Recent Posts
Posted August 7, 2008 11:40:13 PM
Good morning ...
It's just past midnight and we're coming down to the wire after having covered election night in a new way and on a new cycle: 24/7.
We published the early voting and absentee ballot totals just after 8 p.m., and had the final results online before 9 p.m.
In the midst of it all was, for the first time, video coverage, including a post-victory interviews with Doug Overbey, David Duggan and Brad Long, as well as Duggan's victory speech.
It's been a long day for your hometown media, but as the newspaper -- and, now Web site -- of record, it's no less than what we promise as
The 24/7 Daily Times.
»Full Story
Posted August 7, 2008 5:47:35 PM
Daily Times reporter Mark Boxley has a story on candidate Mike Meares' press release and Blount County Election Commission's response. Go to
"Meares' campaign alleges false information, intimidation."
»Full Story
Posted August 7, 2008 4:43:38 PM
We're checking out the Mike Meares campaign's press release claiming "Election Officials Providing False and Misleading Information in Blount County." Watch
TheDailyTimes.com.»Full Story
Posted August 7, 2008 3:19:32 PM
I've been so busy leading the Web Development Team that I was itching to get out in the field. So I volunteered to be a part of our Tennessee Primaries and Blount County General Election coverage.
To start with, I did a spot-check of several polling stations, including Maryville Municipal, Everett and Eagleton Gym, where the Trexlers used to vote before moving back across the river into West Knoxville. I chatted with poll worker Jean Simerly and jokingly had the pollsters check to make sure I was no longer on the rolls. (I was not on the rolls.) I also explained that it was sort of back to the future in our household as we were now trying to move to this side of river. (It's the gypsy in me, I guess, that keeps me moving back and forth.)
One of the things that I noticed was how incredibly slow it was at the polls, particularly with the heated contests between the two judges, David Duggan and Mike Meares. I also noticed that each of the three places I visited during the lunch hour had sign-carrying Meares campaign workers, lonely as they were with the light turnout.
Dave Ballard, of Maryville, was found holding a Meares sign at Maryville Municipal during the lunch hour, where he had been stationed since 11 a.m. "I don't think there's been a lot (of voters) so far."
There were a couple of Meares supporters holding signs outside of the Everett polling station, one of whom said she was a neighbor of Duggan's, but didn't want to provide her name.
When I visited the polls, Meares workers were the only ones standing post.
Here at Blount County Election Commission, Don Walker, Bob Carroll, Larry Garner, Ben Rauhuff and others are holding court at a roundtable discussing everything from hauling hay, to the state of the school system, to the difference between the work ethic of yesteryear compared to today. They are gracious enough to let me offer a comment, or two, and Walker even asks if I have a problem that needs solving.
I think I'll make my way to the coffee pot ...
»Full Story
Posted July 16, 2008 3:02:16 PM
The Newsroom has a daily "budget" meeting where we decide what stories are running where in the print and online edition. The principals in that meeting are generally "line editors," representing various sections/departments in the Newsroom. We go over the local stories, as well as the "wire budget" from The Associated Press and make decisions about Page 1A, as well as the inside pages.
Another decision that is made is the content of the Daily Poll. Given that readers enjoyed Monday's Daily Poll question so much -- "Who will you vote for in the State Senate race?" -- we decided today's question should be "Who will you vote for in the Circuit Court judge race?"
If you have suggested future Daily Poll ideas,
e-mail me.The accompanying graphic is where the poll stood at 3:13 p.m. today.
»Full Story
Posted July 15, 2008 2:43:17 PM
It was Sen. Raymond Finney's Fans vs. Rep. Doug Overbey's Devotees with the Daily Poll, and it appears Finney Fans had the quicker fingers.
We know that the Daily Poll is "For Entertainment Purposes Only," and we hope most of you do, too.
For that reason, we get a system alert when it appears the poll is being "run up." If it the number of votes surpass a certain number, we receive an alert and begin to watch the poll to see if one side is running up the numbers. If they are, we sometimes make the decision to "stall" the poll.
In the case of Monday's Daily Poll, it appeared both sides were charging ahead with "clicks." Given that it was not one-sided, we let the poll run. (I tried to post the results as a graphic file, but I discovered late this evening it was glitched. I will try again on Wednesday.)
At some point, we will be able initiate software controls to prevent the run-ups, because there are individuals who work around the current control.
Interestingly enough, certain institutional topics generate the most run-ups.
We'll leave it to our readers to ascertain what institutions tend to be the most contributors.
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