Friday marks one year since WDBJ reporter Alison Parker and photographer Adam Ward were gunned down on live television.
Their story touched people across the country. Our evening producer, Gabrielle Smith, worked with Alison while they were students at James Madison University.
"Ali told stories in a way that made you smile," Gabrielle said. "I looked up to her, she's someone I aspire to be like. The way she carried herself and the stories she told were the ones people remember."
Gabrielle asked some News 3 reporters to reflect on their most memorable stories.
Kelly Rule recalled when a local woman reached out to her son after he had lead poisoning. "They had actually found elevated levels of lead at her home, she thought the home was making her child sick," Kelly said. "So, she reached out to us and we worked with the public housing authority that oversaw the property that she was living at and got her a new place to live, and she felt that she couldn't have done that without our help."
Read more here: PRHA relocates family after 3-year-old boy found with elevated levels of lead
Allison Mechanic remembered the story of a World War II veteran, Norwood Thomas, who reconnected with his wartime girlfriend.
"The two finally reconnected after 70 plus years on Skype," Allison said. "This story was so important to me because I got to not only share their love story, but I was able to go into the lives of so many other people that took action and were able to fly Norwood out there to be reunited with his girlfriend in Australia."
Read more here: WWII veteran reconnects with wartime girlfriend in Australia
Kim Cung was inspired by the story of a Navy SEAL veteran named Jay Redman.
"I think that made it where I could understand how skydiving changed a person's life. Someone who went through war, someone who came back without their legs and thought their life was over," Kim said. "And through meeting Jay Redman, they realized that granted jumping out of a plane sounds crazy, but it's that crazy that made them realize 'Hey, I've got a life to live, hey if I can do that, I can do anything.'"
Read more here: Wounded veterans rebuild their lives through skydiving
