This story was reported for Patch Media on April 25, 2018. It is the recipient of multiple awards for investigative journalism. SAN DIEGO, CA — On a sweltering April afternoon in 2017, James Leonard Acuna spent what may have been the last day of his life playing soccer with fellow inmates at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay… Read more →
Meet The CA Woman Behind The Biggest Lesbian Party In The World
This story was reported for Patch Media on Jan. 16, 2018. It is the recipient of the San Diego Press Club award for feature writing. SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Mariah Hanson has always had big dreams for the world. Growing up in Mill Valley, Calif., Hanson saw her mother, Elizabeth, fight for civil rights every day of her life. A… Read more →
‘Breaking Bad’ Actor Makes Good For Young Artists Of The Valley
This story was reported for Patch Media on Jan. 17, 2018. TEMECULA, CA — As a student at Harvard University, Dean Norris often watched classic films at the local theatre with the hope he would someday appear in a production relished by audiences for decades. At 54, with his dream come to life, Norris is mentoring area youths to gain… Read more →
Vietnam War Veteran Lights Up Christmas For 30th Year
This story was reported for Patch Media on Dec. 1, 2017. SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — On any given night in December, you’ll find a crowd of people at Christmas on Knob Hill. Children flock to the area to give Santa Claus their wish lists while parents snap photos to share on Facebook of the massive display of more than… Read more →
Encinitas resident brings women’s only studio to city
This story was reported for Seaside Courier on Feb. 4, 2016. The days of Billy Blanks and his wildly popular Tae Bo classes were what drew Liberty Harper into the fitness world. Harper, an Encinitas resident, was 17 years old at the time. “I had already understood that fitness was important but once I started taking these cardio kickboxing classes,… Read more →
Vista school prepares for future with coding program
This story was reported for The Coast News on Feb. 1, 2016. Coding. It’s a skill that’s foreign to many but one that children as young as 5 are learning in a Vista school. It’s also a skill that’s in high demand. In a recent survey on the 25 “best jobs in America” by career website Glassdoor, at least eight… Read more →
Collective Health Wants to Change Healthcare Coverage — and Lower Its Cost
This story was reported for NewCo on Jan. 22, 2016. We’ve all heard stories of health insurance companies that deny claims, but few of us start a company in response. That’s what Ali Diab did: he founded Collective Health, a Silicon Valley-based startup determined to reform the way Americans pay for health insurance. Diab and Rajaie Batniji, a doctor at… Read more →
General Assembly Rethinks Training for Next Gen of Coders
This story was reported for NewCo on Jan. 6, 2016. “If you can do the job, you should get the job.” That’s what President Obama said in March 2015 when he announced TechHire, an initiative to fill tech jobs through accelerated training. Roughly two-thirds of U.S. companies say they have unfilled positions due to a lack of qualified applicants. General… Read more →
Brewery hops over obstacles to set roots in Vista
This story was reported for The Coast News on Dec. 29, 2015. It was 2005 when Terry Little tried his first craft beer. Little, who was serving in the U.S. Navy at the time, was in Imperial Beach when he had a Stone pale ale. “I remember it so vividly,” Little said. “This was just when Stone was picking up,… Read more →
Program readies retiring Marines for manufacturing jobs
This story was reported for Seaside Courier on Nov. 11, 2015. After serving as a Marine for 18 years, an Oceanside resident now has a taste of what he would like to do once he retires from the U.S. military. Master Sgt. Charles Spencer, 36, is one of 28 active duty Camp Pendleton Marines who are currently enrolled in a… Read more →