| 11-02-2002 (Archived in reverse order.) IN DEPTH
'KENS TV, E-N Overreacted'
Owner Of Weather Columns Stolen
By Albert Flores Will Not Sue
Irritated That No Apologies Have Been Offered;
Forgives Popular San Antonio Weatherman
RG Griffing, SAL Staff - Copyright 2002 By San Antonio Lightning Newspaper Tom Grazulis says KENS and Express-News "overreacted" in the firings of Albert Flores over plagiarism. In an exclusive interview with the Lightning, Grazulis, owner of the popular TornadoProject.Com website, says he forgives former Channel 5 weatherman Albert Flores for stealing his material and using it in Express-News' columns published since this summer; but he also says he is "irritated" that no apologies have been forth coming from either the E-N or KENS. The Express-News fired Flores from the 4-per-week weather column when a fact checker found pilfered copy. The local newspaper maintains that the material was taken from a government website; however the Lightning revealed last week that the writings were lifted from the copyighted internet publication that Grazulis owns. (See Stories Below) On the heels of that revelation, KENS also fired Flores, despite an earlier promise to stand behind him. Flores has been a fixture at KENS for thirty years. The termination has caused a thunderstorm of controversy in San Antonio. Flores is arguably the most popular broadcast personality in the area. Tom Grazulis agrees that plagiarism is a severe ethical lapse, and should not be taken lightly, but he also says that firing Flores was too big a price to exact; too extreme. "Overreaction,"Grazulis calls it. Grazulis also faults the newspaper and TV station for not apologizing, and this seems to bother him more than the rip-off of his material. "As someone once said, it is easier to beg for forgiveness after the fact, than to ask for permission in the first place," he told the Lightning. Express-News and KENS have done neither at this writing. "Ethics is one thing, common courtesy is another," Grazulis said. Express-News and KENS have announced that they will have "no further comment" on the situation. -Developing- * * * 10-30-2002 Albert Flores Canned
KENS TV Takes Back Forgiveness
SAL Staff Despite a vow to keep popular KENS TV weatherman Albert Flores, Station manager Bob McGann gave the heave-ho to the meteoroligist Monday. The termination came on the heels of accusations of plagiarism by Flores in Express-News columns. Managers at E-N and KENS so far refuse comment. (See Stories Below) -Developing- * * * 10-29-2002
KENS TV Forgives Popular Weatherman's Plagiarism
Albert Flores Back On The Air Monday, KENS Station Manager Vows
No Apologies From Express-News Or KENS TV
SAL Staff Even as new examples of plagiarism surface in the Albert Flores Express-News columns, the popular local weatherman has been forgiven by the management of KENS 5, and will return to the air on Monday, a station official told the Lightning last week. KENS manager Bob McGann refused to further discuss the scandal, and denied rumors that Flores would be dismissed. McGann says Flores will return to the air on Monday. He denied that Flores had been suspended and has simply taken a week off, because of "all he's had to go through; he needed some time to rest." Meanwhile Express-News managers and editors say they have been directed not to comment, and refer all inquiries to KENS TV. The Flores column, "Weather Wise" appeared four times a week in the Hearst owned Express-News. What no one at either news outlet will comment on are the websites that were plagiarized, nor will they answer questions asking if any apologies are owed, or will be offered, to the original authors. -Developing- * * * -Previous Stories- 10-28-2002
Flores Yanked From
KENS Broadcasts
Flores Express-News Plagiarism Example?
SAL Staff Longtime SA weather icon Albert Flores has been yanked from his duties as on-air meterologist at KENS-5 "for the time being." Flores was accused of plagiarism by Express-News, which until this weekend ran four columns per week penned by Flores. A receptionist at KENS TV said she was told to inform the news media that Flores had not been fired, but would be off the air "until these issues are resolved." Meanwhile, the Lightning has learned of a second possible case of plagiarism, this time involving a commercial website. Examples Of Plagiarism | Flores E-N Column Once this storm moved out of the Ozark hills and onto the farmland of Bollinger and Perry Counties, the death toll quickly mounted. One child was killed in a rural wooden school; at least 32 other children were injured in two other country schools. The official count in Missouri was 11, although some lists have 13 deaths. * * * Then the storm moved into the state of Illinois. At Gorham, 34 people died as virtually the entire town was destroyed. Over one half of the town's population was either killed or injured. Murphysboro suffered the most staggering death toll within a single city in US history. The 234 deaths included at least 25 in three different schools. * * * The city of Murphysboro took a financial loss of about $10 million. Another 69 people died in and near Desoto, with 33 of those at a school. This was the worst loss of life for a school in U.S. tornado history. I will finish the description of the deadliest storm in the history of America tomorrow. From Express-News 9/4/2002 Known as the Tupelo tornado, it was a member of a family of twisters that began near Coffeeville, Miss. The massive funnel moved across central Lee County, passing through residential areas in Tupelo. Unlike the Gainesville twister, the Tupelo tornado missed the downtown business district. Still, it did plenty of damage, leveling more than 200 houses on Tupelo's west and northeast sides. * * * As many as 13 people in one family died in one of the houses. * * * Mississippi officials estimated the final death toll at 233. However, since only the names of white citizens killed or injured were published in newspapers, the true death toll may have been higher. The practice of not reporting black citizens' deaths related to storms continued occasionally, in some form, until the mid-1950. There was so much destruction scattered about the community that about 150 railroad box cars were brought to town and used as temporary housing. A movie theater was turned into a temporary hospital, with the popcorn machine used to sterilize instruments because of the lack of proper tools. The financial cost to Tupelo was nearly $3 million. From Express-News 09/02/2002 | | TornadoProject.Com Once out of the Ozark hills and onto the farmland of Bollinger and Perry Counties, the death toll quickly mounted near Lixville, Biehle, and Frohna. One child was killed in a rural wooden school, 5m N of Altenburg, Perry County. At least 32 children were injured in two Bollinger County schools. The event was probably a double tornado for three miles near Biehle. Eleven probably died in Missouri, although some lists have 13 deaths. * * * In Illinois, the devastation was at its worst. At Gorham, 34 people died as virtually all of the town was destroyed. Over half of the town's population was either killed or injured. Seven of the deaths were at the school. At Murphysboro, there was the largest death toll, within a single city, in US history. The 234 deaths included at least 25 in three different schools. * * * Murphysboro losses totalled about $10,000,000. Another 69 people died in and near Desoto, and the 33 deaths at the school was the worst in US tornado history. From TornadoProject.Com Copyright 1999 This tornado was probably a member of a tornado family beginning near Coffeeville, Yalobusha County, Mississippi. Little attention was paid to any part of the track except that through Tupelo. * * * Unlike the Gainesville, Georgia event, the next morning, this tornado missed the downtown business district. The tornado leveled over 200 homes, many of good construction on the west side of town. * * * Entire families were killed, up to 13 in a single home. * * * The Mississippi State Geologist estimated the final death toll at 233. Since only the names of the white injured were published in newspapers, it is not possible to follow up on the fate of the black injured. This racial aspect of tornado documentation was common until the late-1940's, and occasionally present, in some form, until the mid-1950's. * * * About 150 box cars were brought to town as temporary housing. A movie theatre was turned into a hospital with the popcorn machine used to sterilize instruments. * * * A movie theatre was turned into a hospital with the popcorn machine used to sterilize instruments. This tornado may have been of greater intensity than the Gainesville event, which produced a similar death toll by striking the multi-story downtown area buildings at the start of the business day. $3,000,000. From TornadoProject.Com Copyright 1999 |
The owners of the TornadoProject.Com were unavailable to comment on the story, as were news managers at Express-News and KENS-TV. -Developing- * * * |
