It’s hard to relax right now at 12:40 Sunday morning. It may take me awhile to go to sleep.

That’s what happens when news breaks on deadline.

I had just finished up the front page of Corvallis Gazette-Times and I was in the process of remaking A1 for the Albany Democrat-Herald close to 10 p.m. That’s where we change out stories that might appeal more to each market.

Then from the police scanner, I happened to overhear a dispatcher ask for station coverage because of a two-alarm fire.

Oh crap.

No answer from the regular reporter scheduled that day. Lucky for me, reporter Bennett Hall answered his cell phone and agreed to go investigate.

He called back a few minutes later and said it appeared that firefighters were mopping up from a significant fire.

I reached photographer Scobel Wiggins and she headed straight down to the location. She stopped to grab a few mop-up shots and also let me know her friend had a photo including flames that we could use.

While that unfolded, I talked to press and distribution to let them know we were going to push deadline. That’s really code for “we’re going to blow deadline out of the water.”

Internet problems forced Bennett to dictate his story over the phone to Internet Editor Graham Kislingbury. Jessica Coudare finished remaking the Democrat-Herald and Sports Editor Les Gehrett read the story once it was completed.

In less than 15 minutes, we had page 1 ready to go.

And the old story we were going to run? It will most likely hold until next week.

Unless something else happens.