I have covered a variety of news topics and beats in the greater Southington area since 2006 with both the New Britain Herald and Meriden Record-Journal.
I moved to Southington at the start of 2011 after having previously lived in New Britain. After graduating from the University of Hartford in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in communications with a dual emphasis in journalism and media broadcasting, I immediately joined the New Britain Herald and was assigned to cover all things news in Newington. Within six months, I was assisting in a number of area towns, including Southington, Berlin and New Britain, and with breaking news coverage in other towns. In 2007, I moved to the Record-Journal and was immediately assigned the Southington beat. I was asked to move to the police, court and fire beat in May 2008, covering news in Meriden, Wallingford, Southington and Cheshire. Most recently I was involved in providing live coverage at the trial of Steve Hayes, who was given a death sentence in November for his role in a deadly 2007 triple homicide in Cheshire. I grew up in Ashburnham, MA, a small town on the New Hampshire border about an hour outside Boston and 45 minutes from Worcester. I attended Oakmont Regional High School and was a 2001 graduate, playing on the varsity baseball, soccer and basketball teams during my time there. I am an avid MLB fan with a heart that lives and dies with the Boston Red Sox, although as a baseball fan growing up I am proud to say that one of my favorite players was Tino Martinez. I wished him and the Yankees success – provided that success is no more than the Red Sox have. When I find free time, I enjoy spending my days playing baseball or softball. I like cooking and generally just enjoy being social with friends and family. I also love meeting new people and hearing their stories, so please tell me about yourself if you see me. Beliefs At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license to inject beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that our beliefs are on the record will cause us to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know. Politics I am registered as unaffiliated and often lean towards liberal policies, although I remain fiscally conservative and like to keep an eye on government spending. Religion I was raised Roman Catholic but have since found myself drifting away from the church. I hold general Christian morals and beliefs but also feel that every situation is different and a spiritual connection with God is more important than practicing every Sunday. Contact Information Cell: (860) 256-1714 Email: Jason.Vallee@patch.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SouthingtonPatch Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SouthngtnPatch