Lives and Livelihoods

After the flooding and destruction that accompanied Hurricane Katrina in 2005, life on the Gulf Coast was beginning to feel normal again. Then on April 20, the explosion of a BP rig called Deepwater Horizon caused a gusher of more than 200 million gallons of crude barely 50 miles off the Mississippi Delta. The spill and cleanup efforts threatened local economies dependent on the waters of the Gulf from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. As residents attempt to adjust to new challenges, lives and livelihoods are on hold. Six staffers of The Ranger, who traveled across the South Aug. 14-21 as the JSchool Travels, collected these stories. They are the first in a continuing series detailing life after the spill. Full story

Student ventures to Gulf Coast armed with his video camera

Fetterman worries Gulf shores will be ignored like Hurricane Katrina areas.

Ben Fetterman planned to document his experience as a volunteer cleaning up oil along the Gulf shores. Full story

Turtles avoiding shores

Scientists are researching sea turtles to see if oil is keeping them from laying eggs.

Turtles have been scarce this summer, and scientists at the George F. Crozier Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab do not understand why. Full story

Center focuses public interest

Donations will rebuild habitats.

Oiled birds and turtles have been found on beaches along the Gulf in Louisiana and Mississippi. The animals that survive are taken to rehab centers for cleanup and recovery before being released into a safe environment. Full story

Gulf Coast tourism takes a hit

Business has slowed for tourism hot spots along the Gulf Coast. A once-booming industry is faltering, this time not because of a hurricane but because a crisis that attracted swarms of national media. Full story

Spill shuts down 78th annual fishing rodeo in Alabama

A remote stretch of land 14 miles long and about two miles wide is home to about 1,300 permanent residents and the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. Full story

Company specializes in oil spill cleanup with response vessels

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 was a move by the U.S. Congress to improve oil cleanup response time. The Marine Spill Response Corp., headquartered in Herndon, Va., is a product of that legislation. Full story

BP aims to clean up coast with claim centers on the coastline

Beach-goers relax and play along the shore, oblivious to BP oil cleanup crews a few feet away. This is the new reality. Full story

JSchool Travels across the Gulf Coast

Six members of The Ranger staff and three advisors from the journalism program traveled along the Gulf Coast from Texas to the Florida Panhandle to report on recent recovery efforts. Follow their 8-day journey from New Orleans through Pensacola, Florida at this group blog for details of their encounters at http://jschooltravels.wordpress.com.

Laura Garcia

Laura Garcia, editor of The Ranger, recently returned from a summer internship with the Longview News-Journal courtesy of the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors. A 2004 participant in the Urban Journalism Workshop at San Antonio College, Garcia plans to transfer in a year to complete a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She is a 2010 recipient of the W.B. Daugherty Scholarship and a 2010 San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists’ scholarship.

Zahra Farah

Zahra Farah, managing editor of The Ranger, works part-time as an editorial assistant at the San Antonio Express-News. The 2008 participant in the Urban Journalism Workshop at San Antonio College covered the business of the board of trustees of the Alamo Colleges for the summer and, in the fall, will return to covering San Antonio College’s governing organizations. The sophomore returned to the Urban Journalism Workshop this summer as a resident assistant.

Riley Stephens

Riley Stephens, news editor of The Ranger, called on his background in science and interest in marine biology for this reporting trip. He spent several weeks researching organizations and government agencies in preparation. Meanwhile, he assisted Farah in covering college district business during the summer and also served with her as a resident assistant for the teen participants in the 2010 Urban Journalism Workshop at San Antonio College.

D.A. James

D.A. James is a long-time member of The Ranger staff. The former Marine and Southern Pacific Railroad worker has served as a photographer, photo editor and, presently, web administrator for the college newspaper. This communications major concurrently attends Texas State University where he is working on his bachelor’s degree. James is an excellent role model for his younger colleagues, teaching them  work ethics, patience and team work along with photojournalism.

Alison Wadley

Alison Wadley, staff photographer for The Ranger, served in the U.S. Army as a communication systems operator. The single mother of one balances raising her daughter with working on a degree in photojournalism. Perhaps because her time is so scarce, Wadley is a quick study and experiential learner, usually grasping technique after a single demonstration. Despite Summer 2 enrollment, an imminent move and childcare, Wadley worked to free up time for this reporting trip.

Julysa Sosa

Julysa Sosa, who grew up in a military family, revels in military trappings. The staff photographer for The Ranger is focused completely on her education and plans to earn a degree in photojournalism. She is adept at languages and hopes to add Italian to her repertoire — she speaks Spanish, a little French and is studying Arabic.