29 years ago today

[BOSSHOG]

I was working on my last newscast at KUAF radio on the University of Arkansas campus when our AP machine went insane. Lots of dinging and spitting out of paper. Something was amiss at Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant in Pennsylvania. My last newscast as a student went out with a bang.

[Kool Kitty]

1. I remember being terrified that whole week.

Couple of somber anniversaries this week-Tuesday was the 96th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, where at least 146 female garment workers lost their lives, and today's, the partial core meltdown at Three Mile Island. Sheesh.

[BOSSHOG]

4. One of the first things I thought of

(besides I'd have to work a little longer then I wished) was I was happy to be far away from that place.

[Breeze54]

2. I remember them saying a "cloud" of radiation

would be moving east to New England and shaking in my boots.
I was freaking out about my kids being exposed and was thinking
of leaving town fast and my brother had to calm me down.

That was damn scary that whole week!

[Mandate My Ass]

3. It sure was scary

I was in my third trimester and living in Philly 29 yrs ago. I didn't find out about the radiation venting until I had been breastfeeding for several months. :scared:

[Breeze54]

6. Duh! (laughing at self!) (edited answer) I was 3 months pregnant.

You must have been REALLY freaking out!! Yikes!!
You poor thing. I'll bet you were very stressed out.
I know I was!
:scared:

[Breeze54]

8. March 28, 1979 ---

The accident at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) nuclear power plant near
Middletown, Pennsylvania, on March 28, 1979, was the most serious in U.S. ...

www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/3mile-isle.html

[Mandate My Ass]

9. It was very warm out so I'm thinking maybe it was June

My son was born in mid April and I heard that they'd been letting some radiation vent out at frequent intervals since the core incident. I was beside myself even though everybody tried to soothe me that it was "safe" levels. :grr:

[Breeze54]

10. March but it was warm that year! Maybe that's why I thought summer.

:crazy: (the OP said this month!) :rofl:

I need coffee! :P

[Warpy]

5. I was northeast of it

and remember how breastfeeding moms were told to avoid feeding their babies breast milk and dairy milk for the duration.

The release of radiation was just a little worse than people were told.

[Kool Kitty]

7. It always is, right?

The fact that it was even mentioned at all made me immediately think that it was way worse than they were letting on.

[Breeze54]

11. Me too and they had known for a while

before they announced it, if I recall.

[Breeze54]

12. So, did you report about it as your last report on the air?

:shrug:

Are you still in broadcasting?

[BOSSHOG]

14. We ran it as a straight

newcast. We had an audience of about eight, but I did forget to signoff (for the last time.) I worked in newspaper, radio and TV News and Sports. Now, I'm just a bum, a relatively fiduciarily sound bum.

[Breeze54]

15. You're not a bum... not at all.

It must have been fun working in all those venues!

I'll bet you have a lot of good stories to tell. ;)

Thanks. Didn't mean to be so nosy, I was just curious.

[BOSSHOG]

16. Thanks Sweety

It really was a lot of fun working news in a small market. Our equipment was usually in disrepair but we got by. I also had a great relationship with the local police and was always killing the competition on crime stories. And one April fools day several years ago our very attractive and well built (female) news producer was standing right next to the camera I was looking in while anchoring the early news and stripped off her clothes. She was wearing a body stocking. I kept a straight face but wanted to choke her. We hit the local watering hole after the news. I still write an occasional article or two but nothing that involves a schedule or a deadline. Not nosy at all My Dear.

[niyad]

13. and "The China Syndrome" was released right about that time, as I recall.

I remember sitting in a theater in houston, and listening in horror as people laughed when jack lemmon's character was killed. it made me sick.

I knew they weren't telling us the whole truth about what happened. the fact that they said anything at all made me realize it was very serious indeed.