WDEF News 12 - Amy-O-Meter Blog

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's 9th Annual Great Strides Walk Happens Sunday April 21st at McCallie School

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:35:48 -0400

     This Sunday you can hit the pavement for a good cause.
     The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's 9th Annual Great Strides Walk happens at the McCallie School from 1 until 4 pm.
     Event organizer Mike Lane sits down with Amy Katcher during Tuesday's Prime News @ 7 to talk all about the event and Cystic Fibrosis.

Former News12 Reporter and Fill-in Anchor Jillian Pavlica Talks about the National Spotlight After On-Air Marriage Proposal

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:00:48 -0400

     (WDEF) We caught up with former News12 night-side reporter and fill-in anchor Jillian Pavlica and her fiance Vince Ramos via Skype on Tuesday to ask them about the Jeanne Moos interview.
     "I got a phone call from her assistant and she's like, 'Alright, in about 15 minutes Jeanne will call you.' And I'm like, 'Okay, uhm...' We've been on the other end of this process so it was definitely different. I was very excited. And I called, he was at work, and I was like, 'You have to come home!'" Pavlica said.
     Ramos added, "Yeah, everyone at work shoved me out the door. 'You have to go! Go home. Go home now. Go!' I was like, 'Uhhh, okay. See you guys in a bit.'"
     Pavlica continued with, "That was really cool because she's very genuine during the interview and um, I was really excited to see the final product because I know how funny she is. So we were really happy, I think, it was a great package and you know, we were just really excited about it."
     But CNN wasn't the only national spotlight being cast on the happy couple.
     Ryan Seacrest tweeted the happy news on Monday.
     "I don't know if he's mentioned it on the radio or not yet, but if you go to RyanSeacrest.com there's an article up there that was really cool. If he's mentioned it on the radio that's even awesome because it's syndicated so that's some more national exposure. But I got a lot of Twitter followers out of that, too, so that was kind of cool," said Pavlica.
     So their 15 minutes of fame rolls on.
     "I don't think either of us can log into our Facebook accounts without there being notifications and, you know, every time I log into Twitter there's someone saying congratulations or there's another article posted on Google I mean, it's crazy," explained Pavlica.
     "Yeah, I don't think it's really died down," added Ramos.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides Walk set for April 21st

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:57:09 -0400

     GREAT STRIDES, the 9th Annual Walk and Fun Run fundraiser to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, is back and ready to run April 21, 2013. Great Strides is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s largest national fundraising event, where thousands of members join together each year for one cause – to help find a cure for CF.
     Great Strides helps generate critical funds each year to support lifesaving cystic fibrosis research, education and care. Our goal for Great Strides in 2013 for Chattanooga is $100,000, and there are so many ways we can get there!
     Getting involved is so easy and everyone makes a significant difference. It’s simple: just bring your friends, family, and co-workers to walk with you and form a ‘Great Strides’ team. This event is known for an afternoon of outdoor fun, fresh air, and activities. But, that’s not all! Team members can earn prizes based on the money they raise. This year’s prizes include a Great Strides Tumbler, Samsung Galaxy Tablet, portable grill, and many more!
     Sign up today to support our local Chattanooga Great Strides event. You can register on-line select the “Tennessee Chapter” and then choose Chattanooga.
     This year’s event is at a brand new location at McCallie. Registration begins at 1:00 and the walk/fun run at 2:00. Stick around after the walk for kid’s activities, cornhole, music, food and fun! All proceeds go to the CF Foundation for research to find a cure!
        What: CF’s GREAT STRIDES Walk to benefit Cystic Fibrosis
        When: Sunday, April 21, 2013 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
        Where: McCallie
     Funds raised through Great Strides have helped spur dramatic progress in the lives of those who have cystic fibrosis. Fifty years ago, most children with CF did not live long enough to attend elementary school. Today, people with CF are living into their 30s, 40s and beyond.
     Every day approximately three babies are born with CF in this country; and every day at least one person with CF dies. Your help is needed right away to ensure this rapid progress continues. We greatly appreciate your participation and help in reaching our goal: to find a cure for CF!
     Local corporate partners of Great Strides include Unum, Guardian Wealth and Hamico; Novartis is the presenting sponsor. There are a variety of different sponsorship opportunities with different levels of exposure. All donations and sponsors are welcomed and appreciated! For questions about how to get involved with the sponsorships, contact Emily Gurchiek at (615) 881-2739.
     Cystic fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that affects 30,000 adults and children in the United States and 70,000 people worldwide. It causes debilitating lung infections that lead to premature death. More than 10 million Americans are symptomless carriers of the CF gene.
     The CF Foundation is an accredited charity of the Better Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance.

Three Blind Wines Raises $35,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:19:27 -0400

     Thursday night, Chattanoogans did their part to uncork the cure for a deadly disease...
     And we raised $35,000!
     It was for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's fourth annual Three Blind Wines.
     It pairs wine tasting with working to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.
     The event allows patrons to taste from bottles whose labels have been covered up, and then vote for their favorite red and white.
     90 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis.
     Ginger Birnbaum is not only a member of the Three Blind Wines committee. She's the mother of a son with CF. She said, "There is no cure. But right now we are on top of a medicine that goes straight to the root cause of Cystic fibrosis. Straight to that cell. It's not for every patient, only four percent of patients, so we still have 96% that are waiting on that drug to change their lives. So now's the time."
     People also got the chance to bid on items in both live and silent auctions.

Amy-O-Meter: Getting to Know You with Curtis Adams

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:01:17 -0400

     Retired Hamilton County Commissioner Curtis Adams has a new gig in the Scenic City. He's the host of a half-hour radio show called, "Getting to Know You." (And yes, the Julie Andrews song is the theme song!)
     I had the pleasure of appearing on his show. We recorded it Tuesday afternoon and it could air this weekend.
     I wasn't sure what to expect going in (who on Earth would want to hear about me for a half-hour?) but the experience definitely earned a "10" on the Amy-O-Meter.
     I just realized it's been so long since I last wrote an "Amy-O-Meter" blog I should quickly explain what it means... When I was the weekend meteorologist here at WDEF News12, I would rank the next day's weather forecast on the "Amy-O-Meter." I randomly assigned rankings (1-10) on whether or not I liked the weather. Well, now that I've passed the "weekend weather" torch to Megan, I rank pretty much anything else on my good ole "Amy-O-Meter."
     I've known the Commissioner for a while. I've interviewed him plenty of times during my (pretty much*) eight year tenure in Chattanooga.
     (*I technically lived in Huntington, WV for one year-- and loved it. The people were great!-- But since I spent some weekends visiting Chattanooga it counts.)
     I digress... Even though I'd never been on the "A" side of Q&As with Commissioner Adams, I had a blast. The WDYN staff made this TV girl feel totally comfortable in a radio booth, too. Commissioner Adams spent the first part of his career in the newspaper business here in Chattanooga... So we talked a lot about the news media and the influx of women in reporting positions. I thought it was a really interesting chat... I hope you do, too!
     Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Two Very Small Earthquakes Hit Near Dayton

Wed, 30 May 2012 12:15:38 -0400

     You may have felt a little rumbling going on early Tuesday.
     A 2.4 magnitude Earthquake struck one mile west-northwest at 5:12am local time Tuesday morning.
     The quake happened at a depth of 14.2 miles below the Earth's surface.
     Then on Wednesday, a smaller 1.4 magnitude Earthquake hit five miles ESE of Dayton.
     That quake occurred at 12:43am local time Wednesday morning.
     The quake hit at a depth of 12.6 miles below the Earth's surface.
     There are no reports of damage or any injuries.
     Earthquakes this small are rarely felt. People laying still or on top floors of buildings are most likely to feel these types of quakes. It may feel similar to a large truck rolling by.
     Did you feel either of these Earthquakes?
     Leave us a comment if you did!