Training local voices. Deploying local power.
Journalism New England’s Career Lab and Workbench are made possible thanks in part to support from the Barr Foundation.
RESULTS SO FAR:
Number of Journalists
13
Number of Stories
64
COHORT THREE
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Joey Jett is a writer, artist, musician, filmmaker, tinkerer, and proud first-time homeowner from Bucksport, Maine. He’s the oldest of six siblings and comes from a family of artists. Born and raised in Deer Isle, Joey was exposed to local painters and artisans at an early age, which grounded him in the natural beauty of Maine. He was drawing as early as two years old, making music at thirteen, writing at fifteen (taking after his father, also a writer), and leaving the state for the first time at eighteen.
Now thirty-six, Joey’s lived an exciting life that has left him with an incredible catalog of stories and characters he’s met along the way. He’s hitchhiked with vagabonds, couch-surfed with musicians, driven across the country, acted for film, and worked a few seasons in the remote Aleutian Islands of Alaska. He’s also a veteran of the US Army, owns two businesses, and is soon to be a graduate of the Los Angeles Film School. It’s this obsession with life and all its experiences which drives him to strengthen his career as a community reporter.
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Diane has worked in school and economic development; in local, state, and national politics; with community volunteer action groups; and in community investment and community impact with a major United Way for 18 years prior to retirement. She is currently running for an elected seat on the RSU21 School Board after serving for three one-year terms as an appointed interim director for each of the resignations of three previously elected directors.
Diane is a member of a bipartisan community committee dedicated to bridging communication gaps. This work insists on primary sources in its discussions, and she has made the integrity of her sources a critical component of her contributions to each conversation. She is also on the Board of The Local News, a newly launched independent nonprofit newspaper with the mission of providing a balanced, free source of community news, ideas, and opinions. Both commitments have made the fellowship with Journalism New England an integral part of her discipline to bring integrity to her own communications and writings.
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Amanda enjoys life with her partner Will, their two children and family dog in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. She connects to the community through movement by teaching free dance classes at a local library and senior living center. To connect further, Amanda shares her real life in real time as she hosts and produces TRUTHpunk: a daily podcast. Already committed to unveiling and sharing the truth, a career in journalism feels like a natural extension of Amanda’s spirit. She is honored and excited to take part in Journalism New England’s Career Lab.
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Renée Morin is a 21-year-old Sanford resident, who has just completed her sophomore year at York County Community College. She first became involved with journalism in 2024, during her senior year of high school. For her senior year project, Renée took on the task of covering Sanford City Council meetings for the Sanford Springvale News. She has continued to help cover city council meetings due to her belief in the importance of an informed community, and the appreciation she feels for the Sanford Springvale News’ efforts towards that end. In addition to school and working at the newspaper, Renée works part-time at a comic book store and aspires to become an immigration lawyer.
STORIES
Sanford Officer Patrols with 1 Badge, 2 Wheels
By Angelina Keizer
Future of houseboats on Kennebunk River discussed
By Diane Franz
KHS alternative education is changing students’ lives
By Diane Franz
Welcome to ‘Vacationland’: Tips from locals
By Joey Jett
City Declares International Woolen Mill Abandoned
By Renée Morin
Sanford Soldier Honored Where He Died 82 Years Ago
By Angelina Keizer
City Commissions Closer Look at Downtown Parking Rules
By Renée Morin
Late But Appreciated: Group Thanks Women Veterans
By Angelina Keizer
Industrial Development Task Force Takes Shape
By Renée Morin
Cottage Street and Other Closures: What to Expect
By Renée Morin
Biddeford natural food store to start a new chapter
By Amanda Carter
City Council Moves Toward Amending Marijuana Ordinance
By Renée Morin
Sarah’s Meals Bring Families to the Table
By Angelina Keizer
New Rachel Carson Center opens in Kennebunk
By Diane Franz
Hold That Plastic Wrap: Many Things Aren’t Recyclable
By Angelina Keizer
Council Declares Nason Street Building ‘Dangerous’
By Renée Morin
New Owner, Same Family Feel at Shaws Hardware
By Angelina Keizer
Cobb Stadium Redesign Emphasizes Accessibility
By Renée Morin
City Council Weighs Changes to Marijuana Ordinance
By Renée Morin
COHORT TWO
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Maggie Raymond recently retired after a career advocating for the commercial fishing industry, fishing families, and coastal communities. Throughout her tenure, she played a role in shaping fisheries management policies and regulations that strike a balance between conservation goals and the practical needs of maritime safety and economic stability.
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Jessica “Jessi” McVay Hardy grew up in Sedgwick and has always had a passion for writing. She recently completed her MFA in English-Creative Writing and is working on two crime/thriller novels. Hardy has worked as a teacher and at local restaurants on the Blue Hill Peninsula while raising her family. She resides with her husband, daughters, and critters in Sedgwick. When she isn’t at a computer writing, Hardy can be found outside in her gardens or cheering for the Celtics or Patriots.
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Jessica Brockington is a New York City journalist who landed in Maine as a COVID refugee. She fell in love with the quiet rural communities of Downeast Coastal Maine and stayed. She has a Masters in Social Journalism from the Newmark J-School. Early in her career she published a local newspaper in an underserved area of NYC.
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Melissa S. Razdrih resides in Downeast, Maine, where she settled in 2021 with her family. Her background includes local reporting for FloridaPolitics, COVID coverage for The Center of Illinois Politics, and news writing for publications like The Quoddy Tides and Tampa Bay Business & Wealth. She is an educator and content marketer with more than two decades of experience in copywriting, account management and marketing, with focus on community services and the arts. Currently, Melissa is a community fellow with The Maine Monitor through a program by Journalism New England.
STORIES
Rain fails to dampen spirits at inaugural Spring Market
By Maggie Raymond
Bond to support farm and forestry funding will not be on November ballot
By Melissa Razdrih
Jonesport Planning Board to consider 30‑month extension for Kingfish aquaculture project
By Jessica Brockington
Council approves $147,000 more for Town Hall project
By Maggie Raymond
New high school cell phone ban sparks praise, anxiety
By Maggie Raymond
Steel Revolution takes the stage
By Maggie Raymond
Beals voters elect new tax collector at annual town meeting
By Maggie Raymond
Beals voters elect new tax collector at annual town meeting
By Jessica Brockington
Applications are open for small business development initiative
By Maggie Raymond
Kids visit Deer Isle-Stonington High School
By Jessi Hardy
Towns weigh streaming options for public meetings
By Jessi Hardy
With key roles unfilled, is deorganization on the table in Beals?
By Jessica Brockington
Town-owned Railroad Ave. site set to be transformed
By Maggie Raymond
How gas prices are hitting locals
By Jessi Hardy
Town to open Main Street shop to artisans and entrepreneurs
By Maggie Raymond
Jonesport residents vote to pause spending on historic town building
By Jessica Brockington
Bill to provide $45 million in farm funding fails House vote
By Melissa S. Razdrih
Machiasport considers solar streetlights to offset rising electricity costs
By Melissa S. Razdrih
Council gets overview of Town Hall cost overruns and delays
By Maggie Raymond
Water rates rise more than 16% over two years for upgrades, demand
By Maggie Raymond
March councilor coffee chat draws small attendance
By Maggie Raymond
Cohort One
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Jessamy moved to Rhode Island over 20 years ago from her rural Pennsylvania hometown, and has been living in Providence for over 7 years. Her professional background spans from working in education access to graphic design and marketing, and finds fulfillment in connecting people to the community. Her love for local journalism began at the Community College of Rhode Island, where she worked her way up the ladder from staff writer to become the student newspaper's youngest editor in chief, and continued past graduation when she took on a videographer role at the Norfolk Community Television station. Jessamy is excited to revive her passion for community-focused journalism with the Providence Eye, and finds most fulfillment covering local art, music, education, and environmental news.
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Eric Halvarson is a multimedia journalist focused on the political ecology shaping a new world in climate crisis. His work has been featured by Democracy Now!, Burnaway, the Appalachian Voice and ecoRI News. Hobbies include gardening, science-fiction, volleyball, dancing and holding onto a sense of wonder.
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Originally from California, Andrea traversed much of the country before finding home in Providence. She worked in hospitality for 20 years, and finds joy in dining al fresco on a perfect summer evening. She is interested in places where food, art, history, and the natural world intersect to create an aesthetically rich environment, which makes the Creative Capital a perfect fit. She’s eager to shine a light on the city’s greatness, and to be a community builder that contributes to what makes the city great.
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We share stories to entertain, understand, laugh, distract, connect and to create community. I have told stories in classrooms, museums, libraries about people, places and events that have been understudied and underserved. My goal with the Providence Eye every week is to curate a story that provides the reader a written and visual experience of this great city and the people that call it home.
STORIES
City Council Ordinance to Ban Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Goes to Final Vote
By Andrea Gutierrez
David Morales: State Rep, Wrestling Villain, Spider-Man… Mayor of Providence?
By Andrea Gutierrez, Eric Halvarson
Creating Space for Black Joy at This Year’s PVD Fest
By Christopher West
Providence Residents Face Challenges Finding Primary Care
By Andrea Gutierrez
People in Providence 08.20 – How would RIPTA service reductions affect your daily life?
By Andrea Gutierrez, Eric Halvarson, Jessamy LeBeau