Hava's Journalism Portfolio

Headline: Chief Durre: New stations essential to improve response times, firefighter health and safety Published July 13, 2026, in The Daily Courier Word Count: 1,205 Link: dcourier.com/news/chief-durre-new-stations-essential-to-improve-response-times-firefighter-health-and-safety/article_3bfa50ff-2776-42d4-8dbc-4693f9bf6022.html Prescott is moving forward with plans to build two new fire stations and fully rebuild a third as the city works to close emergency response gaps driven by years of growth, rising call volumes, and aging public safety infrastructure. At 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, the City Council will vote to approve or deny three city contracts for Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) pre-construction services with CORE Construction, Inc. for the new stations. Ahead of the council voting meeting, Prescott Fire Department (PFD) Fire Chief Holger Durre outlined project progress and why capital investment is a necessary component of a larger strategy. “We are using something c...

(Hava Herzog/Courier) Headline: PVPD Youth Police Academy gives teens inside look at law enforcement Published July 9, 2026, in The Daily Courier  Word Count: 680 Link:   https://www.dcourier.com/news/pvpd-youth-police-academy-gives-teens-inside-look-at-law-enforcement/article_83c326bd-9257-4169-9d4b-e675893be0db.html A group of high school students got a firsthand look at the split-second decisions, physical demands and behind-the-scenes work of law enforcement last week during the Prescott Valley Police Department’s Youth Police Academy. Fifteen local students ages 15-18 participated in the program from Monday, July 6, through Thursday, July 9. During the first two days of the academy, students spoke with field training officers, or FTOs; members of the Special Victims Unit, or SVU, about sextortion; Homeland Security representatives about federal law enforcement; and criminal investigators. Students visited the SWAT range, where they learned how to breach a door and fi...

 "Cold Cases, Criminal Investigations, and the Search for Missing Persons" is a multi-part series published in 2026 in The Daily Courier. The series covers ongoing research into decades-old cold cases, how police navigate potential homicides, and how search and rescue crews look for missing people. 

"Crisis Ready Classrooms, School Safety in Yavapai County" is a multi-part series published in The Daily Courier in 2025. The series examines physical campus safety, technology, and how schools address mental health crises. The series was written by Hava Herzog and Abigail Celaya.  (Hava Herzog/Courier) Headline:  Seconds Count: Are local schools ready for the worst-case scenario? Published October 25, 2025, in The Daily Courier Word Count: 1,213 Link: https://www.dcourier.com/news/seconds-count-are-local-schools-ready-for-the-worst-case-scenario/article_8fb9592c-25c9-4f61-a752-900240f94a04.html?_gl=1*143xcd*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTM5NTExMTQzMi4xNzg4NjMxODk0*_ga_CP63MSM6R5*czE3ODg2MzE4OTIkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODg2MzE5MDYkajQ2JGwwJGgxMjU2NTI1Njg3*_ga_4T2EB147B8*czE3ODg2MzE4OTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODg2MzE5MDYkajQ3JGwwJGgw In 2025, school shootings persist across the U.S., leading school officials and law enforcement to confront ongoing threats to student safety and search for effective prevention strate...

(Hava Herzog/Courier) Headline: More Prescott residents report insurance cancellations, mitigation demands Published July 25, 2026 in The Daily Courier Word Count: 1,745 Link : tinyurl.com/mwns8bpd The City of Prescott has long faced wildfire risk, but in the past year, more homeowners have reported challenges with their home insurance coverage. Some residents have received notices from insurers requiring them to meet specific defensible-space standards to maintain coverage, while others have seen their policies canceled altogether. In August 2026, all of Prescott will be incorporated into the wildland-urban interface (WUI), as approved by the City Council in May 2026. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, a WUI is a zone where homes and other development border undeveloped wildland vegetation. These areas face an increased wildfire risk because human-caused ignitions can spread into wildlands, while wildfires can quickly threaten homes and infrastructure. To reduce that risk, hom...

(Hava Herzog/Courier) Headline: Federal lawsuit alleges civil rights violations by City of Prescott, police, CAFMA fire chief Published July 3, 2026, in The Daily Courier Word Count: 613 Link: dcourier.com/news/federal-lawsuit-alleges-civil-rights-violations-by-city-of-prescott-police-cafma-fire-chief/article_d9f9240a-34e9-4f7e-9e94-c622089a9bc9.html The City of Prescott, members of the Prescott Police Department, and members of a detective’s family have been named as defendants in a federal civil lawsuit filed by former Prescott resident Matthew Massucci.  On July 16, 2023, a confrontation between Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (CAFMA) Deputy Chief of Operations Dustin Parra and Massucci occurred at Star Mart in Prescott.  Members of the Parra family allegedly made false reports to police about the incident, leading to Massucci’s arrest and felony charges.  Massucci’s complaint was filed Tuesday, June 30, against the City of Prescott, PPD Chief Amy Bonne...

(Courtesy/Prescott Valley Illustrated) Headline: Chef, owner, storyteller, Ivan Pugh to bring Cajun cooking to Prescott Valley Word Count: 751 Published July 13, 2026 in Prescott Valley Illustrated Link: dcourier.com/news/prescott-valley-illustrated/chef-owner-storyteller-ivan-pugh-to-bring-cajun-cooking-to-prescott-valley/article_b5e1f39a-749a-46ed-8d2e-07fe736a167f.html Chef Ivan Pugh is bringing the flavors of the bayou to Prescott Valley this fall with his new concept Southern Bites Pugh grew up as a nomad, he said, living all across the country. Growing up in Tennessee, Pugh recalled living off the land as a ranch hand. He and his family would make apple cider from fresh apples, tap maple trees for syrup, and make mustard sandwiches with butterleaf lettuce. His first introduction to cooking was with a neighbor farmer who made rabbit gumbo and homemade pork sausage. Pugh said he grew up with food insecurity so to get extra calories in before dinner, he would help his mom in the kit...

KAFF News Extra (Produced by Dave Zorn and Edited by Casey Everett)

https://youtu.be/vow1Ox3bjIM  

Features Writing Sample:  The McMillan gives new life to historic building The past and the present blur on the corner of East Route 66 and North Leroux Street, where the McMillan Building stands as the oldest building in downtown Flagstaff. Since 1886, the building has witnessed the changing Flagstaff scene in its nearly two centuries standing. Now,  The McMillan Bar and Kitchen  operates out of the historic location, giving the former bank hotel new life as a modern eatery. The McMillan upholds its legacy of hospitality by welcoming locals and tourists alike to “drink in the history.” The McMillan Building was originally  The Bank Hotel Building . The National Park Service lists it on its  National Register of Historic Places , which ensures the building’s indefinite preservation in near-original conditions. The McMillan building is included in  Flagstaff’s Railroad Addition Historic District .  Tucker Woodbury, the founder of The McMillan Bar and Ki...

  News-Feature Writing Sample:  Fake ID culture on college campuses Fake IDs have been a staple of college campuses across the United States  since the ‘80s . As real driver licenses evolved, so did the legitimacy of fakes.  While it may look genuine to the untrained eye, a fraudulent ID is not guaranteed to fool bouncers, restaurant staff, scanners or law enforcement.  A  rise in fake IDs  began with the passing of the  1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act . Former New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg alongside  Mothers Against Drunk Driving  proposed the act to reduce drunk driving by prohibiting people under 21 from purchasing or possessing alcohol. This law does not require states to adhere to the national minimum age, but if states do not comply, they lose 10% of federal highway funding.  Before the act was passed in 1984, the drinking age varied from state to state, with Arizona’s minimum age set at 19. The  2005 REAL ID...

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Spring 2023 Vol. 2 Issue 2 Fall 2022 Vol. 2 Issue 1 Spring 2022 Vol. 1 Issue 2

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