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 forfeits 6 football games after principal says team played ineligible athletes
A source tells ABC7 News that some El Cerrito High School football players lived outside the district and in at least one case fake documentation to enroll in school was given. But parents and students are furious after their record was wiped out.
Red Flag Warning puts Bay Area firefighters, residents on high alert amid wildfire threat
Firefighters and residents in the Bay Area are on high alert for wildfire and potential wind damages as a Red Flag Warning goes into effect Thursday night.
3,000+ Napa County PG&E customers could be impacted during public safety power shutoffs
PG&E says that Napa County could start seeing outages Thursday afternoon and that could last through at least Saturday.
SFUSD superintendent defends closure and merger plans as he meets with upset parents
Families held a rally outside San Francisco Public Montessori before a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Matt Wayne, where he explained the plan to move the school's 105 students to Rosa Parks Elementary.
Antioch man accused of multiple rapes; police say there could be additional victims
Antioch police say the 37-year-old suspect, Robert Chuksorji, would prey on women on social media and dating apps. They say he may not have used his real name in some of the cases that date back 10 years.
Nurses at UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus concerned about having no AC
Nurses say having no air conditioning during this heat wave has taken a toll on them as well as patients. "They have totally ignored us. It makes us feel like they don't care," said UCSF RN Melton Smith, who adds they have complained to the CEO about the issue.
SF Fisherman's Wharf businesses voice concerns as Madame Tussauds wax museum closes
The sudden closure of Madame Tussauds is only a part of a bigger trend happening in the popular tourist attraction in recent years.
Thousands cheer on Cal at the 1st ESPN College GameDay in Berkeley: Here's a look
"Go Bears!" Thousands of students and fans showed up at UC Berkeley Saturday morning for ESPN's College GameDay show.
Antioch mayor wants $500K for additional outside police assistance after recent violence
After two people died in at least 15 Antioch shootings in September, the mayor is seeking funds for long-term assistance from outside law enforcement agencies. But some are asking why this isn't coming sooner.
Will Salesforce's in-person work mandate help downtown San Francisco?
Tuesday marked the first day Salesforce required many of their workers to come back to the office in downtown San Francisco. Here's what some employees ABC7 News spoke to think of the mandate.