Daily Written Work
From breaking news to features, I have covered countless stories contributing to the daily grind. Here are a few of my favorite pieces.
Woman Partially Sucked Out of Jet When Window Breaks Mid-Flight
As a Southwest Airlines jet hurtled 32,000 feet over suburban Philadelphia, a rare engine explosion caused a passenger’s window to burst, partially pulling the woman sitting next to the opening out of the plane.
Fellow passengers frantically worked to yank her back inside the airliner as it depressurized and quickly descended thousands of feet per minute, according to several passengers.
The woman, Jennifer Roirdan, was killed and seven others were hurt before the plane made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport.
Fentanyl Overdose Deaths in Philly Skyrocket 636%
As the heroin and opioid epidemic continued to mushroom and claim more lives, I continued to cover the issue. This piece takes a look at the infiltration of the deadly opioid derivative, fentanyl.
Ditching Philadelphia: Construction Boom Wrecking Streets
After decades of sluggish growth, Philadelphia has become a hot town for development. Construction of new businesses and homes is happening all around the city, but especially downtown. With that construction comes an unexpected side effect: a plethora of ditches. These man-made holes are dug to run utilities to the new homes, but have become a detriment to anyone using the streets.
Amtrak 188 Engineer Criminally Charged in Deadly Philly Train Derailment
A mere five hours before the statute of limitations was about to expire, prosecutors filed charges against the engineer behind the controls when Amtrak 188 careened off the rails in Northeast Philadelphia in May 2015.
On Gesner Street,
Shock & Sorrow
The residents of Gesner Street were yanked out of their sleep by an intense fire that was spreading down their Southwest Philadelphia block. Some residents jumped from windows while others became trapped. Four children died in the blaze, which nearly destroyed the block. This color piece focuses on the aftermath of the tragedy less than 24 hours after it occurred.
Pope Francis’ Visit to Philadelphia Causing Wedding Nightmares
Catholics from around the region were overjoyed to have Pope Francis visit Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families. But the faithful who had booked weddings during the same time as the pontiff's visit were feeling left out in the cold.
‘Didn’t Think I Was Going to Make It’
In several feet of icy bay water, John Hicks clung to a window-jamb, half in and half out of his West Wildwood, New Jersey, apartment. The first floor home had become part of the Richardson Sound and the 31-year-old wondered if he and his 26-year-old fiancée, Carrie Ensle, would make it out alive.