SIFTING, SALVAGING: Family in St. Andrews can’t shake shock of losing everything (April 20, 2011)
Religion, faith have played large role in area’s storm recovery (April 23, 2011)
On April 16, 2011, an F3 tornado ripped through Sanford, killing two people and damaging more than 450 structures including the collapse of a Lowe’s Home Improvement store. These are two of the stories I covered in the week after the tornado hit, the first about cleanup efforts in one of the most heavily-damaged areas and the second about the role of faith in the county’s recovery.
WARTORN: Family’s fight for awareness of military PTSD makes HBO doc (Nov. 7, 2010)
A story about the HBO documentary “Wartorn 1861-2010,” which examines the effects of PTSD on soldiers from the Civil War through the Iraq War. One soldier featured in the documentary is Jason Scheuerman, who killed himself at age 20 when his commanding officers and fellow soldiers ignored his symptoms of PTSD. His father, Army veteran Chris Scheuerman, has spent the years since his son’s death fighting for greater awareness about PTSD and seeking answers as to why no one would help Jason.
Couple refuses to lose hope after diagnosis of unborn child (June 19, 2011)
A profile about Jay and Dawna Anderson, a couple who decided to carry their unborn baby to term following a diagnosis of Trisomy 18, a chromosomal anomaly that can lead to growth deficiencies, heart defects and other disorders of the internal organs. Babies with Trisomy 18 have roughly a 10 percent chance of surviving their first year of life, and a small percentage may live longer.
Incentive to excel: Lee County presents ‘innovative’ Head of Class Project (Aug. 27, 2010)
Curiosity the drive behind Head of the Class plan (Sept. 5, 2010)
These stories detail the Head of Class Project, an incentive-based education initiative that annually rewards the staff of the highest-performing elementary school, from the principal to the custodians. The program is the first of its kind in North Carolina, and if it succeeds, could potentially expand nationwide. The first story is about the project’s unveiling, attended by notable North Carolina leaders such as Gov. Bev Perdue. The second story is a profile of the pair of cousins who created the formula used to measure each school’s success.
Arrest made in shooting death of 15-year-old boy (July 21, 2011)
A report about the death of a 15-year-old student who died after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head. The story details the arrest of a 24-year-old man in the case, and the community’s response to the boy’s death. I wrote this story the day after the shooting, and police later said the boy was proven to be an innocent bystander in the incident.
Pearl Harbor survivor recalls his brush with history 70 years ago (Dec. 7, 2011)
A profile of 92-year-old Malcolm Laws, Lee County’s only remaining survivor of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Laws recalls his experience aboard the USS Dobbin that day, and how his life has changed since then.
Petition calls for ban on gas chambers for animals (June 23, 2010)
Animal Control shuts down gas chamber, proposing tethering law (Sept. 29, 2010)
These stories focus on the Lee County Animal Shelter’s decision to switch from euthanasia via gas chamber to euthanasia by injection, widely considered by animal activists to be the more humane option. The first story details a petition to shut down the gas chamber, and the second story is about Animal Control’s decision to shut the chamber down. The second story also addresses tethering limitations proposed by the Board of Health.
Families adjust to hardship of job loss (Sept. 26, 2010)
This story explores the value of a job through two families, one in which the father went from having a job to being laid off and one in which the father went from being unemployed to getting a job. The story details the emotional toll of unemployment, the adjustments each family had to make to their lifestyles and what they learned from the experience.
Boards continue squabble over audit (Sept. 15, 2011)
A story about the ongoing disagreement between the Lee County Board of Commissioners and the Lee County Board of Education surrounding a performance audit. During the spring budget sessions, the Board of Commissioners voted that a performance audit be conducted of the school system and county departments to review operational and financial efficiency. This story was written a day after the Board of Education blasted the audit during the monthly board meeting, and it includes responses from the commissioners that spearheaded the audit.
Care offered to dog found in dumpster (Jan. 25, 2012)
The story of Gracie, a dog who was found malnourished and hurt in a dumpster behind Airotemp Heating and Cooling in Sanford. The staff rescued her and nursed her back to the health, and reported Gracie’s case to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
