City Budget Outline

I. What will happen?
A. 30 employees laid off
B. Close libraries for a week
C. Pay cuts, unpaid vacations
D. Cut $13.3 million from budget

II. Why did it happen?
A. Midyear $29.5 million budget shortfall
B. "Worst economic crisis"

III. Expansion on ideas
A.Where cuts will take place

IV. Reactions
A. City employees planning "informational picket" outside city hall
B. Library employees union negotiating
C. Public hearing
D. More budget problems coming

Comma Exercise

Correct the following sentences. If the sentence is already correct, write “correct.”

1. He looked through the door, but he did not see anyone inside the church.

2. "We could wait to see if anyone else came, or we could go back home," she said.

3. Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, was elected Secretary of State in 2000.

4. The organization paid the speaker $1,000, but its officers were unable to attend the event.

5. According to Washington state law, bars will become smoke-free on Feb. 15.

6. He saw Karen and they had coffee.

7. The bales are then sold to a processing center in Tacoma, Wash., which ships them to Moscow, Idaho.

8. It was raining, we stayed home.Correct

9. Later he phoned again. Correct

10. This will end up having an effect on consumers, she said.

11. He introduced the speaker to Floyd, Moos and Wulff.

Order Exercise

 The city council passed a ban on alcoholic energy drinks at its meeting on Wednesday.
 First, the city council discussed its consent agenda. Then it discussed whether local residents should be able to buy energy drinks that contain alcohol.
 The council then discussed public intoxication, the threat to student health, and whether any laws prevented the council from banning the drinks.
 “These college kids are out of control and caffeinated booze is the only cause,” said Councilman Arlen Judge. “A ban will solve all our problems at once.”
 Students planned to protest the meeting, but only two students attended the meeting.
 “We’re being hit with tuition increases and more debt. Please don’t take away our cheap buzz,” said Will Wilson, a 24-year-old undeclared sophomore.
 Finally, after 45 minutes of debate, the City Council voted unanimously to ban alcoholic energy drinks within city limits. 
“This ban will finally restore order to College Hill,” said Judith Peterson, a 44-year-old podiatrist who lives near campus.
The meeting began at 7 p.m. It was held at City Hall, 1492 Constitution Ave.  It was a public meeting, and the public was invited to attend. 

Whitman County Agenda Exercise

Whitman County Agenda
2.a. The Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee is conducting a meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday.
b. 509-397-5240 for more details

3. a.Chairman is Greg Partch
b. Commissioner Michael Largent
c. Contract #E11-119

4. a.4 cases
b. Washington State- 600,000.
c. Whitman County- 360
d. Should wait to distribute the vaccine.
e. A top health official advised Whitman County to wait to release H1N1 vaccines until more are available.

Pullman City Council
a. Francis Benjamin and Keith Bloom
b. A motion to accept the bid of Grange Supply Company, Inc., for 2011 fuel
A motion to approve a contract with Whitman County Humane Society, Inc., for 2011

ASWSU
a. Trying to get nutrition back into the school systems. Trying to create a healthy
choice cookbook for a fundraiser on campus to help buy pedometers for middle
school students.
b. Senator Tristan Hanon

Active vs. Passive

Would you change the following sentences? If not, why not? Rewrite those that need clarification.

1. Rubber coated bullets were fired into the crowd by police in riot gear.

Active: Police in riot gear fired rubber coated bullets into the crowd.

2. Later in the day, the employees were informed of the layoffs by the boss himself.

Active: Later in the day, the boss informed the employees of layoffs.

3. With five seconds left, a three-point shot was missed by LeBron James.

Active: LeBron James missed a three-point shot with five seconds left.

4. Participants in the survey were asked about their changes in political affiliation.

Active: The survey asked participants about their changes in political affiliation.

5. Tall buildings and mountain roads were avoided by Raoul because he had such a fear of heights.

Active: Raoul avoided tall buildings and mountain roads because he had such a fear of heights.

6. The bill is being considered by the Legislature.

Active: The Legislature is considering the bill.

7. The tiny island has been destroyed by the earthquake.

Active: An earthquake destroyed the tiny island.

8. The class is reading the book.

This isn't passive

9. An experimental operation was performed at the hospital yesterday.

I wouldn't change this sentence because we don't know anything about who performed the experimental operation.

10. The wheat field was covered by debris from the downed airliner.

Active: The downed airliner covered the wheat field in debris.

Fire Story

Four people died in an apartment fire near the Idaho border this morning.

The Pullman and Moscow fire departments responded to the fire at 1172 S. Columbia Avenue at 7:30 a.m. this morning.  All of the victims were from the first floor apartment. Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene.  Two other victims were taken to Pullman Medical Center where they were later prnounced dead.

No other residents in the apartment building suffered injuries.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. A gasoline canister was found near the door of the apartment.

“We are investigating whether the fire was intentional or accidental,” said Whitman Country Proescutor Paula T. Doe.  “The presence of a gasoline canister has raised concerns.”

Police have made no further comments on the fire.

“We have opened an initial investigation into this fire,” said Pullman Police Detective William Miles. “At this point, we cannot comment furtehr. We will hold a press conference at 4:00 p.m. today to provide more details.”

The house has extensive smoke, fire and water damage. Fire officials said the fire destroyed more than $1 million in property.

The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office is offering up to a $10,000 reward as part of their CrimeStoppers Program for any details about this fire. Anyone with information about this incident should contact law enforecement.

Intro to Ethics

1. Citing unnamed sources, three rival news outlets break a big story on the arrest of a college athlete. Police have not yet released any information and refuse to comment. You choose to run a story even though your own sources are the competing media outlets. Do you need to attribute this information to other media, or is it in the public domain?

Attribute it to other media

2. A source at the county gives us “Top Secret” documents about an investigation into a suspected drug ring on campus. He tells us he made copies of the documents, which is against county rules. Can you use them? Should you use them?

They shouldn't be used since they are against the rules.

3. Police and social workers have found several instances of children in elementary school sniffing aerosol propellant gases – hairspray, WhipCream canisters and paint. They want to raise public awareness about the issue, but they cannot name the underage children or release the reports. Rather than identifying a child, you should create a caricature of a typical child, based on details provided by police and social workers. How do you respond?

This is one way to release the information to warn parents without naming any names or releasing the reports to the public.

4.The U.S. Army offers to fly you and several other journalists to Afghanistan -- all-expenses paid -- to highlight the Army’s humanitarian work in the region. Each journalist will be assigned an Army spokesperson who will accompany them throughout the trip. Journalists must agree to report only on the humanitarian work -- building schools, repairing infrastructure and coat drives. The journalists cannot report on military conflicts in the region. Should you go?

I don't think you should go because the Army is making unfair requests of you to only tell the public what they want you to.

SPJ Code of Ethics

1. Never Plagarize.
2. Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
3. Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
4. Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
5. Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.
6. Be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.
7. Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
8. Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
9. Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news.
10. Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.