Newscoma

I’m headed to Nashville today to attend the Online News Association’s Journalism Has A Future conference.

The conference will feature some of the best and brightest from around the state working in the news business.

It’s probably a good thing I’m headed to Nashville for the day. Here in Hoots, there is no bread, I had to go to five different places to find a gallon of milk last night and every hotel room is booked with folks who have come down from Kentucky. We found out that most of the hotels to Jackson are booked with people escaping the storm from as far as Mayfield, Murray and Paducah.

Lines of cars were at nearly every gas station yesterday. One woman at a local convenience store told me yesterday that the store’s supply trucks come from Paducah, which is going to make things ticky if they can’t get down and resupply their stores with supplies and gasoline.

Even Squirrel Queen’s mother has been without electricity for days (she does have heat.)

And, on the other hand, yesterday Editor Bates and I were dealing with one of the nastiest child abuse cases I’ve ever seen. For me, that’s saying a lot, because I used to work in victims’ assistance with battered women and children.

Why I need a conference like the one up above came into play yesterday as we found out pictures of the child, who is in Le Bohneur in Memphis, are circulating throughout the community with folks sending cell phone pictures of the little girl on a ventilator.

The photos went to hundreds of people. It currently sits in my cell phone as well.

This is a new one to me, I have to tell you, although I’m not surprised.

This kid is in a coma after being beaten for bed wetting and has already had four operations this week including the removal of her GI tract. Her entire internal system is destroyed. The perp is in jail on a $150,000 bond on felony assault charges. Yes, he confessed. Asshat.

Last night, I was feeling very stabby about who could do that to a child.

I won’t be in Nashville long enough to visit some of my blogger buddies as I have to get back to Hoots, but I am looking forward to the conference.