Writing

Prisoners of the Storm - They were the forgotten of the forgotten -- prisoners at the New Orleans jail evacuated during Hurricane Katrina. They were scattered to prisons around the state, and more than 100 of them landed at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. Many of them had not been charged with anything, and months later were still in jail without ever having spoken to a lawyer. (PDFs: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4). One man was incarcerated for four months after being picked up on a criminal trespassing charge -- a misdemeanor that carries a maximum 20-day sentence. He had never seen a lawyer or a judge. Because of my stories, the mixup that kept him in jail was straightened out, and he was released. (PDF: Follow-up story)

Sex crimes investigation - This story examines the outcome of cases of people arrested for sex crimes against children. My research tracked the outcome of all sex crime cases in Lafayette Parish for a three-year period; I found many repeat sex offenders were offered plea deals that kept them out of jail, and first-time offenders pleaded down to offenses that didn't require them to register as a sex offender. (PDFs: Part 1; Part 2)

Breaking news coverage - Just weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Hurricane Rita roared ashore in southwestern Louisiana. I covered both storms and their aftermath. (PDF)

 

Web design, etc.

Black History Month special section - This page features important locations in Charlotte's black history. I athered information from producers, designed the section and put together the multimedia Google map.

Map: Winter Weather in the Carolinas - This was a breaking news Google map mashup. As videos, photos, updates and snowfall amounts were pouring into the newsroom, I mapped out their locations and added links to relevant media.

Charlotte-area singers aim for "Idol" stardom - Each year since he was 16, Shane Kindley has auditioned for “American Idol,” but he’s never made it in front of celebrity judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. He’s hoping this is his year. (Story and photos)

America's Got Talent audtions - From melodic whistlers to dancing roller-skaters, hundreds of Charlotteans auditioned for a spot on “America’s Got Talent.” (Photos)

See Flash slideshow of some of those photos.