The Durango Herald has hired Ryan Maye Handy as its new reporter to cover the Colorado Legislature. Handy joins a long line of political reporters for the Herald to specifically cover lawmakers representing La Plata and Montezuma counties.
Handy, who lives in Fort Collins, has worked for various Colorado newspapers, including The Gazette in Colorado Springs and The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. She most recently worked for the Houston Chronicle, where she reported on oil and gas regulation and energy issues.
“We are pleased that Handy is joining our newspaper to make sure Southwest Colorado residents are informed about what takes place at the Capitol,” said Executive Editor Amy Maestas. “The Herald has a long history of having reporters on staff to specifically write about the Legislature, and we look forward to having Handy help us continue this type of coverage.
Handy has particular interest in Russian studies. She graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature and Russian Language. She also studied at St. Petersburg State University in St. Petersburg Russia. Handy completed a one-month fellowship with the International Center for Journalists in Moscow, where she worked as a correspondent for Kommersant newspaper. She also holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
In addition to stories from Capitol Hill, Handy will maintain a blog for Herald readers to follow Legislative issues and actions. Purple Mountain Politics, which will begin publishing the second week of January, can be read at www.durangoherald.com/blogs/purplemountainpolitics.
Handy can be reached at rhandy@durangoherald.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ryanmhandy.
