Explosion at Boston Marathon finish line

I guess somebody has to say it, but you're all localizing this story, right? Because if my small town has six runners in Boston today, then I'm sure y'all have at least one.

 

I recall covering my very first Sprint (then Winston) Cup race in Talladega, AL. I was the only guy there. And of course it was the one in which Bobby Allison's car got way the hell up in the fence (ultimately leading to restrictor-plate racing ... but that's another story). I will never forget the sinking feeling I had seeing safety crews going up into the stands and thinking, oh shit, I got a huge disaster on my hands ... and I'm the only one (from my paper and the others my paper sent my stuff to) here.

 

"As smoke from two bombs clouded the air and cries of agony rang out, Joe Smith led Podunk's contingent at the Boston Marathon with a time of 4 hours and 29 minutes."

Something like that?

 

We're a small town 2,000 miles away and we had two.
Hate to say Facebook and Twitter are your friends here, but they really are. The phone system is so jammed up between overall traffic and all of these people's friends and relatives checking on them that it's hard to get through or even leave a voicemail. Facebook, Twitter and the old fashioned social network tool of, "Hey, can you tell so-and-so to give me a call when you talk to her?" work as well as frantically dialing for hours on end.
I was able to get one person on the phone this afternoon, but only after some networking, message-passing and about a dozen attempts. She was in the thick of things and gave some good detail. I had to call her back with a minor follow-up question and wasn't able to get through.
The other one I ended up quoting a Facebook post. He was still out on the course, several miles from the finish, and probably wouldn't have much to offer anyway.

 

Pass it to news.

 

News side was working on something. They're taking the mainbar as well, as they should. Not only it this the day I'm solo on the desk, I had already scheduled an interview for a feature for this day, plus, since Monday is generally a slow news day for preps, we've got an all-county feature for the centerpiece.

Batman is right on Facebook and other social media. One of our shooters was surfing and found a "best wishes" post from one of the local running club. And with cell service shut down, it may be the only form of communication.

 

I was thinking more of a "Where were you when the bombs went off?" story.

 

Um, working blue.

 

The complete lack of details thus far is strange.

 

It's similar to the Atlanta bombing in that way. Perhaps this one is a lone wolf too?

 

I know that. You know I know that. But they don't know that.

 

False flag truther at presser was apparently someone who writes for Alex Jones' Infowars crackpottery. Clown.