The following articles were published in The Brookville Democrat newspaper, Brookville, Indiana.
Fun Fact: I started working at the Democrat as a 20-year-old intern and was a full-time editor, reporter and photographer there and at its sister newspaper, The Liberty Herald, from age 22 to 27. I continue to write for them because I love news reporting and my hometown.
Career Profiles of Local Graduates
Decorated Navy SEAL shares life lessons in new book
May 2014
The orders came, and Thom Shea was going to Afghanistan. … So his wife, Stacy, asked him to write down all the life lessons he wanted to pass on to his three children in case he died: “who I was as a man, a warrior and a dad,” he said. … Those messages for his kids turned into 13 chapters with 13 life lessons, becoming a book, “Unbreakable: A Navy SEAL’s Way of Life.” Read more.
Brookville author publishes second horror novel
April 2014
Ever wondered what lurks at the bottom of Brookville Lake? Jim Murphy has, and he wrote a horror book about it. Read more.
Curiosity leads local grad to science career at Berkeley
November 2013
Livy Wilz did not have a toy chemistry set in elementary school. She did not conduct experiments in her backyard. She did not have any of the stereotypical characteristics we imagine a future scientist might hold. What she did have was curiosity. Read more.
Jumping through hoops at the Cincinnati Zoo
January 2012
How do you make a chicken jump through a hoop? If that sounds like the beginning of a corny joke, it’s not. It’s something Eunice Frahm had to ponder when she was tasked with creating a new show for children at the Cincinnati Zoo. Read more.
Yes, Mom, I can make a living playing video games
June 2011
While “Prey 2” sounds intriguing, Crouch will never play it once it’s released. “By the time I’m done with a game, I’m so sick of it,” he said. Plus, there are no surprises. He knows every sound and movement, every level, every possibility. He compares it to the release of a new book: After an author writes a book, does he read it for pleasure once it’s published? “Nah,” Crouch said. Read more.
Music lover finds perfect career
June 2011
Being a music therapist requires patience and creativity. “I’m coming up with these interventions based on the student’s goals,” Hobson said. “You need to be creative all the time; you need to be fresh all the time.” Read more.
Local graduate promotes Hollywood movies
June 2011
As an essential but routine part of her job, Anderson works with well-known actors such as Will Ferrell, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Brad Pitt and Tina Fey. However, she said, “I try to do my job with the least interaction [with the actors] as possible. My job is not to be their friend. It’s to make sure they’re doing their job.” Read more.
Brookville graduate makes it as a country musician and songwriter
May 2011
Nashville musician and songwriter Eddie Heinzelman once considered becoming a doctor. He was a strong student and enjoyed chemistry class in high school. Then, for his first college chemistry class—with about 500 other students—at the University of Cincinnati (U.C.), he showed up wearing a Black Sabbath T-shirt. “Everybody else was yuppied up,” he said. He laughed, remembering, “Hmm, there’s something different here.” Read more.
F.C.H.S. graduate launches his filmmaking career
May 2011
It’s been nearly 30 years since E.T. first appeared on the big screen—before Drew Dillman was even born. But every time Dillman prepares to start a new project, he sits down to watch “E.T.” all over again. Dillman is a freelance videographer, a filmmaker, who is reminded of the genius of Spielberg every time he watches “E.T.” Read more.