Ann Rejrat

Photo by Jessica Lewis 🩋 thepaintedsquare on Pexels

About Me

Passionate journalist with experience in accountability journalism, covering the issues the community is talking about, and talking to the people who make a difference. 

I am committed to amplifying the community voices often overlooked and holding institutions accountable through compelling storytelling.  

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Recent Work

Pennsylvania Capital-Star •

Ukrainian Americans in Pa. keep a close eye on changing political landscapes and a war-torn nation ‱ Pennsylvania Capital-Star

At first, Yelena Smekodub didn’t believe her Russian sister-in-law when she said the country was preparing for war.
“She’s like, ‘They’re preparing. They’re building bomb shelters,’” Smekodub said. “I’m like, ‘Your sister is off her rocker. She’s nuts. This is never gonna happen.’”
This was back three years ago, but she remembers the conversation vividly. Not because her sister-in-law said something crazy, but because she was right.
War was coming.
On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched a full invasi...

Investigative, Enterprise, and Watchdog Stories

LancasterOnline •

Toxic trains: Real-time hazmat info hard to get, even for Lancaster County's first responders

The windows rattled on Frank Frederick’s Union Street home in Columbia when the train passed 40 feet from his side yard.Frederick and his neighbors have been worried about what’s on those trains since the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania line, which prompted the intentional release and burning of toxic vinyl chloride and the evacuation of more than a thousand residents.“I have been wondering what it is on the trains, but nobody wants to say...
LancasterOnline •

Pa. doesn't protect against utility shutoffs; here's how residents can get help [Lancaster Watchdog]

Like many expectant mothers, Shauntasia Morant spent the weeks before her May 21 due date preparing for her son’s arrival.Among those preparations: applying to utility, food and financial assistance programs. The single mother, who works as a certified nursing assistant at Mennonite Home Community, says she was repeatedly denied for not meeting income requirements. “They keep saying I make too much when I’m like, every dollar or penny I get goes straight into bills,” 32-year-old Morant, of Lanca...
LancasterOnline •

Potential dangers of lead pollution from airplane fuel still prevalent [Lancaster Watchdog]

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Lindsay Hafer and David Buttolph live in Lititz. A correction has been made to reflect that they both live in Manheim Township. Over a 30-minute period one January afternoon, two small airplanes passed over Lindsay Hafer’s home on Kingsbridge Drive in Manheim Township.The mother of two children, ages 5 and 10, said she had never thought about the possible health hazards of living near an airport until she moved in June to he...
LancasterOnline •

One year after East Palestine train derailment, not much has changed for local emergency responders

About 135 miles of active rail lines weave through Lancaster County carrying rail cars that at any point could be filled with hazardous material such as vinyl chloride, the chemical at the center of a train derailment near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border last year. On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, less than a quarter-mile from the Pennsylvania border, prompting the intentional release and burning of toxic vinyl chloride and the evacuation of more than a th...
LancasterOnline •

How ID scanning works to make some bars safer, and why some question it [Lancaster Watchdog]

On a rainy Friday night in October, patrons started trickling into Marion Court Room on East Marion Street in downtown Lancaster, ready to unwind for the weekend.Before any of them could make their way to the bar to order a first round of drinks, they had to hand over their IDs to a bouncer standing by a machine that looks a lot like a cash register with a touchscreen tablet and a webcam attached: a Patronscan ID-scanning system.A poster with an ominous warning hung from the front of the scannin...
LancasterOnline •

‘Grandfathering’: Why Martin’s Country Market didn’t have sprinklers [Lancaster Watchdog]

The fire that destroyed Martin’s Country Market in Ephrata Township last month spread fast. Firefighters were on the scene within minutes of the initial report, but they still couldn’t stop it.After the fire, The Watchdog, along with and a lot of other folks in the community, was wondering why such a large building — more than 50,000 square feet — is not required to have a sprinkler system. Sprinkler systems, which spray water when they sense heat, can reduce fire damage by as much as 90%, accor...
LancasterOnline •

York Energy storage aims to build dam on 1000 acres in York County

Editors note: A previous version listed Brookfield Energy Group as owning York Energy Storage, when it does not.York Energy Storage LLC has applied with a federal agency to run a feasibility study for a dam and power turbine on the Susquehanna River in Chanceford Township, York County. The project is not the first time that a dam has been proposed in the area. Similar projects were proposed in both 1990 and 2011 to large local pushback and both proposals were scrapped.The company applied on Feb....
LancasterOnline •

Patronscan to pull back on length of data retention, bar bans in Pa. [Lancaster Watchdog]

Last week, The Watchdog wrote about an ID scanner popping up at bars around Lancaster that, while backed by bar owners, is raising some eyebrows among customers and data privacy experts. Patronscan, a subscription-based security system, checks the IDs of patrons for fakes, takes a photo of each patron, and lifts personal identifying details off their ID to store temporarily for use if a patron causes a problem and needs to be banned from the establishment.The Patronscan system allows bars to app...
LancasterOnline •

Waste authority takes first steps to expand Creswell Landfill in Manor Township

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the cancelation of the March meeting.Five days a week, tractor-trailers loaded down with waste from Lancaster, Berks, Dauphin and York counties snake their way along River Road in Manor Township en route to Frey Farm Landfill.Last year, more than 400,000 tons of waste collected on the property. For perspective, the Empire State Building in New York City weighs about 365,000 tons.Since 1989, Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority ha...
LancasterOnline •

Railroad's training for emergency responders is infrequent and not always convenient [Lancaster Watchdog]

Late last month, Norfolk Southern hosted three days of safety training in Harrisburg for emergency responders from across central Pennsylvania. The training provided by the company, which owns railroads stretching across the state and Lancaster County, is designed to familiarize firefighters and other responders with the types of railroad cars and other equipment that they may encounter in an emergency situation.Firefighters receive 24 hours of hazardous materials training their first year of se...
LancasterOnline •

Organizations forced to foot the bill to dispose items left outside donation bins [Lancaster Watchdog]

Have you noticed clothing, furniture, electronics and other miscellaneous items collecting next to over-stuff donation bins? Your loyal Watchdog has and finds it especially disconcerting to see those donated items ruined when it rains or snows.One reader wrote to ask about who’s responsible for the damaged items and trash that can pile up outside the donation bins.  To start, the Watchdog wanted to find out what the organizations that sponsor the bins hope they will be used for. Three organizati...
LancasterOnline •

'Eyesore' school bus parked along New Holland Pike not breaking any laws [Lancaster Watchdog]

Driving along New Holland Pike in East Lampeter Township you can expect to see the usual scenic homesteads, woodlands, the Conestoga River 
 and a shabby-looking school bus.The retired Blue Bird bus, with chipping paint and a mattress visible through the back windows, has been stationed on a grassy spot a few feet off the side of the road long enough that Google Maps has registered it as a landmark, placing a bus icon on maps of the area.Susan Franz, a resident of Upper Leacock Township, drives...

Other News Stories

LancasterOnline •

Lebanon pro boxer led a life on the streets. Now, his life's work is to help at-risk youth

LEBANON – A bell rings and a green light turns on. The kids have three minutes at their assigned stations – jumping rope, hitting bags, running on the treadmill, shadow boxing in a mirror, and hitting pads in the ring with professional boxer Nicolas “The Living Dream” Hernandez. The makeshift gym is in Ferrer Motorsports, an automotive shop in Lebanon. The walls are adorned with photos from past fights and fight promotions. It has a ring at one end and bags hanging by chains at the other. Amid t...
LancasterOnline •

'They were family:' Uncertain future for longtime employees of fire-ravaged Martin’s Country Market

Editor's Note: This story had been updated to correct a misspelling of a source's name.When his phone lit up just after 4 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 15, Randy Eshleman assumed someone was sick and calling off work.Instead, Eshleman, a department manager at Martin’s Country Market in Ephrata Township, checked his phone and saw a text message telling him the supermarket was on fire. “The first thing that exploded out of my mouth was ‘Oh, my God,’ and I was out of my house quicker than I ever had...
LancasterOnline •

'I can’t believe it’s real’: Father remembers East Petersburg man who died in burning home

Craig Rice ducked under the police tape and walked through the ruins of his son's home Monday morning.About 12 hours before, a fire ripped through the brick rancher at 6294 High St. in East Petersburg Borough, leaving only a shell of the structure. Police say Rice’s son, Mark Hackman, 53, set the fire that killed him. “I can’t believe it’s real,” Rice said. The house sits on the corner of High Street and Jefferson Drive, and a tree on the corner of the lot holds birdhouses and feeders. Under the...
LancasterOnline •

Lancaster nonprofit addressing disparities by investing in minority medical students, doctors

Rutgers University senior Nicolle Asprilla has dreamed of being a doctor since she was a little girl growing up in Columbia. She’s even thought about being a surgeon.But at one point during her undergraduate studies, her confidence in her abilities began to waver, and she began considering other options in the medical field, like becoming a physician assistant.“I thought I wasn’t going to be able to have what a person needs to be competent to get into medical school,” said Asprilla, who is Hispa...
LancasterOnline •

'You can't let hate win': Star of 'Drag Queen Story Hour' reflects on cultural firestorm

Editor's note: The event was canceled Saturday morning due to a public safety threat reported by the police.Monday was Christopher Paolini’s birthday, and he spent much of it crying and feeling overwhelmed. A West Reading native, Paolini has for years performed in drag as Miss Amie VanitĂ©, staging both adult shows and kid-friendly Drag Queen Story Hours, which feature songs and readings for young people and their families.But now, with Lancaster Public Library hosting its first Drag Queen Story...
LancasterOnline •

Shank’s Mare Outfitters, now closing, served Lancaster County for 45 years

WRIGHTSVILLE –  About 20 people set off from Shank's Mare Outfitters, kayaking on a hot, humid, sunny July day in 2012, a summer day like most others. But as the group paddled across the Susquehanna River down through the Conejohela Flats, the sky started to darken. The private group that booked a Paddle and Dine adventure decided not to turn back, though, said Randy Blasdell, 63, of West Hempfield Township, who was in the group.The sky got darker. Winds picked up. Thunder boomed clearly. Shank’...
LancasterOnline •

Lebanon restorative tattoo artist helps fellow cancer survivors and others ‘feel whole again’

LEBANON — Barbara Fox sits back to look at her work on Julie Swartz, nods, then leans in to continue the tattoo. Fox is working on a tattoo few will ever see — a realistic areola on Swartz, a breast cancer survivor. “You know, it (the tattoo) is not for everybody else,” Swartz says. “It’s just for me and it’s a chance to feel whole again. So it’s sort of a reclaiming. It’s putting my own mark on something that I had no control over.”The tray to Fox’s side is organized — ink colors sit in small p...
LancasterOnline •

‘I’m emotionally and physically drained’: Drag queen performer cancels another event

A Drag Queen Story Hour event that was scheduled for later this month at a church in Mountville has been canceled. Christopher Paolini, who performs as Miss Amie VanitĂ©, said that the decision was made to cancel the event after a news article by another media outlet was posted Saturday incorrectly saying the event was a reschedule of the canceled March Drag Queen Story Hour at the Lancaster Public Library.“Hate started piling in with comments and shares on social media,” Paolini said. The church...
LancasterOnline •

A legal battle almost 40 years ago reshaped voting and schooling for one remote Lancaster County neighborhood

On the northeast side of Texter Mountain, Foxcroft Lane, a horseshoe-shaped road, dips briefly into Lancaster County from the Berks County side. Every other year, the Lancaster County residents who live in the eight households on that block are issued a special set of instructions when they show up at the polls on Election Day.The 12 registered voters in those homes fill out the same ballots as their West Cocalico Township neighbors, but with one exception — they vote for school board candidates...
LancasterOnline •

Miss Amie Vanité returns to Lancaster for Drag Queen Story Hour as a performer at Lancaster Pride [photos]

In a black dress with colorful music notes on it, wearing silver sparkly heels, with a makeup look that included red sparkly lipstick, and equipped with a guitar and a collection of books, Miss Amie Vanité took the stage once again for her Drag Queen Story Hour on Saturday. It was the first story hour since October for West Reading native Christopher Paolini, who performs as Miss Amie Vanité. Paolini appeared in Freedom Hall at the Lancaster Convention Center in Lancaster city, one of a slew of...
LancasterOnline •

Community mourns loss of Ukrainian man adopted in Palmyra killed fighting for homeland

PALMYRA — A cover of Jo Dee Messina’s “Heaven Was Needing a Hero” played through the speakers of Palmyra Grace Church, the singer’s voice carrying over a hushed chorus of conversation at the memorial service for Alex “Sasha” Coburn.About 300 people gathered on a November afternoon to mourn with Alex’s parents, Patricia and Brian Coburn, and other members of the Coburn family, who stood near the stage dressed in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine.Alex, 23, was adopted from Ukraine by the Cobu...
LancasterOnline •

Displaced for nearly a year after explosion, Rapho Township man prepares to return home

Gary Devonshire misses his home.He misses the quiet in rural Rapho Township, and the view of fireworks in the surrounding towns around the Fourth of July. He misses his koi pond, where he kept fish for more than a decade.His koi pond is empty now, but he is eager to restock it when electricity is finally restored to his home.Devonshire lost power — and a lot more — on July 5, 2023, when the public works shed next to the Rapho Township municipal building on the 900 block of North Colebrook Road e...
LancasterOnline •

Lancaster County residents who remember TMI nuclear plant meltdown see positives in reopening

David Hershey was in the library at Elizabethtown High School on March 28, 1979, when school officials told him he and all of his classmates had to go home.Five miles away at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, the Unit 2 reactor was having a partial meltdown, the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history.“I don’t think I realized how serious it was because I was young,” said Hershey, who was 16 at the time.His family chose to stay in town and deal with the uncertainty of a potent...
LancasterOnline •

Drag performers, Lancaster Pride thrilled to team with Jonathan Groff for weekend events

It took Christopher Paolini a few minutes to process the news that he was going to host a Drag Queen Story Hour with Tony Award-winning actor and Ronks native Jonathan Groff.Paolini, who performs in drag as Miss Amie VanitĂ©, got a call from Lancaster Pride President Tiffany Shirley in early August letting him know he and Groff would be headlining Saturday’s free storytime events at the Lancaster County Convention Center in downtown Lancaster.“I hung up the phone, and then I was just like, ‘Wait...
LancasterOnline •

Voters in 100th District talk passionately about their favored primary candidate

Across the 100th Legislative District in Lancaster County’s southern end, voters showed up to be heard in a race between 18-year incumbent state Rep. Bryan Cutler and political newcomer Dave Nissley.Nissley, a landscaping business owner from Sadsbury Township, has never run for office and wasn’t involved with the county Republican Party. But support among some conservatives outside of the Republican establishment made him a formidable challenger.With both candidates’ billboards and yard signs do...
LancasterOnline •

Norfolk Southern fails to notify local fire crews of maintenance work that sparks fires

Dozens of small fires on properties bordering a rail line owned by Norfolk Southern prompted multiple 911 calls to Lancaster County first responders on Wednesday and Thursday. In some cases, fire units that responded were ordered off the railroad’s property.First responders said the fires along the Norfolk Southern Port Road rail line, from Marietta Borough to Safe Harbor in Conestoga Township, were caused by grinding work on the tracks, which often causes fires. The equipment used to grind rail...

Full Train Coverage

LancasterOnline •

Toxic trains: Real-time hazmat info hard to get, even for Lancaster County's first responders

The windows rattled on Frank Frederick’s Union Street home in Columbia when the train passed 40 feet from his side yard.Frederick and his neighbors have been worried about what’s on those trains since the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania line, which prompted the intentional release and burning of toxic vinyl chloride and the evacuation of more than a thousand residents.“I have been wondering what it is on the trains, but nobody wants to say...
LancasterOnline •

Hazardous material on Lancaster County trains: How we got the information

The train that ran through Columbia on a Wednesday afternoon in May had cars with a red, diamond-shaped placard with 1075 in the center.That indicated LP Gas, liquefied propane gas, which is highly flammable and explosive and commonly used in cooking and heating.These placards and unique four-digit numbers are on all train cars with potentially hazardous materials and are searchable on Google.But when railroads and government officials were asked for records of what hazardous materials move thro...
LancasterOnline •

At least 28 hazardous materials moved through Lancaster County in 2021 [list]

At least 28 hazardous materials moved by train through Lancaster County in 2021, the most recent year for which that data is available in county officials’ commodity reports.The U.S. Department of Transportation defines hazardous material as "any materials that, because of quantity, concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics, pose a significant present or potential hazard to human health and safety, or to the environment, if released.TOXIC TRAINS IN LANCASTER COUNTY: FULL COVERAGEHer...
LancasterOnline •

What railroads operate in Lancaster County? [list]

The Hazardous Rail Transit Plan for Lancaster County, provided by county officials through a right-to-know request, addresses railroad transportation risks and gives emergency responders a general response plan.The plan, which is distributed to first responders and local emergency managers, outlines when to take action, how to identify hazardous material placards on a variety of railcar types, the procedures for emergency notification, how to establish incident command and organization, and info...
LancasterOnline •

Who responds? When do you evacuate? A look at Lancaster County's Hazardous Rail Transit Plan

The Hazardous Rail Transit Plan for Lancaster County, provided by county officials through a right-to-know request, addresses railroad transportation risks and gives emergency responders a general response plan.The plan, which is distributed to first responders and local emergency managers, outlines when to take action, how to identify hazardous material placards on a variety of railcar types, the procedures for emergency notification, how to establish incident command and organization, and info...
LancasterOnline •

Listen: LNP reporter talks toxic trains, reporting and transparency with WITF host

An LNP | LancasterOnline analysis in partnership with WITF found that real-time information on hazardous material transported by trains is nearly impossible to get, even for the first responders charged with responding to a derailment or other disaster. Reporters sought detailed information through Right-to-Know Law requests about train cargo from 12 central Pennsylvania counties. Only three of those counties said they had lists of specific chemicals being carried by trains – Lancaster, Juniata...
LancasterOnline •

Railroad's training for emergency responders is infrequent and not always convenient [Lancaster Watchdog]

Late last month, Norfolk Southern hosted three days of safety training in Harrisburg for emergency responders from across central Pennsylvania. The training provided by the company, which owns railroads stretching across the state and Lancaster County, is designed to familiarize firefighters and other responders with the types of railroad cars and other equipment that they may encounter in an emergency situation.Firefighters receive 24 hours of hazardous materials training their first year of se...
LancasterOnline •

Pa. Attorney General signs letter urging feds to require railroads to release more information about toxic freight in emergency situations

Attorneys General from Pennsylvania and 12 other states signed a letter last month to the U.S. Department of Transportation supporting a proposed federal rule to require railroads to make information about hazardous materials being hauled on their trains available electronically to emergency responders. The October 27 letter expressed support for a Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration rule introduced June 21 to require railroads, in the event of an accident such as a derailmen...
LancasterOnline •

Lancaster first responders applaud rule change about information sharing for hazardous materials on trains

Local emergency responders are applauding a new federal rule that requires train companies to give them immediate access to information about hazardous materials transported by rail after a train accident.“It’s something that’s been long overdue, and it’s something that will help first responders have an idea of what they’re getting themselves into,” said Jay Barninger, emergency management coordinator for Columbia Borough.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipelines and Hazardous Materials...
LancasterOnline •

One year after East Palestine train derailment, not much has changed for local emergency responders

About 135 miles of active rail lines weave through Lancaster County carrying rail cars that at any point could be filled with hazardous material such as vinyl chloride, the chemical at the center of a train derailment near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border last year. On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, less than a quarter-mile from the Pennsylvania border, prompting the intentional release and burning of toxic vinyl chloride and the evacuation of more than a th...

Columns

LancasterOnline •

Preparing to climb to new heights with my sister [column]

I sat on a crowded pool deck the day I realized how bad it was.Hours before, my sister Krystyna woke me up during the night with another headache. During winter 2007, she had moved home to Scranton, Lackawanna County, from Virginia on disability leave when she started having headaches and falling.Undiagnosed, doctors sent her home while they tried to figure out what was happening. She was 26 and it was only a few years after she graduated from Temple University where she was on the women’s varsi...
LancasterOnline •

How I'm training to hike Mount Katahdin, from climbing stairs to swimming [column]

I have been spending a lot of time this summer in a stairwell.The stairs in the Lancaster city parking garage I frequent are hot, a little smelly and only offer concrete walls as a view. That’s not a big deal if you are only parking your car. But for a workout, it’s not the most glamorous. The one plus is the breeze that occasionally comes through the barred windows. And I am thankful for that.If you’re just joining me, this is the second column in a series about hiking Mount Katahdin in Maine w...
LancasterOnline •

How my journey to climb Mount Katahdin with my sister ended [column]

There’s a wooden sign at the start of the Hunt Trail on Maine’s Mount Katahdin.“You are entering Maine’s largest wilderness,” the sign read. “Your safety is your responsibility. Set a turnaround time and stick to it. Your destination is your safe return to the trailhead. Rescuers can be many hours in arriving.”Clear. Concise. Slightly ominous.If you’re just joining me, this is the third and final column in a series about hiking to the top of Mount Katahdin with my sister, Krystyna, who has multi...

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