The Orange County Register (DC Bureau) (Circ. 199,000)
Read all 21 articles here.Feinstein presses Kagan on guns, abortion
06/29/10, 696 words
Coverage of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan, from a hyperlocal angle.
O.C. lawmaker owns stock in oil spill's rig operator
06/18/10, 651 words
On my fourth day on the job, my editor assigned me to write about the newly released financial disclosure statements of the members of Congress from Orange County. "We cover these statements every year," she said. "Find something interesting." So I did.
Rep. Royce fights to fix Fannie, Freddie
06/22/10, 684 words
When my editor sent me to cover Rep. Ed Royce's work at the financial regulation bill conference committee, I thought I wouldn't have much to cover. After all, Royce was a Republican with virtually no power. The story became his fruitless efforts.
The Seattle Times (Circ. 264,000)
Read all 64 articles here.Kirkland elementary alters 'Snow White' and some parents object
02/05/10, 736 words
I got the idea for this article, about censorship issues at a local elementary school play, from a parent at the school. The day I broke the story, it was water cooler talk across the city.
Yearly count finds fewer homeless in King County
01/30/10, 883 words
Reporting for this article began at 2 a.m. It ended at 8 a.m., at which point writing began. AfterI finished the story, I still had a full day at work ahead of me. Needless to say, my sleeping schedule didn't quickly recover.
Biden campaigns for Sen. Murray, defends administration
02/13/10, 445 words
I had the privilege to serve as the lone pool reporter for this fundraiser in Seattle. I filed my pool report about 20 minutes after the event ended, and my story shortly thereafter.
Body of climber recovered from Mount St. Helens
02/17/10, 722 words
After getting reports that a climber had fallen into the crater of Mount St. Helens, my editor instructed me to monitor the situation on the mountain. I continually made calls and eventually found out that authorities had found the man dead.
Some legislators back putting ads on school buses to raise money
02/07/10, 624 words
The first quote sums up this story well: "When I learned that the education budget had been cut so sharply, I almost cried. I thought about it and thought about it. What could I do? And suddenly I saw a beautiful yellow school bus passing by, without an ad, and I said, 'What an interesting thought.'"
Apparent burglar freed after 3 hours in chimney
02/19/10, 587 words
When I heard on the police scanner that authorities were responding to a man was stuck in a chimney, I knew there had to be a good story behind it. There was.
Reno Gazette-Journal (Circ. 62,000)
Read all 91 articles here (Full texts are only visible by subscribers).Officials believe Reno man killed himself after setting fire to his home
07/09/09, 566 words
After hearing a report on the police scanner of a "house explosion," I was one of the first reporters on the scene. As investigators tried to piece together what happened, I interviewed neighbors and bystanders to show the incident through a different perspective.
Uncertainty lingers as Nevada state worker furloughs begin today
07/01/09, 843 words
My first significant look into Nevada politics, this article examined the status of a law mandating furloughs for state employees. In interviewing spokespeople for seven state agencies, I discovered that even as the furloughs were supposed to begin, many departments were still confused about how to implement them.
Residents celebrate gay pride during festival
08/16/09, 594 words
Coverage of the 13th annual Reno Gay Pride festival.
Reno fire officials say water reduced to hydrants before Alexander arson
08/04/09, 524 words
In the days after a massive arson fire destroyed 22 vacant apartment buildings in south Reno, suspicion and speculated swirled. But the mystery deepened a few days later, when fire officials revealed that the first responders found low water pressure at the nearest hydrants. This article investigated the issue.
Washoe schools get major overhaul in summer
06/21/09, 953 words
As the local school district poured millions into school rehabilitation, I went straight to the schools, parents and students to show the impact of the projects.
The Daily Northwestern (Circ. 7,500)
Read all 196 articles here.Debate rages over superintendent
3/6/09, 1,560 words
Probably the most challenging article I've written, this story involved dozens of difficult interviews, on and off the record, with current and former school board members, administrators, teachers, parents and community members about Evanston's controversial superintendent.
City mayor builds long legacy
11/25/08, 1,148 words
The most difficult part of this profile was finding out the age of Evanston's mayor. After research and sweet talking revealed she is 90, I intervied a variety of people to dig into a fascinating life. The Illinois College Press Association named the story the best feature story among all Ill. daily college newspapers in 2008.
NU could face suit in Sunshine death
7/09/09, 1,136 words
Work on this article began months before its publication, when I initiated off-the-record conversations with friends and family of a Northwestern student who died of alcohol poisoning. The story uncovered a potential lawsuit and negotations between the family and the university, reopening a fierce debate on campus over who was to blame for the death.
'This is our moment'
11/5/08, 510 words
After witnessing Barack Obama deliver his Election Night speech in Chicago, I raced through the crowds to find wireless Internet so I could file this story, which I did minutes after the speech ended.
City faces employee 'exodus'
5/16/08, 870 words
When several high-ranking city bureaucrats retired at around the same time, I was one of the first ones to notice. While officials gave a budgetary reason for the departures, I sensed there was a deeper reason and, after interviewing most of the retiring department heads, I discovered it: "philosophical differences" with the city manager.
Logansport Pharos-Tribune (Circ. 11,000)
Read all 58 articles here.Obama discusses security
7/17/08, 670 words
I was thrilled to be assigned to cover a Barack Obama campaign event, as I'd never seen a presidential candidate before. The article, written on a tight deadline, covered the event but also examined the larger issue of Obama's chances in the Hooiser State.
Working out the system's kinks
9/5/08, 880 words
To get sources for this article analyzing a change in distribution of Indiana welfare benefits, I stood outside Logansport's Medicaid office and talked with those entering and leaving.
'Baby signing' gaining popularity
9/25/08, 635 words
Late in my time in Logansport, I found myself covering a trend I'd never heard of: baby signing, or teaching sign language to pre-verbal infants.
End of an era
8/31/08, 1,875 words
When officials decided to close the 160-year-old County Home, a long-time home for residents "down on their luck," I decided the community fixture deserved an obituary. I spent hours combing through historical records and interviewing home residents and officials to write it.