It’s a Girl

It's a Girl

I have so much to be thankful for in my life.  My wife and I found out that we are going to be having a baby girl in January.  This will be our second child and if you’re a parent you know how much of a blessing it is to have children. 

Our son is 15 months old and has been such a joy.  He’s walking and talking and soaking up life.  I can honestly say there is nothing greater than being a parent.  I look forward to having a daughter and taking care of daddy’s little girl. 

Life is good, God is good and I wish only the best for you and your family!

Expired Food Exposed

Do you take the time to check expiration dates on food items in the grocery store?  If not, you’re not alone.  I went undercover and found two grocery stores in two weeks in metro Atlanta that had several out of date food items on the shelves.  It’s obvious to me that some grocery store managers aren’t checking the dates.

I found out-of-date eggs, cheese and meat at The IGA Foods in Atlanta at 2746 Clairmont Road.  The store was cited by the state after inspectors found about 130 outdated food items in the store.

This week, I investigated a tip that an Ingles grocery store was selling expired food.  The store is located at 4815 Rockbridge Road in Stone Mountain.  My investigation found out-of-date milk, eggs, cereal, flour and yogurt.  Eggs were dated June 3, cereal was dated April 8 and flour was dated Dec. 2 of last year.

 

Outdated Food Items

I questioned both store managers and they had very little to say about it.  If you spot expired food out there, let me know so I can investigate.  In the meantime, start checking those expiration dates to keep you and your family safe.

Illegal Tire Dumps

Illegal Tire Dump

I’ve spent a lot of time lately working on a series of reports about the thousands of illegally dumped tires in metro Atlanta.  Old tires are creating a real eyesore around the city and I believe something needs to be done about it.  I’ve made it my mission to expose some of these dump sites in hopes that something will be done to eliminate the problem. 

In the process of working on these stories, I’ve learned that there are more than 4 million illegally dumped tires in the state and lawmakers stopped funding the clean up of these illegal dump sites about three years ago.  Even more troubling, you pay a $1 fee for every new tire you buy in the state and the money was initially designed to be used to clean up illegal tire dumps.  However, lawmakers used the money out of a general fund during the past two years to address our state’s budget deficit.  I’ve been asking lawmakers the tough questions about it since the $1 tire fee generates more than $6 million dollars a year that could be helping to clean up these eyesores.  State lawmakers told me they are planning on introducing legislation this year that would designate the tire fee funding to be used only for clean up purposes.

I can only hope that our state leaders will do the right thing to make our city a better place for people to live.  Atlanta’s a great city.  Let’s make it environmentally friendly and attractive to visitors!

Proud Papa

My son Merritt was dressed for success even at one month

Life is good today!  My wife and I welcomed our first child into this world three months ago and I’ve been a proud papa ever since.  Our son Merritt Murphy was born on June 25, 2010 weighing 6 lbs 6 oz.  He’s put on a few p0unds since then and now he’s weighing in at about 13 lbs.  Having a child has been the greatest experience of my life.  If you’re a parent you know what I’m talking about. 

Merritt is now smiling, cooing and laughing which is so wonderful.   My wife and I are trying to cherish every moment because every one tells us how fast children grow up.  That said, I am looking forward to every stage of Merritt’s life and I hope to be the best parent in the world.  I can honestly say life is good today! 

Merritt Murphy enjoying life

Live Via Skype

Adam Live Via Skype

When all else fails, just Skype it!  It’s the beauty of technology these days, especially when it comes to breaking news. 

For years the television news industry has depended on microwave or satellite trucks to transmit live reports which is not 100% reliable.  Often times microwave signals aren’t attainable  and satellite trucks aren’t available.

I found myself in this exact predicament a few weeks ago.  We were on the scene of a fatal home invasion in DeKalb County where we were not able to establish a microwave signal and a satellite truck was not available.  Determined to get the breaking news on the air, I decided to get out my laptop and set up a Skype signal with our control room at the television station. 

As a result, we were the first news organization on air with the story which is most important.  I will admit Skype may not provide the best looking image, but it does give us another good option to broadcast important information to the public in a timely manner. 

So keep an eye out for my next Skype report on CBS Atlanta News!  It will allow me to report live from anywhere, anytime.

Meet and Greet

Adam at Dogwood Festival

If you can’t tell by now I absolutely love what I do for a living.   I’m the Consumer Investigative Reporter for CBS Atlanta News which means I get to cover news stories that make a difference in consumers lives.  There’s nothing greater than informing viewers and asking the ‘tough questions’ to help them get results to a problem they can’t solve on their own.  

I must say though my favorite part of the job is meeting our fans!  I had the opportunity to meet and greet our viewers at the Dogwood Festival recently.  CBS Atlanta sponsored the event so we had a booth set up at Piedmont Park.  I had the opportunity to hand out freebies to our most faithful watchers.  While I was at this years event, I had the pleasure of meeting two of my biggest fans Andrea and Lauren.  Little did I know they would actually blog about our brief encounter, but it sure was a pleasant surprise:  http://singleandsaving.com/.

If you’re a CBS Atlanta viewer reading this right now I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you at the next meet and greet! 

Adam Murphy

Oh Boy!

Oh Boy!

I just received the greatest news of my life.  I’m having a son!  I have been on cloud nine ever since my wife and I found out out the news at our twenty week doctor’s appointment.  I must say I have been so amazed by this whole experience and I am so excited to meet the little guy in June.

This will be our first child and if you’re a parent you know how special it is.  It’s truely a miracle and it has helped me to realize what is really important in life.  I have bought just about every book there is on babies and I can only hope I’ll learn a thing or two that will help me become a good parent. 

I’m still not sure about this diaper changing thing, but my wife and I have signed up for some classes that should help us prepare for the joys of parenthood.  I’ve been told to get my rest now because once the baby is born there will be very little quality sleep.  I’m sure it will be a challenge, but I know it will be well worth it. 

I’m so proud of the way my wife is handling being pregnant and I can hardly wait to meet our son and start this amazing jouney as a family.

Stay Classy San Diego

Downtown San Diego

There are not many places to go in Georgia now to escape the cold, so my wife and I recently traveled to southern California to warm up a bit.  We decided to visit San Diego where temperatures are fairly comfortable year-round.  The highs are typically in the 70′s during the day which sure beats those below freezing temperatures we’ve had in Atlanta lately. 

We decided to stay in the Gaslamp Quarter which is San Diego’s dining, entertainment and urban shopping district right in the heart of the city.  Our hotel even overlooked PETCO Park where the San Diego Padres baseball team plays.  I would definitely recommend taking a tour of the area, but if we had it to do all over again I think we would have stayed somewhere closer to the Pacific Ocean.  What can I say, we’re beach lovers! 

Laguna Beach Sunset

We also traveled to see some of southern California’s best beach towns.  We rented a car and drove through several Orange County towns like Laguna Beach and Newport Harbour.  The sunsets in Laguna Beach were spectacular and it’s definitely worth seeing if you get the chance.

Polar Bear at San Diego Zoo

My favorite part of the trip was the San Diego Zoo.  There were a couple of exhibits that were absolutely amazing. We watched polar bears swim in frigid water right before our eyes and I loved the sky buckets that soared above the zoo to give you a bird’s-eye view of everything. If your future travels take you to San Diego I hope you enjoy what the city has to offer. Just like Will Ferrell said in the movie Anchorman, ‘Stay Classy San Diego.’

Adam Murphy

Fall Tops All

Adam hosting Taste of Atlanta

I enjoy all four seasons in Georgia, but there’s something about fall that tops them all.  Maybe it’s the cooler air, the colorful leaves or football games.

I knew fall was in the air this year when temperatures dropped and the smell of fresh food took over at the Taste of Atlanta.  I had the pleasure of hosting one of the culinary stages at the event and I must say the food was fantastic.  There were more than 80 restaurants at this year’s Taste of Atlanta and my favorite dish was the shrimp and grits from the Depeaux.  Yum!!  If you missed out this year you can keep up with all the details on next year’s event by going to http://tasteofatlanta.net/

North Georgia Fall Colors

I also drove up to the North Georgia mountains this month and got a first hand look at the amazing fall colors.  One of the best spots to do some leaf looking is in Hiawassee along Lake Chatuge.  It’s a picture perfect spot and only a day trip away.  If you’re interested in checking out the fall foliage and would like to make a weekend trip out of it there are a couple of great hotels to consider.  You may want to check out Brasstown Valley Resort at http://www.brasstownvalley.com/.  You should also consider staying at The Ridges Resort at http://www.theridgesresort.com/. 

North Georgia Fall Colors

If you take some great fall photos be sure to send them to CBS Atlanta News.  We will post them on our website and may show them on television.  Email your photographs to pics@cbsatlanta.com.  I hope you have a wonderful fall season! 

Adam Murphy

Teens Help Flood Victims

I will never forget the devastation I witnessed while covering this years flooding.  I met people who lost everything from their homes to their cars.  It was not a pretty sight, but in the midst of such tragedy I came across one story that lifted my spirits. 

Teens Rescue Flood Victims

Teenagers  Kevin Broyles and Matt Palmer decided to rescue people trapped in their homes by flood water.  The teens used a small boat to access homes in Austell where people had been trapped for up to three days.  

“I’ve always been the one to go out there and get it done,” said Broyles.  “We help out a lot at our church, school or just about anywhere we can,” said Palmer.

  Kevin and Matt are only 16 years old , but when it comes to helping people they’re definitely beyond their years.  The teens recued more than 40 people from the flooding and didn’t charge a penny for their services. 

I was moved by this story so I thought I’d share it with you.  It was nice to see a couple of kids make the most of their time out of school doing something meaningful.