Amy Koczera: Strategic Writer & Storyteller

Category: News & Features

This section highlights my work in journalism and news, reporting on breaking news, community issues, public policy, and cultural stories with accuracy and integrity. These clips span print, digital, and on-air formats, and reflect years of experience producing impactful stories under deadline pressure.

  • Kat’s Alley Cats provides shelter for over 140 kitties during storm

    Kat’s Alley Cats provides shelter for over 140 kitties during storm

    LUBBOCK, Texas — The extreme cold temperatures last week can be dangerous for a lot of animals – especially the feral cats in our community. Fortunately, thanks to Kat’s Alley Cats, over 140 cats were saved during the snowstorm.

    The small but mighty non-profit is dedicated to reducing the overpopulation of feral cats through safely trapping, neutering and returning them to their colonies. Feral cats can’t survive well on their own, so when the storm hit, volunteers quickly stepped up for our kitties in need.

    “I got really worried,” said Korey Burns, a volunteer who sheltered cats during the snowstorm. “I knew that the kittens would just freeze to death if we didn’t do something, provide some shelter.” 

    With a growing community of cats in her neighborhood, Burns had to act fast to keep them from freezing in the cold.

    Read the full article on everythinglubbock.com, published February 28, 2021.

  • Lubbock Meals on Wheels stress for public to check on homebound in cold weather

    Lubbock Meals on Wheels stress for public to check on homebound in cold weather

    LUBBOCK, Texas — These cold conditions can be especially troubling for our homebound and elderly neighbors. With Meals on Wheels providing meals and other essential check-ins for those folks, they reached out to the community to help them out during this time – the response was incredible.

    “With us coming off of a weekend where we weren’t able to deliver and then Monday and Tuesday where we weren’t able to get here, that makes us really concerned about their safety,” said Lisa Gilliland, Executive Director at Lubbock Meals on Wheels. 

    In these unprecedented conditions, looking after our homebound neighbors is more important now than ever before. To continue with their services, Meals on Wheels asked for folks with four-wheel-drive vehicles to help deliver this week. Thankfully, well over 100 reached out. 

    “It was great to be able to put out the call for action and for so many people to respond,” said Gilliland. “We have so many people that we’ll be able to have another group of people come in tomorrow and do the same thing.”

    On top of the lack of interaction for our older folks in this pandemic, below-freezing temperatures raise even more concerns related to heat, plumbing, health and access to food.

    “It’s just so easy for an elderly person to fall and not get access to a phone and that just might be the last thing they ever do, and we would hate for that to be the case,” said volunteer Tom Baker.

    Read the full article on everythinglubbock.com, published February 17, 2021.

  • Lubbock water utilities moves to generator power ahead of possible blackouts

    Lubbock water utilities moves to generator power ahead of possible blackouts

    LUBBOCK, Texas — Many Texas counties, like Abilene and San Angelo, have not had access to water throughout this cold weather, but Lubbock’s water department is working hard to make sure it keeps flowing to your homes even if the power goes out.

    “We have both the power grid and the emergency generator capacity to make sure that we keep water flowing into your homes,” said Aubrey Spear, Director of Lubbock Water Utilities.

    The city has switched to backup generators, which run on diesel, to ensure that even if the power goes out, the city would still have running water. When there were reports of possible blackouts, they took steps to make sure what happened to other Texas counties did not happen to them.

    “We went ahead and proactively took most all of our water treatment and wastewater treatment plants and pump stations off the power grid,” said Spear.

    Read the full article on everythinglubbock.com, published February 16, 2021.