Below is a bit of what I feel is some of my best work in writing and photography. I do have other work on file and will provide it upon request. Click on the name of each item to see more.

Written reporting

How Little Boulder Junction Went Big on Bringing Broadband to Town

When the approximately 950 residents of Boulder Junction, WI decided they were sick of a particular problem, they also decided to stop complaining and start helping themselves. In this first example of statewide reporting, I went up north to Boulder Junction and wrote and filmed a piece on their internet upgrade efforts. 

Village clerk blames minorities for census drop 

Near the end of the Sept. 12 Birnamwood Village Board meeting, Village Clerk Lauri Klumpyan blamed minorities for population declines and suggested some cannot read. While this piece is out of a familiar town meeting, I am quite proud of it as it shows how to hold someone to account when they say something concerning while still being fair to the person who makes concerning comments by giving them a chance to respond.

Dying to live

Cory Kaminsky is raising a newborn son he may not live to see graduate high school and in this 2019 award-winning piece, I chronicled his journey to raise more than $60,000 for medical care in the United States.

Meet the toddler needing millions to live past the terrible twos

Heroes can be found in any tragedy, dark clouds have silver linings and Amanda and John Hanki certainly embody those sayings. In this award-winning work from 2020 I profiled two parents working to raise millions so their daughter could get a single dose of medicine and live.

Spruce Grove refugee recalls flight from war in Africa

Patrick Kizehe ran for his life to come to Canada. This story is written with a WSJ structure and shares the story of a refugee who came to Canada after war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was profiled in the wake of a new refugee assistance centre starting in the community. 

Tri-Region students walkout to protest UCP plans for GSA’s

More than 200 students in the Tri-Region have formed one unified voice with students across Alberta to protest proposed changes to Bill-24 and the School Act. In this piece I reported on the Alberta-wide protests that occurred in May 2019 against plans by the United Conservative Party government to change law surrounding gay-straight alliances in public and private schools. I did this with a peer who took pictures and we ran a joint byline.

Gallagher moves to partially ban political fundraising

U.S. Rep. Michael Gallagher, R-Wis., has spoken his mind on the firing of former FBI Director James Comey and investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Now, the freshman congressman is going his own way on campaign finance. With this story, I spoke to a U.S. Congressman on his legislation and asked him challenging questions. I can handle interviewing officials who may be seen by others as likely to dodge questions. 

Evan J. Pretzer: Border restrictions shouldn’t get in the way of true love 

I never thought for much of my life in Canada that my path to true love would end in America. These days, most people, in Canada and elsewhere, typically marry someone who is already a citizen of the country they live in. This item was my first-ever nationally published article. I wrote about how hard it is to be a bi-national couple during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

COLUMN: Is no one allowed to grow up anymore?

As my colleague here put it in his column last week, “I am outraged over all the outrage.” Right now, I slightly feel the same about the UCP’s Jason Kenney. In this item, I penned an argument saying that, while his comments on gay rights from the ’80s were horrifying, his actions since show significant change and people should still be allowed to go and mature. 

Photography

Samples of some of my pictures I have taken. All of these are digital camera work.