Before joining Daily Inter Lake, Hannah Shields reported on the Wyoming state government for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, covering health care policy, education and state politics, among other issues. She earned a first-place Pacemaker Award from the Wyoming Press Association for an investigative piece on special education in public schools. She placed third in the Top of the Rockies Award for a story on Medicaid in Wyoming. Her passion for journalism was sparked while taking Journalism 101 at a community college in California. From there, she transferred to Long Beach State University and immediately joined the student newspaper, where she served as the news editor. She interned at The Sacramento Bee the summer after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science. When not writing, Shields enjoys dancing ballet, reading and listening to podcasts!
Beat: Local government reporter covering underserved rural communities in Northwest Montana
The Daily Inter Lake coverage area encompasses more than 14,550 square miles across Northwest Montana -- that's approximately the size of Connecticut and Massachusetts combined. Within that vast geographical region are dozens of town councils, school boards and other local government boards that make critical decision that affect residents' everyday lives. This reporter will pull back the curtain on how locally elected officials operate and hold them accountable for their policy decisions.