laurenspuhler.com

Earlier this month while on assignment, strong winds blew over a video camera and tripod on a mountaintop in Cherokee, NC. To my horror, the view finder completely broke off from the base of the camera. The camera was rolling while this all happened, and you can see the footage in the video below.

Since I was almost two hours from work, I needed to continue to use the broken camera. I employed the “hail Mary” approach and prayed whatever I was taping included my interview subject in some part of the frame. His head was actually square in the middle of the shot. Not ideal, but at least he was there.

The assignment was a video profile of John Grant Jr. in the Songs of Appalachia video series I produce each month with reporter Morgan Simmons.

On Thursday morning at midnight, a one-mile portion of Interstate-40 through downtown Knoxville shutdown for a 14-month construction project.

I shot and edited this video of the closure. It was really awesome to watch up close and happened surprisingly quick and without noticeable problems.

Find extensive coverage of the SmartFIX40 closure by News Sentinel traffic reporter Don Jacobs.

For the second time this year, The Knoxville News Sentinel has been named a finalist in three categories in a national online awards competition. We won three Digital Edge Awards earlier this year, and now have been named finalists for three 2008 EPpy™ Awards for the Best Media-Affiliated Internet Services.

knoxnews/GoVolsXtra are finalists in best site design, best overall news site and best sports site in our circulation category. Jack Lail has more details on who contributed to this awesome announcement here.

Find a full list of 2008 EPpy™ finalists.

I’ve been on knoxnews.com everyday for three years and have never had this kind of luck.

A co-worker passed along a blog link revealing that two of our online commenters found each other - and love - through the comment area on knoxnews.com!

I wasn’t looking.
Neither was she.
And it started happening.
I still can’t believe it.

Read more about the chance meeting.

Breaking, exciting news for knoxnews.com: We won three Digital Edge awards this weekend for Best News Site, Most Innovative User Participation (School Matters, managed by Web goddess Jigsha Desai) and Best Site Design this weekend at the NAA conference in Orlando.

Last year, knoxnews.com won for RandomThis video blog.

See a full list of winners here.