Yep, it's happening!  I'll be co-anchoring another newscast in a few weeks.

I've known about it for several weeks, but now I feel like it's definitely okay to share!  JP Finlay from the Greater Wilmington Business Journal recently wrote up this little ditty.  You can follow him on Twitter (at @jpfinlay)!

You don't have to like horse racing or Kentucky bourbon to have a good time at the Mint Julep Jubilee!

Junior League member Christy Kramer and I were manning the mint julep table for most of the afternoon.  If you don't know what's in a mint julep, it's basically one part simple syrup and 10 parts bourbon!  Oh, and of course... a little mint.

The yearly event at the Poplar Grove Plantation helps raise funds for one of the many charitable projects administered by the Junior League of Wilmington.  The group will unveil a new project in the fall to help at-risk school kids.

The Mint Julep Jubilee is a great way to get introduced to the South:  big hats, bright dresses, seersucker suits and bowties!  Check out more pictures on Facebook!

Check it out!  Just finished a new article for Holt International Magazine.

Meteorologist Robb Ellis has been talking up a storm (get it?) about this year's Storm Fest.

Some of our viewers actually picked on him about the name because a festival seems a little too "festive" for their liking, but we didn't come up with the name!  Despite the "Fest", it is a fun and creative way to learn about the weather.  Also, we'll be on hand to share some life-saving information concerning storms.

Robb, Colin and Eric will all be at the Storm Fest this Saturday at the Cape Fear Museum.  I'll be there in the morning and I know a bunch of people from the newsroom will be there to meet-and-greet.  It's a great event for the kids, too... we're setting up a green screen so they can play at the weather wall.  Oh yeah, and we're giving away a lot of schwag! 

Come say hi! 

The Pinwheels and Promises luncheon turned out to be a tearjerker, too!

The special luncheon helped raise money for the UNC North Carolina Children's Hospital.  My friend, Bo Dean, spent a lot of time there as a child and said it forever changed his life.

The Children's Hospital is based in Chapel Hill but it has more than 25 satellite outpatient clinics, including here in Wilmington.  We heard stories from a patient and a parent, and we watched a video through a stream of tears.  I managed to keep my boo-hooin' under the radar!

The Children's Hospital is one of the top 10 children hospitals in the nation when it comes to pediatric endocrinology and diabetes.  One mother said she called a trusted doctor in New York when she discovered her son had leukemia.  Her doctor told her she needed to stay in North Carolina for treatment because it was one of the best places to get care.

I am a firm believer in the mission of children's hospitals.  I'm learning more about the North Carolina Children's Hospital, but for years, I worked for a station that sponsored the Children's Miracle Network and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  I was even fortunate enough to travel to Memphis and spend a few days on the St. Jude campus.  

You'd think children fighting chronic illnesses would be down.  And yes, sometimes they are.  But, they are so resilient and hopeful thanks to the people who volunteer and work for groups like the North Carolina Children's Hospital.  Every kid deserves to be a kid... even when they have to deal with adult issues.  It makes my heart swell to see it!  

I thought this was pretty interesting.

As many of you know, there's a push to get North Carolinians to buy local food and products in a statewide 10% campaign... but now, we're also trying to get our fellow southerners to buy our products.  By fellow southerners, I mean fellow South Koreans.

Foreign diplomats recently took a tour of a North Carolina hog farm in search of some epic taeji (Korean word for pork.)

The trade will require legislation from Congress, but Korean Ambassador Han Duk Soo will be lobbying for the agreement. Koreans are fairly particular about the food they buy from other countries, especially the United States.  When I was in South Korea two years ago, people were afraid to buy American beef because of the threat of Mad Cow Disease.  Some people even rioted over the thought of American beef touching Korean soil.  American beef is cheaper there as a response.  I said, "Dig in!"  But my sister said NO. 

My point is, if South Korea wants our goods, then they must think they are high quality.

Anyway, Ambassador Han recently toured a hog farm in North Carolina.  He said it was "scientific and environmentally friendly."  He also said, "I think there will be much more demand from Korea."

Let's hope.  Koreans buying pork helps our state's piggy bank!  I'm not sure how a pig-pickin' would do over there, though...

Remember this moment.  Where were you when you learned Osama bin Laden had been killed?  It's a question you'll ask yourself 10 years from now.

I can still remember where I was nearly a decade ago on 9-11.  I was working in a student-run newsroom as the news director.  I heard that a plane struck a tower in New York City.  I remember thinking, "Boy, that's odd."  It was early in the morning, and my head wasn't quite in the game yet.

Then, the second plane hit.

I was confused.  What in the world was happening?  Eventuallly, it came down on the wires... suspected terror attack.  It was unreal.  I ran into the booth and gave the information to my anchor, who was currently reading the daily news on the air.  

I was so perplexed.  I continued with my day and went into my First Amendment class.  We asked our professor if we could watch the news, and he said NO.  He had no idea what was going on because he had been running around earlier in the morning.  Of course, his attitude changed when our class informed him what was happening.

By the end of the day we were all glued to the television.  There were many tears, angry conversations and a surreal realization that America was not immune to terrorist attacks.  I remember hearing a weird name, "Osama bin Laden."  Osama bin what?  Who was this guy?  And why does he hate America?

It wasn't just me as a young person who was ignorant about the Anti-American movement.  Our nation was ignorant, too.  How much we have changed in the last decade.

Oddly, a  terror attack and the death of a terrorist have both invoked extreme Patriotism.  I just heard one MSNBC contributor say that "we are really lucky" to witness these historic street celebrations.  Interestingly enough, someone else commented on a Facebook pic that Americans dancing in the streets could resemble a scene in the Middle East.  It makes you think...

Nonetheless, it's a big moment in history.  Experts say celebrate with caution.  Tighter security is yet to come.  We may be happy to see a terrorist gone, but it doesn't sound like we can stop worrying about terrorism.

(Side note:  I normally don't do this, but because it's such an historic event, I shared some of my Facebook comments below:)