James E Reagen

James E. Reagen began his journalism career in 1979 at the Martinsville, Va. Bulletin, a daily newspaper in southside Virginia.In 1981, he began writing about murders across upstate New York for true crime magazines, including Front Page Detective, Inside Detective and Master Detective Magazines. His articles included such classics as "Who Plugged Johnny YaYa," "Seven Slugs for the Self-Made Man," and "Daylight Found the Bishop Bludgeoned" to name a few.In 1982, he returned to Northern New York...See more

James E. Reagen began his journalism career in 1979 at the Martinsville, Va. Bulletin, a daily newspaper in southside Virginia.In 1981, he began writing about murders across upstate New York for true crime magazines, including Front Page Detective, Inside Detective and Master Detective Magazines. His articles included such classics as "Who Plugged Johnny YaYa," "Seven Slugs for the Self-Made Man," and "Daylight Found the Bishop Bludgeoned" to name a few.In 1982, he returned to Northern New York as a reporter for his hometown newspaper, before being named Managing Editor of the Ogdensburg Journal and Sunday Advance News in 1984. He oversaw the daily operations of the newspaper for 28 years.Over his career, he was honored by the New York State Associated Press Managing Editors Association and the New York State Bar Association.His awards include a First Place Award for In-Depth Reporting for an investigative series on problems in the foster care program; a Second Place Award for investigative reporting for a series of articles on an investigation of a police sergeant accused of burglarizing Ogdensburg businesses, a First Place deadline reporting for coverage of the FBI raid on illegal casinos operating on the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation. He was also honored by the New York State Bar Association for his coverage of a child sexual abuse cases involving a town justice.The newspaper was also cited in the 1980s by the Associated Press for its coverage of a couple who had opened a gay dude ranch who had been driven out of business by armed bigots who threatened their lives. He was the first newspaper editor in Northern New York to support gay rights in the 1980s.During the Ice Storm of 1998, he was honored by the Associated Press after he published his newspaper from his dining room table, producing the only newspaper that was available in the first days after the devastating Ice Storm.In 2011, he went to work for the New York State Senate as the communications director for State Senator Patty Ritchie where he was employed for 12 years. He is the author of four other books, a novel, Wizardry, the League of the Crimson Crescent; Warriors of La Presentation, a history of the French and Indian War; Fort Oswegatchie, a history of Northern New York's role in the Revolutionary War; and Booze, Badboys & Bootleggers (North Country Tales Grandpa Never Told You. (Volume 1). He also wrote "Tales from the Oswegatchie Delta," a newspaper column on the history of Northern New York.He has two step-sons, Bill Hosmer of Ogdensburg and Dan Hosmer of Rotterdam, N.Y. He is the proud grandfather of five grandchildren - Penelope, Jack, Jay, Ben and Emilie. He and his wife, the former Donna Lee Martin, live in Ogdensburg. See less