Cortland Standard .net

Meet the Newsroom


Amy Barone Staff Reporter 607-756-5665, ext. 136 abarone@cortlandstandardnews.net Beat: Amy covers the education beat, local school districts and colleges. Education: M.A. from Syracuse University in English; C.A.S. from Syracuse University in gender studies; B.A. from Syracuse University in English & textual studies, with a minor in communications. About: Amy has worked as an instructor of writing and rhetoric at Syracuse University, as well as a writing consultant, for the past eight years. She’s worked in trade and academic book publishing in acquisitions and public relations, as well as freelance writing. Hobbies include running, cooking, antiquing and competing in obstacle/mud races.	Taney Beaumont Sports Writer 607-756-5665, ext. 126 sports@cortlandstandard.net Beat: Taney covers Cortland High and Central Counties League teams. Education: AAS in Liberal Arts from Morrisville State, 1975; BA in communications (broadcasting & journalism) from University of Tennessee, 1977. About: Taney grew up in Morrisville and started his professional career in broadcasting as the news director/sports color commentator at WSCP in Sandy Creek/Pulaski and WATN in Watertown, and the north country reporter for WSYR in Syracuse. He moved to the newspaper business in 1980 as a sportswriter with the Hornell Evening Tribune and joined the Auburn Citizen's sports department in 1983. He was a stringer for the Syracuse Post Standard & Herald-Journal, the Utica Observer-Dispatch and Blue Lines Hockey Newsletter from 1993 to 1998, when he joined the Cortland Standard. Married and the father of one daughter, he enjoys reading, listening to music and sports in his spare time.	Sarah Bullock Staff Reporter 607-756-5665, ext. 132 sbullock@cortlandstandardnews.net Beat: Sarah is the Cortland Standard business reporter and covers Harford, Homer, Lapeer, Marathon, Scott and Virgil. Education: She received a bachelor’s degree in English, concentrating in creative writing and rhetoric, from Binghamton University. Sarah also has an associate degree in liberal arts from Broome Community College. About: Sarah joined the Cortland Standard in 2012. Previously, she worked as a copy editor for Gannett. Sarah grew up in Tioga Center, a small town without a gas station or a stoplight, and enjoys spending time with family, a good murder mystery novel and cuddling with her cat, Princess. sic and sports help fill up idle times.

Alan Butler

Sports Editor
607-756-5665, ext. 124
sports@cortlandstandard.net

Job Duties: Al oversees the newspaper’s sports coverage and covers the SUNY Cortland athletic scene.
Education: BA in journalism from the University of Bridgeport (Conn.), 1977.
About: Alan grew up in Homer, where he graduated in 1973 from Homer High School. He worked as the assistant sports editor at the Auburn Citizen from 1977-1980 and then joined the staff of the Cortland Standard, where he covered high school sports for 19 years before taking over the sports editor post. Married and the father of two grown sons, music and sports help fill up idle times.

Kevin Conlon

Managing Editor
607-756-5665, ext. 129
kconlon@cortlandstandard.net

Job duties: Kevin oversees the newspaper's news coverage.
Education: BA in mass communication from St. Bonaventure University, 1985.
About: Kevin took his first job out of college as a reporter at the Cortland Standard. After four years, he left to work for a year as a reporter and bureau chief at The Record in Troy, then eight years as a reporter at the Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He returned to the Cortland Standard as city editor in 1998 and was promoted to managing editor in 2000. Kevin and his wife, MaryBeth, are the parents of seven children.

Katie Hall

Living and Leisure Editor
607-756-5665, ext. 128
living@cortlandstandard.net

Job Duties: Katie writes community interest stories, focusing on non-profits, social clubs, seniors and children, literature and the arts.
Education: She has a master’s degree in education from SUNY Cortland and a bachelor’s in English from SUNY Oswego.
About: Katie has worked for the Cortland Standard for 16 years, starting as a typist in the composing room, and then covering the town of Homer, city and county government as a reporter, before assuming her current post around 2000. Before this, she was a self-employed day care provider, staying home with her two children, Kim and Mike, for five years. She loves biking, walking her two dogs, Sammy and Stub, cooking soup and reading a good novel. She grew up on Long Island.

Tom Vartanian

Sports Writer
607-756-5665, ext. 125
sports@cortlandstandard.net

Beat: Tom covers Homer Central and Interscholastic Athletic Conference teams.
Education: A.A.S. Degree from Herkimer County Community College, 1977.
About: Tom grew up in Afton and began writing for the Finger Lakes Community Newspapers covering IAC sports in 1985. He went to work as sports editor for the Tri-Town News in the fall of 1990, returning to his hometown area. He returned to the Finger Lakes Community Papers in 1993 as sports editor. Tom moved into radio as the sports director and play-by-play man for high school sports at WPIE Radio in Trumansburg from 1994-1998. He joined the Cortland Standard staff in the fall of 1999. Tom is married with two daughters and enjoys sports, music and family time in his spare time.

Michael Wells

City Editor
607-756-5665 ext. 123
mwells@cortlandstandard.net

Job duties: Michael coordinates and plans daily news gathering and production.
Education: BA in journalism from Oswego State University, 1999.
About: Prior to joining the paper in 2003, Michael worked as a news editor and reporter at weekly newspapers in the Ithaca and Rochester areas. He grew up near Canandaigua. Outside of work, he enjoys family, music, reading and a solid sense of humor.

Catherine Wilde

Staff Reporter
607-756-5665 ext. 133
cwilde@cortlandstandard.net

Beat: Catherine covers Cortland County government, villages of DeRuyter and Moravia, towns of Solon and Truxton.
Education: BA in English and communications from Muhlenberg College, 2002.
About: Catherine grew up in Pearl River, Rockland County, a suburb of New York City. She worked at newspapers in Rocr. In her spare time Catherine enjkland County and Bergen County, N.J., prior to coming to the papeoys reading, baking, watching movies, swimming, biking and competing in the occasional triathlon.