Pedley’s Ponderings

Old Year reflections

     Not a lot happens on the news front during the final week of the year. People leave the area to visit family for Christmas, school is out, and there aren’t any meetings scheduled. An early print deadline scrunches time even further, so stories often become few and far between.

     There’s always a few opportunities to fill some space, however. As you can see in this week’s edition, we opted to go the reminiscent route and reflect on the 13 biggest stories of 2013. You may disagree with the rankings or think certain stories should be replaced with others, but it’s a pretty comprehensive list of events that made the year memorable.

     2013 was indeed interesting. Some stories were harder to swallow than others, but that’s the nature of the beast – if there’s good news, there’s probably going to be some bad news that follows.

     Compiling the list wasn’t as easy as one might think. There’s always a few stories you toil over. Maybe it should go in, maybe it shouldn’t; maybe it should be higher on the list, maybe it should be lower. In any case, this is the list that we came up with.

     As I put it together and looked back on all the old editions that comprised 2013, I got to thinking about my first six months on the job. It’s been interesting to say the least, but the stories have no doubt helped me improve as a journalist and evolve as a writer.

     My most memorable moment thus far came during my second week on the job. I was coming back from doing the Cerro Gordo County courthouse news in Mason City and was just northeast of Chapin on Highway 65. It was rather stormy towards the west, but I didn’t think much of it. After all, I’ve endured many summer thunderstorms in Iowa, so why would this one be any different?

     I was getting sick of hearing those annoying radio weather warnings screech out of my speakers so I shut it off. I looked to my right, and to my surprise saw a tornado tearing through the countryside far off in the distance. Luckily, I had my camera with me. I pulled over, got out and started firing away.

     I got back into my car and headed west to get a better view. I went through Chapin and could see the storm was still five-plus miles away. The twister had gone back up, but the storm wasn’t finished. I gradually crept closer and closer as rain pelted my windshield.

     Another tornado dropped down three miles away from me. I rolled down my window, stuck my camera as close to it as I could and drove down a gravel road shooting photos along the way. I remember worrying about going in the ditch, but that soon changed.

     I figured I had enough, so I turned around and headed for safer territory. However, as I took one last fleeting glance at the storm I saw two twisters starting to form. I remember trying to calm down, but I couldn’t talk myself out of turning around to get a few more shots of these unique dualing tornadoes.

     I had enough after that. The storm had gotten within less than a mile of me, and I could see dirt swirling in the field next to me. I turned around for good, trembling like a leaf and terrified.

     That June 12 storm was a very special opportunity. Not often do you get to see such a spectacle during the day, and I’m so very thankful that I had my camera. You just can’t take a bad photo of a tornado.

     Events like that are what make my job worth it. I’ve been asked on more than a few occassions about what I like to cover most. Honestly, there’s no good answer. Each and every story presents its own unique challenges, no matter how small or large they may appear.

     I don’t know what the future has in store for 2014, but I can’t wait to find out. There’s going to be both good news and bad, but that’s the give and take of journalism – there’s something fresh every day.

     Nick Pedley is the editor of the Hampton Chronicle, The Sheffield Press and Pioneer Enterprise.