Published Writing
I have spent over three years as a reporter at news outlets. I covered news on local government, education, elections, business, crime, and community affairs. Below I have compiled several examples of my work that aims to highlight the lived experiences of the communities I’ve covered and how communicators can utilize the art of storytelling as a tool to engage and educate audiences.
Mayoral candidate promises to govern city using AI
Cap City News
Yes, artificial intelligence is running for mayor of Cheyenne; city, county clerks comment on candidate VIC
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The voter registration period for municipal and county elections ended Friday. In Cheyenne, six individuals have filed applications to run for mayor of Wyoming’s capital city.
One of them stands out among the rest: The candidate is listed simply as VIC.
‘A new one for us’: Wyoming officials, artificial intelligence researcher weigh in on Cheyenne’s AI mayoral candidate
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wednesday night’s “Politics in the Park” event didn’t progress how anyone might have imagined it.
During that windy Wednesday evening at Lions Park Amphitheater, Cheyenne’s five mayoral candidates were the spotlight of a Q&A session hosted by the Laramie County GOP. The event moderator posed questions pertinent to the current state of the city: How should the city respond to the issue of homelessness? What should a mayor look for when electing board members? What is the role of government in developing affordable housing?
Five-part investigative series on Laramie County School District 1 library book restrictions
Cap City News
Book battles brew in Laramie County schools: A community divided
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — In fall 2022, Cheyenne parent Marcie Kindred began to hear rumors that Laramie County School Board 1 Board of Trustees was considering making changes to its library policies.
Kindred heard the public school district was attempting to alter its rules in an effort to give parents more control over the content their children are exposed to. She began to attend meetings, connect with other concerned parents and provide feedback to trustees.
Parental rights, deviations from state statute at the heart of book policy disagreements
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Todd Reynolds wasn’t in favor of the library media policy that Laramie County School District 1 board trustees passed in December. Unlike others who have spoken against the policy, Reynolds, an associate professor of secondary education at the University of Wyoming, believes the district’s first library policy — the “Opt-In Policy” — is not necessarily bad.
“Policy, as [it] is now, can help parents, and it can be a good thing,” Reynolds told Cap City News in an April interview. “The Procurement Policy now is what’s going to change that. And what that’s going to do is really limit access for everybody for potentially award-winning books.”
‘They have no idea what we do’: Book policies foster environment of unease, librarian, educators say
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Robin is afraid of messing up. The topic of objectionable library materials has been the spotlight of school board meetings for the past two years. Seeing heated discussions unfold, Robin, a secondary school librarian in Laramie County School District 1, has become increasingly afraid over the past year of parents accusing her of promoting objectionable material.
“I’m afraid that I’m going to mess up,” said Robin, who spoke with Cap City News on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal. “What one parent might think is inappropriate, another parent doesn’t. And so we’re just so afraid to make a mistake, you know, for public ridicule or losing our job or just being blamed for it.”
Groups with national ties, Wyo state officials intensify debate over books in schools
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Dec. 4, 2023, dozens of attendees took their seats in the Laramie County School District 1 Board of Trustees meeting room in Storey Gymnasium, everyone packed shoulder to shoulder. Many others stood in the gym lobby to watch the night’s board meeting on a TV monitor. It was the night many had been either looking forward to or dreading: the vote on the district’s school library Opt-In Policy.
Public comment kicked off the meeting. A mix of 20 parents, residents and students signed up to speak beforehand, hoping to sway board members’ final votes. Many disparaged the regulations, while others thanked the board for ushering the Library Media Services amendments to the finish.
Book policy fallout: Community debates school district’s future
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — What is the role of a public official? It’s a question some in Laramie County have pondered as book policy discussions have unfolded. Residents like Marguerite Herman have given this question thought.
“Whom are we serving?” Herman said.
Cheyenne school closures spark community, legal pushback
Cap City News
‘Our kids are going to be hurt’: Study recommends shuttering 8 Cheyenne elementary schools
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Parents and educators spoke with trembling words Monday night as they provided feedback on possible school district changes that will “completely change our community.”
The community pushed back on a plan to close eight of the district’s 30 elementary schools at the Laramie County School Board meeting. The plan is tied to a recent study conducted throughout the district — the most cost-effective remedy, or MCER, study that the district recently completed and published. The report recommends the district close eight schools, replace four facilities and build two entirely new schools over the next 11 years.
Eight Cheyenne schools to close, commissioners decide; two new schools to be built in South, East triads
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Despite fierce opposition from parents and advocates, officials have approved a plan to shutter eight neighborhood elementary schools and rebuild several current facilities.
The Wyoming State’s School Facilities Commission held a meeting Thursday morning in the Wyoming Capitol Complex to decide whether to pass Laramie County School District 1’s recent MCER study. Commissioners unanimously voted to pass the study, which was completed jointly by the state’s School Facilities Division and the company Facility Engineering Associates.
‘We didn’t want to have to do this’: Cheyenne parents file lawsuit against state’s decision to shutter 8 elementary schools
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming School Facilities Commission voted in November to close eight Cheyenne elementary schools. Two Cheyenne parents are challenging this decision in court.
The decision to close the schools came about after the Wyoming State Construction Department completed its most-cost-effective remedy study, or MCER, earlier in fall. Over the course of the study, the construction department and contractor FEA reviewed potential options to address the needs of the 30 elementary schools throughout Laramie County School District 1. Those helming the study ultimately moved forward with its “Remedy 4c” option.
Many students lack access to food, despite efforts by MU, other universities
Columbia Missourian
In his free time, MU freshman Andrew Bollinger enjoys solving math problems, but sometimes he is so hungry he has to put the pencil down.
“I try to go as long (without eating) as I can until it affects how I study,” Bollinger said.
Food insecurity, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as a condition in which a household or individual has limited or uncertain access to food, has affected 1 in 7 Missourians this year, according to Feeding Missouri, a coalition of food banks.
Although hunger is not a new issue in the United States, its effect on college students is often overlooked.
More Stories
‘Cutting us at the knees’: Small business owners say they will lose income, local economy will suffer due to event center change
Cap City News
Dog Haus owes former employees thousands of dollars in wages, court rules
Cap City News
More than a helper: Service dogs are lifelines for Cheyenne residents with PTSD, other medical conditions
Cap City News
‘This is about health and safety’: Commissioners deny fireworks permits to businesses amid welfare concerns, intimidation allegations
Cap City News