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
SF community helps reunite owner with stolen dog found near Golden Gate Bridge
"Story with a happy ending!" A 12-year-old German Shepherd named Bonnie was stolen from her owner Chaz near Lake Merced in San Francisco. Here's how social media and good Samaritans helped find her.
Meta threatens to block news stories in CA if state bill requiring big tech to pay outlets passes
A bill from East Bay assemblywoman Buffy Wicks would require Facebook, Google, and Microsoft to pay a 'usage fee' to local news publishers. But Meta has other plans.
Marin County DA defends restorative justice measures in statue destruction case
Those involved in destroying a religious statue in Marin County ended up with misdemeanor convictions instead of felonies after going through restorative justice measures. But some community members remain outraged.
Senior Airman killed in Afghanistan in 2008 remembered at Lafayette Memorial Day ceremony
One mother fought back her emotions as she spoke with us, and as she talked to others about her son, Jonathan. He died while serving in Afghanistan in 2008.
Expert says wet weather in California this time of year is 'not that unusual'
Parts of the Bay Area got some raindrops while some in Lake County even got a few downpours and thunderstorms. While it may seem strange to have wet weather in California this late in May, it's not unusual after all, according to an SJSU professor.
Memorial Day weekend travel in full swing as 140,000 expected at SFO Friday
On Friday before Memorial Day, 140,000 people are expected to go in and out of San Francisco International Airport and the recommendations are simple - get there early.
'Fell in love with the speed': Filipino teen with CA ties makes history winning F1 Academy race
Eighteen-year-old Bianca Bustamante, who spent time growing up in the Bay Area, just became the first Filipino to win an F1 Academy race in the new all-female racing series founded by Formula 1.
Banko Brown case: California AG to review SF DA's decision to not charge guard in Walgreens shooting
California Attorney General Rob Bonta will review the San Francisco district attorney's decision to not file charges against the security guard who fatally shot Banko Brown a San Francisco Walgreens in April.
'Always smiling': Friend remembers victim in Hwy 101 multi-car crash that killed 3 in Sunnyvale
We now know the identity of two men in their 20's who were killed along Highway 101 Monday morning in an accident that involved at least half a dozen vehicles. In an interview with ABC7, one friend remembers one of those victims.
SFMTA to extend parking meter hours, include Sundays. Here's what drivers need to know
San Francisco is about to launch its biggest change to the city's parking meters in nearly 70 years. The SFMTA plans to extend its Monday through Saturday parking meter hours and include Sundays.