Award-winning newspaper reporter Andrew Gant on top of breaking news

Andrew GantSnapshot from YouTube video / Andrew Gant, an award-winning reporter for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, splits his time between the newsroom, the beach and county council chambers in DeLand and wherever else news takes him for that matter.

DELAND -- Whether he's in the newsroom, county council chambers or on the beach, Andrew Gant is one of the new wave of reporters pounding the beat for the Daytona Beach News-Journal and winning prestigious awards along the way.

Take Tuesday, for example. Gant had a breaking news story posted online shortly after County Councilman Carl Persis announced he was resigning June 28, because of a technical issue related to his state pension as a Volusia County school principal. Persis wanted to continue, even without pay, but as told by state officials and the county attorney that was not possible. He will, however, continue his candidacy for Volusia County chair in the 2012 elections.

Gant jumped on the breaking news for an online story and followed it up with a thorough explanation as to why Persis had to take the drastic step of leaving the post he held for eight years. Gant also sought reaction from Persis' county council colleagues and his two opponents. This was far from the end of his deadline filings for the day. He also wrote an exclusive story announcing the planned resignation of Kevin Sweat, head of the Volusia County Beach Patrol. The story included details of Sweat's hefty pension.

Gant has won several prestigious journalism awards for his coverage of inappropriate behavior by Beach Patrol officers and underaged female lifeguards under an ongoing series, "Scandal on the Beach." Here is a brief description from a story announcing the awards in the 2011 Florida Press Club:  The News-Journal's lifeguard series "Scandal on the Sand," reported by former staff writer Will Hobson and staff writer Andrew Gant and edited by Projects Editor-Writer Derek Catron, received first place in enterprise news reporting. It also was runner-up for the Gene Miller Award for Investigative Reporting and received second place in crime reporting."

Gant has been with the newspaper for about two years.

Previous coverage:

http://nsbnews.net/content/406409-award-winning-daytona-beach-news-journal-reporter-derek-catron-knows-government