Best of 2011| News and Features

Overall, 2011 was a successful year. Three of my favorite stories that I covered were the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition featuring the Keefer family of Etters, the Penn State scandal and the Flood of 2011, after Tropical Storm Lee hit the midstate. Below are a few of my favorite news and feature photographs.

Third Pennsylvania, Company H Calvary members Tony Posinski, left, of Baltimore, MD, chats with Larry Geib, right, of Palmyra, during the March to Destiny event in downtown Shippensburg.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition makes a stop in South Central Pennsylvania

I had the opportunity over the past week to photograph the building of a new home for the Keefer family of Etters, PA as they were selected by ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to kick off Season 9 in September 2011. ABC chose Musser Homes Builders Inc. of Dillsburg, PA, to lead the way on building the home along with 4,000+ volunteers.

As many of you know, the Keefer family was one of a few families in South Central Pennsylvania that were candidates for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It was on Father's Day, Sunday, June 19th, that the family received the trademark "Door Knock" from Ty Pennington and the design crew letting the Keefer family know that the were chosen by ABC for the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Brian was chosen due to a gymnastics accident he sustained on July 1, 2008, which damaged his spinal cord and left Brian paralyzed from the chest down.

Day 2 of the Build
On day two of building consisted of pouring the foundation and rebuilding part of the family's original home along with Brian's new wing.

U.S. Representative Todd Platts, of the Pennsylvania's 19th congressional district, works as a volunteer on the home.

An unidentified laborer adjusts wooden beams temporarily holding up exterior walls in Brian's section of the home

Designer Tracy Hutson, center, of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," walks around on the work site

Carpenter Ed Sanders, right, of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" chats with Kasey Griffiths, 11, left, of Dillbsurg in the VIP section

Volunteer Trisha Vajdic, foreground, of Dillsburg, carries lumber on the work site 

The prebuilt walls are unloaded on the work site

Excavators and builders work on the front section of the Keefer home

Day 4 of the Build

On day four of the build, skilled volunteers finished installing the interior tile, as well as cabinets and a deck to the back of the newly expanded wing of Brian's section of the house.

Below, Musser Home Builders, Inc. president Jeff Musser, right, chats with a fellow construction worker

Skilled volunteers work on different sections of the house

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" executive producer Brady Connell talks about the section built for Brian's needs

Many people were asking me where Ty stays while he's working on designing a house. The answer: Ty stays in this bus in the production area

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" director Colin Donahue, right, goes over all of the story lines that need to be met for the day inside the production trailer

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" lead carpenter Justin Ballard works on a custom made shuffleboard table inside Art World

Volunteer carpenter Ron Pivarnik works on a project inside Art World

Volunteer workers work together to complete the deck on the back side of the Keefer residence 

Volunteers carry products from a truck

Volunteer workers complete the siding on the new edition 

Sara Donovall of Mechanicsburg shovels dirt along side of the driveway

Day 7

On day 7, the house was ready to be revealed for the Keefer family upon their arrival home from their vacation in Colorado Springs.

Below, spectators climb a hill on the path as they make their way to the ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" work site 

Musser Home Builders, Inc. President, Jeff Musser, on hand to answer any last minute questions from the media

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition bus is moved up Dubbers Drive to block the newly renovated home for when the Keefer family arrives home

Volunteers finish up with the last minute details, including cleaning mud from the driveway

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition designer Paul DiMeo straightens his bandana prior to interacting with the crowd

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition designer Paul DiMeo chats with people in the VIP area 

Musser Homes Builders Inc. President, Jeff Musser, left, along with ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" designer Paul DiMeo,center, chat with a construction worker

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition designer Jillian Harris chats with spectators 

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" designers Ty Pennington, left, Jillian Harris, center, and Tracy Hutson, right, chat with each other during a break from filming 

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" designer Ty Pennington does some filming prior to the Keefer's arrival to their new home

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" executive producer Brady Connell, center, thanks all the volunteers for their hard work all week 

Dawn Keefer exits the van upon arriving home

Members of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD, cheer as Brian is unloaded from the family's van

Spectators take pictures of the Keefer family upon their arrival home

Hundreds of spectators cheer the famous words "Move That Bus"

The Keefer family reacts after seeing their new house for the first time 

The ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" design crew cheer as the Keefer family see their new home for the first time

Brian Keefer gets a pat on the chest from one of this brothers after the family saw their home for the first time

Patrick Rummerfield, right, of St. Louis, MO, the first quadriplegic to fully recover from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD, along with Dan Cummings, left, who is also a quadriplegic that can now walk with a walker welcome Brian Keefer home

Steve Keefer, right, holds his wife, Dawn Keefer, middle, after Musser Homes Builders Inc. President, Jeff Musser, left, tells the family that their existing $90,000 mortgage has been paid in full by donations

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition designer Ty Pennington and the Keefer family make their way up the driveway towards their new home

The Keefer family lead by Brian Keefer enter their new home for the first time 

The Keefer's newly completed home on Dubbers Drive

Press Conference

Below, Beth Musser, right, along with her husband and president of Musser Homes Builders Inc., Jeff Musser, explain the many different stories that came from building the Keefer's new home over the past week 

Dawn Keefer, right, reads a card she wrote thanking Musser Homes Builders Inc. along with the thousands of volunteers who helped to build the family's new home 

Dawn Keefer, left, gives Beth Musser, right, a hug during the ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” press conference

The Keefer family reacts after being presented a check for $5200.00 from Giant Food's manager of public relations and community relations Chris Brand

Brian Keefer, center, receives a hug from ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” executive director Brady Connell

Steve Keefer, left, along with wife, Dawn Keefer, right, receive a hug from ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” executive director Brady Connell 

ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” executive director Brady Connell explains to the Keefer family about how they were the family chosen for a new home 

The Keefer family, left to right, Colin Keefer, Scott Keefer, Adam Keefer, Brian Keefer, Steve Keefer, and Dawn Keefer, all share a laugh together following the ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” press conference

It was an absolute privilege to be given the opportunity to cover the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build for the Keefer family. It amazed me that if you left the site for just a half an hour, when you returned, something with the house looked different due to the countless hours of time that were donated to this special project by the many skilled and general volunteers. Be sure to watch the season premier of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on Sunday, September 25th on ABC as it will feature the build for the Keefer family.