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CNN Live Today

Look at Oldest Reporter in North Dakota

Aired May 28, 2002 - 10:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: She is no cub reporter. In fact, at 96 years young, Dina Sundby (ph) is the oldest reporter in the state of North Dakota. And after 68 years of writing a social column for "The Hillsboro Banner" newspaper, she's still working that beat.

Sarah Stokes at CNN affiliate KVRR has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARAH STOKES, KVRR REPORTER: Dina (ph) dials, Dina (ph) discusses...

DINA SUNDBY (ph): Good morning.

Very nice. Would there be any news items for me today?

STOKES: Deciphers, dictates. But most importantly, Dina (ph) dishes out Hillsboro's juiciest gossip.

Well, maybe not the juiciest...

SUNDBY (ph): For supper, OK.

STOKES: And maybe it's not gossip.

SUNDBY (ph): I'll talk to you again, and thank you for the news.

It's news items. I try to keep -- I don't put the gossip in. No, that doesn't go. I'd have to have my suitcase packed and ready to go if I did that.

Good morning, Patty. And how are things with you? Uh-huh.

Will there be any items for the banner today?

STOKES: Dina (ph) is a social column diva. After writing more than 3,500 reports for the "Hillsboro Banner's" weekly paper, she knows Bloomfield township like she knows her own handwriting.

SUNDBY (ph): Some of the places where I call now, there's four generations living that place. OK, and that was your mother, too?

STOKES: Since 1934, Dina (ph) has been doing her thing every week, rising early to reach for her beloved rotary phone. SUNDBY (ph): I wore out two telephones.

STOKES: Every Tuesday, for 68 years, she sat in this corner of her sunlit dining room.

(on camera): You'd think the corner would be wore out by now.

SUNDBY (ph): Maybe it is. But it still come some news out of there for the banner.

STOKES (voice-over): Dina's (ph) favorite events are births. She says the hardest time was World War II, when she relayed messages to the troops from their wives back in Hillsboro.

SUNDBY (ph): Good news is bad news.

STOKES: But this social section sweetheart makes more than smalltalk. She makes life-long friends.

SUNDBY (ph): I like to have a little bit of time on it.

That's what they say, you don't know what this means to hear your voice, you always seem to bring something to us, and that's good to hear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOKES: How about that? An inspiration to the profession, I should say, 96 years young, tough as nails, seemingly unstoppable.

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