J.R. Stone
People often ask why I decided to get into news and to be honest, I actually always had this idea of becoming a baseball player. It was my first sport, the one I loved above all else, and I thought that if the guys on TV could do it, who's to say I couldn't? I played baseball when I started college but at one point I, like so many others, realized it wasn't going to happen. Michael Jordan once said, "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something, but I can't accept not trying." I live by those words. I was a solid player yes, but I wasn't a Major League Baseball player.
As I grew older, I noticed that telling stories to groups of people felt natural and fun. I wanted to do that, and I initially just wanted to cover sports. Soon I was covering news, sports, and just about any type of activity that you can imagine. Here I am 19 years later and I'm still doing it.
I don't think there's a better team in the business than ABC7 News. What I love most about being part of this Disney team is that everyone is striving to do their best. Not just the on-air folks, but the behind-the-scenes crews, too. There's a passion to make sure the best possible product is shown and those I work with go above and beyond. It's been hectic at times: extreme weather, bad fires, and tragic mass shootings like the one we saw in Half Moon Bay, but it's those behind-the-scenes crews that make sure everything goes smoothly.
Before joining ABC7, I spent nine years as a weekend news and sports anchor at KRON4 News. While there, I won an Emmy for my news anchoring. But what I enjoyed most was really getting to know the community. It was during this time that I met my Godson Jordan, who has changed my life and continues to change my life to this day. He's the little guy in many of my pictures on Facebook and Instagram.
While at KRON I anchored our breaking news coverage of the Ghost Ship warehouse fire, the mass shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, and the Asiana Airlines crash at SFO. Every Sunday night I anchored an hour-long sports program called Sports Night Live. We'd show highlights and then we'd go back and forth with opinions. I still remember losing a friendly bet to a viewer and having to wear a Notre Dame jersey on air. Not fun for a Michigan fan whose family bleeds maize and blue, but a bet is a bet.
Before coming to the Bay Area, I was a journalist in Florida, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. I could go on for another six paragraphs about those amazing opportunities but let me sum it up in a few thoughts. Florida was where I covered the Casey Anthony case and I've never seen anything crazier. Oklahoma had the most extreme weather I've ever seen. It's where I covered tornadoes, flooding, heat waves, and ice storms. Arkansas is where I saw how amazing people can be. I covered many big stories in my two years there, but I'll remember the hospitality of The Natural State first and foremost.
If you have any questions, concerns, or you just want to call me out on a sports prediction, you can contact me via email at jr.stone@abc.com or on my social media pages on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
J.R.'s Stories
Prominent East Oakland resident among victims after car plows into crowd, killing 3
"He was a legend. My uncle was a people's person, he loved this block right here, he fought for this block where he died on," a witness said about a man known as "OG Frog," one of three victims killed after a car drove onto a sidewalk in East Oakland.
There's a treasure hunt for $10,000 happening in SF, but it's resulting in X-mark digging complaints
Two weeks into a citywide treasure hunt in San Francisco, the $10,000 loot said to be buried about a foot underground remains unfound as complaints grow over damage in public parks.
FIFA World Cup 30-day countdown begins across Bay Area
With 30 days until the FIFA World Cup arrives in the South Bay, celebrations are already underway across the Bay Area, where officials and organizers say the excitement is about more than just soccer.
Busload of rescued beagles arrive in Bay Area from Wisconsin research laboratory
A school bus load of rescued dogs has arrived in the Bay Area after a 2000-mile trip from Ridglan Farms, a Wisconsin research facility. Rescue groups say the beagles are now experiencing basic comforts they never had, from walking on grass to drinking from bowls.
19-year-old arrested in gang-related Cinco de Mayo shooting in Santa Rosa: police
Santa Rosa police have arrested a 19-year-old in a suspected gang-related shooting outside the city's Cinco de Mayo Festival, injuring one man and raising renewed concerns about youth gang violence.
Jewelry store smash-and-grab robbery shocks shoppers at Pleasanton mall
"They were smashing the glass. It sounds like gunshots, but not that loud." Thieves smashed glass display cases and ransacked a jewelry store inside an East Bay mall Monday morning, prompting nearby workers and shoppers to run for safety.
Multiple arrests, dozens of ATVs and dirt bikes recovered on Bay Bridge after takeover attempt
Oakland police seized more than 70 ATVs and dirt bikes on the Bay Bridge on Sunday as officers moved to stop sideshow-related activity that led to major traffic disruptions on the bridge. Officers rescued one suspect who jumped into the bay and attempted to swim away.
SF's Fisherman's Wharf gains momentum as revival unfolds | Here's why some are voicing concerns
With recent data from port officials showing over a million visitors at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf in March, signs of renewal have come to the popular tourist attraction. But despite the optimism, concerns remain among local fishermen about the future of working infrastructure at the wharf.
Bronze stars of fallen officers stolen from Solano County memorials; sheriff vows to get justice
The Solano County Sheriff is furious after thieves targeted the bronze stars of fallen deputies and officers, along with plaques honoring veterans, just before a memorial to remember those individuals. For now, families have left American flags on the empty spots.
Oakland officers shoot, kill man who was 'pointing a firearm at people,' police say
The shooting happened near the intersection of 89th Avenue and Birch Street after police responded to reports from neighbors that the man had allegedly been waving a gun at passersby, including children.