Long View area has low life expectancy compared to region
A town had a life expectancy 20 years lower than an area just 5 miles north. We dug in to find out why.
Outreach encourages COVID-19 vaccination
A public health worker shared her own story of hesitancy around the COVID-19 vaccine. Her testimony was part of the county's effort to get shots in arms.
COVID-19 field hospital served 78 patients
After several weeks operating during the peak of the COVID-19, a local Samaritan's Purse field hospital closed. Volunteers and hospital leaders told me about its impact.
Vaccine supply, distribution lead to frustration
I lead a multi-paper project addressing the lack of COVID-19 vaccine supply and trouble with distribution in the early phases of the vaccine rollout.
Flood survivors describe deadly storm
After a flash flood took five lives at a campground in Alexander County -- including a 1-year-old boy -- the survivors entrusted me to tell their stories of survival.
Family struggling months after COVID-19 infection
A family of eight all came down with COVID-19. Their symptoms ranged from a mild cough to near-death blood clots and pneumonia.
Despite demands, county leaders say Confederate monument won't move
A group of citizens began asking the county to remove the Confederate statue from county land in 2020.
PPE production a lifeline for some NC manufacturers
I wrote a statewide piece about how some manufacturers pivoted to making personal protective equipment during the pandemic. The article ran in papers across the state as part of the North Carolina News Collaborative COVID-19 project, with funding from the Pulitzer Center. The article won a first-place business writing award from the North Carolina Press Association.
Bedbug infestations on the rise
Local bedbug infestations were on the rise -- exterminators called it an "epidemic." The article won a North Carolina Press Association Award for news enterprise reporting.