I was a newspaper reporter in Mooresville, NC for a decade and covered local government issues from 2003 to 2006. I continued freelancing for a portion of 2007, then again in 2018 and 2019. I ran a wildly successful local-government blog titled “The Gatton Report,” beginning in 2008. 

Here are some of my accomplishments from 2004 to 2006:

3rd Place, Investigative Reporting, 2004, from the N.C. Press Association (NCPA) for series of articles titled, “Library director firing controversy”.

3rd Place, Community Service Award (the highest honor the NCPA bestows on a community newspaper), 2004, for series on the Mooresville librarian firing controversy. 

3rd Place, Investigative Reporting, from the NCPA in 2005 for series on Mooresville’s wastewater treatment plant expansion titled “Something stinks in Mooresville.” 

3rd Place, Community Service Award, from the NCPA in 2005 for “Something stinks in Mooresville” series. June 2005, “Best News Story” MegAward for outstanding journalism at Media General newspapers for “Wastewater costs: Town outspending most.” 

1st Place, Community Service, from NCPA in 2006, for series titled “Morrison Plantation: A Deadly Intersection.” September 2007, “Best News Story” MegAward for outstanding journalism for “No receipts? No problem. Town pays company’s bills anyway.”