A lot can happen at a newspaper in three years

Sept. 7, marked my three-year anniversary at the Columbia Basin Herald.

During my time here I’ve seen and done a lot of things I would never otherwise experience and I will never be the same.

I just started working at the newspaper when I was driving home from a canceled city council meeting. I came upon a double fatality collision. I was one of the first people there.

While EMS were on the way, I remember standing in a field seeing two boys my age. One was dead and the other was dying. I had never seen a serious crash before.

Despite the sadness and shock of the situation, there was a ray of hope in that dark field that night.

I witnessed a women holding the hand of one of the boys in his final moments of life telling him to “hang on” and that “he would be okay.” It must of took a lot of emotional strength from her. She stabilized him on the ground and ran her hand through his hair trying to make him feel comfortable until emergency aid arrived.

Sometimes reporters do more than just get information and write stories. Sometimes people tell their own stories to find closure in their life.

I remember interviewing a women who was nearly beaten to death. She wanted to tell her story to keep others from becoming victims and to get her experience off her chest. She told me she needed to tell other people what happened because she couldn’t bare to keep the information to herself.

We get to tell the stories about people that most readers would never know. Sometimes it’s through the recollections of those who knew them.

I interviewed a family about their daughter who died in a car accident. They got to tell the story of their daughter and sister. Those who loved her wanted others to know there are good people on this Earth by telling her story. Her family explained sometimes good people are taken from us earlier than expected.

Not all memorable stories are sad though.

I got to interview a girl who is starring in an upcoming movie. I was so excited to meet her. She even gave me her autograph.

I really like covering police and fire emergencies.

I used to get an adrenaline rush when I reached the scene of whatever I was covering. It’s different each time. Sometimes it turns out to be a false alarm, but other times it can be a serious emergency.

My favorite part of this job is helping people.

I get to write stories telling people about organizations in need of funding, supplies and support. I get to cover and attend fund-raisers and community events. I’ve never done anything like that and have never lived somewhere like this. I think I understand the meaning of community. I get to learn about people doing things to help others nearly everyday. It ranges from donating vehicles, to a man chasing down a burning vehicle with an unsuspecting family inside he was trying to warn to people donating anything they can to families who lost so much to fires.

I’m curious what this next year will throw my way.

Candice Boutilier is the Columbia Basin Herald assistant editor. In her three years, she has learned a lot, worked very hard and continues to be a wonderful person to work with.