Journalist Pens Three Books of Ghost Tales
Virginia Hutchins * Times-News
September 16, 2012
TWIN FALLS • After journalist Andrew Weeks moved to Twin Falls in 2007, local ghost stories caught his attention.
“It didn’t take long after moving here that I began hearing about Magic Valley’s legends and folk tales, such as the strange phenomena that occur at Stricker Ranch near Hansen or the creepy goings-on at the former Normal School campus in Albion or the ghosts that allegedly haunt many of the buildings in downtown Twin Falls,” Weeks said. “There’s more spooks here than one might at first think.”
Weeks, who covers outdoors and religion beats for the Times-News, spent his off hours recently writing three ghostly books.
His “Haunted Utah: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Beehive State” (Stackpole Books’ Haunted Series, $10.95) was released in July, followed by this month’s “Ghosts of Idaho’s Magic Valley: Hauntings and Lore” (The History Press’ Haunted America series, $19.99).
Weeks said Stackpole Books will release his “Haunted Idaho: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Gem State” in April 2013.
The writer spent most of his teen years in Utah, then graduated from the University of Utah.
“I remember hearing all sorts of folk tales and ghost stories growing up, like the Bigfoot and water monster legends in and around my grandparents’ hometown in northeastern Utah,” Weeks said. “I’ve always been fascinated by the mysterious and unknown.”
But is he convinced?
“I’m a cynical journalist, but the people I interviewed for these books believe what they told me. And I have no reason to doubt them,” he said. “For me, telling ghost stories is a fun way to write about the history of an area. ... If there’s one thing I’ve learned through the writing of these books, it’s that things really do go bump in the night.”
During Weeks’ research for the Utah book, a ghost hunter took him on a tour of the old Union Stockyard Exchange building in Ogden, pointing out various spots where murder and suicide happened.
“In one of the rooms, my guide said, he ran into a tall, ghostly figure in cowboy attire,” Weeks said. “After locking eyes with the apparition for several seconds, it slowly faded from view.”
The investigator said he was scared. For Weeks, of course, it was just more material for “Haunted Utah.”
In that volume, his quick-to-read anecdotes are interspersed with brief lessons in Beehive State history and creepy illustrations from altered photos.
“It didn’t take long after moving here that I began hearing about Magic Valley’s legends and folk tales, such as the strange phenomena that occur at Stricker Ranch near Hansen or the creepy goings-on at the former Normal School campus in Albion or the ghosts that allegedly haunt many of the buildings in downtown Twin Falls,” Weeks said. “There’s more spooks here than one might at first think.”
Weeks, who covers outdoors and religion beats for the Times-News, spent his off hours recently writing three ghostly books.
His “Haunted Utah: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Beehive State” (Stackpole Books’ Haunted Series, $10.95) was released in July, followed by this month’s “Ghosts of Idaho’s Magic Valley: Hauntings and Lore” (The History Press’ Haunted America series, $19.99).
Weeks said Stackpole Books will release his “Haunted Idaho: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Gem State” in April 2013.
The writer spent most of his teen years in Utah, then graduated from the University of Utah.
“I remember hearing all sorts of folk tales and ghost stories growing up, like the Bigfoot and water monster legends in and around my grandparents’ hometown in northeastern Utah,” Weeks said. “I’ve always been fascinated by the mysterious and unknown.”
But is he convinced?
“I’m a cynical journalist, but the people I interviewed for these books believe what they told me. And I have no reason to doubt them,” he said. “For me, telling ghost stories is a fun way to write about the history of an area. ... If there’s one thing I’ve learned through the writing of these books, it’s that things really do go bump in the night.”
During Weeks’ research for the Utah book, a ghost hunter took him on a tour of the old Union Stockyard Exchange building in Ogden, pointing out various spots where murder and suicide happened.
“In one of the rooms, my guide said, he ran into a tall, ghostly figure in cowboy attire,” Weeks said. “After locking eyes with the apparition for several seconds, it slowly faded from view.”
The investigator said he was scared. For Weeks, of course, it was just more material for “Haunted Utah.”
In that volume, his quick-to-read anecdotes are interspersed with brief lessons in Beehive State history and creepy illustrations from altered photos.