So what do you think?

We've been in our new KMBC 9 studios for almost a week now and we're still getting used to our new digs. I can tell you there's a lot to love about our new station, including plenty of high tech toys. There's also a lot to learn as we settle into a new workspace with brand new equipment.

I know many of our viewers don't have High Definition TV sets, but I can tell you our new studio does look great in HD. However, it also looks much better than our old set on regular TVs as well. Our former set was beloved, and certainly served us well during many important news events in Kansas City, but it also was in desperate need of an update. The new set allows the weather team to have all of their equipment at their fingertips at all times, and allows the news anchors to monitor news wires and the Internet from the anchor desk. That's a big deal for Donna and I during a two hour show.

Now, we have had some glitches during our move to the new building. Switching an entire television news operation from one facility to another is always difficult, but when you add new equipment to the mix, it becomes an even bigger challenge. I believe our technical folks have done an amazing job of staying on top of things, but sometimes there have been problems. Fortunately, they've been pretty rare and we've fixed many of them quickly.

But even with our new equipment and new studio, our commitment to the best news coverage in Kansas City has not changed. I believe our new station has improved our newscasts, but the most important part is still the journalism. Our mission is provide accurate, complete reports on the stories that matter to you... and that remains unchanged. Now, those stories simply look better. New station. New equipment. Same mission.

Whew! The past week has been extremely busy for me, with the move into our brand new building and new studio (more on that in an upcoming blog), and I've also been all over the metro for several events. It's been a whirlwind, but it's also been a lot of fun.

First, I had a great time last week talking with the Golden Seniors at the North Kansas City Community Center. What a great group! We had a lot of fun and they had some good questions about all sorts of subjects. We talked about everything from High Definition TV to light rail. A big hello to all my new friends in NKC..

On Friday, I had the chance to announce some of the winners at the "Best of KC" awards sponsored by KC Magazine. It was an elegant evening with some great food from local restaurants. I "sampled" (i.e. stuffed my face with) barbecue, salmon and even frozen yogurt. And after the food was served, I enjoyed looking for my favorites among the "Best of KC" winners. This was my second year at the event, and I once again had a great time.

And on Saturday night, I went to the lovely town of Braymer, Missouri for the Braymer Fair. I hosted a lively round of "Let's Make A Deal," where I had the chance to be Monte Hall and give away some fabulous prizes. Thank you to everyone in Braymer for providing such a fun night for me and my son, Jack.

Again, this was all going on during our move to the fancy new KMBC 9 studios. More on that to come...

Goose. The Ice Man. Maverick. If you're a fan of the classic 1980's fighter plane flick, Top Gun, you know these names. And one of my favorite lines from that movie (among so many) is: "I've got the need... the need for speed!"

That kept running through my mind last week as I had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of flying in a fighter jet. My need for speed was certainly quenched.

Pilot Peter Jacobs took me up in the "Angel 7", his L-39C jet fighter plane, which is still used as a trainer in the Russian air force. He asked me not to disclose exactly how fast we were going at times, but let's just say that the top speed for this aircraft is well over 500 miles per hour. (We didn't go that fast.) It was absolutely incredible.

Of course, it isn't just the speed that's impressive about the Angel 7. It's agility will wow you as well. Several times during our flight, Jacobs banked so sharply, I was looking straight down at the ground, hundreds of feet below. The highlight of the flight was a mid-air roll, a complete 360 in the sky that was better (and smoother) than any roller coaster you'll ever ride. Jacobs even let me take the controls for a short time. It's a surreal moment when you realize you're actually flying a fighter plane. I didn't want the flight to end, so it was difficult to come down and land, but since we had already gone through around 100 gallons of gas, I guess it was time.

You can see the Angel 7 for yourself this weekend (August 25-26), both up in the air and up close on the ground at the Kansas City Aviation Expo at the Wheeler Downtown Airport. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate.

I may never stare down a Russian MIG during air-to-air combat like Maverick and Goose, but I can now say I flew in a fighter plane. All I needed was "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins playing in the background, and the Top Gun experience would have been complete.

This may sound a little scary, but you'll soon be able to watch the First News team in crisp, clear, excruciating detail. That's right: we're going HD.

If you're a technophobe, HD stands for High Definition and it's the future of television. All of those fancy, widescreen TVs you see at Best Buy are HD sets and many of your favorite prime time shows are already broadcast in High Def. It's taking a little longer for local news to upgrade to HD, but we're proud to say that KMBC will be the first station in Kansas City to bring you the news in High Definition.

Now, if you don't have one of those high falutin' HD sets, the new picture on KMBC won't change a whole lot. Yes, unfortunately, you need the HD set to see the HD picture. But that doesn't mean nothing will change. Not only are we going HD, KMBC is also moving into a brand new TV station, which means there will be be all kinds of things that will be new and exciting on our news.

In case your wondering, going to HD can be a little nerve-racking for news anchors. A crystal clear picture means every blemish and wrinkle will be seen in High Def. Yikes! You'll soon discover I actually look like Don Knotts.

So stay tuned... the brand new, High Def KMBC 9 news will debut very soon. Now you can see what Donna, Joel and I really look like at 5 o'clock in the morning!

It's good to be back.

My family and I had a nice vacation last week in Pennsylvania, visiting my family and my wife's family in Lancaster County, Pa. Jack and Kate got to see their grandparents and play with their cousins, and Barb and I caught up with some old friends. All in all, a nice summer break.

But it sure is nice to be back in K.C. Except for the heat, of course. Fall weather is starting to sound pretty good right about now.