Portfolio
For a journalist, the pursuit is relentless. There's always a story to uncover...always one to tell. Here are a few of my best. Like what you see? Follow my work this summer at The Arizona Republic.
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Below are a few of my favorite, a quite diverse, clips from stories I covered as a reporter for the DTH. Please click on the headlines for a link.
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Speaking from the Inside (04/09/02)
(note: This article placed in three competitions:
- First place for feature writing in the Society of Professional Journalists Region II.
- Second place in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program.
- Third place in the North
Carolina Press Association awards.)
RALEIGH -- Wendell Justin Williamson sits peacefully in the conference room at Dorothea Dix Hospital in jeans, a jean jacket and black sweater, occasionally sipping from a cup of caffeine free diet Coke.
But beneath the quiet demeanor, where medication can't reach, rages an emotional battle about not only what happened one chilly January day, but more importantly, why it happened.On Jan. 26, 1995, Williamson, then a third-year law student at UNC, calmly started at the bottom of Henderson Street and headed toward Franklin Street with an M-1 rifle in hand. ...
Former UNC Student Dies in Carrboro (04/26/02)
A former UNC sophomore and nephew of Duke University men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski died earlier this week at a Carrboro residence.
Both the cause and exact time of death have yet to be determined.At 11:16 a.m. Wednesday, the first ambulance from Orange County Emergency Management Services responded to a 911 call from 105 BPW Club Road, Apt. B, in Carrboro.
David T. Borman, 21, of 1000 Smith Level Road, Apt. K8, was found unconscious and then pronounced dead Wednesday morning, said EMS Director Nick Waters....
Doctors Describe Dangers of Leaving Schizophrenia Untreated (04/09/02)
(note: This article accompanied the above story)
Psychiatrists say the scariest aspect of Wendell Williamson's deadly bout with schizophrenia is that without the proper treatment and medication, history could repeat itself.
In 1995, Williamson went on a shooting spree on Henderson Street that claimed the lives of two people -- a UNC lacrosse player and a Chapel Hill business manager. A policewoman was severely injured. Once the gunfire ended and the verdict was in, Williamson was deemed not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.
The cause of Williamson's insanity? ...
Shot Down: Overtime Surge Powers Duke (01/21/03)
Sophomore Nikita Bell fell backward to a seated position a few feet from the North Carolina bench after an enthusiastic chest bump from teammate Chrystal Baptist, as both benches and 10,180 onlookers came to their feet. Seconds later, the power forward stood up and began pantomiming her foul shot.
The scoreboard read 61-61.
Only moments before, a Leah Metcalf pass to Bell on the baseline sparked several events -- a shot was fired, a whistle signifying a foul was blown and the game-ending buzzer sounded. ...
No Madness for Women Hoopsters (10/14/02)
Everything seemed on point around 9 p.m. Friday. North Carolina's volleyball team had just notched another victory and, within an hour or so, the men's basketball team was set to have its first practice of the season. Midnight with the Heels could begin.
And so the event opened, only about 15 minutes late. And Stuart Scott talked, an agonizing 15 minutes longer than he probably should have. And events followed. Games were played, some prizes won, and practice began. A good time was had by all. What more could a basketball fan possibly want?How about an appearance by the women's basketball team? And by that, I don't necessarily mean a patronizing introduction capped by their dismissal from the floor. ...
National Titles Only Part of Soccer Dynasty (01/07/03)
For most, winning one championship would be enough.
But for the North Carolina women's soccer team, it might seem that failing to do so -- especially two years in a row -- means something is fundamentally wrong with the program.
Championships have become synonymous with UNC. Few other programs have such pressure to win, although few others have achieved the same kind of success with the Tar Heels' regularity. UNC coach Anson Dorrance has won 17 national titles in 24 seasons. ...
Questioned Evidence to be Used in Trial (01/25/02)
A judge denied motions made by Dwayne Russell Edwards' lawyer Thursday, ruling that evidence obtained during a January 2001 traffic stop and subsequent police interviews are lawful and can be used in the upcoming trial.
The motions hearing concluded Thursday afternoon, granting prosecutor Jim Woodall clearance to use all materials gathered as evidence on Jan. 9, 2001, during the upcoming trial. Judge William Griffin set no trial date, but officials say it should take place in April.The purpose of the motions hearing, which began Tuesday, was to determine whether certain evidence would be admitted in Edwards' trial....
Wake's Mixture of Passing and Running Finesse Stumps UNC (10/28/02)
WINSTON-SALEM -- The North Carolina football team thought it was prepared for Wake Forest's running game.
And there was no reason the Tar Heels shouldn't have been. They spent last week training, assembling an appropriate defense. After all, Wake is one of the best, if not the best, rushing team in the conference, racking up 2,244 yards on the ground in nine games this season.So, the Tar Heels stacked the box and utilized man-to-man coverage on the wide receivers. But UNC quickly discovered that this plan wasn't going to work.
All linked headlines will take you to a page where you must purchase the articles in order to view them.
Contact me if you are interested in a free copy of these articles or other ones published in the News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.
At the News & Record, I worked as an unpaid features intern, but also picked up a few general assignments along the way. I wrote 20 articles during my three months there.
Tattooed or Pierced Need Not Apply (08/06/01; D1)
Some decisions can come back to haunt you.
Nine years ago, Duane Duvall made one. He got a tattoo.And two weeks later, he went back for another one.
``I kind of wished I had planned them out a little better,'' he says. ``But I'm wondering how the business industry is going to work on that, when 90 percent of the population is getting pierced or tattooed.''
As jobs get harder to find, people with visible tattoos and body piercings might struggle even more...
Assembly Backs Helmet Law (07/01/01; A1)
Shienn and Norman Rankin glide down a bike path beside the Adams Farm Parkway, fewer than 10 feet away from cars zipping down the road at 35 mph.
Shienn's silver helmet and Norman's black one aren't fashion statements. They are examples of what all children will be required to wear if Gov. Mike Easley signs the Child Bicycle Safety Act passed by the legislature this week.The bill would require any person 16 and under to wear a helmet while riding a bike on public...
Playing Like a Girl (07/16/01; D1)
``Hey, batter, batter, batter.''
The home team, D.H. Griffin, taunts its opposition, Music Barn, as the first pitch is released, starting the first round of playoffs for the Greensboro City Pony Baseball League.Crack.
Metal cleats grind against the dirt, responding to the first base hit of the game. The third baseman scoops the ball and throws it to first. The second baseman, with pigtails bouncing, backs up the first baseman who successfully makes the play. ...
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