Projects

Unmasking the Violence

The real-live case of Francine Hughes, a Dansville woman who was acquitted of murder after she burned her abusive ex-husband alive, was made into a move that sparked action. LSJ Media examined what has changed in how domestic violence cases are handled, told through the stories of individuals whose lives were affected by “The Burning Bed” and its aftermath. Featured on KobreGuide.

Beyond Basic

Mixing battle drills, theatrics and some high-tech tools, the Exportable Combat Training Capability, or XCTC, system gives Michigan Army National Guard soldiers a practice run at war.

Perspectives: Recession Stories from Mid-Michigan

How the rough and ragged economy is being felt in mid-Michigan is all a matter of perspective. Soaring unemployment. Businesses closing. People starting new careers. And, despite it all, some entrepreneurs are taking chance.

Close to 6,000 new businesses have been added to the state’s rolls in the past month, despite a 12 percent loss in the number of businesses from more than 733,000 in May 2008 to about 646,000 this past May.

Check out the interactive spotlighting the realities for others in mid-Michigan as they ride out the poor economy.

Underweight: A Story of Male Anorexia

Susan Barry of Okemos had no idea that boys could suffer from anorexia. Not until her 14-year-old son TJ Warschefsky removed his shirt at a pool party and revealed a frame so suddenly thin, she immediately took him to a counselor. It was the beginning of a nine-year ordeal that ended on Valentine’s Day 2007, when TJ did sit-ups in his dorm room until his heart gave out – one final gasp in a body wracked by intentional starvation. He left behind secret journals and pictures that offer insight into what’s driving a rise in male eating disorders, frustrations about a medical community that hasn’t yet caught up with the problem, and the fears of one young man who felt powerless to stop himself from committing slow suicide. Now, two years after his death, his mother is on a mission to raise awareness about the victims of eating disorders we rarely hear about… boys.

We are Spartans

A Flash project I produced with my colleague Cody Hinze as the Michigan State University men’s basketball team was headed to the NCAA Final Four in 2009.

Moonlighting in Mid-Michigan

With the economy on the tank and job security in question, some folks are cobbling together new and different ways to make money. They are doing it by peddling any skill or talent they can sell. They are niche-makers, and experts say their numbers are growing. A multimedia package about entrepreneurial side jobs.

Inside ‘The Don’

Don Johnson tours the legendary Lansing building that bears his name; Lansing State Journal Prep Sports Editor Geoff Kimmerly reviews five of the greatest games ever played there; and longtime Quakers coach Paul Cook is honored with the naming of the floor in his honor.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Wrongly convicted of murder when he was 28, Claude McCollum is trying to rebuild his life. His 2006 conviction has been thrown out, and all charges dropped. He is free, but has yet to find steady employment, to re-enroll in college and to achieve his dreams of starting a family. Through it all, the Lansing man, who admits he has a low IQ, has avoided becoming resentful. Although he is frustrated that his life hasn’t immediately returned to normal, McCollum is optimistic.