Journalism in a small community frequently flies from one event to another, each with their own emotions and presenting their own challenges for coverage.
Such was the case over the last few days, shifting coverage from Saturday’s somber memorial of Eric Hahn, the diver who died while working in the Roaring River Spring, to Monday’s elation of winning the first ever district softball championship.
I had major tasks to complete at both events. At the memorial for Hahn, who lived in Blacksburg, Va., and whose family is mostly from Virginia, I had promised to live stream.
Streaming events and taking more video has been an ongoing goal of mine over recent months, and though I feel like I could use a few extra hands sometimes — well, most of the time if I’m being honest — I feel like that effort has been largely successful.
I arrived at the Emory Melton Inn and Conference Center with my tripod, prepared to set up a stream the Hahn family in attendance hoped would connect the Hahn family from across the U.S. and the world who could not attend.
I have learned when live streaming, there are a few challenges that must be addressed before you hit the button to go live. First, you need to find a place where you can stream quality video and sound without being frequently blocked or drowned out. Second, you have to have reliable service via 5G or wifi. And third, you have to have enough battery to last the duration of whatever the event may be.
Though I worried about sound on Saturday, I thought I’d chosen a position that would accomplish the quality goals. The fact Sheila Harris used the video to write her story this week says I was correct in my assessment.
Service-wise, the wifi at the Inn was not working terribly well for me, so I had to settle for 5G, which I only recently started receiving at the park. Despite one low signal hiccup, it worked beautifully.
As for battery, boy did I cut it close. I knew I should have fully charged before we left, but luck was on my side as the event ended and I cut the stream with a whole 2 percent left — phew, a close one.
Hahn’s memorial itself was an amazing tribute to his character, his personality and his life. One of the most memorable recollections for me was photographer Randall Purdy’s.
He described the first time he met Hahn, a shaggy fellow asking tons of questions about Purdy’s equipment, with Purdy having no idea he was even on the dive team. He also described the final moments of Hahn’s life as he knew them, listening to the young diver sing “The Raiders March” from Indiana Jones as they worked in the depths of the Roaring River spring cave.
Though tragedy struck only minutes later, Purdy’s story made one thing clear — Eric Hahn died doing what he loved. While we wish he was still with us, no one can ask for much more out of death.
A Sunday off allowed me some time to recoup, but hardly. On Saturday night, our 2-year-old fell sick, with vomiting the main obvious symptom.
She handled Sunday well it seemed, as she got sick just once and looked to be mostly on the mend. Monday proved otherwise.
On our anniversary, my wife stayed home with the poor tyke as she went through the worst of the sickness. I was also of little use, scrambling to get as much of the paper done as possible so I could go to the softball game in Aurora.
Helping where I could before I left, I put myself a bit behind and rolled up to the field in the middle of the first inning. Focusing in on my plans to provide live updates and shoot photos, as I normally do, I set up the link and hauled out my camera.
As I watched the Lady Wildcats go on a tear scoring 3 runs as I was still getting set up, I turned on my camera — no memory card. My heart sank. I’d left it plugged in at the office after pulling off the photos from the weekend.
I had a backup, but due to a formatting issue I could not diagnose down the first base line, I was left with nada.
By this point, Cassville was up 4-0 and my updates had been sparse. Doniphan fought back in the fifth to tie it, but Cassville persevered — and so did I.
Working with what I had, I started shooting video hoping to get some highlights. I have yet to put them together, but I have clips of Aubrey Stoufer’s solo homer and I recorded the Naveah Johnson walk-off RBI and subsequent celebration. Not a bad finish to the job considering where I started.
It’s been a long time since I watched a game of such magnitude without a lens in my face. Though I wish I had been as prepared as Cassville was and done my job, it was a joy to see the Lady Wildcats make history with my own eyes.
This team is young, disciplined and exciting to watch, and Coach Lori Videmschek and her staff should get all the credit in the world for turning the softball program around.
I have written about her coaching accomplishments before, and Monday’s title was just another chapter in her well-deserved coaching success.
As the photos were being taken and I finished my interview with her, Videmschek took a video call on the field from her mother.
“We did it; we won,” she said as tears began to well. “Well, what happened?” her mother asked. Videmschek chuckled and did her best to give a synopsis of the game amidst the celebrations. For family, friends and fans of Cassville softball, it was a night to remember. It’s one I won’t soon forget either, unlike my memory card.
Success and failure are inevitable, and as Coach V would say, “It’s what you do after that means everything.”
I’m proud of the coverage of Eric’s memorial and what we were able to provide in a challenging situation. I am also headed to Walmart in a few hours to buy two extra memory cards.
Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and became Publisher in 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE in 2022. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville- democrat.com.
