Coco Waller

Coco: Off To See The Wizard

On the Yellow Brick Road, of course.    

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Larry and Jane Conklin examine the camera found in their luggage

Day 4: Lost Camera Mystery

I consider myself a lucky reporter when I get to do a light feature story. I’m usually assigned to murder, mayhem, scams or schemes. It’s always been that way. But not today.

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junk desk

Day 3: Planning Day

I had a feeling this would happen when I decided to chronicle 100 Days of TV News. I’ve been given what my bosses at WYFF News 4 refer to as a “planning day.” That is, no on-air reporting. No electronic news gathering. Just a day to sit at my desk and develop promotable stories for the sweeps month of November.

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Donna Putney of Honea Path

Day 2: The Egg Lady

Today’s assignment took us to Honea Path where Donna Putney raises “free range” chickens. The question before us was, are local egg producers seeing an increase in sales because of the nationwide egg recall?

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Mark shoots the obligatory "postcard" shots of downtown.

100 Days of Television News

My biggest regret as a TV reporter is that I haven’t documented my travels very well. It’s a shame, because in 26 years, I have been almost everywhere, and I’ve seen almost everything.

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Coco: Off To See The WizardDay 4: Lost Camera MysteryDay 3: Planning DayDay 2: The Egg Lady100 Days of Television News

Aug
26

Day 4: Lost Camera Mystery

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August 26, 2010

I consider myself a lucky reporter when I get to do light feature stories.   I’m usually assigned to murder, mayhem, scams or schemes.   It’s always been that way.   But not today.   My story was entitled, Lost Camera Mystery, and it took me to the home of Larry and Jane Conklin of Travelers Rest.

Larry and Jane Conklin examine the camera found in their luggage

I’ll save the nuts & bolts of this story for WYFF4.com.   In short, the Conklins found a mystery camera in their luggage after returning from a trip.   After excellent sleuth work, they traced it to a man in Winston-Salem, North Carolina who is none other than former USC basketball star Danny Traylor.

Conklin found Traylor with help from a television station in Winston-Salem that agreed to broadcast his picture.  A local viewer identified the “7 foot tall” man as his daughter’s school teacher.

News 4 Chief Photographer Don Jackson gets the shot

I’d love to do more stories just like this one.

Larry & Jane Conklin and Tim Waller

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Permanent link to this article: http://timwaller.com/2010/08/26/day-4-the-mystery-camera/

Aug
25

Day 3: Planning Day

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August 25, 2010

I had a feeling this would happen when I decided to chronicle 100 Days of TV News.    I’ve been given what my bosses at WYFF News 4 refer to as a “planning day.”   That is, no on-air reporting.  No electronic news gathering.  Just a day to sit at my desk and develop promotable stories for the sweeps month of November.

That’s me.  The sweeps guy.  The Looking Out 4 You dude.  The reporter who blows the lid off of…something.   But what?   Don’t worry.  It’s not like I’m sitting here starting from scratch.  I have my eye on several big investigations.

They are somewhere to the left of the box of microwave popcorn.

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Permanent link to this article: http://timwaller.com/2010/08/25/day-3-the-planning-day/

Aug
24

Day 2: The Egg Lady

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August 24, 2010

Today’s assignment took us to Honea Path where Donna Putney raises “free range” chickens.   The question before us was, are local egg producers seeing an increase in sales because of the nationwide egg recall?

Yes.  No.  Maybe.  Hard to say.  You see, demand for Putney’s locally-produced eggs is already high.   Just ask Whole Foods Market on Woodruff Road, where Putney’s eggs are proudly sold.

Donna Putney of Honea Path

The fun part was watching News 4 photojournalist Johnny Bates trying to get shots of hens sitting on their eggs.  “The girls,” as Putney calls them, were quite nervous.  I guess they don’t like having their pictures taken.

JB zooms in for the shot!

We left Putney’s home with a new appreciation for her “free range” chickens that produce eggs of different colors.   She even gave us an awesome new coffee mug that says, Upstate Locally Grown Market.

Thanks Donna!

Tim Waller and Donna Putney

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Permanent link to this article: http://timwaller.com/2010/08/24/day-2-the-egg-lady/

Aug
23

100 Days of Television News

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August 23, 2010

My biggest regret as a TV reporter is that I haven’t documented my travels very well.  It’s a shame, because in 26 years, I have been almost everywhere, and I’ve seen almost everything.    I have forgotten more stories than I actually remember, which is why I’m thinking about posting pics of my newest “travels” right here…on this blog.   I said I’m thinking about it.   I’m not sure I will actually do it, or will even remember to do it.   But it’s a fun project to think about.  Plus, it’ll give me something to do on “slow news days” like today…

…when I went to the City of Anderson, SC with photographer Mark Lyon for a Project Economy story.

Mark shoots the obligatory "postcard" shots of downtown.

Equal to, and perhaps even more important than the story at hand was, when did this restaurant open, and why didn’t we know about it?

J. Peters Grill & Bar in Anderson, SC

Fortunately, we resisted the urge to try it.   Doing so would’ve been  “expensive.”

Ticketing cars outside the restaurant

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Permanent link to this article: http://timwaller.com/2010/08/23/100-days-of-television-news/

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