A Nose for News, An Autobiography

A Nose for News, An Autobiography

Ann Marie Somers was a quiet, shy teenager when she became a typist at her small hometown newspaper. She was soon working with the society editor, but her natural nose for news led to inquiries about the activities around the police department behind her office. She was off and running on her crime reporting career.

Following stints in Florida and Oklahoma, she returned home to work at the area's first black radio station just as sit-ins erupted throughout the South. After marriage and her children, Ann led a sedate life as a secretary until moving to Arizona, where she once again joined a newspaper.

She frequently visited the sets of many Western shows, popular at the time, filmed in Tucson. Through her natural curiosity, she met various famous personalities and characters. When she returned to North Carolina with her children, Ann continued her first love - crime reporting. Ignoring threats to her well-being, she often scooped the larger regional news media, becoming somewhat of a celebrity in the rural community. Ann also began promoting three NASCAR golf tournaments a year, attending races throughout the country and befriending top drivers.

With her natural "Nose for News," she had many experiences that sometimes were a threat to her safety but were always interesting, fun, and occasionally surprisingly unbelievable.