Old West comes alive at action shooting events

By Jessica Boehm and Emilie Eaton

The best cowboy action shooters from around the world gathered last month to test their marksmanship and preserve the traditions of the Old West. The event, held in New Mexico, attracted men and women in full Western garb- spurs, cowboy boots, old-fashion holsters and more.

Months earlier in Arizona, shooters competed in the National Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting. Watch the audio slideshow to catch a glimpse of the cowboy spirit.

Jessica Boehm and Emilie Eaton are News21 Hearst Fellows.

Spotlight on the Fellows: Jacob Byk

Jacob Byk takes photos in Discount Firearms and Ammo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by: Carmen Forman

Name: Jacob Byk, Dix/Oliver Fellow

School: Kent State University

Style of reporting: Photojournalism, strict candid photography capturing the mood and personality of an individual.

Previous internship or work experience: National Geographic Society’s Digital Image Sales department in Washington, D.C. I have freelanced for many local papers in Ohio and have been both a photographer and the photo editor for our school’s award winning student magazine, the Burr.

Favorite reporting experience: It’s hard to choose—the word “experience” is an all-inclusive one for me – specifically traveling. Driving around rural Kentucky telling the story of a local car mechanic was pretty amazing as an experience. Driving from northeast Ohio to Miami in a day to do a story on a homeless person’s shelter, or driving to Illinois to cover the aftermath of a deadly tornado. But as far as story goes, the overall struggles and victories of working on a long-term documentary about coal mining and gas drilling in southwestern Pennsylvania over the last three years has been amazing. I have grown up as a reporter and a person learning from the people of Greene County, Pennsylvania.

Connect with me: @jacobbykphoto on Instagram.

Website: wix.com/jacobbyk/photography

Favorite app: Spotify. Love me some Johnny Cash!

Louisiana anti-violence activism inspired by MLK

By Kelsey Jukam

On Jan. 21, 2013, Jardon “Chuck” Melancon collapsed in front of his grandmother’s house, two blocks away from the Martin Luther King recreation center in Lafayette, Louisiana. While the community was celebrating MLK day, Melancon was dying. A single shot fired from a revolver killed the 22 year old father of two.

The same day in New Orleans, five people were shot on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, shortly after a parade had passed. The victims were all 17 or 18 years old.

According to FBI data, Louisiana has the highest murder rate in the country. The majority of those murders involve firearms.

Christopher Waters, the founder of Peace for MLK, discusses anti-violence efforts at the annual “Pack the Park” event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana June 29. The event brings together anti-violence groups from across the city and state and attracts hundreds of community members each year. (This is a screen grab from a video interview). Claudia Balthazar

Christopher Waters, a 32-year-old prison supervisor in Baton Rouge, is one of many people who are trying to stop the violence that is rampant in Louisiana. Waters, who grew up in Lafayette, started the anti-violence organization Peace for MLK in honor of Melancon. The group’s name is more than just a nod to where the MLK day shootings occurred.

“The stop the violence movement is our generation’s civil rights movement,” Waters said. “Everyone has to come together to make a change.”

Waters says that gun violence is a problem affecting every community in Louisiana from the big cities to the small towns. He isn’t sure that stricter gun regulation would alleviate the problem, as these crimes often involve illegally obtained guns. He says that guns are part of the culture and history of the United States, and that many people use them in a “safe” and responsible manner.

“The problem is when people who have issues use them for conflict resolution,” Waters said.

His organization aims to reach out to young people to offer them educational and job opportunities and to foster anger management and conflict resolution skills so that that they’ll think twice before pulling a trigger. Peace for MLK also works with other anti-violence organizations to promote awareness and to tell stories of how violence has affected the lives of victims’ families.

Shortly after the shooting, Waters spoke with Melancon’s mother, Linda, who is also now an anti-violence advocate. She told Waters that two months after her son’s death, another young man–19 years old–was shot and killed at the same place.

“It’s almost like a warzone,” Waters said. “But our young men are not soldiers. And we’re not at war. So something has to change.”

This post was updated on July 10, 2014.

Spotlight on The Fellows: Kate Murphy

Kate Murphy watches as trainer Clark Aposhian demonstrates the proper use of a firearm for a teacher in a junior high classroom in Utah. Photo by: Jacob Byk

Name: Kate Murphy

School: Elon University

Style of reporting: Feature writing, in-depth storytelling, and multimedia digital reporting

Previous internship or work experience: Reporter for the Burlington-Times News, Freelance sports writer, Senior Sports Reporter for The Pendulum

Favorite reporting experience: The most memorable reporting experience I’ve had so far was as a reporter for the Burlington-Times News when I wrote a feature story of a woman’s fight to battle an unexpected diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer. The opportunity to tell her story and get the word out about her journey to beat cancer raised awareness and financial support from the community, which made a promising difference in her life.

Connect with me: @KatemurphyEU

Website: katemurphy1.wordpress.com

Favorite app: Pandora—I love having my own DJ on hand

Spotlight on the Fellows: Jon LaFlamme

Jon LaFlamme photographs Baton Rouge police officers during the annual “Pack the Park” event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.Photo by: Claudia Balthazar

Name: Jon LaFlamme, Weil Fellow

School: Arizona State University

Style of reporting: Investigative reporting, computer assisted reporting, photojournalism and documentary-style videography

Previous internship or work experience:  Investigative reporting internship with the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting

Favorite reporting experience: Traveling to Mexico for my long-form documentary on water sustainability

Connect with me: @jon_laflamme

Favorite app: NPR