Elijah de Castro is a reporter covering rural communities for The People-Sentinel, a locally owned paper in Barnwell, South Carolina. Born and raised in semi-rural Upstate New York, he has reported on issues like climate change, poverty and infrastructure that affect families in his hometown of Trumansburg. While earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ithaca College, he broke major stories about the college’s presidential compensation, and the college’s decision to install artificial turf in its stadium despite health and environmental concerns. He also interned for The Progressive magazine, where he reported on Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade of the Armenian region of Artsakh, and how utility companies are fighting the transition to renewable energy.
Beat: Rural communities in Lowcountry, South Carolina
Rural communities, like the three counties we serve, face challenges with sufficient healthcare, quality education, transparent government and high crime rates. These challenges are largely caused by a lack of resources and knowledge. The rural communities reporter examines these and other issues that deeply affect the lives of the people who live in the region. Informing citizens about these issues should lead to positive changes in our communities.