Here's AP Style on the used of Blond/Blonde - "Use blond as a noun for males and as an adjective for all applications, ie: She has blond hair, and her son is a blond. Use blonde as a noun for females, ie: She is a blonde."
So, it is correct (at least for newspapers) to write, "Anne is a blond 17-year-old," because in this case blond is an adjective.
No big deal. Actually, I wrote blonde in the original draft of the story and the copyeditor changed it to conform to the Stylebook.
Thanks for your time and patience, and thanks also to the rest of the group. I don't know how many papers carried the wire story, but it was a bunch... Also, when I get back in town (I'm at a university teaching classes this week), I'll send you the unedited version of the story, which was about twice as long as the published one, and some photos. Haven't heard anything from AmeriCold yet, and don't expect to, but now I'm curious about what they actually have down there.
Have fun. Be safe.
