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
East Bay high school's takedown of longtime 'Wrestling Wall of Fame' sparks outrage
Mission San Jose High School's "Wrestling Wall of Fame" was started around 40 years ago by longtime coach Thomas Thomsen. As of a few weeks ago, the wall is gone, sparking outrage by many.
San Francisco Amazon workers to strike Thursday morning, possibly impacting holiday shipping
Amazon shows no indication it is willing to reach a deal with the Teamsters, or even recognizes that the union speaks for any of its workers, despite the union declaring that employees at numerous Amazon facilities have signed cards asking to join.
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Parents remain outraged as OUSD declines to take action on possible school closures
The Oakland Unified School District is putting off a vote on school closures as it deals with a massive projected budget deficit. But community members are still furious at the idea, saying, "Don't touch our schools."
California wildfires: Experts weigh in on dangerous conditions bleeding into December
Paul Lowenthal with the Santa Rosa Fire Department says recently they have seen a shift in more fire activity in Southern California during this time of year.
Friends react after suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with 2nd-degree murder
"Beyond shocked. It's unimaginable!" Friends react after Luigi Mangione, suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was charged with second-degree murder.
Oakland city council to meet Monday to discuss and vote on budget cuts
Oakland's budget vote on Monday could have big impacts on the people who keep the city safe. Every city department is affected, but firefighters will be some of the hardest hit.
Oakland Fire Department facing closure of 6 stations if budget proposal passes
Oakland's budget vote on Monday could have big impacts on the people who keep the city safe. Every city department is affected, but firefighters will be some of the hardest hit.
How would a tsunami impact the Bay Area? Scientists weigh in
Thankfully, the Bay Area was not hit by a tsunami after Thursday's major earthquake in Northern California. However, what would have happened if we were?