Q: How did Captain Herb Emory acquire the title captain when he was a traffic reporter?
—David Dickey, Dallas
A: The title was part of Emory's nickname, which was given to him when he started as a traffic reporter at WSB ( News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB) .
He originally was nicknamed “Colonel Herb,” but the “host during his first WSB air shift thought that ‘Colonel Herb’ was too hard to say,” WSB’s Doug Turnbull, who worked with Emory, told Q&A on the News in an email.
“So they switched it to captain, and as Herb used to put it, ‘I got a demotion before I even got on the air!’ ” Turnbull wrote.
Emory wasn’t a police or military officer, but was an honorary member of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol.
“He actually carried badges for both and he had his own Andy Griffith-style Mayberry patrol car that he and his wife Karen would bring to festivals and parades,” Turnbull wrote.
Emory, who had been with WSB since 1991, had been a traffic reporter since 1971. He died on April 12, 2014.
“The tradition of (giving) the traffic anchor a rank stemmed from when Atlanta Police Department officers used to fly and report traffic for WSB and other stations,” Turnbull wrote. “So the idea continued, even with civilian reporters.”
Q: Since the president has the power to pardon the criminals in federal prison, does he receive any remuneration for that?
—Jim Dillon, Atlanta
A: The president doesn't "receive any specific payment in exchange for the commutations or pardons he issues under his constitutional authority," a White House spokeswoman told Q&A on the News in an email.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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