An outtake from a Friday assignment down at the fair. This was too similar to one of the other photos that we decided to run in the paper, but it sees the light of day here.

Working at the paper, I take a lot of pictures of kids doing things. They really will do surprising things. This is just a fun photo with an interesting angle.

Taking a bite out of the vampire genre, kids participate in a Teen Vampire Party at the Grand Island Public Library. The teens are treated to a variety of activities, including a different take on bobbing for apples where Nathaniel Graves, 11, does his best to snag a hanging apple. Stephenie Meyer’s latest vampire novel “Twilight Series: Breaking Dawn,” which follows the story of 17-year-old Bella Swan, was released Friday (8/1/08) at midnight.

Now these people are committed to working out. They’re up before dawn to run up and down a hill. My hat’s off to them. I think this photo has a high quirky quotient that makes it fun.

With the lights atop Tornado Hill glowing behind them, YMCA Boot Camp participants warm up before performing other exercises, including running up and down the hill wearing backpacks filled with weights. Twice a week, 27 individuals are challenged by the camp instructors to push their physical abilities past what they thought possible.

One of the perks about being a journalist is that you have access to experiences that most people don’t get to take advantage of.  There are things like photographing fires, being on sidelines at Husker games, photographing important political figures like the president and vice president.  My most recent ah-ha experience had to be flying in the B-17G Sentimental Journey when it stopped in Grand Island over the Fourth of July weekend.

Being something of a history buff, I’ve heard stories and seen movies about the importance the B-17 bombers played in World War II and the destruction of the German industrial complex.  I’ve also seen the movie Memphis Belle which is a gut wrenching depicition of what it was like.  My flight over Grand Island was amazing.  Crawling through a tunnel to get to the bombardier chair, you begin to feel what it must have been like.  There’s no insulation in the plane, no pressurization, and no air conditioning to keep you cool.  Just you vibrating with the drone of the four engines.  Grab one of the guns and your imagination takes off with visions of Messersmits and FolkWulfs diving at you through the sky.

Needless to say, it was a great perk to be able to share.

It was a sad crazy day in Aurora as the Fidelity Building burns and a firefighter is injured. It’s another example of the risks firefighters take for their communities as the hot weather and heat from the fire contributed to heat exhaustion.

As the Fidelity Building burns behind them on the north side of the downtown square in Aurora Thursday (7/10/08) afternoon, rescue workers carry Aurora firefighter Matt Campbell to a waiting ambulance after he suffered heat exhaustion at the scene.

It doesn’t make the local team look good with the other team scoring and all, but it’s a nice home plate collision shot. If only the ball was in the lower right of the frame below the catcher and not high above the two players where I cropped it out. Such is life.

With his helmet flying off after colliding with Chief catcher Bobby Yager (right), Lexington player Stuart Long is safe at home during the fourth inning of Saturday (7/12/08) afternoon’s game at Ryder Park. Chief went on to win the game in the middle of the fifth inning by mercy rule, 10-2.

Thanks to my wife Mitzi for dragging me out of the house to see this, as it was her turn to walk the dogs. Beautiful!

People out and about at 6:50 a.m. on Tuesday (7/15/08) had a feast for the eyes as they looked to the west. Not just one full rainbow, but two are seen in the sky above Grand Island. This unusual “secondary rainbow” occurs when raindrops high in the atmosphere refract and reflect light back to the viewer. These raindrops are higher in the atmosphere than those which cause the lower “primary rainbow” and internally reflect the incoming sunlight twice rather than just once, which makes them special.

What, summer football? Oh yeah, it’s the 8-man football All-Star game. While I don’t think this is a spectacular sports photo, I do like the faces of the blocker and the runner coming up from behind him.

West’s Cody Childers (right) runs behind the block of Steven Rust during the third quarter of Saturday’s Sertoma 8-Man Classic in Hastings. The West All-stars rolled over the East All-stars, 33-6, to win the game.