We're Just Getting Started

The Western Edge is two months old. Here's how we've been using the First Amendment.

The Western Edge is just two months old, and since the moment we hit publish on our very first story, we’ve been working nonstop. I think you would have a hard time finding two journalists who really believe in journalism like we do, who are nerdy about this craft like we are.

This project was born out of a deep love for the Pacific Northwest, the region where we live and our growing concern over how news deserts are overtaking it. We were frustrated with the corporate bloat of newsrooms, even on a local level and how that’s bending coverage toward access rather than accountability. When people with big salaries in boardrooms make decisions about the information reporters spend time collecting, that hurts everyone in our region.

The Western Edge is just two people: Leah Sottile (hi, that’s me) and Ryan Haas. Getting this project off the ground was not easy, and it came after a period loss and mourning of the journalism industry we have long worked in. We are happy to report that the support we’ve received from our paid subscribers is helping us already have an impact on the region.

First, when we launched, we both thought it would be important to tell you why we decided to go out on our own, and start a new outlet:

The message that we’ve received loud and clear from our readers is that you believe in the power of what we do, and you want to see more investigative journalism in the Pacific Northwest, not less.

We have the best readers.

In the past two months, we’ve been having a ball publishing stories from around the region that reflect our ethics and priorities as journalists: hold powerful people to account, write stories that are as interesting as they are informative and have some fun while we’re doing it.

In February we published our story on Kyle Hedquist, of Salem, Oregon. Lots of reporters had written about Hedquist, but few had gotten to the heart of why exactly the city had come to focus so intensely on him in December of last year.

Our story uncovered how a manufactured crisis by the local police union, which was supported by local politicians, pointed the ire of an entire community toward this one man.

It’s a fascinating investigation that asks readers to consider one question: Is redemption possible in the capital city of progressive Oregon?

In March, we released an investigation into a scandal involving the former police chief of St Helens, Oregon, Brian Greenway, and his quest to get every cent of the city budget that he could for his officers.

The story — which was shouted out by The Columbia Journalism Review as “a fantastic piece of journalism” — involves a porn-texting police chief, a mayor glued to Facebook and a town that can’t let go of the 2024 election, even as they head into a new one in 2026.

Our story revealed how the former chief and members of the police union discussing plotted in text messages to oust the mayor from office, and showed how the current mayor continues to fan the flames of controversy.

This week, we got word that a 46-year-old man working at a Portland area Amazon warehouse died on the job and immediately tracked down insiders who could help the public understand what happened. Employees told The Western Edge they were instructed to keep working as the man lay unresponsive on the ground. One employee said they were discouraged from assisting in life-saving efforts.

Since we published our story early Monday morning, we’ve updated it with a 911 recording, statements from Amazon and information about how long workers were kept on the job until supervisors said they could leave.

As of this writing, we are the only Northwest publication to cover this story.¹ National and international outlets, however, seem more interested in how one of the Northwest’s most powerful corporations treats its workers: Our reporting has been picked up by TechCrunch, More Perfect Union and The Times of India, among many others.

We can’t wait for you to see all of the other stories (and videos) we have planned, and we can guarantee that every dollar of your paid subscription will go directly into the journalism we make. As always, if you have a tip on a story, send us an email: hellowesternedge@gmail.com.

1. Shoutout though to City Cast Portland, which did highlight our story in their Wednesday morning podcast episode We appreciate it!