Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning, Alan Jackson’s haunting song about the World Trade Center is a vivid reminder of that fateful day 25 years ago on Friday. I was returning to the Daily World office after completing a photo assignment. I was just getting onto Interstate 49 from Highway 190 when I heard on the radio that a plane had hit the World Trace Center. By the time I arrived at the office minutes later another plane crashed into the other tower. As I arrived to the news room the reporters were getting out their stories while keeping an eye out on the television reporting the event as it was happening. It was a busy morning in the newsroom. At that time the Daily World was an afternoon paper which meant that the paper would have front page coverage of the event just hours after it happened. I spent the rest of the day going out and covering the local reaction of the day. I was at Opelousas High School with a group of students glued to a television when the towers started to fall, went out to the St. Lanery Parish Airport that was closed as was all airports due to a no fly rule throughout the country. It was a day I’ll never forget. Following the event I covered many memorials throughout the rest of the year, also blood drives and just about any event pertaining to 9/11. I have many memories of my time at the Daily World but this day in particular will be one I’ll never forget.
On Friday St. Landry Now will be covering two events commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11, one on the courthouse square and at Lafond Ardoin Funeral Home for the first responders.
