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Courtney Flatt / Northwest Public Radio

Job Title

Multimedia journalist, based in Richland, WA at Northwest Public Radio and Television

Bio

Courtney Flatt began her journalism career at The Dallas Morning News as a neighborsgo editor. There, she also wrote articles for the Metro section, where she reported on community issues ranging from water security to the arts. Courtney earned her master’s in convergence journalism at the University of Missouri and developed a love for radio and documentary film. As a producer at KBIA-FM she hosted a weekly business show, reported and produced talk shows on community and international issues. Her work took her from the unemployment lines, to a Methamphetaminebust, to the tornado damage aftermath in Joplin, Mo.

What I cover

Energy, climate change and the Columbia Basin

New favorite outdoor activity

Having never lived so close to mountains, I took up skiing this year. While I quickly learned that beginning skiers should avoid black diamonds at all costs, spending all day in the snow is worth the tumbles.

A funny thing happened one day in the field...

It was an icy winter morning, and I was trying to get some ambient sound of the Missouri River, which seemed easy enough. I had to make it over a pile of cement rocks to reach this one sandbar. (And if you know me, you know I’m a walking example of Murphy’s Law.)

Realizing this, I securely attached every piece of equipment to my body. Everything except my extra mic. I had climbed halfway across the cement pile when, woosh! My mic fell through a small hole covered by leaves. The mound was probably 10 feet tall.

As I peered down, a fisherman wandered by. He helped me lift a few of the blocks – they probably weighed 50 pounds each. But the mic wasn’t anywhere near the top. Every time I saw the pile after that day, I wondered where my mic wound up.

Likes

Farmers markets, traveling, tea and painting (though I’m pretty bad at it)

Dislikes

There’s not much… Maybe traffic?

If I weren't a journalist, I would be...

Working on an organic farm in Spain. I actually joined the WOOF program right before graduation. Then I got a job.

Contact

email | desk 509-372-7404 | cell 979-324-9297 | twitter | facebook | google+


Recent Articles:

Washington Supreme Court Hears WSU Golf Course Case

May 23, 2013

Fish Screens Help Farmers, Save Fish

May 23, 2013

Study: Aquifers Draining Quickly, Less In PNW

May 20, 2013

Portable Wind Turbines Bring Renewable Energy To Cities

May 15, 2013

Study: Grazing Helps Invasive Cheatgrass To Flourish

May 13, 2013

How To Clean Up A Crude Oil Spill From Trains

May 8, 2013

No New Wind Farm Construction In PNW This Year

May 7, 2013

What A Golf Course Could Mean For Washington's Groundwater

May 1, 2013

Northwest Growers Worry About Antibiotic Ban

April 29, 2013

Washington Issues First Fine For 2009 Dairy Law

April 17, 2013

Zumwalt Prairie: Oregon's Newest Natural Landmark

April 16, 2013

Board Bans Future Antibiotics in Organic Apples, Pears

April 11, 2013

Have Something To Say About The Columbia River Treaty?

April 10, 2013

What Do Antibiotics Have To Do With Organic Fruit?

April 8, 2013

Washington Euthanizing Diseased Bighorn Sheep

April 2, 2013

Biorefinery Lays Off E. Oregon Workers

April 1, 2013

Preparing For Zebra Mussels In The PNW

March 28, 2013

Washington Confirms 'Wenatchee Wolf Pack'

March 27, 2013

A Spring in Washington's Pygmy Rabbit Population

March 27, 2013

Moving 'Heirloom Chemicals' Out of Farmers' Fields

March 26, 2013

An Electric Vehicle Charger to Help Balance the Grid

March 15, 2013

Ambre Energy Asks for Coal Export Permit Delay

March 14, 2013

Report: NW Energy Efficiency Grows, Wind Energy Slows

March 13, 2013

Two New Wolf Packs Identified In Oregon

March 8, 2013

Yakima Dairies Agree to Reduce Nitrate Contamination

March 6, 2013

How Possible Budget Cuts Could Change Your Vacation Plans

Feb. 27, 2013

NW Study Says BPA Exposures Are Lower Than Once Thought

Feb. 23, 2013

Living Near the Rail Yard

Feb. 22, 2013

Groups Sue Dairies Over Groundwater Pollution

Feb. 15, 2013

Kitzhaber Signs Eastern Oregon Water Plan

Feb. 15, 2013

Relocating An Endangered Deer

Feb. 15, 2013

Despite Controversy, Oregon Says Yes To Canola Production

Feb. 7, 2013

Study Analyzes Trends in Groundwater Decline

Feb. 5, 2013

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu Announces Plans to Leave

Feb. 1, 2013

Watering The Oregon Desert

Jan. 25, 2013

Research Helps Design Fish-Friendlier Turbines

Jan. 16, 2013

Pygmy Rabbits Recovering In The Wild

Jan. 9, 2013

Wind Power Tax Credit Faces Year-End Expiration

Dec. 28, 2012

Lamprey Habitats: Discovering the Unknown

Dec. 24, 2012

The 'Most Tested Light Bulb in History'

Dec. 24, 2012

Dairies Fight EPA Nitrate Study

Dec. 19, 2012

Canadian Smelter Found Liable for U.S. Pollution

Dec. 14, 2012

Study: Climate Changes Hurts Winter Tourism

Dec. 6, 2012

Columbia River Coal Plan Gets First Hearing In Boardman

Dec. 4, 2012

Project to Recharge Aquifers with Columbia River Water

Dec. 3, 2012

Batteries: The Future of Energy Storage And Electric Cars

Nov. 30, 2012

A Smarter Thermostat To Save Energy

Nov. 29, 2012

Hints to Winterize Your Home

Nov. 29, 2012

Public Comment Period Added For Columbia Coal Export Plan

Nov. 21, 2012

Study: Urban Development Degrades Streams

Nov. 19, 2012

Rancher Brings Pollution Battle to WA Supreme Court

Nov. 13, 2012

More Layoffs For Major Wind Company

Nov. 8, 2012

A New Tool To Help Columbia Basin Adapt To Climate Change

Nov. 6, 2012

Cleaning Up Legacy Mines, One At A Time

Nov. 5, 2012

High Temps And Low Flows Are Double-Whammy For Fish

Nov. 1, 2012

Future Jobs on Wind Farms

Oct. 10, 2012

Developing Wind Energy Research

Oct. 10, 2012

No Wind Tax Credit Could Mean Fewer PNW Jobs

Oct. 10, 2012

OR, WA in Top 10 Energy Efficient States

Oct. 3, 2012

Supreme Court Rejects 'Roadless Rule' Appeal

Oct. 1, 2012

Clean Water: The Next Act - Controlling Wastewater

Sept. 28, 2012

Obama Cites National Security Threat, Shoots Down Chinese-Owned Wind Farms

Sept. 28, 2012

EPA Report Links Yakima Valley Nitrates to Dairies

Sept. 27, 2012

New Evidence Of BPA Damage To Reproductive Systems

Sept. 26, 2012

Grant Funds Largest Wave Research Site in U.S.

Sept. 26, 2012

Development Ban Lifted, Conservation Groups Sue

Sept. 21, 2012

Wind Tower Manufacturer to Close Plants

Sept. 12, 2012

Bumping Lake Concerns

Sept. 11, 2012

Yakima Basin Plan Could Flood Shoreline Community

Sept. 11, 2012

Are LEDs Coming Soon To A Light Socket Near You?

Sept. 10, 2012

Tribes Oppose Oregon Measure to Ban Gillnetting

Sept. 6, 2012

New Windows Could Cut Your Energy Costs

Aug. 24, 2012

Tax Credit Uncertainty Prompts More Wind Industry Layoffs

Aug. 24, 2012

Wind Turbines Undamaged by Central WA Fire

Aug. 23, 2012

After a Wildfire, the Erosion Problem Begins

Aug. 22, 2012

A Washington Rancher's Showdown With Pollution Regulators

Aug. 16, 2012

Rep. Hastings Pushes 'Save Our Dams' Bill

Aug. 15, 2012

Clean Water: The Next Act - Agricultural Pollution

Aug. 14, 2012

Changes in Forests Increase Fire Risks, Insect Outbreaks

Aug. 7, 2012

EarthFix Conversations: Before the Lights Go Out

July 30, 2012

Making Grizzly Bears Happier

July 27, 2012

Pro-Coal Group Launches Ad Campaign

July 26, 2012

Oregon Zoo to Release Western Pond Turtles into the Wild

July 24, 2012

Wash. Mine Fined For Water Quality Violations

July 20, 2012

OR Gillnet Ban Proposal Makes November Ballot

July 18, 2012

Poll Finds Water Quality NW Residents Top Concern

July 18, 2012

How To Keep The Energy Grid Safe From Cyber-Attacks

July 17, 2012

Coal Export Study Warns of Train Congestion

July 11, 2012

Columbia River Towns May Team Up To Export Coal

July 9, 2012

High Bacteria Levels in WA Waters, Not Found in OR, ID

June 28, 2012

Spring Chinook Numbers Lower Than Expected

June 20, 2012

Creating Power from Wheat Straw

June 13, 2012

Fuel Cells Could Power Your Neighborhood

June 12, 2012

Wild Breeding Jump-Starts Pygmy Rabbit Recovery

June 8, 2012

Oregon's New Energy Plan Pushes Renewables And Conservation

June 5, 2012

How Researchers Plan to Protect Deer Through Their Diets

May 31, 2012

'Probable' Wolf Predation Case In Washington

May 23, 2012

Study: Summer Thunderclouds Warm the Atmosphere

May 22, 2012

A Water Plan For Fish, Families And Farmers

May 16, 2012

How Northwest Sewage Helps Plants Grow

May 9, 2012

'Personal Care Products,' Pharmaceutical Toxics Found in Columbia River Study

May 8, 2012

The Case of the Great Horned Owl Mix Up

May 4, 2012

Field Notes: Feasting on First Salmon

April 24, 2012

Cutting Back A Nuke Site's Greenhouse Gas Emissions

April 19, 2012

Climate Change Threats: How Prepared is the PNW?

April 19, 2012

Report: Chinese Companies Consider Vestas Takeover

April 16, 2012

Energy Controls Could Mean Big Savings for Building Owners

April 12, 2012

More Electric Cars Could Mean More Power Demand

April 11, 2012

Can Grafting Help Organic Farmers Reduce Plant Disease?

April 10, 2012

Tribe Works To Restore Basic Water Needs

April 4, 2012

Report: Geothermal Industry Expanding

April 4, 2012

Increased Coal Train Traffic Could Mean Bad News For Public Health

March 27, 2012

Diesel Emissions and Cancer Rates

March 27, 2012

Tribe Hopes to Restore Hanford's Natural Plants

March 23, 2012

BPA Wind Power Sets New Record

March 21, 2012

Got Pollution? Study Links Dairies to Bad Air Quality

March 8, 2012

Ceremonial Fisheries Culturally Important to NW Tribes

March 5, 2012

A New Explanation for the Columbia River Flood Basalt

Feb. 28, 2012

EarthFix Conversations: NW Clean Energy Innovation

Feb. 23, 2012

Conservation Group: ‘Take Permit’ Needs More Data

Feb. 17, 2012

Reeling in the Northern Pike Population

Feb. 17, 2012

Ringing The Dinner Bell For Wintering Elk

Feb. 16, 2012

How Wind Turbines Bring Different Dangers to Different Birds

Feb. 10, 2012

6 Things You Need to Know about Water Rights

Feb. 2, 2012

Wildlife Areas Close to Protect Wintering Elk

Feb. 1, 2012

Can a Supercomputer Be Super-Green, Too?

Jan. 23, 2012

Does Global Warming Mean More Winter Snow Storms?

Jan. 17, 2012

Researchers: Mount Adams' Glaciers Half Gone

Jan. 9, 2012

EarthFix Conversations: Bringing Ideas to Market

Jan. 9, 2012

Wind Farm Applies for First Golden Eagle ‘Take Permit’

Jan. 3, 2012

How Green are Green Buildings?

Dec. 28, 2011

WA Supreme Court Upholds Water Permit Exemption

Dec. 22, 2011

What the EPA's New Rules On Coal-Plant Toxics Mean for the Northwest

Dec. 21, 2011

Tribes Announce Lamprey Restoration Plan

Dec. 19, 2011

Sherman County Gets Boost from Wind Farms

Dec. 9, 2011

Poll Finds NW Residents Would Live Near Wind Farms

Dec. 8, 2011

How Climate Change Affects Pacific Northwest Butterflies

Dec. 6, 2011

EarthFix Conversations: Photographing the Northwest's Butterflies

Dec. 6, 2011

How Native Insects Could Reduce Pesticide Use in Northwest Vineyards

Nov. 25, 2011

Wapato: A Sacred Food Returns to Yakama Nation

Nov. 23, 2011

Wind Turbines Blow Money Gorge Museum's Way

Nov. 21, 2011

Experimental Homes Move Energy Research into the Real World

Nov. 15, 2011

How The Columbia Gorge Scenic Act Helps Native Species

Nov. 14, 2011

Recovering the Western Pond Turtle

Nov. 14, 2011

Northwest States in Top Ten for Wind Power

Nov. 2, 2011

Portland Neighborhoods to Start EcoDistrict Projects

Oct. 26, 2011

WSU Report: Hotel Chains Become 'Greener'

Oct. 26, 2011

NOAA Task Force Recommends OR, WA to Kill 85 Sea Lions

Oct. 25, 2011

How Transmission Works

Oct. 21, 2011

Transmission Lines: An Interstate Highway for Energy

Oct. 21, 2011

Pacific Smelt Receive Critical Habitat Designation

Oct. 20, 2011

OR, WA in Top 10 States for Energy Efficiency

Oct. 20, 2011

U.S., Oregon Solar Manufacturers File Trading Petition Against China

Oct. 19, 2011

EarthFix Conversations: Improving Renewable Energy Efficiency

Oct. 14, 2011

Bringing Back Wapato

Oct. 10, 2011

Council Approves Whistling Ridge Wind Project

Oct. 7, 2011

Eastern Oregon Wind Farm Fight Marks New Era

Sept. 26, 2011

'Robo Fish' Sense Salmon's Tortuous Turbine Passage

Sept. 13, 2011

Electric Vehicles Could Help Balance Wind Power

Sept. 12, 2011

Pine White Butterflies Now Calling Washington Desert Home

Sept. 7, 2011

Pacific Northwest Hydropower Grants to Improve Generation

Sept. 6, 2011

Turbines Catch Good Wind in Eastern Washington

Sept. 5, 2011

Solar Thermal Energy Finds Advocate in Prosser Rancher

Aug. 30, 2011

Richland Researchers Study Efficient Carbon Capture Methods

Aug. 25, 2011

A Railroaded Oregon Creek Recovers From its Past

Aug. 22, 2011

Roman Artifacts Help Nuclear Waste Storage

Aug. 14, 2011

Factoring Forests Into Climate Change

Aug. 10, 2011

Salmon Advocates See Jobs in Healthy Fish Runs

Aug. 9, 2011

Hiding Carbon Emissions Under the Northwest's Big Rocks

Aug. 8, 2011

Richland Reseachers Develop Biofuel Catalyst

Aug. 4, 2011

BLM Seeks New Habitat Plan For Sage Grouse

July 26, 2011