Empty oysters. Courtroom forgiveness. Football glory. These are Sun Herald’s top 2019 videos.
Visual storytelling is special. With a photo or a video, multimedia journalists are able to tell stories in unique ways. They take you into the stories and invite you to view them through their eyes.
But not every story is an easy one to tell.
2019 brought joy, but it also carried heartbreak and loss. As journalists, we’re tasked with capturing raw moments that are sometimes not easy to watch from behind the lens.
Whether what we capture is the laying a hero to rest or a high school football team celebrating a win, every moment is important. Every shot tells a story.
I came to the Mississippi Coast from Mobile, Alabama, after working as photojournalist at a TV station for three years.
After seven years of living in Mobile, I was ready for a new challenge and wanted new stories to tell. I out of the blue applied for a job at the Sun Herald and it turned out to be a great decision.
I’ve fallen in love with the Coast and the people and communities here in Mississippi. The Coast is a special place that’s like no other and it’s been a privilege to be here this last 10 months.
At sunherald.com, you can watch the Sun Herald’s most compelling and favorite videos of 2019. They are:
Death of Biloxi police officer
The killing of Biloxi Officer Robert McKeithen in May brought the Coast together in mourning. Coming from Mobile, McKeithen is the third officer killed in the line of duty that I’ve covered in the last three years. I’ve been at the active scenes, the press conferences and the funerals, but nothing quite breaks your heart like listening to an ‘End of Watch’ call over the scanner as an officer is laid to rest.
Coast seafood industry takes a hit
The historic opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway impacted the Mississippi Coast, devastating the seafood industry and causing a challenging year for businesses and the tourism industry. The Sun Herald extensively covered the effects of the spillway has had on Coast communities.
Three Coast kids died in drowning
In August, three Gulfport teens drowned in the Biloxi River. The boys were all close friends. According to other teens who were on the banks, the boys were all trying to save each other from drowning, but none of them made it out. The community mourned the loss of the ‘three amigos,’ and remembered them as three boys who loved each other and loved God.
Domestic violence survivor shares story
Courtney Schouest thought she was in love. She kept going back to a man who she says beat her as time went on, did drugs and was part of a gang. After nearly dying, she’s told the Sun Herald her story in hopes others would leave their own abusive relationships.
JoJo the kangaroo
When JoJo, a small kangaroo, went missing after an event at a local elementary school in June, the Gulfport community and local police officers came together to find the missing animal.
High school football
High school football is something special in the South. The Sun Herald published highlights after a game of the week nearly every week this fall season. These are some of the best plays we caught on camera.
Gator crosses road in hurricane
A large alligator has trouble getting to the water on Beach Boulevard in Hancock County as Tropical Storm Barry brought storm surge that covered the road. The Sun Herald later learned that alligator, nicknamed Barry after the storm, later died.
Matt Wallner walk off
Southern Miss’ Matt Wallner hit a 2-run homer to beat Rice 6-4 in 10 innings in Biloxi during the conference tournament. Wallner left behind a school record of 58 home runs. He would be picked as the highest MLB draft pick out of program later that year.
Drag queens on the Coast
Catastrophe and Company, a troupe of drag queens on the Coast, book gigs at straight bars and other venues that aren’t LGBTQ exclusive.
Victims forgive Ocean Springs teen
Seth Lee McGee could have spent years behind bars for driving drunk at 18 and crashing his vehicle, killing one friend and injuring another in 2016. The victims pleaded with the judge to not give McGee prison. It changed the judge’s mind.
This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 4:00 AM.