six voices, six votes.

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

I have spent the last two weeks traveling the state with Free Press reporter Sam Hemingway (whom I worked on the OxyContin series with) collecting interviews and photos from six Vermonters who are headed to DC next week for Obama's Presidential Inauguration.

Sam has a real gift for delving into people's lives and finding the heart behind a story. I try to pick up interview tricks from him as he is a true veteran of the field and I'm a lowly greenhorn, so maybe someday...someday...I'll be able to draw such poignant and meaningful responses from my interview candidates. For now I'll focus on producing top notch multimedia content which is an enormous task within itself. Hundreds of photos and hours of recorded interviews later, I had all of the components to make an in-depth multiple-perspective multimedia piece on why each of these six Vermonters are driven to attend the Inauguration. Each person has their own, unique and touching story that gives them a slightly different lens from which to experience the event. I wrapped my project earlier this evening after several grueling days of sitting inside editing. I picked a good week to plunk down with the computer though (for all you non-VTers) as temperatures dipped below zero for most of the week. Please take a few minutes of your time to sit down and enjoy the audio slideshow (link below). It's a bit longer than the rest, but for such a historic moment as this, I think it rightly deserves the attention.

SIX VOICES, SIX VOTES.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

(Gannett News Service, Rob Curtis/Army Times)

white, wintery Vermont

Here are some snowy Vermont scenes I've collected on my travels while on assignment at the Free Press. I went up to Sugarbush Ski Resort a couple of times with my good friend and reporter, Lauren, to take some rides up the lift lines and even caught a few trail runs along the way, too! We've had a pretty white winter so far, let's hope it stays that way! Enjoy.

sarah, 19

I started working on this project in June. Free Press reporter Sam Hemingway wanted to explore the OxyContin problem in Franklin County, specifically St. Albans, Vermont. I was asked to shoot this story and I had been craving a long-term, in-depth photo story and this absolutely fit the bill. Sam's interviews were fantastic, he made his subjects feel comfortable delving back into terrible memories of their battles with drug addiction. The sessions were emotional and raw.

I was in charge of photography and audio collection. After sorting through hours of interviews and hundreds of photos, I've edited it down to this audio slideshow:

Sarah, 19

Please take two minutes out of your day to absorb this story as it truly is a nationwide problem and it's happening in all of our neighborhoods.