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 bill proposes that after 2 a.m. on the 2nd Sunday of March, clocks will go forward 1 hour, and DST would become the Standard Time in IL.
Bell ringers raise an average of $30 per hour, equaling enough to give 1 Christmas food box to a family of 6 or provide a night of shelter.
There will be plenty of holiday events happening in Crystal Lake, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills and other McHenry County towns this season.
There will be plenty of holiday events happening in Grayslake, Libertyville, Gurnee and other Lake County towns this season.
The Elgin family will get to flip the switch to light up the tree during the annual tree lighting ceremony, the City said, according to WLS.
Details on an upcoming public hearing being held on the topic of allowing recreational marijuana dispensaries in Geneva.
The teen left a party in unincorporated Wauconda over the weekend and hasn't been seen or heard from since, the sheriff's office reported.
Teachers and the school board have come to an agreement on the final two years of a four-year contract.
Police are searching for the person who dumped the dog in the lake. Warning: Details and photos in this story may upset some readers.
The former Uber driver from Elgin stopped the Uber trip early and sexually assaulted the victim, the state's attorney's office reported.
Police were told that a woman entered the store in the 200 block of N. Route 31, took out a gun and demanded money from the cashier.
Officials said Richard Cline, 62, of Carpentersville, agreed to a sentence in exchange for a guilty plea to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
The switch came after a majority of trustees indicated in August they might be in favor of allowing marijuana dispensaries, the report said.
Here's when parking is prohibited on any public street in the Village.
The stretch of Riverside Avenue will close from early morning to mid-afternoon on two upcoming dates, according to city officials.
One area station started playing the jolly tunes Tuesday, while another will wait a bit longer.
The cause and manner of the boy's death are pending following an autopsy, a spokesperson with the Cook Co. Medical Examiner's office said.
The man will appear on criminal complaints for charges including possessing explosives and property damage, reports said.
In a Nov. 3 statement, church Elders said MacDonald will not be able to serve again as an Elder or Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel.
The conservative radio host and Republican U.S. Senate candidate filed the criminal complaint against opponent and ex-sheriff Curran.
