Firefighter Michael Hawkins walks away after extinguishing the flames from the cab of a truck that crashed Tuesday off Highway 35 in Chillicothe. (My first day on the job. Let's say this didn't continue throughout the year.)
So with coming back to work after a never ending cold and a shooting a wedding, it totally slipped my mind that today is my one year anniversary of working at the Chillicothe Gazette. I remember little more than a year ago I was extremely hesitant about coming to the Chillicothe when the job was offered to me. I mean first off I have worked in Chicago, interned at two of the biggest papers in Chicago, and well with the exception of college have only lived in Chicago. I mean that was packing everything up that I own including my fiance and moving to the rural southern part of Ohio. All I could think was "What the hell could possibly be there for me?" Like I am pretty sure my neighborhood almost had more people than the entire city.
Well one year later, at lot has changed. I can say I look at the world differently and I am a ten times better photographer than a year ago. The people of Chillicothe welcomed me with open arms and even embraced me in certain circumstances. I have made friends here and even an enemy or two which I can say means I have been doing my job right. Overall this experience so far has giving to me the one thing that I have always missed so far in my career and even in life. It's given me a community. The opportunity to do stories on people that matter in the community and to get those stories out to the community that cares about them is one of the most amazing feelings ever. My front page photo from after chasing down the secretly recommissioned parking attendant got majority of the tickets revoked on the part that there was no warning or by working on a project about a stain glass window that was broken by vandals, was giving a present back to a church that has served the community over the last 100 years.
Michael E. Whapham works on painting the face of Jesus to replace the one that was once installed in First Baptist Church on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at Franklin Art Glass Studios, Inc. in Columbus. The stained glass window in the front of First Baptist Church was vandalized last last year when someone throw a rock through the window.
It's just these little stories that matter and unlike in Chicago, I can see and hear their effect everyday. When I am in grocery store lines or getting an oil change, the news I help deliver is the talk of the town. This experience has let me finally experience small town America. I feel like I have a better understanding of what people care about and how they live on the other side of the tracks. Now, do I miss Chicago and my beautiful apartment in Pullman? You can beat you ass, but at the end of the day I wouldn't changed a single thing. Well maybe pushing a little bit harder to get that first place for Best Photographer with the Ohio AP, but I guess I have to leave myself something to do for year two.
So here are a couple of my favorites from the last year that haven't made the blog or the website before. For all of the great stuff check the portfolio or older blog posts, because that's where I hide all the magic.
P.S. Don't write off the small newspapers, especially for a first job, because they honestly care about their communities and these small towns have tons of stories to share.
Students rinse their eyes with water after getting pepper sprayed at the Pickaway Ross Technology Center's Annual Basic Chemical Awareness Training.
Jennifer King, mother of Cody, cries as friends and family light candles in remembrance for her son during a vigil on Thursday at Greenlawn Cemetery. King was killed last year after getting in an accident while transporting a patient in an ambulance.
Owen May, 7, stacks the last few blocks on the top of a 16 block high tower while Eli Geeb, 6, and Landon Motts, 6, watch on Tuesday in the annex to the Chillicothe Ross Public Library. The event allows children and parents to build with Legos to fit different themes each week.
Firefighters work on neutralizing some of the one pot labs that were found Thursday during a raid on a house on North Rose Street. Police found one active one pot lab and over 30 old ones. (Yeah we have a lot of these.)
Dillya Campbell,5, and Ross County Sheriff’s Deputy Jenna Hornyak search the aisles for presents Thursday during the annual "Shop with a Cop" event at Wal-Mart.
A woman is put into custody after police raided a home on a search warrant Tuesday on Hirn and Water Street. Police made the arrest of the one woman and temporarily held two other in custody while searching the house for drugs.
Jacob Scharfetter gets touched up before walking in the Grand March for prom Saturday at Chillicothe High School.
Taylor Newman holds the flag while Hannah Stiles finishes bring down the rope at the end of the school day on Friday outside of Western Avenue School.
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