A selection of clips published from different newsrooms I’ve worked in.
Stories will open in a PDF.
‘Pokémon Go’ has Rawlins Hooked'
When ‘Pokémon Go’ launched, the world exploded in an effort to catch all those little guys. And even a small town in Wyoming got caught up in the moment. Locals began exploring parts of their community they’d not gone to otherwise, out-of-towners learned more about the city they were staying in and local establishments utilized it for more foot traffic.
Published July 15, 2016, in the Rawlins Daily Times.
All rights to Adams Publishing Group.
Kiwi touring USA
New Zealand author Rob Cope was hitchhiking across the country with a friggin refrigerator in an effort to promote his newest book. And he happened to stop in a small Wyoming town, looking for his next lift.
Published May 28, 2016, in the Rawlins Daily Times.
All rights to Adams Publishing Group.
Dog Days of Rawlins
You like dogs? Everyone likes dogs. Especially people in Wyoming. But sometimes those people went on vacation and needed a place that wasn’t about 40-minutes away to board them. This feature focuses on a new business that opening in the city, the brainchild of a local woman who identified an untapped and underserved market.
Published Sept. 15, 2016 in the Rawlins Daily Times.
All rights to Adams Publishing Group.
Victim’s dad: Inmate’s death ‘made me happy’
Rawlins, Wyo., is a prison town. That’s a fact. And sometimes terrible things happen in prisons. In 1997, a guard was murdered during an attempted escape. Nearly 20 years later, his murderer died - something the victim’s father was “happy” about.
Published May 6, 2016, in the Rawlins Daily Times.
All rights to Adams Publishing Group.
Stock photo.
Legislators vote down wind tax increase
One thing Wyoming has plenty of is wind. But the question of how to monetize it correctly to maximize profits without harming business expansion was a major sticking point for lawmakers and community leaders.
Published September 24, 2016, in the Rawlins Daily Times.
All rights to Adams Publishing Group.
Stock photo.
County officials call meth treatment options inadequate
Miami County, Ind., was, at one point, ranked eighth out of 91 counties in the state for clandestine lab incidents handled by law enforcement. Around 30,000 people lived there. This enterprise story was developed after I realized the only treatment option for meth offenders was prison. Additionally, this story, I was told by the county prosecutor, was sent by local officials to the state as part of a package for grant funding, which was awarded.
Published approximately June 14, 2014, in the Peru Tribune.
All rights to Paxton Media.
Judge rejects plea agreement for Jimerson
It was one of the most bizarre court hearings I’d ever been a part of. A man accused of killing a woman in a cold case from the early '90s was facing 30 years for the crime, but the judge threw it out after her family spoke out against the deal. Both the accused’s attorney and prosecutor were stunned and asked for a reconsideration - each saying acquittal was a very real possibility if the case went to trial.
Published approximately March 21, 2014, in the Peru Tribune
All rights to Paxton Media.
Judge Spahr rejects plea deal
A Miami County man was accused of molesting two young girls and faced a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for 15 years. The judge rejected the bargain, leading to the first trial by jury I ever covered. Once the dust had settled, the man was found guilty and faced a sentence of more than 200 years behind bars.
Published approximately April 12, 2014, in the Peru Tribune.
All rights to Paxton Media.
Stock photo.
ISP gets recorder’s complaint
A conflict between the Miami County Recorder’s Office and the Miami County Board of Commissioners took a serious turn when the Indiana State Police got involved.
Published approximately Jan. 15, 2014, in the Peru Tribune.
All rights to Paxton Media.
Surgeon: I was falsely accused
A local surgeon, who funnily enough lived in the same neighborhood I did, was arrested for allegedly plotting to murder his ex-wife. In this interview with him at the Miami County Jail, he explains his side of the story. His case would run into snags and get bogged down, and eventually the charges would be completely dropped. His legal story did not end there, however.
Published approximately July 10, 2014, in the Peru Tribune.
All rights to Paxton Media.