Shaun Hittle / LJWorld.com

Staff

Shaun Hittle

Shaun began working for the World Co. in 2008.

He is new to Kansas, having grown up in Florida and Michigan. He remembers the snow in Michigan and the giant cockroaches in Florida.

He has a 12-inch scar on one of his legs. He tells people it's a shark bite. About half the time people believe him.

His nose breaks very easily. He has learned this lesson the hard way.

He does not play video games and he feels strongly that other adults shouldn't either.

People tell Shaun that his best quality is his punctuality. He isn't sure if that's a compliment.

There are many things that Shaun is not good at, and he accepts that and plans no improvement in those areas, which include fixing things, cooking, and directions.

In his life, he has worked as a basketball referee, a pizza delivery driver, an undercover store detective, a social worker, a bouncer, and now a journalist.

You can follow him on Twitter @shaunhittle Here is a list of some of Shaun's favorite reporting projects:

• The Boy in the Attic: http://bit.ly/mUFOoH

• From the Ashes: Five Years Later: http://bit.ly/q0QF4d

• A Tournament of their Own: http://bit.ly/pi8EQy

• Rodeo School: http://bit.ly/iGkD2C

Recent stories

Homeless count numbers show few changes in Douglas County: By Shaun Hittle; June 4, 2013; The number of homeless people in Douglas County remained fairly consistent in 2013 as compared with 2011, according to results from the Point-in-Time Homeless Count, conducted every two years. During the count — conducted Jan. 23 and mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD — volunteers fanned out across the county and identified 223 homeless people, down from 226 in 2011. However, the numbers for the past two counts are about double the 112 homeless people identified in 2009. By Shaun Hittle
Local family wins anti-underage-drinking PSA video contest: By Shaun Hittle; June 3, 2013; A Lawrence family recently won a video contest, sponsored by the Draw the Line Coalition, designed to discourage underage drinking. By Shaun Hittle
Recent storms put this year’s precipitation totals above average: By Shaun Hittle & Nicole Wentling; June 3, 2013; Rain is a good thing, especially here in Kansas — and especially following a 2012 farming season where a lack of rain was the biggest story. So this week’s downpour is a welcome sign for local farmers. By Nicole Wentling and Shaun Hittle
Potential severe weather heading to northeast Kansas Wednesday and Thursday: By Shaun Hittle; May 29, 2013; Severe weather is forecast to hit the northeast Kansas area Wednesday evening, while another band of storms could strike Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. By Shaun Hittle
Day 4: From the Emerald Triangle to the Sunflower State: By Ian Cummings & Shaun Hittle; May 29, 2013; The road from Northern California’s lush, green cannabis fields to Lawrence did not run in a straight line. Between 2005 and 2012, a small group of local drug distributors managed a convoluted interstate drug pipeline worth millions, until they were arrested in a sprawling federal wiretap case last year. Now, 43 people could go to prison, and millions of dollars in property have been seized, but the long-term effect on illegal drugs in Lawrence is unclear. By Ian Cummings and Shaun Hittle
Ottawa woman sentenced in federal prescription drug case tied to death: Staff report; May 28, 2013; A 37-year-old Ottawa woman was sentenced Tuesday to 18 years in federal prison for her role in a prescription drug case that was tied to a man’s 2009 overdose death. By Shaun Hittle
Tornado watch issued; more rain and storms expected during next couple of days: By Shaun Hittle; 12:31 p.m., May 28, 2013 Updated 02:28 p.m.; After a rainy Memorial Day, more storms are expected during the next few days. By Shaun Hittle
Day 3: From the Emerald Triangle to the Sunflower State: Couple plead guilty, plan to marry amid biggest drug bust; By Ian Cummings & Shaun Hittle; May 28, 2013; Some love stories are complicated. Such is the case of Lawrence businessman Chad Bauman and local tanning salon owner Carey Willming. Their romance is clouded by drug trafficking, money laundering and federal convictions that could send them both to prison. By Shaun Hittle and Ian Cummings
Local author writes book about unsolved Kansas mystery: By Shaun Hittle; May 28, 2013; An unsolved Kansas murder mystery literally fell into Ottawa resident Diana Staresinic-Deane’s hands one day in August 2007. And for the next five years, that mystery would consume her spare time, culminating in her first book, “Shadow on the Hill.” Staresinic-Deane, working at the Emporia Public Libary, was chasing some rowdy kids around the stacks when a folder fell off the shelves. “Knoblock murder,” was scrawled across the folder. By Shaun Hittle
Day 2: From the Emerald Triangle to the Sunflower State: The California Connection; By Ian Cummings & Shaun Hittle; May 27, 2013; The thousands of pounds of marijuana that fueled a local drug-selling network arrived via a fertile pipeline of high-grade marijuana from the “Emerald Triangle,” a tri-county portion of Northern California known for prolific pot production. Through a sophisticated web of drug distribution involving fictitious businesses and a steady stream of Lawrence-area drug couriers, marijuana barrelled east to the Lawrence area, while millions in cash headed west to California, according to court documents. By Shaun Hittle and Ian Cummings

Full story list

Recent photos

Diana Staresinic-Deane, of Ottawa, penned her first book, about a 1925 unsolved Kansas murder, after finding a mysterious folder at the Emporia Public Library in 2007.

Jeff Hanson, of Muscotah, talks about his plans for the Joe Tinker Museum, including a July 27 "Joe Tinker Day" to celebrate the former Chicago Cub and the town's most famous former resident.

Muscotah man Jeff Hanson, and his three-legged dog Lucky, show off the progress on the Joe Tinker Museum recently. A volunteer crew recently worked on the project, adding a cement floor.

Full photo list