Portfolio

Licking County Christian Academy kindergartners Glory Overton, left, and Alanna Bland make snow angels Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010, in Heath, Ohio. Overton, Bland and Grant Gill went out to play as the snow began to fall with their teacher Sandy Strickling.

Jo Hancock, of Muncie, watches class instructor Diana “Carenza” Eckart during a belly dancing class at Carenza’s Caravan. The dance studio offers classes in belly dancing, swing dance, and hip-hop dancing.

David Opbroec, from Cincinnati, casts his net into Buckeye Lake Sunday afternoon, Dec. 28, 2008, as he fishes for shad from the north shore of the lake.

Fairfield Christian Academy's Ben Tobin is tripped up by Fisher Catholic's Hayden Muckensturm during Saturday night's game, Sept. 1, 2012, at Fulton Field in Lancaster. FCA won the game 19-14.

Shawn Fosnaugh, a 2005 Lancaster High School graduate, yells encouragement to Ty Hedges, 8, from Lancaster, as he flies through the air at a tackling bag during a drill Friday, July 13, 2012, at the Brian Sampson Memorial Youth Football Camp at Lancaster High School. This year's camp was headed by New York Giants player and LHS and Ohio State graduate Jim Cordle and was part of the National Football League's Play 60 campaign. Around 140 boys and girls in grades 3-6 took part in the one day camp.

Atticus Doan, 6, flies toward his mother Elizabeth Doan Monday morning, May 7, 2012, in front of their home in Bremen. Atticus and his older brother Gideon, 8, and little sister Norah, 4, were taking turns swinging from the rope swing hanging from the maple tree in the family's front yard. 

Participants fight for the ball Sunday on one of the basketball courts at the Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament at Delta High School.

Newark Catholic's Garret Vernau entertains his teammates during a three hour weather delay. Rain delayed the start of the Green Wave's Division IV state championship game with Fort Loramie Saturday, June 5, 2010, at Huntington Park in Columbus.

Lakewood second baseman Brayan Gault takes aim to throw out a Licking Valley runner at first base as she slides on the infield dirt Thursday, April 14, 2011, during the Lancers 1-0 win over the Panthers at Lakewood High School in Hebron.

Aaron Roll waves the checkered flag during the second heat of the school bus races Sunday night, Aug. 8, 2010, at the Hartford Independent Fair in Croton.

Jerame Jackson, from Newark, lays out a blanket on Brooks Beach with Alexis Jackson, 8, center, and Emilie Wolf, 6, Wednesday, June 8, 2011, in Millersport. Jackson didn't see the sign warning visitors to the beach about harmful algal blooms in the water near the beach.

A duckling tries to jump out of Dean and Lois Stephan's pool to follow its mother on the pool deck Tuesday afternoon, May 21, 2007, in Huntington. Dean Stephan said the family of ducks showed up in the pool Sunday afternoon. The Stephan's said this isn't the first time they've had ducks in their pool but it is the first time they've had ducklings in the 19 years they've owned the house. 

Bloom-Carroll sophomore Taran Alvelo is the 2013 Eagle-Gazette softball player of the year. Alvelo dominated opposing hitters with her blazing fastball at times clocked in the low 70s.

Huntington firefighter Travis Monsey pulls an attack line into the burning Midwest Industrial Metal Fabrication building as other firefighters try to knock down the remaining flames, Monday afternoon, Nov. 12, 2007 in Huntington. The fire started when sparks from a cutting torch ignited insulation in the building's wall. Smoke and chemical fumes caused the evacuation of the Cedar Run Apartment complex and the Tipton House Assisted Living facility.

Licking County prosecutor Ken Oswalt makes a slashing motion across his throat as he covers his mouth as he simulates how he believes Stephen Richards killed his father during his closing argument June 29, 2011, in Licking County Common Pleas Court in Newark. Richards was found guilty of one count each of murder and gross abuse of a corpse. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

Pickerington Central's Nick Reade heads the ball as Lancaster's Patrick Sabol leaps up to try to get take possession Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Pickerington. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.

A downhill biker makes his way down one of the trails Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010, at Horn's Hill Park in Newark during the Ohio Gravity Fest. The two day downhill biking competition started Saturday at Mohican Wilderness in Greer. Event organizer Bob Bevard said about thirty riders took part in the contest riding three courses at each park over the two days. Bevard said the event drew riders competing in three divisions from all over the Ohio and from Michigan and Kentucky.

Translucent beads dangle from the edges of a model’s jacket and pants Sunday afternoon, March 11, 2007, during the Bernina of America Fashion Show at O’Laughlin Auditorium at St. Mary’s College in South Bend. The show is a fund-raiser for support services provided free of charge to breast-cancer patients and their families.

East Elementary School students use water colors for their Andy Warhol inspired self-portraits Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2012, in Elizabeth Boyden's kindergarten classroom in Lancaster. The portraits are for the school's art auction in March.

Ivy Yen, a member of the Granger Chinese Dance Company performs a ribbon dance Sunday afternoon, Feb. 18, 2007, at the Chinese Language School’s Chinese New Year program at the Michiana Chinese Christian Church in Mishawaka. Yen and her fellow members of the dance company, along with students at the language school performed skits, dances and songs for the crowd of family and friends who gathered to celebrate the new year of the pig.

Bloom-Carroll's Alexis McKenzie celebrates one of her two goals in Thursday night's victory against Canal Winchester, Aug. 30, 2012, at Canal Winchester High School.

Wood Memorial High School senior first baseman and pitcher Rickie Mason is comforted by the home plate umpire after making the last out in Wood Memorial’s 18-3 loss to North Daviess Tuesday night in Oakland City, Ind., bringing an end to the team’s season. The Trojans fell behind early as the Cougars scored all of their 18 runs in the first two innings against Mason.

Stories

Second chances

After spending 12-and-one-half years in prison Buddy Love opened his barber shop on the northeast side of Muncie, Ind., with the hope of influencing the young men in what he sees as Muncie's forgotten black community to not follow that led him to a murder conviction at a young age.

Buddy Love, center, and Mike Bradley, right, laugh at a story Howard McCallum, left, was telling during the Saturday morning rush at Buddy Love’s Barber Shop on Highland Avenue in Muncie.

Tre Cook, 8, gets his hair cut by Buddy Love at Love’s East Highland Avenue barbershop in Muncie.

Buddy Love cuts Martice Redfield’s hair at his barber shop on Highland Avenue on Muncie’s east side.

Mickey Hill, 11, points to his king as his brother Noah Hill, 7, moves one of his pawns. The brothers were playing chess while they waited for haircuts at Buddy Love’s barbershop.

Michael Long (right) and Cedric Powell talk about growing up in the Whitley neighborhood on Muncie’s northeast side. Powell and his son Jordan Powell, 8 (not pictured), were waiting for haircuts at Buddy Love’s Barber Shop on a busy Saturday morning. 

Buddy Love laughs as Adrian Barrett argues with other customers about whether or not pop music star Michael Jackson was guilty of child molestation in the barbershop on a Saturday morning.

Debbie's dream team

For Debbie Brewer, hospice care has not been with her just at the end of her life, but for more than four years. Surrounded by a team including a registered nurse, a social worker, a pastor and others, Brewer, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and her family depend o that team to keep her quality of life as high as possible. "They do everything," Brewer said. "I don't know what we would have done without them."

Stacey Hartshorn, left, hugs Debbie Brewer during one of the Hospice of Central Ohio nurse's visits to Brewer's home in Newark.

A tear forms in Debbie Brewers eye as she undergoes a breathing treatment.

Pastor Tom Myers leans back in his chair after finishing writing one of the four funerals he's writen in a week for patients at Hospice of Central Ohio Thursday morning, May 20, 2010, in Newark.

Debbie Brewer laughs as she talks with Hospice of Central Ohio Social Worker Ruth Robson during one of Robson visits Brewer's home during which the two discuss what Brewer's feeling.

Stacey Hartshorn, left, talks to Debbie Brewer during one of the Hospice of Central Ohio nurse's visits to Brewer's home in Newark. Brewer has been homebound for the past four years with COPD and has spent that time in the care of hospice group.

Stacey Hartshorn holds Debbie Brewer's hand as the nurse and patient talk during Hartshorn's visit.

Stacey Hartshorn sorts Debbie Brewer's medication for the week.

Graphics and Illustrations

I worked with a sports reporter at the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette to create a web only graphic to explain to readers what the decathlon and heptathlon are. Click here to view the graphic.

Anchor Hocking has been a mainstay in Lancaster for more than a century. In 2014 the glass manufacturer's parent company experienced financial difficulties, and temporarily closed their production facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I researched the company's history and created a timeline detailing the highs and lows of what was once one of the largest glass manufacturers in the world from the beginning of its predecessor companies to its current financial woes. The timeline was constantly updated throughout the shutdown and ran with all of our stories about the company. Click here to view the timeline. 

2012 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette Football Preview tab cover.

Photo illustration for story about bullying in schools.

Locator map and explainer for a series of arsons.

Information graphic describing how a rarely used type of intersection operates. Submitted as part of a portfolio that won the Associated Press Society of Ohio's Best Graphic Artist award.

Information graphic explaining hydraulic fracturing. Submitted as part of a portfolio that won the Associated Press Society of Ohio's Best Graphic Artist award, and won for best individual information graphic

Illustration for Lancaster Eagle-Gazette co-baseball player of the year award. Baseball card fronts were created for all members of both the first and second all-area teams.

Locator map explaining the city of Lancaster's proposed street paving project.

Timelines developed with the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette's local history columnist about the men who Lancaster City Schools' buildings are named after.

A graphics package describing how Lancaster's traffic signal system works.

An information graphic detailing a fatal police chase for which a teenager was tried for the death of his passenger. This graphic was a finalist for a 2011 Gannett Award of Excellence in visual journalism.