Awards & Media Appearances

Daily Herald - Looking back ath the 1985 TWA Hostage Situation, ABC7 News

Shuttered Creek Music Theatre Employees Reunite, ABC7 News

A first-of-its-kind bar in the Midwest, ABC7 News

Struggling to pay for college, ABC7 News

Untitled Document

WBBM Chicago Newsradio 780 -- Tylenol murders investigation

WBBM Chicago Newsradio 780 -- Crumbling parking lots

WBBM Chicago Newsradio 780 -- Heroin invades the suburbs

Quoted in:

Reuters, "New Airline Fees Put Families Last."

Awards:

2016 Illinois Associated Press Media Editors Award

Best feature, "The Pain Is Never Easier"

Judges said: "This complete, compelling look back at a school bus/train accident, one of the nation's worst, takes readers right back to that fateful day and places you right in the back of that bus. At the same time, there is a strong sense of reflection of what might have been, who these young people might have become and lessons learned. A great read."

Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism

2014, Finalist, Best Arts Reporting & Criticism, for "Suburban Showcase"

2010, Finalist, Science, Health or Technology Reporting, "A $13,000 problem"

2009, Finalist in three categories: Best Deadline Reporting, “Finnerty Family tragedy”; Best Science, Health or Technology Reporting, “Heroin’s Heartache”; and Best Sports Story, “Magic in the End Zone”

2008, Finalist, Lifestyle Reporting, “Sex Ed”

1996 Winner, News Reporting, “Fox River Grove train/bus accident”

1993, Winner, News Reporting, “Brown’s Chicken massacre”

Daily Herald 2014 Excellence Award for Part-Time Employees

Illinois Associated Press Editors Association

2012, Multimedia Storytelling, "9/11 Remembered After 10 Years."

2012, 3rd Place, Enterprise Series "Heroin's Heartache."

2010, Second place, Features, “Heroin’s Heartache”

2008, Second place, Features, “Sex Ed”

Northern Illinois Newspaper Association Journalism Excellence Award

2010, First place, Sports story, "Magic in the End Zone"
Judge’s comments: “Magic in the End Zone” was the best story I read in the entire competition, and one of the best sports stories I have read this year. What could have been an overlooked play in a junior varsity football game was turned into a well crafted piece about perseverance and trust. This story brought tears to my eyes.

2006, Feature Writing, Honorable Mention, “The Things They Brought”

2003, Feature Writing, Second Place, “Why the Tylenol Murders Might Go Unsolved”

Inland Press Association

2012, Community Service Award, for the "Heroin's Heartache" series

2004, Community Service Award, for contribution to “The New Suburban Mosaic” series

Illinois Press Association

1993, First place, News story, “Brown’s Chicken massacre"