Active verbs not only cut clutter, they also strengthen and clarify meaning. For John Damon, his friend and travel partner Diane Ferris, and their families, the story hit close to home as the pair returned just a month ago from a holiday that took them to the very spot where vacationers from the United states, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Switzerland were grabbed by the terrorists. Even one unnecessary preposition can damage a sentence's flow. Good description doesn't slavishly record random details or details that fight with each other. If the weather mattered, it could be added later.
Good writing means making choices.
Quotations also can clutter. Speech is notoriously wordy, but the paraphrase can help. Clear, simple, brief communication is the most meaningful and memorable communication. We should trust it more.