How I Report, What I Chase, and How You Can Help
If you’re new here, welcome. I’m glad you found your way to Cops & Congress, where there are currently over 2,000 free subscribers, over 65 paid, with many (3.8 million+) who have found this work on social media. For those who have been with me since the beginning of Cops & Congress, nearly three years ago, thank you.
But the work started long before then. For those who may not know, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Government in 2004 from Manhattan College (now Manhattan University). Yes, I was in NYC on 9/11/2001. That experience profoundly shaped my perspective on what the government is doing, and importantly, what it is not doing.
I run this newsroom solo (with occasional help from amazing volunteers), which means my tools of the trade are public records, meeting agendas, court dockets, and a very determined search function. I follow what impacts you today — what the government is doing right now — especially the things happening quietly, quickly, or with very little attention.
If it’s public, documented, current, or archived, I want to see it.
Got a Tip? Here’s the Best Way To Tell Me
Yes, I take tips — and yes, they can be anonymous.
Email is the way to go. Written tips give me something I can review, verify, and follow up on. I’m mostly deaf, and I don’t have the bandwidth for phone calls or in-person meetings, but I do read everything that I receive. Photos (.jpg file) are always welcome, and I’m happy to provide credit when requested (I often receive information where people do not want to be identified).
If you’ve got a document, an agenda item, a court filing, or a “hey, has anyone noticed this?” documented moment — send it. Please write out what it is and include primary sources, rather than sending a graphic, a flyer, or a video. Be clear and concise in writing; it will help me convey the message and quote any sources accurately.
What I Investigate (and Actually Cover)
My reporting lane is wide but well-defined. Here’s where I spend most of my time:
Public meetings (virtual and when I can, in person) where real decisions happen, sometimes in under five minutes
Politics and elections — who is in power in Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Rutherfordton, Spindale, Forest City, Rutherford County, western NC, and beyond
Crime and public safety, grounded in official reports and filings
Courts and legal proceedings — indictments, hearings, pleas, and outcomes
Government paperwork — budgets, audits, contracts, consent agendas, and records requests
Underreported government activity that somehow slips past bigger headlines
I investigate by reading the fine print, tracking timelines, and asking, “Wait — when did that happen?”
What I Don’t Chase
Equally important: things I usually leave alone for various reasons.
Business press releases, unless there’s a government component
Individual employment disputes, unless they reveal a larger, systemic government problem
Private conflicts without a public record with direct links to documents
Rumors, whispers, or screenshots without context
Photos and videos of incidents without a written email, showing a clear timeline, names of those involved, and what it means in the context of what I typically cover
Investigations that require resources I don’t have, like undercover work or original data collection
Fundraisers by groups or individuals (without a clear, direct, recent link to overall government actions or inactions)
Events hosted by nonprofits (without a clear, direct, recent link to overall government actions or inactions)
If it can’t be backed up by documents or official action, I usually won’t cover it (I never say never).
Why This Works
Public records laws exist for a reason. Governments leave paper trails, and my job is to follow them — calmly, carefully, and with curiosity.
I don’t decide what should happen. I document what did happen, when, and where it shows up in the record.
I also live in the real world, where we all have the same limited amount of time, but I work to bring you the news through a few ways, including here and Facebook. I also report for WCAB News, freelance for The Carolina Journal, help with my family’s business, and juggle life as an only child with aging parents in a northern state. I make time for being a dog mom, bikejoring, and sleep when I can as a night owl in a 24/7 news cycle.
I track disasters and democracy, a fitting description of trying to find a safe body of water following Hurricane Helene, for when I plan to start paddleboarding later this year. If you’re an experienced paddleboarder or kayaker, please consider this an open call for guidance. Send a note with “paddle” in the subject line. I’m going to need all the help I can get along the Broad River/Lake Lure, Green River/Lake Adger, Catawba River/Lake James, South Toe River, and maybe other spots. 🙂
If you’ve got a tip, a document, or a mystery hiding in plain sight, send me an email; it’s listed below. If it’s public, current, and important, I’ll start pulling the thread.
Stay tuned.
This has been updated since its original publication.
