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I currently work as a producer for Ideastream Public Media's Engaged Journalism department, based in Cleveland, Ohio. In my role, I gather and develop stories from the station's 22-county listening and service area to create content for radio, social, digital and other platforms. I am also responsible for building relationships with community members, local organizers and nonprofit organizations to help them tell their stories in their own words.

Ideastream Public Media •

Lorain High School will host community event to curb spike in gun violence

A faith-based nonprofit is partnering with Lorain City School District to host a Family Fun Night on Thursday night.The event, at Lorain High School, will include table games, contests, and prevention and intervention workshops.Gail Reese is the co-founder and executive director of the Ministry of Reconciliation, the event's nonprofit partner. Reese says events like these help students find different ways to deal with their situations.“Lorain, like any other school district or community, has fac...
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He brings people together through the power of real estate and music

This is a series about neighbors helping each other in Wayne & Medina counties, produced in partnership with Community Action of Wayne and Medina. By day, you can find Zaurice Stephens working as a realtor. He sells homes throughout Northeast Ohio and educates his clientele on financial literacy through social media. However, Stephens lives a sort of double life. At night and on the weekends, he's a DJ, spinning tracks at clubs around his hometown of Wooster.Stephens’ love for music began at a y...
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How a Black Air Force veteran found community as an airborne linguist

Brandon Waithe was usually the only Black crew member during his 20 years in the Air Force. But the Green resident found community there as an airborne linguist whose cultural upbringing made his job a lot easier.Waithe grew up homeschooled in Kentucky, but moved to Goodyear Heights in Summit County when he was 11. He described himself as “aimless” in high school, but wanted to join the armed forces after graduation. When he couldn’t decide which branch, his mother said no to the Army and Marine...
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Voter turnout is low for Latinos. Can these Cleveland canvassers reverse the trend?

Alberto Ramos Cordero and Micaela Barrett have been out canvassing 20 hours per week over the last few months. They recently spent time roaming Ward 12 on Cleveland's southwest side, home to a high concentration of Latino residents. They've been working to raise the Latino voter turnout for the November election.Cordero and Barrett, who are members of Cleveland’s Young Latino Network, arrived for a recent shift around 3:30 p.m., parking their car at the corner of West 20th Street and Natchez Ave...
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As young people shun alcohol, Cleveland's sober bars provide fun without the hangover

Verbena Free Spirited Cafe, on the corner of Cleveland's W. 29th and Church Street, looks like any other modern cafe with a chic twist. The walls are filled with artwork from local artists and the shelves are decorated with pink flowers and various bottles, cans and glasses.Unlike most other cafes, Verbena also serves as a sober bar for people looking to limit their alcohol intake. Molly Cheraso is the shop's owner. On one particular day, she's behind the bar, making a new mocktail for the autum...
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A hidden gorge is becoming a green oasis for Cleveland’s East Side

Doan Brook Park is a few blocks north of Shaker Square, near the Cleveland-Shaker Heights border. I’m not the biggest hiker and my attire shows that. I’m wearing a button-up shirt and sneakers instead of a rain jacket and hiking boots.Gnats and mosquitoes are buzzing through the thick, humid air. The ground is caked in mud and sludge from the last rainfall. Each jagged tree branch and smooth stone on the path present an opportunity to slip and fall. The sky is gray and cloudy, ready to open up w...
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Organizers call for community investment from Huntington after push to reopen Buckeye bank

Mary Boyle is a depositor at Huntington Bank. Back in October 2023, she came home one day to some unwelcome news.Her local bank in Cleveland's Buckeye neighborhood would be one of the 34 branches closing in Ohio by Feb. 9, 2024, a letter said, citing a spike in violent crime in the area.Boyle had seen businesses leave Buckeye for years. She noticed a pattern: when businesses leave Buckeye, their departure affects the neighborhoods they leave and the residents who remain, which forces even more b...
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At NASA Glenn, this librarian finds her place in the stacks and among the stars

Astronauts and engineers get a lot of glory when it comes to space exploration. But behind every space mission are people doing a variety of critical jobs, and behind every "giant leap for mankind" are hundreds of workers who are vital to the mission’s success. The John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland plays a critical part in many of NASA’s projects, including the Glenn library, which provides the research that makes it all possible.The NASA Glenn campus, spanning 350 acres, looks like a m...
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This Scottish street musician performs to make money and genuine connections in Cleveland and beyond

Walk down Euclid Avenue at noon on a normal weekday, and chaotic sounds of city traffic and construction blend into the background. The rumbling of car exhaust, the pounding of heavy machinery and the horns of the impatient all create the soundscape of Downtown Cleveland on any average day.But today was a little different.Standing on the corner of Euclid Avenue and E. Sixth Street, the crisp strums of the guitar and a powerful melodic voice cut through the city noise. Donned in a patterned jumps...