Top Breaking Story

                                                                          Top Breaking Story

        "Welcome to the evening news.  Today's top story; three teen age thugs attack a senior citizen; more on that story after this message."

          There's a brief commercial break.  Someone begins a countdown.  "Three, two, one."  And points a finger in the general direction of the two broadcasters.

        "Today's top story; teenaged thugs attack a senior citizen.  With that, we'll go to reporter James Dickerson on location.  James?"

          "Thanks, Todd; I'm standing in front of the Salemville courthouse where three teens were booked for assaulting a senior citizen as he worked in his yard."

          Camera pans the courthouse facade and slowly goes wide angle until the camera includes the reporter.

        "Todd, from what I gathered from the arresting officers, the senior citizen, who chooses to remain anonymous and has refused to be interviewed, was gardening in his back yard, now, the backyard is not fenced in, as is common in these small rural areas.  As firsthand accounts indicate the elderly gentleman was on his knees, either planting or weeding, the witnesses were not sure on that.  However, the witnesses indicate that the three youths were carrying baseball bats and what they indicated as a steel pipe similar to our water pipes or about the same size.  Again according to witnesses, the youth yelled something to the effect that they were going to kill him, of course, I've deleted the expletives."

        "What happened then, James?"

        "Well Todd..." James begins to chuckle.  ..Apparently, the aftermath reports are saying that the three youths are not at the courthouse, but are in the jail ward of Salemville Memorial Hospital..."  Again James chuckles and in the background could be heard the cameraman laughing.

        "James, I don't understand..."

        "Well Todd, at this moment, the three would be assailants are recovering from injuries; ...and I'll give you a short list;  numerous broken bones including ribs, arms, legs and, at least one jaw; one or two of the youths are now needing an orthodontist to replace missing front teeth...probably require some sort of denture, a partial at least..."  James starts laughing so hard his eyes can be seen watering.  ..."Just a minute, Todd ...Okay...whew!"  And James starts to laugh again.

      "James..."

        "Sorry Todd, the senior citizen? Well, he refused treatment on his bruised knuckles."  Again, James burst out laughing.  Quickly regaining his composure, he continues.  "A statement given by one witness went, and I quote: "Them kids should have learned their history better in school.  Had they bothered, they could have read what was on his shirt; Marine Corps Semper Fi.

        There was a loud chorus of Hoo Raw heard in the station and on the streets of Salemville.

      "Back to you, Todd."  James bowls over laughing.  Back at the station, Todd has his head down, he's laughing so hard he can't speak, finally he utters; "Cut to Commercial...P-P-please!"

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