J.R. Stone
I'm so proud to be part of the Disney family and so far, it really does feel like one big family. I've covered news in the Bay Area since 2011 and time has flown by. I've laughed and cheered with many of you as our teams won championships, but I've also mourned with you when fires ravaged our homes and took the lives of our loved ones.
I can remember an expert saying, "J.R. just went live from an area that has the worst air quality on earth." Concerning, yes, but someone has to get the story and tell it like it is. I'm proud and blessed to do that every day.
Before joining ABC7, I was a weekend news and sports anchor at an independent channel in town. While there, I won an Emmy for my news anchoring and helped turn lackluster ratings into some of the top-rated programs of the week.
During the Ghost Ship warehouse fire, I anchored our breaking news coverage. When news of a mass shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival surfaced, I was live on the desk for four and a half hours. When the Asiana Airlines flight crashed at SFO in 2013, I anchored for 10 straight hours.
When news stories aren't breaking, sports stories usually are. I previously anchored a sports show called Sports Night Live. We made viewers a part of the show and it paid off. With no network affiliation, we managed to become one of the top-rated sports programs in the San Francisco market.
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.
I've covered 6 NBA Finals, 2 World Series, 3 Super Bowls, 3 Daytona 500's, 2 NCAA Football National Championships, and a Stanley Cup Final. When the Giants won their last two World Series; I was in the clubhouse interviewing players and getting doused with champagne.
I have 16 years of on-air news and sports experience, which include national appearances on CNN, The Weather Channel, and the CBS Early Show. Above all, else I pride myself on being a journalist of the people. Every night I go live on Facebook Live. This gives me a chance to ask questions to viewers and gives viewers a chance to throw questions at me.
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, heatwaves, and ice storms. Arkansas is where I saw how amazing people can be. I covered a number of 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@disney.com or on my social media pages.
J.R.'s Stories
'We're surviving': Mother & daughter battling COVID-19 on different floors of Oakland hospital
'WE CAN DO IT': The daughter says at first it felt like she was going to die, but is being as optimistic as possible for herself and her mom, as they battle the virus in the same hospital.
NTSB urges Tesla, others to do more for 1st responders' safety in report on electric car fires
The lithium-ion battery fires that can happen in electric cars pose a different type of danger to firefighters and other first responders.
'Historic tipping point': Law experts compare situation in DC to Nixon Watergate hearings
A San Francisco law expert is explaining why if Pres. Trump wants to protect himself from criminal liability, "the safest way to do that is do what Richard Nixon did."
'My heart hurts': Oscar Grant's family demands justice as DA says she won't charge second officer
"Tony Pirone committed murder on that platform and he should be charged with felony murder," Grant's Uncle said after learning the officer won't be facing any charges in his nephew's death.
Historians question Arnold Schwarzenegger's comparisons of Capitol riot, Kristallnacht in video
"That's over the top": Historians say Schwarzenegger's comparison goes too far. At least 91 people died during Kristallnacht and 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps. Far different than what happened at the Capitol last week.
What would self-pardon mean for President Trump? Law professor says it could get messy
A law professor explains under a self-pardon, Pres. Trump "would have to list any crimes that he may have committed," which could subject him to state prosecution, something that a federal pardon wouldn't protect against.
'He has to be stopped': Bay Area Dems call for removal of President Trump after US Capitol siege
After what happened Wednesday in the Capitol, some are even calling for the removal of President Trump, "He has to be stopped and I'm afraid at what he is going to do in the next two weeks."
Richmond woman has lost 9 family members to COVID-19 amid nation's slow vaccine rollout
"When is it going to be distributed to the public? We're in January already," said a woman who has already lost several family members to coronavirus while battling it herself.
Grieving mother speaks out after daughter killed in San Francisco hit-and-run crash on New Year's Eve
As a memorial for Hana Abe grows in SF's SOMA, 45-year-old Troy McAlister is behind bars in connection with both Hana and another woman's death. There are questions out there as to why McAllister wasn't behind bars due to his past crimes
Virtual parties, protests, and empty streets make up New Year's Eve in San Francisco
"I honestly think it's a nice closure to 2020 because it's been a bit chaotic."
