Early voting cuts down on waiting outside in 30 degree temps

My voting center at a church on Heatherdowns Blvd. in Toledo, Ohio.

My good friends Melinda and Chris, right, cast their ballots.

 
 There was no long line streaming out of the door here today, thanks to early voters! Though I did have to stand in line on the inside for about 45 minutes, which is the longest I've ever had to wait.
    I am proud to be an American who has the freedom to vote, and then capture the voting process with a cell phone!
  

A visit to Kent State University brings back awesome memories!

I am a proud Kent Stater!

   Kent State University is where I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in photojournalism in 1991, and it's also my current graduate school.
    I traveled to KSU yesterday to work on my Master's Project paper, a requirement to graduate. The project entails developing and ultimately teaching a photography course in Northwest Ohio for high school teachers who teach or manage student photographers in any way.
   Behind the KSU sign is Franklin Hall, the state-of-the-art Journalism and Mass Communications building. The journalism building used to be located at Taylor Hall, closer to where the infamous Kent State shootings took place May 4, 1970.
   I once stood outside of Taylor Hall, at the bottom of the hill that was so popular for sledding with cafeteria trays in the winter, and spoke at the 19th commemoration of May 4 as an openly gay National Guard soldier. I was certain that was going to be the demise of my Army career, but for some reason I escaped career suicide. I retired from the military in 2000, after 21 years of being a military journalist.
   Graduation is Dec. 14. It took me five years of study in the Journalism Educator online program. I am frantically finalizing the project thesis. I needed an experienced librarian's help to find additional scholarly work, which is why I made the trip. My committee co-chair, Candace Bowen, said I have to hustle to get it done, but it can be done.
   You can read about my Master's Project writing trials and tribulations on my personal blog: toledophotog.blogspot.com (Lori King's Blog).

Hicksville, Ohio is much more than its name

A quaint little motel/RV resort in Hicksville, Ohio.

   Toledo Blade reporter Tyrel Linkhorn and I traveled to Hicksville, Ohio for two days last month for the Decision 2012: The View from MAIN STREET series.
   Hicksville is one of several Ohio small towns, including Lima, Archbold and Pemberville, that Blade reporters examined to find out the political climate throughout Northwest, Ohio.
   We were concerned about finding a place to stay, considering Hicksville is, well, Hicksville. It's in Defiance County, near the Indiana border, and is only 2.5 square miles. It's in the middle of nowhere. The editors wanted all reporter/photographer teams to stay in the towns we featured. So, to our relief, Hicksville has a small but lovely motel right outside of town. What made this place so unique is that right behind the motel there were about half a dozen electrical and water hookups for RVs!
   Hicksville, with a population of under 4,000, is a quaint little farmers town surrounded by industry, farmland and homes as costly as $365,900! I love strolling up and down Main Street, talking to the residents, and eating in several of the seven restaurants. You read me right. Seven restaurants!
   To read the article and view the photos, click here.

Crystal Bowersox sings praises for the Obama campaign

American Idol finalist Crystal Bowersox sings for Obama campaign...then goes door to door in Sylvania. Can you imagine getting a knock at your door and there stands Crystal? She has joined a few big stars on the Obama campaign trail, including Bruce Springsteen.

Basic guidelines on cameras in the courtrooms

Lucas County Court deputy Barry Wilson hangs out in courtroom 5 prior to the start of a murder sentencing. (By Lori King)

   In Ohio, media are allowed cameras (with permission) in county and municipal courtrooms, but not Federal or the Court of Appeals. Each court has their own rules, as well.

• For example, Lucas County courts don't allow flash, but I've witnessed flash use in a few small-town courts. I was a bit shocked that the judge said nothing. Rule of thumb: though it's ultimately up to the individual judges,  I wouldn't recommend using a flash in court.
• A few judges let media take photos in the jury box as long as the jury box is empty. This is often preferable because we get a better shot of the attorneys, prosecutors and defendants. But other judges prefer we stay in the back, behind the gallery. This only allows us to shoot (no pun intended) the backs of heads.
• Lucas County judges do not allow media to start shooting until the judge begins the trial or sentencing; we can't show hand cuffs on the defendant until he is proven guilty; and we are not allowed to shoot anyone in the gallery. We also must have permission from the witnesses before we can shoot them. But in Toledo Municipal Court, we can basically shoot anyone at anytime.
• In the county courthouse, media can shoot defendants in the hallways as they are being escorted in and out by sheriff deputies, although it's standard for us to shoot them as they are leaving the courtroom. However, the last time I tried to shoot in the hallway at the Municipal Court, a deputy sheriff got nervous and told me I couldn't. I still have to check on that because I'm pretty sure we can. I wasn't willing to create a scene over something that wasn't that important at the time.

  The bottom line is to always ask the court bailiff what the rules are when shooting in a particular court for the first time. This will keep you out of hot water and on the good side of the judge.
   See this state-by-state guideline to find out which states allow cameras in court.
 

Wonder what was so intriguing...could be the NPPA tweet

My 100th Twitter follower! Thanks, Sophie! Both Sophie and her brother Rex love to follow the tiny mouse arrow on the screen.

   This is when having a cell phone close by is really beneficial. Otherwise, I would have been forced to get out of my chair, go to my car, grab my camera, put a memory card in it, come back in the house, and hope that Sophie resumes her position.
   But with a cell phone,  I simply reached for it, turned off the flash and CLICK.
   Moment captured.

Fall camping at Maumee Bay State Park

Camping in our new RV at Maumee Bay State Park this weekend...possibly our last trip of the season. From left: Jolee, Quinn, Sierra and Sam.

Making apple butter for the Apple Butter Fest

Gary Miller stirs apple butter in preperation for the APPLE BUTTER FEST in Grand Rapids, Ohio on Sunday, Oct. 14. Volunteers are making the apple butter at Kryder Farms in McClure.

Blade reporter lunches at old-fashioned diner

Blade reporter Tyrel Linkhorn and me brainstorming on the political profile of Archbold, Ohio for a Sunday edition expose. We are at MOM's Diner, and he is admiring the blast-from-the-past decor.

Kate touts rustwire.com in the classroom. Students will be shooting their individual photo stories for
this awesome website that features stories and photos about the rust belt, which includes Toledo.

2012 Frogtown Races on the Maumee River in Toledo.

The amazing world of mobile phone cell phone posts

Forecast is rain...on my sunroof.

   I just set up a text message system on my Droid that sends a cell photo straight to this cell phone page.
  Now we can tweet and blog photos from our cell phones. Cell phone photos will not replace traditional DSLR cameras, but they are a nice diversion, and students can shoot spot news at any time, even when their cameras are at home or in their cars.
  I am in awe of technology! 
  
  

Leading by example, thanks to my great students!

          Screen capture of a wall display at the Fine & Performing Arts Center at Owens.

   This is the first cell phone photo that I actually uploaded using the Twitter app. I then did a screen grap of the tweet so I can use this as a test for the new Cell Phone Photos page on the class blog. 
   Each student is required to have a cell phone page on their main blogs. Since they are required to do so, I better have one myself!
   Thanks, Jen, for being the first student to accomplish this task, which required setting up a separate blog just for cell phone photography, and then providing the URL for the new page on the main blog. Easy enough.