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
Should each SF district be required to have a homeless shelter? Here's a new proposal
Currently, there are no homeless shelters in four of San Francisco's 11 districts, and a proposal is in the works to change that, taking an entirely new approach to tackling the city's crisis.
Oakland Unified school board approves 'voluntary separation agreement' with superintendent
The Oakland Unified School District board approved a "voluntary separation agreement" with Superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell on Wednesday night.
Witness describes moments after Marin Co. crash that killed 4 teens, injured 2: 'I had to act fast'
Two young Good Samaritans are sharing details of the frantic moments after a car with six friends crashed into a tree in Marin County last week. "I think about what more I wish I could've done."
Al Gore takes aim at Trump during SF Climate Week speech: 'We have got to rise up'
Former vice president and environmentalist Al Gore didn't hold back with his comments during his San Francisco visit as he went after the Trump administration. "Our constitution, written by our founders, is intended to protect us against a threat identical to Donald Trump, someone who seeks power at all costs to get more power!"
How would the potential closure of the Valero Benicia Refinery impact gas prices?
Experts say Valero's possible closure of the Benicia refinery, which produces about 9% of California's gas, is "quite disturbing," and the state would need to import more gas to keep prices from rising too drastically.
Oakland mayor: City charter makes governing difficult for whoever is elected
Even with strong mandates, the next mayor will have limited tools. Under Oakland's city charter - the city's governing document - the mayor lacks veto power and has little authority over legislation or the budget, leading to what many call a weak executive office.
ABC7 News reporter captures viral video of 3 people ransacking makeup section of SF Walgreens store
A now viral video recorded by ABC7 News reporter J.R. Stone shows three people ransacking the makeup section of a San Francisco Walgreens.
Oakland mayor: Barbara Lee, Loren Taylor make their final push ahead of special election
Ahead of the Tuesday special election, former congresswoman Barbara Lee and former Oakland councilmember Loren Taylor each made a last-minute push to try and convince voters that they're the right choice for Oakland mayor.
San Franciscans angered over illegal dirt bikes on city streets: 'They've gotten bolder!'
Numerous San Franciscans reached out to us over the last few weeks about these dirt bikes, which are not street legal unless they've been modified. They're often seen riding on sidewalks, stopping traffic, and running red lights.
Bay Area HIV survivor owes $201K to Social Security after getting his disability benefits cut
San Francisco resident Paul Aguilar has been on disability for his HIV status since 2005 and is physically unable to work full-time. The letter from Social Security Office stated that he shouldn't have received benefits from 2014 to 2025.