This seems to be the year that disgraced (and should-be disgraced) evangelicals are being called home:

Tammy Faye Messner, 65, former evangelist, dies
The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — Tammy Faye Messner, who as Tammy Faye Bakker helped her husband, Jim, build a multimillion-dollar evangelism empire and then saw it collapse in disgrace, has died. She was 65.

Messner, who had battled colon cancer since 1996 that more recently spread to her lungs, died at her home Friday, said her booking agent, Joe Spotts. A family service was held Saturday in a private cemetery, where her ashes were interred, he said.

She had frequently spoken about her medical problems, saying she hoped to be an inspiration to others. "Don't let fear rule your life," she said. "Live one day at a time, and never be afraid." But she told well-wishers in a note on her Web site in May that the doctors had stopped trying to treat the cancer.

In an interview with CNN's Larry King two months later, an emaciated Messner — still using her trademark makeup — said, "I believe when I leave this earth, because I love the Lord, I'm going straight to heaven." Asked if she had any regrets, Messner said: "I don't think about it, Larry, because it's a waste of good brain space."

Of course, if you haven't seen "Through The Eyes of Tammy Faye", maybe her passing means little to you. But don't think she's just another hateful evangelist. Tammy Faye was a very loving individual and I hope she suffers no longer.

Perhaps there's a "Surreal After-Life" with which she can form prayer circles with and regale her cast mates with her endearing stories. She will be missed.

Well, leave it to me to wow everyone, but I produced just about the best story and video this week ever! Well, maybe that's giving me too much credit, but I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from my work.

So, anyways, my editor clued me in a couple of weeks ago in on a story at Mineral King, this valley in Sequoia National Park. Basically, one of the other reporters went up there and saw that people had wrapped chicken wire around their cars to protect the engines from these animals called marmots, which are basically large alpine squirrels. I had to get more info, so on Tuesday I drove up to the park with the camera and this is what I saw:

Mineral King marmots cause problems for cars
By Nick McClellan
Visalia Times-Delta

If you choose to hike or camp in Mineral King this summer, the animal most likely to cause damage — and leave you shaking your fist — is not a bear.

Large alpine squirrels known as marmots love to munch on engine wires and hoses. They also drink copious amounts of ethylene glycol, a chemical found in many kinds of automotive antifreeze.

... Mitchell Hauptman, a park ranger stationed at the Mineral King ranger station, said three vehicles have been towed this season because marmot damage rendered them inoperative. Other visitors got off easier, including one who left the following note at the ranger station: "Doesn't look serious, but it took a while to scare him out of the engine compartment."

... No one knows for sure why marmots find car parts and fluids so appealing, said Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wildlife Ecologist Harold Werner.

The fluids also don't seem to harm the marmots as they would housepets.

"They seem to become ethylene glycol junkies," Werner said.

... Visitors who fail to protect their vehicles from marmots may find themselves taking one or more home in the engine cavity, Hauptman said.

"I've heard stories of marmots making their way down to L.A.," he said. "But they're fine. People give us calls, 'We have one of your marmots.' "

His usual response?

"It's their marmot now," Hauptman said. "Marmots don't FedEx well."

My editor told me she liked the video and the story like three times today. I always get so excited when I do something right. Future stories for me include: following some guy who turns cooking oil into biofuel, filming a wild mixed martial arts match and snapping pictures of some tots competing in a sort of miniature Olympics.

But, before you see any of that, you have to see the marmot video! It's awesome. And I'm telling you, if you haven't crossed paths with a marmot, you haven't met the most interesting and mischievous creature this side of the Sierra.

I have been working on a story for the past month on Allensworth, a city established in 1908 entirely by African Americans. The county has approved the establishment of two dairies within two miles of the city, which has been abandoned and re-created as a state park. If you know anything about dairies, you should know this: They stick. If a dairy sets up less than a mile from the park, whatever visitors do come to the park may have a very unpleasant time. Many African Americans feel that the county's rubber stamp on the new dairies is just another attempt to wipe away a hallmark of Black History and they have lobbied quite successfully politicians in Sacramento that are passing a bill to establish a buffer zone around the park.

I've been to the park four times in the past month. The last time I went was on June 23, for their Juneteenth celebration. I had to abandon any plans I had to attend Gay Pride in San Francisco for it. Somehow, it didn't really matter to me. The excitement and life of the park was thrilling. As a journalist, it felt wonderful to be a part of something under normal circumstances I would observe as an outsider. Everyone was very gracious and kind to me and I was happy to see the park with so much life again.

Today I finished the second, larger video on the park. It seeks to explain, in the words of African Americans, why the park deserves to be protected by the state. I think it's very good and I thought I should share.

P.S.: I am the multimedia reporter now at the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register and I produce a fair amount of videos. You can see them at www.VisaliaTimesDelta.com/Video.