*Note: this is a repost of a series of articles originally published at MacklerMedia.com

An Afternoon at 1207 North Main

The second day shooting the powerful flooding in the Southeast Missouri area proved to be eye-opening. Literally just a two-minute drive from my home stands 1207 North Main Street – currently surrounded on all sides by four feet of water and climbing hourly. A mountain of sandbags and barriers are all that protects the four-year home of Bill and Laura Sandquist. Floodwaters have engulfed the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau in which they live, with the majority of the water rising Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, according to Bill Sandquist. As for help, the family obtained 15 sandbags per person from the fire department, significantly less than they need. “15 bags? Hey, I need 1500 bags,” said Sandquist. Most of the help has come from Red Star District neighbors, family and church members. “These are the times that really bring the community together,” said Sandquist. Sandquist’s son, John Gamage, who has recently returned from Nebraska, has been helping the family stack sandbags since the weekend. “It came up so slowly, so there was a lot of time to prepare. I know that if I can take a boat down the street, it’s pretty bad,” said Gamage. Despite such a hard reality, the family is in a positive spirit, having fun boating around the neighborhood and fishing from their home. Said Gamage, “You’ve got to see the positive, else everyone’s all stressed and that’s no good.” Sandquist chimes in, “I’m happy – at least I don’t have to mow the lawn.”

Southeastern Missouri Flooding ~ Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Our apartment began flooding on Easter, alerting us to the gravity of the flooding situation in the Cape Girardeau and Southeastern Missouri areas. Due to weeks of stormy weather, the area rivers and other bodies of water have swelled, leaving countless of people struggling to save their homes and loved ones. Yesterday, I covered the flooding from Cape Girardeau, Essex and Poplar Bluff.

Long time no post! I do most of my blogging now on MacklerMedia.com, you should head on over or subscribe to blog updates.

Anyways, last year, I documented the relief efforts in Nashville after the Cumberland River flooded the area in early May.

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, the banks of the Cumberland River near Nashville, Tenn., were breached due to torrential rainfall. After the water level reached over 20 feet in the intersection of Todd Preis Drive and Sawyer Brown Road in the Nashville suburb of Bellevue, the area was evacuated by boat on Sunday, May 2, 2010. Residents returned later in the week to gut their homes and move on with their lives.

Now a year later . . . Where are they? How are they coping? What obstacles have they overcome? Yet to overcome?

With your help on Kickstarter.com, I’d like to answer these questions.

What exactly is Kickstarter? Good question! According to their site, “Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields . . .On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk.”

All contributions to this project will go directly towards travel and production expenses. The project will culminate in the publication of a documentary photo book recording the Nashville flood relief efforts.

Currently, the modest goal of $1,800 is budgeted towards four or five days of on-location work in Nashville, and will go mostly towards travel expenses (gas, lodging, etc.), as well as materials needed for the book.

Not only an experiment in storytelling, I hope this will also be a successful endeavor in exploring a new way to fund community journalism in this new age of online media.

Please join me as I experiment with a new way to fund journalism & be rewarded with exclusive prints, posters and other goodies!

Thanks for your support!

Long time no post. I drove down to Nashville on Saturday to cover flood relief. Hope to spend more time down there later on in the week. Residents sure lived up to Tennessee’s motto of being the volunteer state.

After the water level reached to over 20 feet in intersection of Todd Preis Drive and Sawyer Brown Road in the Nashville suburb of Bellevue, the area was evacuated by boat on Sunday, May 2, 2010. Residents of Todd Preis Drive, where the River Plantation housing community is located, returned later in the week to gut their own homes and try to move on with their lives. Initially a retirement community, River Plantation is still approximately 75% retirees, said current resident Faye Nall. The disaster appears to have “created a sense of cohesiveness” within the community, said Nall. Young and old, those that have lost homes and those that have not, have all come together to help rebuild.

These images are available for editorial licensing. Use Coupon code “BLOG10″ for 10% off.

Nashville Flood Recovery – Images by Chris Mackler

I was recently featured in NPPA’s new blog, “The Visual Student,” talking about my experiences during my internship at The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Thanks Kevin!

Some fun at an annual event where they light up six hot air balloons at dusk.

Mike Peiffer holds open a hot air balloon named The Tinker-Too to let the air in at the Balloon Glow held on the grounds of the Brucemore Mansion on Thursday, June 25, 2009. The event was part of the Freedom Festival. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

From left to right, Jim Thomas, Joan Nickol, Carla Huber and David Peiffer stabilize a hot air balloon named The Tinker-Too during the beginning of the Balloon Glow held on the grounds of the Brucemore Mansion on Thursday, June 25, 2009. The event was part of the Freedom Festival. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Hot air balloons glow in the sky at the Balloon Glow held on the grounds of the Brucemore Mansion on Thursday, June 25, 2009. Six hot air balloons participated in the event. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Three Dog Night came to the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival over the weekend. It’s always fun shooting bands with sweet concert lights, let alone old(er) rockers trying to be hip.

Danny Hutton (left) and Cory Wells (right), of the band Three Dog NIght, perform during the Classic Rock Concert Night at the Freedom Festival held at Kirkwood Community College on Saturday, June 20, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Fans watch Three Dog Night’s performance at the Classic Rock Concert Night at the Freedom Festival held at Kirkwood Community College on Saturday, June 20, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Danny Hutton (left) and Cory Wells (right) of Three Dog Night perform during the Classic Rock Concert Night at the Freedom Festival held at Kirkwood Community College on Saturday. Wells was performing a new hip-hop version of “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” one of their hit songs of the ’70s. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Last week, after two of my shoots had been rained out, I was assigned to shoot buildings in downtown Cedar Rapids to put into our new online banner. At first glance, this might seem like a typical “intern assignment.” But there was good light, so I strolled around and I had freedom to shoot basically whatever I wanted.

The Tree of Five Seasons sculpture located where 1st Avenue crosses the Cedar River on Friday, June 19, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Smulekoff’s building on 3rd Ave SE on Friday, June 19, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Roosevelt Hotel in downtown Cedar Rapids on Friday, June 19, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Alliant Energy tower in downtown Cedar Rapids on Friday, June 19, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Gazette Communications building, 3rd Ave SE, on Friday, June 19, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Yesterday I shot a rubber duck race. I must admit, seeing over 14,000 rubber ducks bobbing up and down in the Cedar River was pretty adorable – and fun to shoot.

Rubber ducks are released off of the Third Avenue Bridge into the Cedar River during the Great Eastern Iowa Duck Race presented by the Cedar Rapids Daybreak Rotary and held in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, June 6, 2009. Over 14,000 ducks were sold, with the funds going to Four Oaks, Boys and Girls Club of Cedar Rapids, and Daybreak Rotary’s work with Polk Elementary School in Cedar Rapids. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

A sea of rubber ducks float down the Cedar River during the Great Eastern Iowa Duck Race presented by the Cedar Rapids Daybreak Rotary and held in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, June 6, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

A sea of rubber ducks float down the Cedar River during the Great Eastern Iowa Duck Race presented by the Cedar Rapids Daybreak Rotary and held in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, June 6, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

President of the Cedar Rapids Daybreak Rotary John Helbling collects rubber ducks after the Great Eastern Iowa Duck Race presented by the Cedar Rapids Daybreak Rotary and held in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, June 6, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Volunteers Kyle Boesenberg (left), Keith Brooks (center) and Ainsley Hogan (right) pass up baskets of rubber ducks for collection following the Great Eastern Iowa Duck Race presented by the Cedar Rapids Daybreak Rotary and held in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, June 6, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

So I’ve been shooting a lot of sports lately. The other night I shot soccer, which I haven’t shot in years. I think I got a pretty cool image out of it.

Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Zach Brunscheen grabs the shirt of Iowa City West’s Alan Bedell as they both go after the ball in the second half of the Class 2A substate soccer match held at Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Monday, June 1, 2009. West advanced to state with a 4-1 victory. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

And how it appeared in the print edition:

Brooklyn, IA

Drivers practice maneuvering through figure eights before the opening-day races at Brooklyn Raceway in Brooklyn, IA on Saturday, May 9, 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Kelly Ellis helps daughter Katie Goetzinger, 6, (both of Brooklyn) plant tomatoes in the family garden located off of Spring Street in Brooklyn, IA on Sunday, May 10, 2009. The family harvests tomatoes, radishes and other vegetables in the garden annually. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Brooklyn’s flag display on Sunday, May 10, 2009. The display boasts flags from each of the 50 states and the four branches of the military. The display was built and dedicated in 1992 by volunteers and funded by private donations.(Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Track & Field

Marion senior Kelsey Labs races toward the finish line en route to winning the 100meter dash on May 15 during the Class 3A district at Thomas Park in Marion. Labs won in 13.13 seconds and also won the 100 and 400 hurdles. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Anamosa State Pen

Anamosa State Pen warden John Fayram in one of the penitentiary’s cell blocks on Monday, May 18, 2009. After being deputy warden for six years, Fayram was appointed warden in March 2009. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).

Unprintable

This was “too inappropriate” for our print edition. But hey, I shot what I saw.

Brandi Miller, of Iowa City, “installs” a “The Swing Crew” bumper sticker on Roger Lewis, of Cedar Rapids, during the first Uptown Friday Nights event of the season held at Greene Square Park in Cedar Rapids on Friday, May 22, 2009 (Chris Mackler/The Gazette).