Airport Workers Underpaid in South Florida

• “"Impossible" Wages Keep Broward Airport Employees Working Through the Holidays”

• “Airport Workers Push for Healthcare Coverage After Broward Commissioners Support a Living Wage Increase”

I pitched and reported on 1) the year-long delays on the Broward County Commission’s decision to raise the living wage for airport workers and 2) the county vs. union debate to raise the healthcare differential for the same group of subcontracted government employees. In both cases, I spoke with multiple airport workers, county commissioners and union representatives to capture the delays by the county and human impact. This unique coverage by the New Times Broward-Palm Beach directly impacted the commission’s otherwise drawn out legislative process; within a month of both articles running, the Broward County Commission voted to increase the living wage and healthcare differential. Following this two-part series publication, I received calls from county commissioners and union representatives thanking me for my coverage.

Gun Safety in South Florida

• “In Wake of #ThisIsOurLane, Broward Medical Professionals and Nonprofits Team Up to Distribute Gun Locks”

I came across a brief news report on a gun lock campaign getting ready to launch in South Florida by the League of Women Voters. Seeing that no one else had profiled the success of the grassroots movement after the fact, I pitched and reported on the original story for the New Times Broward, resulting in a piece that stirred up support of the gun safety campaign from local police stations, hospitals, daycares and churches across South Florida. After the article ran, the organizer of the campaign contacted me; attributing more than a 50% jump in gun locks/safety brochures passed out in the Broward community to the news exposure.