Open Thread Mondays: Submit, Submit, Submit!

This is getting to be an old story for me. The rare trip out of town, the uncommon unplugged weekend, the incommunicado expeditions. I can count on one hand how often this happens. One hand that’s been mauled by a bear.

But when it does happen there’s always a slew of big stories that, of course, wouldn’t have happened on any weekend I was here. This time it was a shooting death, a major fire, and a car versus building. Two of the three we now have stories published, but they didn’t come with the usual flurry of breaking updates and on-the-scene observations that Sheepshead Bites excels at. For that, I apologize. But everyone needs a break, right?

There is, of course, a way you can help. We did receive e-mails from readers, almost all with a link to a news story or a one-line tip that read, say, “Mad fire at East 21st St.” This is a big help, but not when I have no connection to e-mail. That’s why we’ve created a dedicated tips e-mail address that will forward the tip to multiple Sheepshead Bites writers, allowing us to get information out there faster.

Please save tips [at] sheepsheadbites [dot] com to your contact books and in your phones. You can – and should – send text, video and photos via e-mail or text messaging to this address.

That said, while any information is helpful, more is more. Snap photos with your cell phones, and e-mail us descriptions of the scene. Don’t just tell us there’s a fire, tell us that the fire has drawn four firetrucks, and that the smoke is choking the streets. Tell us what roads are closed off, or where police are gathering at the scene of crime. Let us know how people are reacting, and if the situation poses an inconvenience or danger to others in the community. That kind of information allows us to get a story out even faster, keeping other readers informed about neighborhood conditions, and allowing them to act accordingly.

Tips [at] sheepsheadbites [dot] com. Save it. Now.