Jaws Color piece

Child is killed in apparent shark attack

Pandemonium at Village Beach as boy is killed in front of beach-goers 

By Brian Ward

Amity- At 2 p.m. this afternoon, 10-year-old Alex B. Kintner was killed while swimming in the waters off Village Beach when he was killed. First reports show that Alex was attacked by a shark as he was playing on his inflatable raft.

The relaxed air of the beach turned to horror, as Alex was ripped down into spray of red water, mere feet away from the other children swimming next to him. Parents and beach-goers charged into the ocean to pull out screaming and crying children from the waters.

Alex’s mother, Marion Kintner, has been sent to the hospital for shock, and is currently in fair condition.

Authorities are now looking into the possibility that the death of Christine W. Watson, who had died the night before and whose body had been found horribly mauled this morning, is also linked to shark activity in the area.

A special meeting will be held today by the Mayor Larry Vaughan, chief of police Martin Brody, and the Amity 

Board of Selectmen to discuss the possibility of closing the beaches on the 4^th of July, and possible compensation to the Kintner family.

Jaws Shock Piece

Amity High School senior found dead at South Beach this morning

Victim was badly mauled, and authorities are not yet sure at the cause of death

By Brian Ward

Amity- Christine W. Watson was found dead at South Beach this morning after disappearing from a beach party on Sun. night. Watson’s body had been mauled by an unknown attacker of unknown origin.

Watson had been attending a beach party on Sun. night before leaving with Christopher Hoggenbottam III, a sophomore at Trinity College, to go swimming. Watson, varsity swim team member and lifeguard at the Amity Island YMCA, entered the water at a remote section of South Beach near the South Beach Shoal bell buoy and didn’t come out.  Both teenagers had been drinking heavily at the party, and there were some reports of possible marijuana abuse.

Hoggenbottam notified the police about Watson’s disappearance at around 6 a.m. this morning, and a brief search found her body mangled on the beach.

The possibility of a shark attack hasn’t been ruled out, but according to Medical Examiner Robert Nevin, there is no evidence that the wounds were caused by a shark. “The wounds are consistent with a motorboat propeller,” Nevin said.

The weather was calm and clear on the night of Watson’s disappearance, and according to Mayor Larry Vaughan there is a good chance that Watson was hit by a fisherman out taking advantage of the good conditions. When asked how the death would effect Fourth of July events, Vaughan said ”it’s so far away from where people are swimming, no precautions will be taken.”

Job Cover Letter

Mr. Oliver,

My name is Brian Ward, and I want to become the new blogger for the Cruise with Bruce radio program.  I enjoy challenges and engaging with people and with this job I will expanded the number of followers for your radio series while pursuing my interests in writing and foreign affairs.

 I am a sophomore and Journalism major at the University of New Hampshire. My first year at the University of New Hampshire, I was accepted into the university’s Honors Program after my first semester; ending my freshman year with 3.83 overall GPA and a 4.0 for my second semester.

I started writing when I was thirteen, starting with poetry and moving into journalism and creative nonfiction in college.  I have received high grades in all my college English classes, and have gotten a lot of positive feedback regarding my research and creative nonfiction pieces. I have continuously received praise for my work in poetry, with some of my pieces read as part of Memorial Day events at my and neighboring towns.

I was a Boy Scout for eight years, working as a Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader, spent five years earning my black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and am currently fencing saber on the UNH Fencing Team. These experiences have taught me how to talk and interact with other people, follow my responsibilities with discipline and diligence, and take the lead in situations where it might be easier to step back.

This job is a great opportunity for me to learn and get into the broadcasting and journalism fields and work toward becoming a travel writer. If hired I will work diligently to make sure as many people as possible will be following your radio program when it airs, and even more than that will be listening by the time the program finishes.

Thank you for your time and consideration

Brian Ward

Email: britimward@gmail.com

Phone: (603)-418-5435

N.H. Gun Bill

N.H. House of Representatives to vote on a bill that would allow firearms on college campuses.

UNH students give their views on the necessity of the guns on campus.

By Brian Ward

Durham - The N.H. House of Representatives will vote on a new bill in Jan.  that if passed will allow firearms to be worn in college campus.

Currently, the majority of N.H. House is in support of bill HB-0334, which if put into effect would give the state sole authority over gun regulations, meaning that universities in the state would no longer have the power to ban firearms from their campus. The new bill would mean that guns would be allowed anywhere on campus, including dorms and classrooms.

Similar bills have been put in effect in other states, including Utah, Colorado, Virginia and Michigan, with other states legislators considering passing similar bills this year.  

The UNH administration recently emailed the members of the N.H. House, asking for an exemption from the bill. Mark Proulx was one of the representatives to reply back to the university with a refusal. While not one of the bill’s sponsors, Proulx has since been identified with the bill in the media.   

"I’m waiting for it to fade away, people are making way too much out of this," Proulx said.

Proulx went on to say that he was not advocating that college students should carry a gun. He said that allowing guns on campuses will make them safer places. “If no law abiding citizen can have a gun in an area, than anyone looking to do harm will go there to make a name for themselves,” he said.  

A person must be at least 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun in N.H. and 21 to buy a handgun or get a concealed weapons permit.

“I believe everyone has the right to protect themselves and their Second Amendment rights; why should your Second Amendment rights change depending on where you are,” he said.

He explained how people who have been taught about firearms and carry them for protection know about responsibility and would retain that level of responsibility if allowed to carry on campuses.

One sophomore and a self-proclaimed Second Amendment fan, Brent Bosley, said that because of his sense of responsibility, he wouldn’t bring his gun on campus if the bill is passed. “I would be worried if someone stole it and used it; it be my responsibility,” he said.

Bosley went on to say that he felt bringing his gun on campus is unnecessary, and that the cops can handle whatever incidents that would require a gun. “I can go home and shoot whenever I want; I don’t feel anyone here poses a threat to me,” he said.

“I can see how others might feel more safe carrying a gun, I can also see how others might feel less safe with others carrying a gun,” Nichole Mitchell said. Mitchell is a sophomore from Lebanon N.H., and said that removing the ban would be more convenient for students who hunt by allowing them to keep their guns in their rooms.

  

She went on to say that at a heavy party school like UNH, there would be a risk of a student under the influence getting their hands on a gun. Mitchell said that she doesn’t think that the university’s ban on firearms is a violation of students’ Second Amendment rights. “You sign up to go to UNH. You sign up to follow the university’s rules, don’t have to come here. Not for or against, just my interpretation,” she said.

Work cited 

Mitchell, Nichole. "N.H. Gun Bill." Personal interview. 20 Nov. 2011.

Bosley, Brent. "N.H. Gun Bill." Personal interview. 20 Nov. 2011.

Proulx, Mark. "N.H. Gun Bill." Telephone interview. 18 Nov. 2011.

"Colleges and Universities That Allow Guns on Campus." Colleges and Universities That Allow Guns on Campus | Armed Campuses. Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, 2002. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.armedcampuses.org/>.

Cohen, Sam. "Frequently Asked Questions about NH Gun Laws." Pro-Gun New Hampshire. Pro-Gun New Hampshire Inc., 13 Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://pgnh.org/gunlawfaqs>.

United States. Cong. House. Criminal Justice and Public Safety. By Cunningham, Hoell, Cataldo, Chandler, Baldasaro, Boutin, and Gallus. 2011 sess. HR 0334. 5 Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2011/HB0334.html>.