The Gargoyle

Residents still reeling from second hurricane hit in a year

Less than a year after Hurricane Matthew devastated St. Augustine homes and businesses, Hurricane Irma swept through the state, hitting St. Augustine yet again. Although Irma wasn’t nearly as destructive to the city as Matthew was, many still lost their homes–some just after they’d moved back in. This story takes a look at those in Davis Shores, a low-lying, coastal neighborhood that took some of the worst damage each year, and how its residents are rebounding a second time.

‘Left behind’: West Augustine often overlooked, not overbooked

Just an intersection separates West Augustine from downtown St. Augustine – take a left turn instead of a right on U.S. 1 south, and you’ll find yourself in a place that doesn’t closely resemble the city’s tourist base. If not for the towers of the Ponce de Leon hotel and the Casa Monica sticking out of the skyline in the distance, it would be tough to tell that such a wealthy area existed nearby.

Trump rallies in St. Augustine during final campaign stretch

As Election Day crept closer, both candidates ramped up their campaigns and for Donald Trump, that meant making a stop in St. Augustine, a decidedly Republican city. This piece won a Society of Professional Journalists Region 3 Mark of Excellence award for Best Use of Multimedia.

Second debate fiery; addresses ‘Hamilton’ to gun control

The 2018 Florida Gubernatorial race between Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis was contentious, thanks in large part to the rhetoric from both sides in the two debates. I traveled to Ft. Lauderdale to attend the second and final debate of the election, writing this recap, along with a feature story.

‘Uncomfortable’ territory: three St. Augustine pastors address racism in the city

For three St. Augustine pastors, issues of race in the city were too much to ignore. Since Juana Jordan arrived at First United Methodist Church in July, she’s taken notice of the way she’s been accepted so far and the way the black community is treated in the city. Grace United Methodist pastor David Williamson “couldn’t stay silent” any longer and opened up his church for members of the community to have weekly conversations on race. St. Paul AME pastor Ron Rawls isn’t new to speaking up against injustice. He feels it’s his role as a pastor to speak up for those who can’t do so for themselves.

Somebody to lean on

For this story, which won a Society of Professional Journalists Region 3 Mark of Excellence award in online feature reporting, I tagged along with the Best Buddies club to one of their weekly visits to the group home. I’d noticed the club president’s passion for her group around campus and felt compelled to tell their story.

Protesters oppose city’s racism in second Light Up! Night demonstration

This is the second year in a row Rawls has led a protest on Light Up! Night. Last year, it was a call to remove the Confederate monuments in town. This year, it was to “oppose white supremacy,” with a goal to “become equal partners in the life and opportunities of this community” at one of the biggest tourism events of the year. I followed the protest starting before it began, all the way through the end, which gave added insight to my reporting. I wanted the story to cover why Rawls felt the need to protest, as well as the reaction from those attending Light Up! Night, and had nothing to do with the protest.

‘Struck by lightning twice’: Upchurch returns to mayor’s seat 27 years later

When former Mayor Nancy Shaver stepped down from her post as mayor several months into her third term, city commissioners were scrambling to find a replacement. Tracy Upchurch, who served as mayor in the 1990s before heading to the State House of Representatives and later becoming a Flagler College professor, seemed like an obvious choice. Although he never envisioned returning to politics, he accepted the position. Shortly after his swearing in, I wrote this profile on him to share with readers his vision for the city and for them to learn about his sudden appointment to the mayor’s seat.

‘Complex,’ ‘challenging’ issue: perspectives on homelessness in St. Augustine

In this explanatory piece, I spoke to several different stakeholders about issues of homelessness in St. Augustine. In the city, perspectives on how to handle the issue are vastly different. Some residents went as far to create a Facebook group, documenting “vagrancy” in the city through photos and posts on their private page. But those who deal directly with the homeless population saw different problems and solutions entirely. This story displays both of those viewpoints.

Tourism, population growth drive St. Augustine congestion

After spending any amount of time in St. Augustine’s historic district, the area’s traffic issues are nearly impossible to miss. In this story, I took a look as to why these issues exist, how residents feel and what’s being done to solve the problem.

Rising seas raise concerns for St. Augustine

In this piece, I take a look into how sea level rise is affecting St. Augustine, especially considering its aging infrastructure, low elevation and close proximity to the ocean.