I am a reporter for The Record Herald (Waynesboro) and Echo Pilot (Greencastle) in Franklin County and wanted to share the story of how The Record Herald, a newspaper located more than 80 miles away, played a key role in the breaking news coverage of Three Mile Island.

The Record Herald received a citation from the Associated Press Managing Editors Association for what the late Jesse (pronounced Jess) Garber did on March 28, 1979, to give the AP a head start on the story and his assistance as it continued to unfold.

I did not start working at The RH until 1985, but the story was passed down in the newsroom and I have included the recollections of one of the participants.

If you plan to use the information, please let me know so were can include an article in the paper.

Shawn

THE RECORD HERALD AND TMI

Reporter Ken Peiffer Jr. made his usual stop at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Chambersburg to check for news releases that morning before heading to The Record Herald in Waynesboro.

There were an unusually large number of troopers at the barracks, “wandering around, milling around, all in uniform.”

“I said, ‘What the heck’s going on?’ and they said they were going to Three Mile Island. Until that point, I had no clue what Three Mile Island was or where it was,” recalled Peiffer, now 82 and still living in Chambersburg,

When he got to The Record Herald office in Waynesboro Peiffer said Editor Jesse Garber asked him if there was anything interesting from state police.

“Nothing much, just a couple of accident reports … and the troopers are headed to some place called Three Mile Island,” Peiffer replied.

That’s when Garber picked up the phone and called the AP.

*** Part of the story I recall is that Garber also received a call or calls from his mother who was in a Harrisburg-area nursing home and was being evacuated, but I am not clear on exactly when that happened or how it factored into his calls the AP. ***

The Associated Press Managing Editor’s citation was awarded to The Record “for outstanding participation in the Associated Press news report.”

It says:

“For outstanding cooperation by managing editor Jesse Garber during the Three Miles Island Nuclear accident. Garber’s tip on March 28 gave AP members a 57 minute beat on the accident. Garber also provided the first word on March 30 that an uncontrolled release of radiation had spewed from the plant, providing AP members with another major beat on this story. Garber frequently phoned Philadelphia and Harrisburg AP bureaus throughout the week as soon as information became available to him.”

The citation, presented on Oct. 16, 1979, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was signed by:

Joseph W. Shoquist
President, APME
Milwaukee Journal

and

Lloyd W. Sveen
Citations committee chairman, APME
Fargo Forum