My name is Joey Cappelletti, and I’m excited to announce my first breaking news story for the Keizertimes: I started this week as the next news reporter. I come to Keizer from the eastern side of the state where I’ve been interning for the Malheur Enterprise, which covers Malheur County, for the past three months.
Born and raised in Michigan, I first came out west four years ago to attend the University of Oregon. I hope none of our Beaver readers will hold my alma mater against me, as growing up in Michigan as an avid sports fan, I had never heard of Oregon State. As a student at the University of Oregon, I studied both journalism and international studies. I wrote for the school newspaper, the Daily Emerald, for two years before finishing my time in Eugene as an intern with the Eugene Weekly.
One of my favorite things I got to do in college was be a radio DJ for three years at KWVA, the university radio station. Once a week, for one hour only, “Everyday Jo” would play whatever music I had complied during the week. I always love learning about new music and look forward to discovering new music from both local concerts and audiophiles.
During my three months at the Enterprise, which is another paper owned by the Zaitz family, I covered everything from local rodeos and sporting events to wildfires and weather advisories. Additionally, I worked on longer investigative pieces on topics such as a city council recall, a police department audit and a controversy over a publicly-funded rail reload facility.
My role for the Keizertimes will be similar, as I will cover the local city government, police department and crime in the area. I hope to get to know the community in these comings months by frequenting local events and exploring as many parks, coffee shops and pubs as possible. No one knows this town like you do, so I’m excited to start meeting Keizer local residents and getting to know how I can serve the community best. My promise to Keizer residents is to always report the news as fairly as possibly, and to never, ever confuse Keizer with Salem.
Feel free to give me a call at 616-610-3093 or email [email protected] if you have a story inquiry or would just like to meet your new reporter.