After graduating from West Virginia University in 2005, I spent five years writing for newspapers in Charleston, W.Va., Washington, Pa., and Pittsburgh before joining Patch.com. I grew up in Mt. Lebanon and currently reside in the Bridgeville area, so Western Pennsylvania has been home to me for most of my life.
In September 2005, less than a month after beginning my first job as a professional newspaper reporter, the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail sent me with the West Virginia Air Guard's 130th Airlift Wing to the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast to report on the evacuations and recovery efforts in New Orleans. My series of reports following Hurricane Katrina earned me a West Virginia Press Association award for best-written news stories in the state. While in Charleston, I also covered crime and wrote numerous feature stories.
After moving to the Washington (Pa.) Observer-Reporter in late 2006, I covered municipal government, crime and energy issues, including the construction of a coal-refuse power plant near Imperial, Pa., and a proposed high-voltage power line through Washington and Greene counties.
Last year, I began working as a general assignment freelance reporter for Trib Total Media, covering local government and school board meetings for the second largest print news organization in Western Pennsylvania.
Now, I am excited to continue my journalism career by bringing interesting stories and important news items to residents living in the Chartiers Valley area.
<strong>Local Hot-Button Issues: </strong>Chartiers Valley is made up of four unique municipalities that each offer sprawling neighborhoods, bustling business districts and diverse recreation activities. Bridgeville, Collier Township, Heidelberg and Scott Township are tied together by the Chartiers Creek, which begins in Washington County and terminates at the Ohio River in McKees Rocks, Pa.<b><br></b>
Scott Township police assisted the federal government in the investigation that the men used false credit cards to spend nearly $50,000 to buy gift cards and merchandise at Giant Eagle and Walmart.
A Scott Township woman who is a three-year survivor of thyroid cancer is organizing a fundraiser at Fitness Fanatics to raise money and awareness for the fight against thyroid cancer.
A Scott Township teenager suffered serious leg injuries when police said he fled from officers on his dirt bike and crashed into a Collier Township police cruiser. Read about that and other news in the weekly Collier Township police blotter.
A Pittsburgh area man accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from two people who operate ATM businesses in Scott and Bridgeville has been sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty.
Do you know where this photo was taken? Guess in the comments section.
Learn why this new gourmet burger joint at the Bursca Shopping Center in South Fayette is attracting a crowd.
The Chartiers Valley Colts beat Ellwood City on Friday night in their non-conference WPIAL game.
The nearly six-hour hostage standoff at Three Gateway Center in Pittsburgh has ended peacefully. The hostage is safe and suspect in police custody.
Learn more about a new gourmet burger joint at the Bursca Shopping Center in South Fayette.
Learn why this new gourmet burger joint at the Bursca Shopping Center in South Fayette is attracting a crowd.
Allegheny County is offering free Photo ID cards for any residents who need one to vote.
A couple of crashes on Washington Pike in Kirwan Heights during the peak of rush hour have snarled the evening commute for motorists this week.
A quick-change scam artist hit the Collier Township Giant Eagle last week and stole $150 from the clerk.
Collier Township’s Oktoberfest celebration will be Sept. 29 at the municipal building.
One of the men accused of multiple locker burglaries at LA Fitness is heading to trial on all charges. Read about that and other preliminary court hearings from the past week.
A quick-change scam artist hit Giant Eagle last week and stole $150 from the clerk. Also in the Collier Township police blotter, a 74-year-old man is accused of stealing nearly $70 worth of facial cream from a store.
Bridgeville Public Library officials want to meet with their counterparts in South Fayette soon to see if the two groups can share or improve services for their patrons.
The Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned Sept. 28 at halftime when the Colts play New Castle at Chartiers Valley High School Stadium.
Watch this unbelievable video of a ruptured water pipeline on Carothers Avenue in Scott Township that flooded two homes Tuesday night.
Two women face theft charges after Scott Township police said they tried to steal $800 worth of merchandise from Walmart on Sept. 12. Read about that and other crime in the weekly Scott Township police blotter.
