As cases surge, local health care workers are stretched to their limits
As the only news outlet regularly tracking local COVID-19 hospitalizations, we were able to identify when the number of coronavirus patients became concerning. Persistent work to develop a relationship with hospital staff allowed me to paint a vivid picture of the struggle facing front-line health care workers.
When SIDS isn't SIDS
When I arrived at the (Binghamton, N.Y.) Press & Sun-Bulletin, I was tasked with the challenge of developing watchdog stories without having covered a beat within the community. So, I scheduled a series of meetings with people who had their finger on the pulse of the community. An interview with the regional medical examiner revealed a disturbing trend regarding infant mortality rates.
Not even HAZMAT teams are told what's on trains
When a train derailed in the middle of Binghamton, N.Y., railroad officials didn’t alert local emergency personnel even though tankers were carrying residual amounts of chlorine and anhydrous ammonia — posing a risk to members of the community and to first responders. A closer look at the derailment revealed that trains frequently carry deadly chemicals through communities
where not even HAZMAT are made aware of what's onboard.
Strickland still in dispute with neighbor
When a local village president proposed hiking "cat at large" fees from $50 to $250, he claimed it was strictly a budgetary issue. But assertions surrounding the claim proved to be fabricated and exposed an longtime feud between neighbors and, ultimately, an abuse of power of a local public official.
Oak Grove police pursuits examined
After a press release from the Oak Grove (Ky.) Police Department skimmed past details about a high-speed pursuit, I request the accompanying police report. When the department refused to provide it, I filed a second request seeking a year's worth of such reports. Ultimately, the attorney general forced the department to provide the records, which revealed officers habitually violated the department's pursuit policy — and put the lives of innocent bystanders at risk in the process.
Bullying: Society's silent killer
Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old who hanged herself after enduring harassment from her South Hadley, Mass., classmates, was still in the news when I saw Miranda Larnerd's obituary. It turned out the two shared stark similarities: they both suffered from depression, they were both bullied relentlessly, and they both committed suicide as a result.
After 107 years on steam, oldest laker converted to barge
As someone who has been drawn to water my entire life, I'm intrigued by old ships and the stories they tell. When the oldest operating freighter on the Great Lakes was taken out of service, I wrote this piece for Professional Mariner Magazine about why and what those in the shipping industry were doing to preserve its history.