Our jobs are not glamorous: sweating it in the heat

Tuesday night I am airing my investigation on questionable dentists operating out of non-traditional offices: one in a private Denver home and the other in the back room of am Aurora business.

After a tip saying an unlicensed dentist was treating people in west Denver, we sent two 9NEWS employees undercover to see what treatment she offered.

We staged an undercover car across the street from the home and waited inside until she got home. It took hours in the heat.

Read my 9NEWS investigation: http://on9news.tv/18o14jT

We didn’t want to draw attention to our car or the fact there were several people inside, so we turned off the air conditioning.

After minutes in the hot, sunny weather we were covered in sweat. I think it’s dripping off my nose in this picture as I was making a phone call.

Yea, it was gross. We don’t think anyone saw us though… unlike what happened when we later went inside a piñata store on East Colfax.  I put the moment we were “found” in my story. It airs Tuesday night at 9 and 10 p.m. on 9NEWS.

Thank you, Loveland. I can't wait to 'pay it forward.'

Thank you. I can't wait to 'pay it forward.' Three great experiences today:

1) I was nearly yelling into the phone about flood coverage as I sat in the Safeway parking lot. The lady in the car facing mine obviously saw me and smiled through our windshields. After I returned from the store... she stuck her head out of her window and, in the kindest voice, told me how much she appreciates all 9NEWS is doing.


2) As set my stuff at a table outside Starbucks to feed a story back via WiFi, a man who had trouble walking came up from across the parking lot to say 'thank you' for our coverage.

3) About 20 minutes later, a Starbucks manager came outside and asked if I had eaten enough today. If not, she said, she wanted to offer me a bite to eat.

With so much devastation, it's inspiring to see communities be kind & giving. I like the people of Loveland, Colo.


(The pictures to the left are from God's Country Cowboy Church. "Where there isn't water, there is mud.")

I tried to be trendy on my way to work #Car2Go

These cars are everywhere. Last week I signed up for the promotion offering membership and 30 free minutes.

This morning I decided to check our how it all works and was pleasantly surprised after a small hiccup.

My first car didn't work so I couldn't "check it out." I spent five minutes waiting on hold for tech support.

Luckily there was another car a couple blocks away.

The iPhone app makes finding and reserving a car simple.

Remembering Aurora... #RememberAurora

I'm finding it hard to express my thoughts as I remember what happened in Aurora a year ago. Like so many people, I recall the phone call telling me what happened, I remember the looks on first responders faces and I remember the increased sadness as we started getting pictures of victims' faces.

I remember trying to keep my emotions collected as we reported on this tragedy for hours.

I've covered and lived through many, many anniversaries. This one feels different.

Struggling to balance need for news speed & concerns over getting the full story

UPDATE: 6:16 p.m., June 11: I ended up getting in touch with the Sheriff and posted the following story on 9NEWS.com: http://www.9news.com/news/article/340562/339/Sheriff-wants-marijuana-citation-dismissed
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So here I sit at 10:39 a.m., waiting to hear back from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

I just interviewed a man who showed me a summons (ticket) he received for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana. He wonders why the deputies ticketed him post Amendment 64, the Colorado Constitutional Amendmentwhich says having a small amount of pot is legal under state law. Federal law still bans it.

The man says he was walking home from work about 1 a.m. this week when Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies drove up and told him he looked suspicious. When they asked if he had any drugs or weapons, he told them he had a box cutter from work and a small amount of marijuana, he says.

That’s when he got the ticket.

I want to post this story on 9NEWS.com. Readers care aboutmarijuana rights. There’s no reason to delay getting news out – except in cases where I don’t know the whole story.

So now I wait on AdCo.

Here’s the problem. I’ve been waiting since I first called the sheriff’s office to get some information at 4:30 p.m. Monday.

How long do I wait before I publish the story, with or with out an explanation from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office?