Video package for the Rockbridge Report, Dec. 8

Lexington, Va. (Rockbridge Report) -- Frigid  temperatures didn’t keep visitors away from Buena Vista’s recreated village of Bethlehem last weekend.  Nestled behind the Buena Vista Food Lion, the life-sized village came alive with costumed actors, holiday music and live animals.  The production, called A Night of Miracles, is created and directed by Pastor Tim Morrison of Buena Vista Pentecostal Holiness Church.

Interview with recently reelected Sen. Creigh Deeds

My on-set interview with Democratic Virginia Sen. Deeds for the Rockbridge Report a week after he was reelected to represent the 25th District.  In the interview we discuss some local issues, as well as what will happen to the state senate now that neither party hold the majority.

Dog Days of August | The Georgetowner

This story was one of the feature articles for the August 10 issue of the Georgetowner.

10 Summer Fruits for Your Face | The Georgetowner

A piece I wrote for the Body and Soul section of the July 27 Food Special edition of the Georgetowner.

Changing 14th Street | The Georgetowner

I compiled this "art map" of galleries on and near the 14th Street Art Corridor for the July 13 issue of the Downtowner.  If you click the image to read the article on the website, the actual map (which marks my first successful experience with PhotoShop) is located with the artwork images underneath the text.  

Norman Parish Gallery 20th Anniversary | The Georgetowner

6-29-11 Art Wrap on the 20th anniversary of the Norman Parish Art Gallery in Georgetown.

Lexington | The Georgetowner

How to plan a fun weekend in Lexington, VA, featured in the 6-29-11Georgetowner in the In Country section.

Restaurant fire on M Street

Today was an exciting day for the Georgetowner interns.  Our editorial meeting this morning was interrupted when someone saw smoke outside the office window.  Moments later we were running outside, iPhones and notebooks at the ready, to cover a fire at a restaurant down the block.  Together we compiled photos, a video and text for the website.  

While Waterfront Reopens, Some Messes Still Need Cleaning Up | The Georgetowner

My coverage of the Georgetown Waterfront post-flood reopening, featured on the homepage of the Georgetowner website today!

Maurine Littleton Gallery | The Georgetowner

Maurine Littleton Gallery | The Georgetowner

My first printed piece for the Georgetowner - a gallery review for the "Art Wrap"

Informative or speculative? | The Georgetowner

Informative or speculative? | The Georgetowner

Garrett’s Restaurant & Railroad Tavern Shuts It's Doors | The Georgetowner

Garrett’s Restaurant & Railroad Tavern Shuts It's Doors | The Georgetowner

Exploring renewable energy locally amid global crises

Check out my interactive story on renewable energy in Virginia.

LexTimes Webcast

Some college financial aid affected by recession

While some Virginia schools are feeling the aftermath of the nation’s economic recession, other colleges have maintained their levels of financial aid.  While finalists visited Washington and Lee's campus to compete for the coveted Johnson Scholarship, we took a closer look at the status of financial aid at W&L and other local universities.

Watch the video to hear the full story.

The video package was a collaborative effort and does not match up with the general theme of this blog, but stay tuned for my next story.  The topic:  Renewable energy!

Lexington will partner with Buena Vista to transfer trash

As the landfill’s closing date approaches, Rockbridge County, Lexington, and Buena Vista are cleaning up their final proposals to build transfer stations to ship trash out of the area.

Read the full story and timeline.

Washington and Lee women in Computer Science

Although our society continues to progress through the digital age, the percentage of women in computer science remains relatively low and consistent.  This story does not relate to an environmental matter, but did serve as an opportunity for me to explore another issue of personal interest.  The female computer science majors at W&L aspire to master the art of programming and take their skills beyond the computer lab.

Watch the slideshow for the full story!

Campus group moves for sorority house sustainability

The Student Environmental Action League (SEAL) wants W&L to step up its composting on campus, and is circulating a petition among sorority women to help. The petition is asking the University to buy a second composter, which would handle Greenware and food scraps from sorority kitchens. But some are concerned the cost may be an issue.  Listen to the full story.

Glacial melt in Peru could be a problem for surrounding nations

This story by Heather Somerville in the Washington Post explained how glacial melt in the Andes is becoming a threat to the lifestyle and economic welfare of the people living there.  According to the story, Peru could become a “case study” on the extent of the destruction that global climate change can cause in a community.  The glaciers provide water, irrigation and electricity for the surrounding villages, and rapid melt could not only displace people in the surrounding region but could have effects spanning the globe.  According to experts, Peru will need to implement new techniques for collecting excess runoff and diverting the heavier flow of water.

The story paints a representative picture of the potential chain of destruction that rapid glacial melt could have not only on Peru, but also on the surrounding regions, including the United States.  To the best of my understanding, the glaciers in the Andes are melting much faster than scientists have anticipated, and there is a new urgency to develop a plan to prevent the excess water from causing permanent and widespread social and economic damage.  I thought it was effective that Somerville specifically pointed out the United States. as a potential victim of such destruction, because doing so drove home the idea that climate change is a global concern and its effects are not restricted to a select few places. 

I always find stories on climate change and global warming intriguing, because everyone has a different take on the issue and different ideas about who is responsible, how to address the problem, and if it’s even a problem at all or simply nature continuing on its course.  Generally, I think most people will agree that whether climate change is human-caused or not, warming and cooling patterns are becoming evident across the globe and causing changes in our immediate environment that threaten to change our way of life. 

Somerville doesn’t take an angle on climate change in her story, which I liked because as a reader I wasn’t distracted from the main story by a larger, more elusive topic.  Yet, after reading the story I couldn’t help but consider the issue of climate change.  Glacial melt in Peru is a prime example of the irreversible change occurring in nature that is happening all over the world and will eventually force us to change the way we live — how we consume resources, where we build our homes, how we prosper economically – in order to adapt to these new conditions. 

Somerville’s story didn’t contain a lot of data or numbers in order to show how Peru will be affected by glacial melt, but rather appealed to our emotions to put us on the same level as the citizens of Peru and make us realize that the crisis is taking place in the Andes, but presents a problem for us all.