Radio host’s Reid scoop gets even better with call from president
KNPR senior producer Joe Schoenmann is a veteran reporter, but he could be excused for sounding more than a little startled last week as he hosted the public radio station’s “State of Nevada” program.
Not only did he have the first interview with Harry Reid — not normally scintillating radio — after the U.S. Senate minority leader’s surprise retirement announcement, but that national news was topped by a call from President Barack Obama.
KNPR News Director Adam Burke says the Reid interview was arranged on short notice before the retirement announcement, and the presidential call-in floored everyone.
“Obviously, any time you can get Sen. Reid, you want him,” Burke says, acknowledging the senator’s YouTube retirement announcement kept KNPR staff hopping. “We obviously didn’t know that he was stepping down until the morning of the interview (after the video press release went out.)”
As for the surprise caller, “It was amazing the lines were even open. … That was not something that we scripted. From what I gather, Reid didn’t know about it, either. …
“Getting Reid was enough for us. Obviously, when the president calls, you take his call.”
I’ll leave it to others to decide whether the Obama call was as surprising to Reid as it sounded.
But maybe Reid’s retirement party will include T-shirts that excerpt this entertaining exchange:
Obama: “Harry. This is Barack.”
Reid: “Well I’ll be damned.”
PPA FIGHT: Anyone who labored under the delusion Police Protective Association Executive Director Chris Collins was going to go away quietly after being accused of misconduct in office was kidding themselves. He spent nearly one hour Thursday morning at a downtown law office rebutting allegations leveled at him by members of the police union’s executive board.
He insisted he hasn’t hired an attorney to represent him, but then again he’s married to veteran police union labor lawyer Kathy Collins.
HENRY’S DEATH: Amy Henry, the loyal wife and caregiver of Crazy Horse Too beating victim Kirk Henry, died recently in Kansas after suffering from cancer.
Her husband’s brutal beating in 2001 became part of a lengthy criminal case and civil litigation that ended in felony convictions of topless club owner Rick Rizzolo and much of his management team. Rizzolo agreed to pay the Henrys $10 million to settle the lawsuit, then spent several years attempting to hide assets and avoid payment.
ON THE BOULEVARD: The City Council on Wednesday wisely placed in abeyance a plan to use taxpayer funds to make charitable donations in elected officials’ names. That’s a good idea the week after never. … Longtime federal prosecutor Eric Johnson makes perfect sense as a new Eighth Judicial District judge. The appointments of Johnson and Joe Hardy Jr. were announced Thursday by Gov. Brian Sandoval.
BOULEVARD II: Word is a crush of comedians plans to converge on the fated Riviera one last time. Let the implosion jokes begin. … In other comedy news, a committee has been formed to bring a 2016 presidential debate to UNLV. Don’t know if they plan to implode any buildings afterward. … The Silver Sevens casino is presenting a spoken word variety show on Mondays hosted by poet Lee Mallory. … Prolific UNLV history professor Michael Green has just published “Nevada: A History of the Silver State.” It’s a mere 528 pages.
BOULEVARD III: A note on the passing of former Dunes vice president Bob Amira, who survived trouble with the feds, a link to organized crime and a connection to felonious rap godfather Marion “Suge” Knight. Amira did it in style and took a lot of Boulevard and Laughlin secrets with him. … He was a successful real estate developer, but pals of the late Albert Flangas will remember his sense of humor — and his jump shot with money on the line.
Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. Follow him on Twitter: @jlnevadasmith
