Ithaca, N.Y. — We’re overjoyed today to announce that Jolene Almendarez has joined the Ithaca Voice as a full-time reporter.
Almendarez, 27, comes to Ithaca with extensive journalism experience. A former crime reporter for both the Syracuse Post-Standard and The San Antonio Express-News, Almendarez has already compiled an impressive body of work that demonstrates nuance, drive and determination — the sort of doggedness every reporter should possess, but few do.
Almendarez will primarily cover crime and courts for the Ithaca Voice. (You can see her first story here.) Her stories, however, won’t be constrained by this beat, and you can expect to see her write about a wide range of topics.
Related: Why I’m joining the Ithaca Voice
We expect her to be embraced by Ithaca — not just as a reporter, but as a member of this community — much as you have embraced us over these last 11 months.
Almendarez will be the second full-time writer on the Ithaca Voice staff and its third full-time employee. Editor Jeff Stein launched the non-profit in June 2014 and Advertising Director Mike Blaney joined in September 2014; we have also relied heavily on the contributions of several part-time writers, most notably Ithacating’s Brian Crandall, as well as student fellows such as Kyle Friend and Faith Meckley.
Since our founding, the Ithaca Voice has aimed to consistently produce journalism that is in-depth, enlightening, engaging, free for everyone to access, and — above all — local. Today we take a major step toward making our vision for the Ithaca Voice a reality.
Jeff Stein | Editor
Mike Blaney | Advertising Director
Jolene Almendarez | Reporter