFFERSON CITY- The federal government has mailed out checks for $57 billion , but it turns out people may be saving their checks instead of spending them. With stimulus checks in circulation and Father's Day approaching, Missouri retailers were hoping for an increase in sales. But those hopes may not materialize. "Our polls are show that the vast majority of people planned either save or pay down debt," said David Overfelt of the Missouri Retailers Association. The intent was to put more money into the economy to increase consumer spending, but according to polls only one in five of persons will buy something. The rest will save their money.
Colleen Taylor runs a travel agency in Jefferson City. In a time when people pay 25 percent more for gasoline than they used to, she is seeing less interest in trips, especially to Europe. So far the federal government program has provided little stimulation for her business.
"It's not not happening, it's just not that much of the book as they predicted originally," said Taylor. The payments go on for another month and a half, giving retailers one last chance to try to grab some rebate cash.

Drinking and Boating

2008-08-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Making Copper Theft Tougher

2008-08-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

JEFFERSON CITY - If you would like to sell metals in Missouri, you'll soon need to show an ID.
The legislature passed a bill Thursday requiring scrap dealers to identify sellers and keep records of transactions over $50. Copper and other metal thefts have plagued the state since the value of those metals has risen dramatically.
The Central Electric Power Cooperative in Jefferson City is losing money because of the crime, and the replacement involves a lot of cost.
"Within the last two years, we've lost over $25,000 worth of copper just from our transmission cooperatives," Power Cooperative's Don Shaw said. "And statewide we've probably lost over $1 million worth of copper just among the electric cooperatives."
Copper was stolen from Central Electric Power Cooperative from various locations last year. As the company says, it is not the value of the copper, but the danger created by the theft that is the biggest concern.
Unfortunately, often the wire can still be hot, and oftentimes it leaves these unknowing individuals in danger of being electrocuted.
The bill will require anyone trying to sell more than $50 worth of metal will have to show an ID. Scrap dealers will have to keep records of transactions for 24 months. Payments of $500 or more will have to be made by check or other traceable method. Dealers who fail to keep history of purchases will face class a misdemeanor charge.
The bill also creates Class C felony from 1-7 years in prison for stealing and selling any utility infrastructure. Gov. Matt Blunt supports the bill and commended the legislature Thursday for its passage.

Disaster Closer to Home

2008-08-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA - While many MU students prepare for graduation, one group is focused on a much sadder situation 7,000 miles away. Chinese students stuck far away from loved ones are doing what they can in Missouri. When the earth shook in China, hearts beat faster in Columbia. Nan Li, a PhD student from China learned about the earthquake on the phone. She spoke briefly to her family in Chengdu. They felt the quake, but everyone there is OK.

"I felt panic, I felt like I should be with my family, with them at the moment," Li said. "I also know that I couldn't do very much. I feel helpless, I couldn't concentrate on anything."
Li and her friends are now asking for donations on campus and they have had the role of informing a lot of fellow students about what happened.

"And they think that we're doing a good thing to help those people. And they are really generous to help us. I really appreciate that," said Peng Chuang, a computer science student.

So far more than 15,000 people died in the earthquake, but the total number of those affected is estimated at 15 million. That's three times as many as Missouri's population. So far, the students have raised more than $2,500. Li and her friends will be back to their stand at Memorial Union trying to fill the bucket with more cash. Chinese students will also hold a fundraiser at Wal-Mart on Conley Road this weekend.

Sales Tax Holidays

2008-08-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA - As students head back to those schools this fall, the state has set up a tax holiday to help make supplies cheaper. The holiday started Friday and runs through Sunday. But while people enjoy a state tax break for certain supplies, most mid-Missouri cities and counties will will still be charging their sales taxes. This is the fifth year for the sales tax holiday. School clothes, supplies, software and computers will be exempt from the 4.2 - 2 cent state sales tax. Columbia and Jefferson City are among those cities that decided to collect their local taxes.
Columbia city manager Bill Watkins said the state is not only slighting its own budget but also hurting Columbia's.

"You know, I think it's kind of ludicrous that state government is..., the state government is having budget problems. They are already screaming what 2010 is going to be.. tries to decrease revenue for cities.. by giving sales tax exempts," said Watkins. Parents say they will try to take advantage of the holiday. It's always nice, every extra money helps. If we can get to shopping this weekend, we'll do it," said parent Rene Miserez. On average, families will spend more than $500 on school supplies per child. For the full list of the places that opted out from the tax holiday, check out the link to the left.

Law and Order

2008-08-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

JEFFERSON CITY - In Jefferson City and Cole County, police and prosecutors are facing an uphill battle against drug crime. Real-life law and order is not glamorous or quick. "TV gives the public a skewed view of what actually happens in day to day operations of police department," Lieutenant D.W. Williams said. "Law and Order" cops wrap up their cases in less than 30 minutes, not so for real police. "People think when they call the police that it's like on TV," Williams said. "You get 200 policemen to handle your burglary. And that's not how the case goes." Every emergency call in Cole County goes to the 9-1-1 center. And when people reach out for help, they often expect things to work exactly like on TV, sometimes causing emotions to take over on the other end of the phone. For shift supervisor Williams, every night is different.
"You have to able to be compassionate some times, and you have to be able to be aggressive sometimes," Williams said. And the job can sometimes be stressful. "It has it days of excitement, but all in all it's not excitement every day. And I'm thankful for that," Williams said. Unlike in the show, in real life the prosecutor picks up where the police leave off.

The Cole County prosecuting attorney handles about 700 felony cases a year, and more than 200,000 misdemeanor cases. "For our county size we feel that we're sometimes too busy for the size of county we have," prosecuting attorney Mark Richardson said. "We should have less crime." Richardson says there's one driving force behind crime in Cole County: "a large part due to illegal drug use and addictions." Drug crimes are between 85 and 90 percent of the crime rate.
Richardson says the speedy forensic work on TV is also misleading. "There is a perpetuation, a little bit of a myth by the entertainment industry that all criminal cases are solved by scientific testing, and that's not what actually occurs," Richardson said. In 90 percent of cases prosecutors don't have or cannot develop scientific evidence. So they must rely on old fashioned means, like witness testimony and statements from suspects. Still, Richardson says TV shows raise expectations among potential jurors. "The higher burden comes from jurors watching a TV show that's one percent based on truth and 99 percent based on fiction for entertainment value," Richardson said. "So they come in to a hear a case and they don't see scientific evidence. So they go back to the jury room and they say 'well, I've seen this on a TV show and the police could have gotten that evidence."A lack of physical evidence can benefit defense attorneys, who rely on jurors who want to see scientific proof. "And if that were the standard we would have a lot of people who are guilty going free," said Richardson. And that's not the goal of real-life law and order. Those who seek justice work very hard, but one common complaint with Jefferson City police concerns the pay. In Jefferson City, the pay starts around $36,000.

A follow-up after a two-year-old child murder in Columbia

2008-08-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

A two year old was beaten to death in an impoverish neighborhood in Columbia. I volunteered to do a follow up the day after. It was probably the most difficult story I have ever covered. I tried talking to the neighbors but no one would go on camera. The grandmother gave me a picture of the two year old but understandably she didn't want to talk. I later came back and talked to her for a while, but when asked if she declined to go on camera. I hanged out in the neighborhood for a few more hours and finally got to talk to kids.

Story synopsis

COLUMBIA - In addition to police, murder victim Cortez Johnson's neighbors are searching for answers to the unsolved tragedy. People living on Elleta Boulevard say they didn't expect the incident to happen. The neighbors are shocked about what happened to two year-old Cortez, and the local children expressed their emotions, as well. Kids who play outside Cortez's apartment won't remember him as Cortez Johnson; they called him "Buckie." The kids used to push Buckie around in a small toy car. "He was fun and he was nice," Buckie's seven year-old neighbor Nakwon Harris said. "He would hand me his ball and then he would have me throw it to him." Buckie's grandmother described him as a cheerful child who liked to play. "I used to let him play with our football and stuff," said nine year-old Quintone Christian. "And let him play with our toys." When his friends play at the playground now, Cortez, or "Buckie," won't be there. But the memories of the fun spent together in the playground will stay with them. A feeling all the children can agree to is that they miss him. The family did not comment on camera, but Cortez's grandmother described murder suspect Horace Johnson as not a good person. A person who used to be in Bible study with Cortez's mother described Keyonda Lumpkin as a nice person who didn't always make the best choices.