Behind the Headlines

Readers often ask how we come across ideas for stories. In a two-part series, How Did Alex Weathers Die?, which began today and continues Sunday, we explore the story of a 29-year-old Lexington man living in New Orleans who died just days after Hurricane Katrina. Here’s how Herald-Leader reporter Linda B. Blackford became interested in pursuing the story:

"One of the good things about having a 9-month-old baby who wakes up at 5:30 every morning is that I have time to read the paper very closely. So, on Feb. 21, I noticed the obituary of a very young man who had died Sept. 5 in New Orleans. The notice didn’t give a cause of death, but it was obvious it had happened in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The obituary’s heartfelt description of Alex Weathers — ‘Alex was known for his gentle demeanor, wicked sense of humor, unique perspective and intelligence’ — made him sound fascinating, so I wanted to know more.

"Later that day, the newsroom had a meeting of its writing group and we talked about narrative stories and how to find them. I asked if anyone else had seen the obit, and our editor, Marilyn Thompson, had. She encouraged me to pursue the story, so I took it to my boss, enterprise editor Sharon Walsh, who gave me the go-ahead. Alex’s memorial service was that night, so I contacted Melissa Smith, one of the friends listed in the obituary. She asked me not to attend the service, but said she would be willing to talk to me a few days later. I later met Melissa and her mother, Yolanda Davis, who agreed to let me follow her to New Orleans in pursuit of answers to Alex’s death."

The Herald-Leader is a small paper, but we’re always looking for interesting stories that show the impact of national and international events on an individual life. We sent Linda and photographer David Stephenson to New Orleans to see what it was like to go to that still dysfunctional city looking for answers about one Lexington man’s death. Through their stories and photographs in the newspaper and online, we hope you felt that you could see it, too.

Sharon Walsh
Enterprise Editor