In a summer of protest, members of the skateboard community join the push for racial justice
In Pittsburgh, a diverse community of skaters joined the movement against police violence following the May 25 killing of George Floyd. For Black skaters like Emmanuel Davis, skating has long been a source of expression and lately has served as an outlet for activism.
During protests this summer, local skaters called for justice for Antwon Rose II, a fellow skater who was killed by a police officer in East Pittsburgh. Former officer Michael Rosfeld was charged with murder but acquitted last year, and the tragedy of Rose’s death immediately resonated with Davis. “That’s kind of why I’ve gotten into activism a little bit more, just trying to expose everything that’s going on,” he said.
I helped produce and film this video story alongside filmmaker Nick Childers, who edited the piece. It went on to win a 2021 Mid-Atlantic Chapter Emmy in the Societal Concerns — News (Single Story) category.
Why cleaning up abandoned coal mines is so important -- and difficult
I filmed the footage of the Western Pennsylvania coal pile featured in the beginning 2-3 minutes of this PBS NewsHour package. The footage was originally filmed for a joint Allegheny Front/Inside Energy project before airing on NewsHour.
What You Need to Know to Vote by Mail in Ohio This Year
In Ohio, any registered voter can vote absentee, either by mail or in person at their county board of elections beginning Oct. 6. Given concerns about coronavirus, more folks are expected to opt for the mail this year. More than 1 million voters have already submitted a vote-by-mail application, though the deadline to ask for the mail-in ballots isn’t until Oct. 31. This video, which was produced for WKSU as part of its Election Protection series, went on to win a Regional Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association in the Excellence in Video category.
What is civil disobedience, and what role does it play in Pittsburgh?
The June 19 killing of Antwon Rose II at the hands of a police officer once again revived the age-old conversation about civil disobedience. Activists and residents of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas banded together to call for accountability and justice. Protesters made noise and blocked roads, disrupting traffic and other daily activities.
Residents not partaking in the action seemed split over what these demonstrations should look like and what they accomplish.
For a deeper understanding, we looked to activists and history to offer a clearer view of the debate over civil disobedience. Produced for PublicSource.
PublicSource and NextDoor partnered to survey Pittsburghers on Amazon HQ2. Watch what residents had to say.
The idea of Amazon’s second headquarters landing in Pittsburgh has gotten mixed reviews. But the public has mostly been hearing from area officials who are courting the e-commerce giant or the local activists working to protect their neighborhoods from the disruption that would inevitably occur.
To escape those extremes, PublicSource recently partnered with the social network site Nextdoor.com to conduct a survey of people from around the region.
The responses showed quite a balance in people who were firmly for or against HQ2 and many in-between; several folks shared a handful of pros and cons. Produced for PublicSource.
Explainer: How can Pittsburgh help pay for affordable housing?
The city is close to finalizing its affordable housing policy, but the politics are getting messy. Produced for PublicSource.
A coal plant cleans up in Indiana County, Pa.
Around the country, dozens of coal-fired power plants are racing to install pollution controls to comply with new mercury rules from the Environmental Protection Agency. But how do you keep 100,000 tons of coal-fired pollution out of the air? Basically, you install thousands of air filters. Produced for The Allegheny Front and Innovation Trail.
Troubled kids, powerful drugs
PublicSource reporter Halle Stockton explains her latest investigative series about the powerful psychotropic drugs that are being prescribed to Pennsylvania's most chronic or violent youth offenders. Explore the series at http://publicsource.org/projects/juvierx.
How nanotech could soon replace expiration dates
Do you rely on the sell-by date to tell if your milk is fresh or go with the sniff test? A researcher at Indiana University of Pennsylvania is developing a new way of detecting freshness that could allow you to use your cell phone. Produced for The Allegheny Front and Innovation Trail.
After the tornado, things lost and found
After a deadly tornado struck their community on April 28, 2011, Glade Spring, Va. residents search through the rubble for bits of their lives. Produced for The Roanoke Times.
Vox Pop: Pittsburghers sound off on one tough winter
Harsh winters can be a fact of life here in Pittsburgh. This one was different, though. At least it felt that way. Plunging temps. Endless snow. Frozen pipes. Don't forget the cavernous potholes and worrisome reports of road salt shortages. But as spring approaches, we gave Pittsburghers the chance to offer some parting words on these past months of wintry misery. Produced for 90.5 WESA.