As I waited in line at Subway last Saturday evening, the last thing I expected was for the Greencastle Fire Department to go blazing by. My gut decision to then find where they were going has inspired some reflection my own personal standards as a reporter...

The Volkswagen Brigade will once again bring up the rear of the Putnam County 4-H Fair Parade this Sunday. However, this year's event will maybe be a little bittersweet. Last year's fair parade would have been our best opportunity for us to honor longtime Volkswagen mechanic Dick Funk, who passed away the previous April. Since then, we have been in a kind of holding pattern on how to move forward without his direction...

So if Friday's Banner Graphic might seem a little "off" in a few parts (sports pages certainly not included), it's because yours truly had his first trial by fire on Thursday. Jared took some time off for a "mancation" out in the woods somewhere, and so part of building and proofing the paper was left to me, Eric and our sports editor Trent (someone who knows how to create pages). ...

There are plenty of frustrations which come with being a local reporter. It doesn't help that I can (a lot of times) be a little compulsive and down on myself about my writing. I will preface here that many of these frustrations are pretty minor annoyances on the whole. ...

It feels kind of crazy that last week was my three-year anniversary as a staff writer for the Banner Graphic. I told someone recently that it has seemed like a whole lifetime. During this time, I have made connections with some of the movers and shakers here in Greencastle, as well as in our other communities in Putnam County. Being a local reporter has afforded me many amazing opportunities which others might not have...

As I was making my way to the accident that occurred on State Road 42 late Tuesday morning, the very last thing on my mind was that it would turn out to be a fatal one. I am sure there are some who think I was just being a paparazzi type taking a ton of photos and running around. The opposite was true. I only stood from a distance as paramedics tried to revive one of the victims. I watched all their efforts be to no avail...

There are times in my job where it simply doesn't work out for me. This is especially true when it comes to trying to get photos that are of "workable" quality for the paper. I can put a little of this on my Canon that I carry around with me. It is a great piece of equipment and I love using it. Still, autofocus can suck at the most inopportune times...

Graduation can be one of the more stressful assignments. Besides just wanting a few quality photos, there's still an overarching fear of misidentifying the students in them. With covering both South Putnam's and Cloverdale's graduations last weekend, my M.O. was just to sit somewhere close to the stage and do my thing. By no means did I take many photos, and that was okay. Sometimes all it takes is having just one or two...

This post was published in the Tuesday, June 1, 2021 edition of the Banner Graphic. Last weekend, I had the privilege to cover extrication training with firefighters from the Greencastle Fire Department and other local volunteer units. This experience put the work they all do, as well as the challenges they face, much more into perspective...

Way back in Spring 2004, I can remember going "camping" with my grandma and late grandpa to Mill Creek Lake near Marshall, Ill. Who knew it would be an adventure. I actually don't remember too much about the trip itself, except that we took Grandma and Papaw's RV. I can recall the dirt ground and the wooden bench where we parked. These seemingly insignificant details, though, played into why I now hate the cicadas...

This post is not a long one. Things have just compounded to the point were I can't put any real thought into a single topic or event. This effort is to merely sum up this week. I came into the office this morning (Friday) with five meetings under my belt between Cloverdale and Area 30. ...

Even in the midst of dealing with the chaos going on at South Putnam, as well as some surprise firetruck chasing, I reached a big milestone outside the newsroom this week...

This blog was published in the Friday, April 30, 2021 edition of the Banner Graphic. _ For the first time that I can recall in my almost-three years here at the Banner, I was accused of fear-mongering and of causing "unnecessary worry" with a story I wrote...

If there ever was a time when it showed how unpredictable Indiana weather can be, this week was it. Maybe Mother Nature just didn't want us all to take it for granted. One of my graduate classmates got a kick out of the joke that we Hoosiers just have to wait five minutes for it to change. Mind you, she lives somewhere over in California. I would imagine that it is a toss-up at best on some days between rain or sunshine there...

A week ago now, I got my second and final shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Fortunately, this time around was much easier side effects-wise than the first dose. Being done with the shots feels liberating in a way. I think it is because we are on the cusp of summer. School is winding down now, and the weather surely is warming up. Maybe we're all used to the "new normal,", but things are continuing to get better...

Whether it is a town council meeting or an emergency, I think taking good photos is one of the best parts of reporting. I like to get as close as I can and be in the moment. It is often about being at the right place at the right time. The camera I use can also be finicky. ...

A week ago, myself and a couple of buddies from my whiskey group went up north to the town of Newtown. It has fewer than 300 residents in the middle of scenic nowhere. It is also home to a pretty remarkable operation: a distillery with top-notch whiskey...

In my coverage of the most recent Community Conversation, I was able to get away with a tenable sin when it comes to using the Associated Press' (AP) writing style. That sin was an instance in which I referred to Christina Wagner, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at DePauw, as "Doctor." However, it was then absolved because Wagner is also a licensed clinical psychologist, though I didn't make this clear...

A week ago (March 12), I received my first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Putnam County Health Department. It has been an interesting week since then. I was able to schedule it because my Spina bifida is a special consideration under the state's vaccine guidelines. I am at even greater risk because of the Type 1 diabetes...

After trying to find inspiration, I found out that today (March 12) marks 88 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt began sharing his "fireside chats" through the radio. The president began his first such address to the nation thus: "My friends, I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking." The aim was to be self-assuring and to help listeners understand why banks had been closed...