Since starting my job at The News-Herald in May, I have written many stories about topics ranging from murders to children planting trees at school. 

At least once a month, I wrote a big story (or at least big to me). This is my reflection on what I did month by month.

2011 has been an eventful year for me. I turned 21 in February. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in May (one year early might I add!) and I was also hired at The News-Herald in May.

Since then, here are what I consider my biggest story of each month (I linked to every story):

May:

My first big story was about bomb threats in Trenton. In April, a bomb threat phone call to the high school was made, a bomb-device was found in the teachers' parking lot and there was a minor explosion in a local store parking lot. Police, along with the ATF, arrested 41-year-old John Kennedy for all of the attempts. He is scheduled to appear in Federal court in late February.

June:

I worked a weekend at the annual Cruisin' Downriver event. I was still getting to know the Downriver communities. Our intern and another staff writer went as well as we teamed up to get videos and walk around the entire event. It was a huge eye-opener into what living Downriver is all about. I wrote a column about my experience.

July: 

Six years ago, a tour boat with 14 people from the Trenton Travelers group capsized in New York. Three Trenton residents died in the incident. Although it happened years ago, it opened up a lot of emotion from the community when it was published. It was also a story I had to work several days at because researching a database from six years ago isn't always convenient.

August:

The biggest story I have covered happened in August. Body parts were found in a suitcase along the Frank and Poet Drain in Gibraltar. The crimes I had previously covered had happened before I started working here. This one I was there for. I spent an entire day at the scene with the search teams, police and firefighters while they searched for the rest of the body parts and/or any evidence as to what happened. They ended up arresting 52-year-old James Bommer, who admitted to dismembering the woman's body. Bommer is due in County court in February.

I also got to have an amazing experience in with the ATF in August. They had a media day, where many of us were invited to learn about how they operate. We got to shoot Colt M4s, learn about bombs, go through simulated scenarios and other events. It was by fun the coolest thing I have ever done in my journalist career and I will never forget it.

September: 

I spent all day every day for two weeks working on a story reflecting on how The News-Herald Newspapers covered the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. We laid the bindings of the newspaper out on a table and I didn't even sit at my desk those two weeks because I was reading every single article. It was entrancing to see how many people from Downriver worked in the Twin Towers or knew someone who worked in the Twin Towers. It was my favorite story of September, easily.

October: 

A one-year follow up story I did in October had a ton of response from the community. Jennifer Petkov had taunted a young girl one year prior by posting pictures of her with a skull and crossbones, and of her mother hugging the Grim Reaper, on Facebook and admitted to it on camera. Petkov and the girl's grandmother live across the street from each other and have ongoing disputes. I did a followup about the taunting never halting and a timeline of what all has happened between the families since 2008.

November: 

Two men were arrested in Nov. in a murder that happened in Nov. 2010. Flat Rock police arrested the men in late October, the preliminary examinations were in November. Four witnesses testified, including the mother of one of the defendants' child, who is also the woman who found 24-year-old Jesus Cabrera's body in her apartment. He was killed by a single gunshot to the arm. The trial was bound over. The prelims got out of hand in the courtroom and emotions ran wild.

December:

On Christmas morning, two cousins from Detroit broke into a store in Trenton, stole over 200 packs of cigarettes, led police on a high-speed chase, crashed their car in Detroit and then assaulted an officer. I got this report last week and the details were insane. Both men (ages 20 and 22) were arraigned and will be in court Jan. 3 and Jan. 10, since they have felonies in multiple cities. It's been a crazy crime story for this month.

Happy New Year!

10 New Year's Resolutions for Journalists in 2012

10. Run at least 10 blogs.

9. Make friends with at least two city employees because if anything bad happens and you write about it, even though it's your job, someone is going to hate you.

8. Tweet more than anyone else.

7. Stop investing in pencils. Let's be real, no one actually writes anymore.

6. Get the most page views, no matter what desperate acts you must partake in to do so.

5. Only work 60 hours per week for that 40 hour per week pay. Unrealistic, I know. But we can make goals.

4. Drink more. Hey, don't judge. It cheers us up after the brutal things we deal with all week long.

3. Remember that every insult, rude remark and threat regarding a story must be taken as a compliment because somebody read your story. (If it's not regarding a story, my resolution suggestion for you is to run and hide).

2. Keep the psycho who calls anonymously every other night to tell you what he thinks of your stories as far away as possible. Granted that's difficult when your work address is published everywhere. Scratch this resolution, let's change it to: get as fit as possible so you can run away if the anonymous psycho finds you.

1. Remember that there actually are a few people out there who appreciate your writing - well, most of it. They still really hate some of it.

Happy New Year, my fellow journalists!

“I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon.”
– Tom Stoppard

We're not really sure when the holiday ends here. When is this scandal? I want to participate! Pick me, pick me!







Why, hello, green troll who sits on a coworker's desk creepily staring at me every time I walk by.

Our new toy! It makes decisions for you. 

Should I write this story? Definitely! 

Is there going to be a lot of crime today? Maybe. 

Does my hair look good? Ask a friend. 

My friend said my hair looks terrible. Try again!

Told you it would die. Nothing can survive in this newsroom.

Somehow we ALWAYS have junk food in our department. Apparently people heard about the starving, poor journalists here. Happy snacking!

There was a boom. Then sirens. Then a phone call.

I'm from a small community - the city of Wayne. A 6 sq. mile metro Detroit city formerly with two Ford plants.

I worked for the city as a parks and recreation employee for over six years. I wrote for The Wayne Dispatch Newspaper for over two years. Wayne is my home, born and raised, I'm not ashamed one bit.

The Wayne Dispatch files

One year ago today, at 9 a.m., there was a boom. It shook houses and drew people outside to figure out what was going on. Sirens started going off from the fire and police departments.

A building in Wayne has exploded. One of the nicest buildings in the city, William C. Frank's Furniture Store on Wayne Road.

I don't mean there was a slight fire. It exploded - fireball, buildings down the road collapsing, type of explosion.

Two employees and the owner were inside the store. People were trying to pull the owner out from underneath the rubble, parts of his body were on fire.

The Wayne Dispatch files

It was immediately on every local news channel and all over Facebook. CNN picked it up (granted they had all the names wrong, they tried to do a small town story).

It was tragic. People were standing outside everyone. One building was totally gone, two people were missing, the owner was severely injured, a passerby was injured... there aren't that people in Wayne to begin with so odds were you knew someone who was affected.

To add to it, everyone in the area was evacuated from their homes because they weren't sure where the gas leak - what they realized was the cause of the explosion - was coming from.

The Wayne Dispatch files

It's cold. People can't be in their homes. Two people are still missing somewhere in the rubble. Oh, wait, one man was found in the rubble. Rest In Peace Jim Zell, who died because he showed up at work on time. A female employee is still missing. No one knows the condition of the owner. There are still flames. Rubble is all over the street.

I had to be at the Community Center to work at 4. I left the scene, ran home and changed and went to work. We were housing all of the families who weren't allowed in their homes. There were children, adults, seniors and dogs roaming all over. News crews were there with cameras wanting interviews. Our city manager was retiring the next day, so it was confusing who everyone needed to talk to. I was working the front desk while our banquet halls were home for the families.

The Wayne Dispatch files

Local businesses came through to such an extent I can't even explain it. There was so much food available. A pizza delivery guy even stopped and picked up dog treats after hearing that families had brought pets with them.

The phones were ringing off the hook with people asking what they could do to help. People were bringing cookies, coffee, blankets, other food ... it was miraculous really. All of our employees were running around trying to keep everyone as comfortable as possible.

Finally, later on in the night, block by block people were allowed to return home.

The Wayne Dispatch files

It wasn't just the community pulling through that helped the city manage to make it through such a devastation. Most of that should be attributed to the police officers and firefighters who were there.

They spent hours upon hours at the scene. Their work never slowed down. They pulled bodies out of the rubble. They put the fire out. They saved people and moved rubble off the road. They cleaned up the area. It was a tremendous effort and they deserve much praise for their hard work.


I remember for the next several days as I wrote about the tragedy and talked with coworkers about everyone who pulled through to help out at the building, I was astonished. It was a strange feeling - one of dire sadness but yet a feeling of happiness, I was so proud of my fellow residents.

The Wayne Dispatch files

A second body, Leslie Machniak, was found in the rubble in the evening. Two people died because they got to work on time. The owner hadn't been killed by the rubble because he at the opposite end of the store when it collapsed. He remained in critical condition for weeks but eventually pulled through and returned home.

That was the first big tragedy I covered as a journalist. I hadn't yet graduated college. When people thanked me for the coverage and constant update on information, I felt like I had done something that mattered. I used our Facebook all day to communicate with residents and to answer as many questions as I could from people in surrounding communities.

I learned a lot about being a journalist that day. Especially about being a journalist in the social media times. Today I'm sending my thoughts to the families of Jim Zell and Leslie Marchniak. I'm also thanking the community and the officials once again for the amazing work they did that day. I'm thanking The Wayne Dispatch for having me as a reporter then and giving me the opportunity to capture the horror and triumphant feelings for the first time. I felt like journalism really mattered that day. Like I was meant for it. Although I had always thought that it was the career for me, I knew it for a fact that day.

While covering gruesome incidents has become an almost common for me at The News-Herald, I will never forget the Frank's Furniture tragedy in Wayne. 

“Journalism can never be silent: That is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” – Henry Anatole Grunwald

I'm out and about in communities constantly for my job. If I'm not out and about I'm talking to people on Facebook, Twitter, through email and phone for stories. The topic this week that everyone has brought up is, of course, new year's resolutions.

Every year I hear about the same resolutions over and over and over and over and over.

So, here it is, the list of the five most overplayed new year's resolutions.

5. Save money / spend less money
I'll admit, this is mainly a thing I hear from females. They want to stop shopping as much or end weekly manicures to save the money. Let's face it, we all go out on pay day and blow our money, hoping we leave enough to pay the bills. That isn't going to chance for the majority of people in 2012.

4. Get organized
Most people aren't organized to the point they'd like to be. I've heard, "Well, next year I'll keep track of my bills better," and "next year I'm going to stick to a schedule" so many times I stopped counting. Organization is someone is rare and those of us who organize their life do it to far. I made a resolution once to be less organized. It doesn't happen. We are who we are, whether we're overly organized or chaotically cluttered.

3. Diet
While this is an all-year-round dilemma, people become entranced in the idea that beginning a diet on new year will mean they will stick to it. I mean really, do you someone that has followed through completely?

2. Stop smoking 
I've never smoked so I can't touch on how addicting it is, I do know however that some people can't get away from it no matter how hard they try. It actually saddens me that this had to be on my list because of the health issues, but in reality it is a resolution that people make and rarely follow through with.

1. Exercise
The most overplayed new year resolution is without a doubt starting to exercise. I worked at a gym for six years selling memberships and the amount of people who buy memberships at the start of the year was astonishing. We would tell people that through January the gym is always busy, but come mid-February people stop working out and drop the resolution. That's exactly how it was. They would hold strong through January then lose it.


If any of these are your resolutions I hope that this motivates you to focus more on your plan and keep it going! If you have a different resolution leave your comment below and let's see which ones I missed!

Our Christmas potluck for work was Wednesday. I didn't have time to cook anything Tuesday night, so I stopped at Meijer on my way in to buy a veggie tray. I was in the self-checkout when my cell phone started ringing. It was early int he morning so I kinda had a hunch it was work before I even answered...

My editor told me there had been an apartment fire in Gibraltar. I hurried up and checked out, got in my car and sped off to the complex (I swear one day I'll get pulled over trying to get to a story as fast as possible).

I pulled in to see firefighters working diligently. The fire was out but the bricks and paneling were still visibly warm. The areas were destroyed. It was a sad thing to see so close to the holiday.
(See photos of the firefighters working on the fire here and photos of the fire and the building here)

I talked to some of the firefighters and police officers from Gibraltar and Rockwood. They are some great people - talk about passionate people who just want to help others, it's them.

I took photos, video and got some interviews. I interviewed the man who discovered the fire. His three aquariums full of fish were destroyed and his cat ran off. He lost everything, as did many other families. It was such a sad sight.

I came to the office to write the story. After we posted it online, I got a call from the Gibraltar Goodfellows telling me about the donations that had been given already. Thursday I received another call and today another.

More than 12 organizations Downriver have donated to the families. And several anonymous donors have given money and clothing to the families.

I can't even count how many emails, phone calls and voicemails I've had from people wanting to donate to these families. I'm almost in tears writing this because I'm so awe-stricken by the way the communities has pulled together.

I'm not from Downriver, but after working here for more than seven months I feel like I'm more a part of these communities than the one I live in. I am so proud to be a reporter in these communities. It has been such an amazing thing to see how many people have come forward to give. And I know that most of the people donating don't have everything they want.

I want to thank every single person who has stepped up and helped someone out this holiday season. Whether it was these families, a random person, donating to the Salvation Army or any other group, I am so proud to say that I know you (even if it's just virtually!)

You guys are amazing. The firefighters, police officers, members of the non-profits, the families who have braved these tragedies ... all of you. You are spectacular people.

Merry Christmas to all of you and your families. Smile all weekend with pure happiness for what you have and know that I'll be thinking of all of you!

Happy holidays, my Downriver friends! I love you all!

We had an office-wide potluck this week, so obviously everything in our building has to do with Christmas and food. Which I have no complaints about whatsoever!

 Christmas cupcakes? Yes, please!

 MEXICALLI DIP! And Doritos! THE BEST THINGS EVER! 

...guess you had to be here. We're sorta obsessed with Mexicalli Dip and Doritos...

Heartbreak cake and Christmas cake! Nothing says "happy holidays" like that combination.

We like to pretend that sparkling cider is alcohol. It makes us feel better about our work days and gives us a reason to be obnoxious. Not that we ever really needed on to begin with.

I included an extra picture so that you could get the real feeling of our whole newsroom Christmas decorations!

Oh, how pretty and Christmas spirited!






Scarecrows represent Christmas. Don't judge.

See the first page of photos here.

 More photos from the fire in Gibraltar. Left is the interior of the hallway to the apartment where the fire started.

 It is believed the fire started because of a furnace.

 Photos from an apartment complex fire in Gibraltar. The Marina Bay Club Apartments caught fire at about 3:30 a.m. Dec. 21. Eight families have been left homeless.
See the second page of photos here.

Gibraltar, Rockwood and Woodhave responded to the call. All firefighters and police officers worked diligently to put the fire out. They were still working seven hours later to make sure there wasn't any risk.

Journalists love news. Shocker, right?

We love it all. The sweet stories, the crime stories and especially the wacky stories.

When we sit in the newsroom, a lot of the time all you can hear are fingers slamming down on the keyboard. There's an occasional frustrated grunt because the computer is slow. Often we can hear our coworkers in an awkward phone conversation. There are ringing phones, dinging computers from the constant flow of emails coming through and a loud rumbling fan that seems to never shut off.

It get tense. The constant "clank, clank, clank" of fingers on keyboards gets faster and faster as deadline approaches. The grunts become more frequent as the day goes on. The phones never stop ringing.

And then there's an outburst. It never fails. Once a day, once of us starts to randomly laugh. Sometimes uncontrollably.

In between slamming on the keyboard and returning phone calls, we all take a little time to read other news sites and catch up on what's going on in the world (it is our job to know, after all).

When one of us reads an amusing story, something funny, we usually can't help but laugh aloud. When one of us laughs, all the others become curious and we instantly have to share the story. Often times we try to put the stories on our website, but if they have a hint of inappropriate-ness, than we resort to Facebook or email to share the latest hilarity of the news world.

It's our own daily perk. Anticipating who win spin around in their chair laughing at something, and then reading it yourself and laughing, then sharing the laughter with coworkers - it's a part of news that we love.

It gives you a way to relate to someone - a happy way.

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer somebody else up," - Mark Twain.

Photos from Dec. 18 continued, again...