Podcast 140 – Gail Cameron Wescott – Life Magazine and The Beatles Invasion

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Gail Wescott is a Dunwoody resident, and a reporter for Life Magazine. We got the chance to talk to her about some of the following stories she covered in her career…

KENNEDYS & OTHER POLITICOS: 

John F. Kennedy—1960 campaign/presidency/assassination (story of grave) 

Jackie Kennedy —during hurricane in Hyannis/ at home in Georgetown etc. 

Bobby & Ethel Kennedy & family at Hickory Hill 

Eunice Kennedy and family at Special Olympics (N.C.) 

Ted Kennedy 

Caroline and John childhood in NY 

Ann Gargan (niece who cared for Joe) 

Pierre Salinger/Ted Sorensen, Pam Tunure etc 

Dr Janet Travell – White House Doctor 

Richard Nixon 

Nellie & John Connally profile (“Picked by John and jellied by Nelly”) 

Jimmy Carter/ Rosalynn Carter 

Hamilton Jordan 

Don & Joyce Rumsfeld -during -first stint as Secretary of Defense 

Newt & Marianne Gingrich Rusk —reception at Scarsdale elementary school 

Clarence Thomas Pinpoint GA childhood 

Gov. Zell Miller – (Mozart for new babies) 

Michael Coles – Chocolate Chip Cookie magnate’s run for congress

OLYMPIC ATHLETES: 

Marion Jones 

Olga Korbut 

Carl Lewis 

Mary Lou Retton 

Dot Richardson (softball) Orthopedic Surgeon 

Brooke Bennet (swimmer) 

Mary Decker -runner 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta 

HEROES/ “ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE”: 

Robin Fech – ASA novice flight attendant who saved 21 passengers 

Michael Dopheide – Alabama Amtrak train wreck “Hero of Car 211” 

Bonnie Whaley —warned drivers in catastrophic 83-car pileup pileup in 1-75 fog 

Susan York – crusader against meth houses after breaking up one across street 

Richard Jewell, hero of Olympic bombing, a hero nearly destroyed by false coverage 

Gary Garner- created baseball league for disabled kids 

Debi Faris —founder of Garden of Angels/advocate for Safe Haven laws 

Jennifer Arnold —founder of Canine Assistants to help disabled people 

David Jayne —ALS victim who lobbied Congress to change Medicare laws 

Cristy Sanderson – Operation Toybox 

GOD-PEOPLE: 

Nancy Fowler— the Ga. housewife who had apparition of Virgin Mary on 13th of every month (19990-98) drawing thousands to her farm and inspired popular bumper sticker: “Come to Conyers, GA. Eat Frank and See Mary!” 

Mother Antonia —former Beverly Hills housewife who lives in Tijuana prison and has single-handedly stopped riots Billy Graham interviews at Motreat home and coverage of crusade 

Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker —Meltdown of & their Christian theme park, Heritage USA

WAR: 

Canadian draft dodgers during Vietnam (first major story on subject) 

My Son/My Hero – father and son, Marines, fighting in Iraq 

Ron Young – shot down and captured in first days of Iraq war 

DIVORCE AND OTHER DRAMAS:

Gingrich divorce 

Robin Jansen and ( Olympic Speed skater) Dan Jansen Divorce 

Kim Bassinger and Alec Baldwin 

Turner/ Fonda

Barbara LeBey Estrangement son (family uproar on Martha’s Vineyard) 

CRIME: 

Susan Smith Trial 

Gina Grant -denied Harvard admission over news she’d murdered her mother 

Stop Sign case in Tampa 

Jon Benet Ramsey murder 

Murder of Sara Tokars 

Aisenburg kidnapping – Tampa 

Michael Pardue -cleared of crime but held in prison for escape attempts 

Shock Incarceration at GA Boot Camp for teens 

Serial Killer Larry Evans as viewed by brother 

David Nagel- killed grandparents as teen – Insanity acquittal

CONTROVERSY: 

Carol Carr—GA mother killed sons to spare them slow Huntington’s disease death 

Kelly Flinn —Air Force Pilot forced out over affair with enlisted man 

Hutelmyer -winner of Million dollar alienation of affection suit against husband and “other woman” 

Allen Adams —accused of being AWOL -actually murdered 20 years earlier 

Kathleen Ford robbery and Atlanta jewelers Caldwell ice-cream arrest 

Eliot Wiggonton, founder of FOXFIRE —arrested for child molestation 

Drunk Driver (GA Tech student ) who killed Lisa Brooks’ two children and his “educational reprieve 

David Ramus – art thief 

A1-Amin- formerly H.Rapp Brown/murder in Atlanta Muslim community 

Esther Green – 18 minutes of suburban terror (carjack recorded on cell phone) leading police to rescue 

Larry McAfee’s lawsuit for right to kill himself after accident turned him into quadriplegic, he won and then decided to live 

UNEXPECTED:

 Visiting Duke & Duchess of Windsor’s fabled country retreat outside Paris with “Instructions for Telephones” that might floor Bill Gates