Independent Journalism Projects

North Iowa may be perceived as the most fly-over part of our fly-over state, but if you're one of the folks who thinks that, boy, are you missing out. Now, there are plenty who might complain there's nothing to do here, but I'd argue those people haven't truly explored their surroundings. As a lifelong resident of Mason City, I may be biased, but I'm not wrong.Our city serves as Cerro Gordo's county seat and is arguably the hub of North Iowa. We've got lots of shopping, healthcare campuses and s...

As local news editor at the Globe Gazette, I fielded a lot of phone calls, (some of them were actually nice!) but few conversations were as memorable as those I had with longtime reader Mr. Edgar.I'd answer the phone, stifling a sigh and ready to get an earful, already knowing who it was because he still has a landline, and his name and Garner, Iowa, prefix shows up on the caller ID.Without fail, he'd identify himself — first and last name — immediately followed up with ”31/32/33-year subscriber...

Stupid, whale, big fat fatty, idiot, hopeless, large and in charge. Things I would never dream of calling someone else, but I've called myself all of these, just in the last few days.I'm overweight. Like, a lot overweight. Like, 109 pounds overweight. And I hate myself for it.A few years ago, my bipolar depression medication began to fail. As I tried new prescription after new prescription, the pounds started to pack themselves onto my normally average-sized frame. In about six months, I gained...

My life is messy but fun.. but sometimes hard ..but mostly wonderful. And I rely on nine little pills a day to keep it that way.I have bipolar disorder, and it can be as chaotic as you might have imagined, but since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it's a good time to unpack that chaos.I was 11 when I fell into my first depression. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I knew I was miserable. My second depression hit at 16, for which my mom took me to the doctor. By 18, I was in a hole...

Being unemployed, it's hard not to fall into a funk, and I'm teetering on the edge of one. Or I was, at least, until last week. Last week, I got in touch with a perceptive and helpful friend who is offering me his job coaching skills, I persued a news assignment for myself, I spent quality time with friends and family, I did some networking, and to round out a great seven days, two strangers unknowingly had a huge impact on my confidence in the best way. My chosen career is journalism, but I am...