I was raised in a northern suburb of Chicago, and now find it bittersweet that I help cover the towns and counties in and around the one I grew up in. I miss the area so very much, every day. In 2013, I moved to the Indianapolis area after graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington in May 2013. I grew up watching mainstream media play a major role in my father's nearly 20-year career as a sports medicine professional in the NFL. I knew before heading off to IU I was going to study journalism and communication.
I had two incredible internship opportunities I took full advantage of before my senior year- Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee/Communications team member (Dec. 2011 to Feb. 2012), and WBBM CBS Chicago newsroom intern (June to Aug. 2012). I learned and experienced more than I thought I would before graduation, and knew my passion for building a relationship with others and hearing their stories was something I had to continue to feed. Flash forward to graduation, I wasn't going to put my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism to waste, as I accepted and started an Associate Producer job at WRTV Indianapolis in June 2013. But I wanted much more than that- I wanted to be the person choosing and reporting content. That's when I applied for a digital reporter role at Gannett's The Star Press in Muncie, Ind. As the company's Trends and Social Scene Reporter, I brought daily events, trends, and feel-good stories to Muncie and Delaware County community members. The creative freedom and fun I felt each day was immeasurable. But with the responsibility of a newspaper in addition to a website comes challenges, as this world is going digital. I had to look elsewhere, and told myself the next and only step for me in news (and my journalism interests) was everything digital- web, apps, social media sites, and daily email alerts. That's where the news is, every minute of every day. Here I am at Patch!
I've already made my husband (Anthony), family, and friends download the app and subscribe to my newsletter. I have to make sure they stay in the loop 24/7. Anthony and I were married on Dec. 16, 2017 and we moved into our home in a north suburb of Indianapolis during June 2017. Fun fact; my husband, myself and our puppy all have December birthdays, so December and the Christmas season are our absolute favorite time of the year and the reason why we chose a December wedding date (which is also my husband's birthday).
I couldn't be more excited or fortunate to be living in one of my Patch cities, (Fishers), but during the three years prior, I had an Indianapolis zip code. I've worked in downtown Indy, and spend multiple days or evenings a week in Carmel.
Whether working, always decorating and cleaning the house, taking care of our Siberian Husky puppy "Bane," going to weddings (we're at that age where so many friends and young family members are getting married), hanging out with family and friends, baking, taking Orangetheory Fitness classes, watching or attending football or basketball games, or taking in as many new restaurants as I can, I'm always on the go. I enjoy trying (and hearing) new things and points of views.
These cities, people, and places north of Indianapolis have my full attention and heart for years to come, and I enjoy hearing why others may feel the same.
The McHenry County Sheriff's made several arrests and issued dozens of citation during the recent Thanksgiving traffic campaign.
Four suspects were arrested in the 3 separate cases thanks to help by Mundelein Police Department Officer Kroll and Canine Titan.
National food chains in Palatine and Cook County are now offering limited-time menu items and deals for the 2019 holiday season.
National food chains in Algonquin and McHenry County are now offering limited-time menu items and deals for the 2019 holiday season.
Diego Santiago Jr. was last seen in the Joliet area, and his father is asking anyone with information to contact him.
The Lake County Sheriff's office also made several arrests during the recent holiday traffic campaign.
Man arrested after hiding in an attic as dozens of police officers and SWAT team respond to Round Lake apartment building, a report said.
A 14-year-old girl was seriously injured in the Dec. 3 shooting, and remains hospitalized, according to police.
Timothy Colby pleaded guilty to a drug-induced homicide charge, the McHenry County State's Attorneys office said.
Here's when the discussion is scheduled to take place.
Authorities found content linking the man to SD cards containing child pornography recently found at a local business, according to police.
Both of the victims are from Waukegan, according to the Lake County Coroner's Office.
53 alcohol compliance checks were conducted across Lake County, and four businesses failed, according to the sheriff's office.
The data set analyzed by WalletHub ranges from volunteer rate, to share of income donated, to share of sheltered homeless.
Authorities found the McHenry man had heroin in his possession during a July 2018 traffic stop, and he planned to sell it.
The Galesburg man was sentenced Monday on felony charges stemming from a five-month investigation into a documented street gang member.
Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon approved charges Friday against the juvenile for possession of explosives, a news release said.
The winning tickets were recently sold at a Jewel in Stickney and a BP gas station in St. Charles, according to a news release.
Downed power lines shut down part of Gilmer Road in Long Grove Monday morning, causing outages, according to the sheriff's office.
The holiday sculpture, named "Knowledge is the Greatest Gift," has returned to the Statehouse.
