Tag: longform
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Miseries now preoccupy city protesters
This story was originally published Nov. 29, 2011 in the Charleston Daily Mail. It won second place in the news feature category of the 2012 West Virginia Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. Morale is running low in the Occupy Charleston camp. The protesters are cold and muddy. Recent rains turned their Shrewsbury Street campground – their […]
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Colleagues shocked by arrest, confession in woman’s death
This story was originally published April 26, 2012 in the Charleston Daily Mail. It was co-written with Jared Hunt, and won second place in the “best written news story” category of the 2013 West Virginia Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. It was a Friday evening almost two years ago when employees of Kelley’s Men’s Shop […]
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Walt Helmick: the water farmer
This story was originally published May 23, 2012 in the Charleston Daily Mail. MINNEHAHA SPRINGS – High on a Pocahontas County ridge, a natural spring spits out 20 gallons of water each minute. It runs down the mountain through a mile of pipe, supplying water to five cottages and a wood-fired hot tub, before making […]
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The curious case of Sherlock Holmes and the Norwood Building Inspectors
This story was originally published Jan. 3, 2013 in the Charleston Daily Mail. In a mostly empty room off the South Charleston Public Library’s DVD section, Nye Clinton stretched his arms across a plastic folding table and gripped the edge for dear life. He was trying to determine if a cleaver-wielding attacker could cut his […]
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Poet finds peace after long struggle with addiction
This story was originally published April 24, 2014 in the Charleston Daily Mail. On Aug. 6, 2006, Larry “Ace” Boggess walked into the McCloud Family Pharmacy in Lavalette dressed in a long black hood and cape, intending to steal some Oxycontin. He was armed with a pair of steak knives and a crowbar, although he […]
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Bluegrass gospel group The Easter Brothers still saying “Thank You”
This story was originally published July 3, 2014 in the Charleston Daily Mail. There aren’t too many living people who can say their songs are in hymn books, but James Easter is one of them. His song “Thank You Lord For Your Blessings on Me,” co-written with brothers Russell and Ed, is sung in congregations […]
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Zac Jones to fight in Rough ‘n’ Rowdy Brawl
This story was originally published Jan. 9, 2014 in the Charleston Daily Mail. It won “Best Lifestyles Feature” at the 2015 West Virginia Press Association Awards. Fists wrapped and gloves tied, tomorrow night Zac Jones, the often-troubled son of Charleston mayor Danny Jones, will duck through the ropes at the Charleston Civic Center for his […]
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State of Confusion
This story was originally published on June 20, 2013, in a special tabloid released to commemorate West Virginia’s 150th birthday. Delegates at the constitutional convention found themselves in a state of confusion. On October 24, 1861, voters in 41 western Virginia counties overwhelmingly voted to break away from the Old Dominion and form a brand-new […]