This site contains Irene’s personal writings about living with PTSD, life in western Nebraska, childhood memories, travel, poetry, and her grandmother.<\/p>\n
Irene is an award-winning journalist, who writes for NSpire Today<\/a>, a newspaper magazine about the people of western Nebraska. She also spent many years as a columnist<\/a>, reporter, and photographer at the Scottsbluff Star-Herald<\/a>. Irene has also freelanced at Wyobraska Magazine<\/a>, Pousto Media<\/a>, and Medium.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 2023, she started a podcast, Storytelling on the Plains<\/a>, with her friend Conner. A Patreon account<\/a> is available for anyone who wishes to support their efforts.<\/p>\n In March 2020, she posted a story a day about inspiring women in honor of Women’s History Month.<\/p>\n In 2019, Irene researched, wrote, and edited, “Scotts Bluff National Monument: Through the Years<\/a>.” The limited edition coffee table book celebrates the monument’s past 100 years through historical photos and stories.<\/p>\n Irene recently completed her memoir, which details her struggles with PTSD and childhood trauma. She is currently seeking representation and hopes to have it published soon.<\/p>\n She was born and raised in Middletown, New York<\/a>. She was graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and now lives in western Nebraska with her husband and two cats, Puck and Londo (RIP D’Argo, Cinders, and Harvey). When she is not hiking and exploring western Nebraska, she is learning to be a better photographer, reading non-fiction books or dystopian novels, and finding ways to score free food as any self-respecting journalist does.<\/p>\n Irene has been on the internet since March 1993 after having discovered Usenet<\/a> and ISCABBS<\/a>. Since then, she has designed her own websites, written for others, and explored all the internet has to offer.<\/p>\n Writing Awards Highlights (no longer updated) Third place, 2018 Marianne Beel Sweepstakes Award, Nebraska Press Women First place, 2018 Blogs, Personal, \u201cWhy We Don’t Report<\/a>,\u201d from the National Federation of Press Women National Contest and Nebraska Press Women Professional Communications Contest Please note<\/strong>: Online titles are sometimes different from the newspaper title. The titles listed in the awards section are those that were in the newspaper and not the online version.<\/p>\n 2018 Writing Awards<\/strong> Nebraska Press Women Professional Communications Contest Nebraska Press Association Better Newspaper Contest Associated Press Great Plains News and Photo Contest Local Awards 2017 Writing Awards<\/strong> Nebraska Press Women Professional Communications Contest Nebraska Press Association Better Newspaper Contest Associated Press Great Plains News and Photo Contest Local Awards 2016 Writing Awards<\/strong> Nebraska Press Association Better Newspaper Contest Local Awards 2015 Writing Awards<\/strong> YouTube channels about atheism<\/strong><\/p>\n As a resident of a conservative community, Irene receives many questions about being an atheist. The channels below are good resources that will answer most people’s questions.<\/p>\n AronRa<\/a> Donate<\/strong><\/p>\n While Irene will always take a donation to help support the site – or french fries – she would rather you make a donation to an organization she supports.<\/p>\n ACLU<\/a> This page was last updated 11 August 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This site contains Irene’s personal writings about living with PTSD, life in western Nebraska, childhood memories, travel, poetry, and her grandmother. Irene is an award-winning journalist, who writes for NSpire Today, a newspaper magazine about the people of western Nebraska. She also spent many years as a columnist, reporter, and photographer at the Scottsbluff Star-Herald. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1066","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/irenenorth.com\/writings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/irenenorth.com\/writings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/irenenorth.com\/writings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irenenorth.com\/writings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irenenorth.com\/writings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/irenenorth.com\/writings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1066\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/irenenorth.com\/writings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nThe Marianne Beel Sweepstakes awards, the highest awards given in the NPW communications competition, are named after the late Marianne Beel, a longtime NPW member and contest director. The Beel Sweepstakes awards are given to the three entrants who earned the most points. Points are awarded based on an entrant\u2019s placement in each category entered, as well as number of entrants in the respective categories.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nA personal essay about the #metoo movement and why so many victims of rape and sexual assault never come forward to report what happened to them. This article won first place in two writing contests.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nNational Federation of Press Women National Contest
\n\u2022 First place, Blogs, Personal, \u201cWhy We Don’t Report<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Third place, Editorial\/Opinion, Online Publication, \u201cTheobald is the Change Needed in Congress<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Third place, Marianne Beel Sweepstakes Award, Nebraska Press Women
\n\u2022 First place, Blogs, Personal, \u201cWhy We Don’t Report<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 First place, Editorial\/Opinion, \u201cTheobald is the Change Needed in Congress<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 First place, Feature Story, Online Publication, \u201cBullies and Targets<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Second place, In-Depth Reporting, \u201cVaping<\/a>,\u201d with Lauren Brant (Part 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>)
\n\u2022 Second place, News Story-Newspapers, \u201cAudit Walk<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Second place, Editorial\/Opinion-Newspapers, \u201cLibraries Are a Good Investment<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Second place, Personality Profile, more than 500 words, \u201cSquawking Good Time: Unofficial Zoo Mascot<\/a>”
\n\u2022 Second place, environmental articles, \u201cDue Diligence: Proposed power line involves several agencies working to preserve sites along Oregon Trail, endangered beetle<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Second place, Social Issues, \u201cStaying Ahead with Psypact<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Second place, general photo, \u201cA Look at Showmanship\u201d
\n\u2022 Second place, Photographer-Writer, \u201cIn the Footsteps of their Ancestors<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Third place, In-Depth Reporting, \u201cElder Abuse<\/a>\u201d (Part 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>)
\n\u2022 Third place, Food Articles, \u201cKeep Flying. There’s no Good Pizza Here.<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Third Place, Health Articles, \u201cBattling the Bulge\u201d
\n\u2022 Third place, Creative Verse \u2013 Single Poem, \u201cWhen the Hour Arrives<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Honorable Mention, History Articles, \u201cFriendship Across the Ages<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Honorable Mention, Reviews, \u201cDifferent Destinations<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Honorable Mention, Page or Section Editing \u2013 Newspapers, \u201cFort Robinson Magazine\u201d (in magazine form only, no online edition available)
\n\u2022 Honorable Mention, News or Feature Photo, \u201cBest of the Best\u201d
\n\u2022 Honorable Mention, Photo Essay, \u201cRe-Enactment at Fort Robinson<\/a>\u201d (Scroll down the page for the photos)<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Second place, in-depth writing, \u201cVaping<\/a>,\u201d with Lauren Brant (Part 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 First place, Enterprise story \u201cAlzheimer’s<\/a>\u201d with Katelyn Lambert (Part 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>)
\n\u2022 First place, Feature story about suicide, \u201cOut of the Darkness<\/a>\u201d (Part 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Scottsbluff Star-Herald, Reader’s Choice, Favorite Columnist<\/p>\n
\nNational Federation of Press Women National Contest
\n\u2022 First place, editorial, editorial opinion, \u201cNet Neutrality is Needed<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Third place, enterprise reporting, \u201cGood Vibrations: Robby Simmons talks about life with hearing issues<\/a>\u201d (Part 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 First place, enterprise reporting, \u201cGood Vibrations: Robby Simmons talks about life with hearing issues<\/a>\u201d (Part 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>)
\n\u2022 First place, editorial opinion, \u201cNet Neutrality is Needed<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 First place, photographer-writer, \u201cAwestruck at Agate\u201d
\n\u2022 Second place, news story, continuing coverage, \u201cA Helping Hand\u201d
\n\u2022 Second place, feature story, \u201cStepping up, speaking out<\/a>\u201d (Part 1<\/a>, 2)
\n\u2022 Third place, single photo, news or feature, \u201cFair Time\u201d
\n\u2022 Honorable Mention, articles covering Nebraska’s 150th anniversary celebration<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 First place, in-depth writing, Death Penalty<\/a> (Part 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>)
\n\u2022 First place, Special Single Section, Ethnic Heritage Magazine
\n\u2022 Second place, Walk to School Day, with Copy Editor Spike Jordan<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Third place, personal column
\n\u2022 Third place, feature photo, Petting Zoo
\n\u2022 Third place, General News, \u201cWhere Do Your Taxes Go?<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Scottsbluff Star-Herald Reader’s Choice, favorite columnist<\/p>\n
\nAssociated Press Great Plains News and Photo Contest
\n\u2022 Second place, Spot News Photo
\n\u2022 Third place, Enterprise Writing, Medicaid Series (Part 1<\/a>, 2, 3<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Second Place, editorial, personal column
\n\u2022 Second place, feature series, Medicaid Series (Part 1<\/a>, 2, 3<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Scottsbluff Star-Herald Reader’s Choice, favorite columnist
\n\u2022 Named co-worker of the year at the Scottsbluff Star-Herald<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Scottsbluff Star-Herald Reader’s Choice, favorite columnist<\/p>\n
\nBaud2Bits<\/a>
\nDarkMatter2525<\/a>
\nEvid3nc3<\/a> – especially the series “Why I Am No Longer a Christian<\/a>”
\nNonStampCollector<\/a>
\nQualiaSoup<\/a>
\nThe Thinking Atheist<\/a>
\nTheraminTrees<\/a><\/p>\n
\nACLU Nebraska<\/a>
\nAmerican Atheists<\/a>
\nCenter for Inquiry<\/a>
\nElectronic Frontier Foundation<\/a>
\nFreedom From Religion Foundation<\/a>
\nRiverside Discovery Center<\/a>
\nSave the Rhino<\/a><\/p>\n