Karen Bartunek

About Me

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University '25,  

Breaking News Intern at the Arizona Republic, Reporter for Blaze Radio and Reporter/Editor at the Mesa Legend

Previous: Times Media Group, State Press, the Timberjay, and the Bisbee Observer

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Featured Articles

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below.
The Arizona Republic •

5 environmental activists arrested at Trump campaign office in Phoenix face trespassing charges

Five out-of-state climate activists face trespassing charges in Phoenix after they were arrested during a sit-in demonstration at a campaign office for former President Donald Trump.The five people were all in their 20s and from Idaho, Missouri and North Carolina. They were in Phoenix for a training with the Sunrise Movement, an environmental activist group that supports the Green New Deal. The activists were joined in the office Monday by three others who recorded the event but weren't arrested...
Arizona Republic •

'It hurts': Family, friends gather to honor Preston Lord on day he would have turned 17

(This story was updated to add new information and to add a photo or video.)

"He would have been 17 today."

That refrain was repeated by family and friends who gathered to honor Preston Lord whose birthday — Sept. 23 — was dubbed "Preston Lord Day" by Chandler to honor the teenager who was killed in a violent attack.

Lord died of traumatic brain injuries after being beaten in a gang attack on Oct. 28 during a Halloween party in suburban Queen Creek. His death tied to a gang known as the "Gilb...
Arizona Republic •

Glendale woman sentenced in Phoenix Sky Harbor assault on TSA agent who said 'she bit my hair'

A Glendale woman who was arrested after assaulting a TSA agent at Sky Harbor Airport in April 2023 was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Phoenix.

Ma’Kiah Cherae Coleman, 20, was sentenced to four months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for assault. Previously, she pled guilty to assaulting and inflicting bodily injury on a federal officer.

On April 25, 2023, Coleman assaulted a Transportation Security Administration agent at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport by g...
Arizona Republic •

Super scooper planes boost containment efforts in Siphon Fire

An air fleet has increased the chances of combating the Siphon Fire, which continues to burn in the Superstition Mountains.

The fire, which ignited Tuesday at about 1 p.m., has burned 15,786 acres with 0% containment as of Friday afternoon.

The rugged terrain has made it challenging for ground crews to access much of the affected area.

The deployment of "super scoopers" brought hope for containment, according to several social media posts from officials, including Pinal County Government and...
Blaze •

Inside The Rooster Club - Blaze Radio

The Rooster Club: the early bird gets the (tequila) worm.
Well, ok, maybe not an actual tequila worm, but the early bird does get its choice of bar beverages, breakfast, and an earful of live music.
And for those who really arrive early enough…a barstool.
The Rooster Club, an annual event hosted by Dana Armstrong, owner of the Dirty Drummer Bar, regularly pulls in a large crowd at 6:00 A.M. on the dot.
Sunday was no exception, patrons lined up in front of The Dirty Drummer Bar bright and early. No one amongst the familial, jam-packed crowd seemed to mi...
Tucson Weekly •

Tucson’s Nicest Bartender: ‘Tiger’ keeps spirits alive at the Tap Room

Tom Ziegler has not bartended for about a year at the Tap Room, but he’s omnipresent.



“Honestly, people don’t think that he’s left,” said Richard Oseran, Hotel Congress owner.



The longtime Hotel Congress/Tap Room bartender, known affectionately as “Tiger,” is the stuff of local legend. As the story goes, a young lady came in to have a drink. She sat next to a larger gentleman who invited her to have a drink with him. It didn’t take long before he’d decided to have his way...
The Foothills Focus •

Water gives North Phoenix couple purpose

Burt Eastburn and his dog, Cocoa, frequently visit water sources around the Sonoran Desert since he retired.So, when his wife, Lorley, saw an Arizona Department of Environmental Quality ad mentioning a “citizen scientist,” she wasn’t quite sure what it was — but she figured it was a match for Burt.The ad read, “Would you be willing to get water, test it, and be a citizen scientist for the state?” she recalled.“I said, ‘What is that?’ I didn’t know what it was. But I knew that Burt, born and rais...
Los Angeles Downtown News - The Voice of Downtown •

Check Mate: LA’s ‘Coach Q’ makes chess cool

Dylan Quercia — or “Coach Q” — is the queen of the LA chess scene.

The bi-identifying, queer chess instructor teaches kids around Los Angeles how to play chess, combining competitive strategy with lessons in tolerance.

Quercia found that his name was hard for some students to pronounce. He shortened it to “Q” with the added benefit that it could stand for two other facets of his person.

“There’s a lot of interaction in competitive space in chess, so the ‘Q’ being for ‘queen’ and ‘queer’ is a
The Foothills Focus •

Las Migas unveils new members, new sounds

Las Migas violinist Laura Pacios believes in the power of women and music.

“When we were little, it was not that common to see women on the stage playing with a band. For us, it’s important to travel with this,” Pacios said.

Las Migas will bring its mélange of American bluegrass and traditional flamenco melodies to the Musical Instrument Museum on Friday, Feb. 23. The show will serve as an introduction to new members and sounds.

The four female musicians who make up the Spain-based act — foun
Argonaut News •

UnHoused: Santa Monica: New exhibit takes an honest look at Santa Monica’s housing history

A new exhibit at the Santa Monica History Museum is giving visitors a glimpse into the city’s housing market. The James Rojas and John Kamp interactive element is part of a larger exhibition that takes a look at the history of housing in Santa Monica — tracing its story from humble beginnings to its status as a cosmopolitan beach hotspot.

“UnHoused: A History of Housing in Santa Monica” explores topics that span the city’s growth, including workforce expansion, the introduction of rent control
Argonaut News •

Lushly Romantic: Orchestra Nova LA brings Robert Thies to the stage

“Lushly Romantic” is gracing the stage just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Robert Thies and Orchestra Nova LA will perform classical, romantic pieces reflecting the mood of the season on Saturday, Feb. 10.

From composers César Franck to Sergei Rachmaninoff, the production ensures music with a “lush melodic opulence.”

Franck’s Symphony No. 4 was the inspiration for the production’s title, having both “lush and melodic” overtones.

“We used to hear that piece all the time growing up,” said Ivan S
Tucson Local Media •

Barbecue, blues and cars, the perfect ‘trifecta’

Cruise, BBQ and Blues Festival is an arts festival, if you ask Jonathan Frahm.

But it’s not a traditional arts festival. It’s about the art of the automobile, or rather the art of custom automobile craft.

“Folks don’t normally think of a car as a form of art, and this is highlighting an underrated art form that is very prevalent in Arizona,” said Frahm, the marketing and events manager of the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance, the presenting organization.

The festival shines a light o
Argonaut News •

Canine Hero: Cole eases the nerves of officers and victims

In law enforcement, officers often see people on their worst days.

To ease any fear or hesitation, the Culver City Police Department introduced its wellness dog, Cole, a 3-year-old Arizona-born English Labrador.

“A wellness dog is not a household dog; their purpose is so much bigger,” said Tiffany Bailey, his handler and full-time training analyst at the station.

“In this profession, you’re often encountering people on their worst days” — and he’s the perfect remedy.

Cole is an AKC-certified
Blaze •

Orpheum Theatre Phoenix celebrates 95th anniversary with vaudeville, burlesque dance shows - Blaze Radio

The “Arizona Unzipped” show boasted a mix of tawdry dance moves, live music and history lessons.

Pyrrha Sutra of Pyrrha Sutra Entertainment wanted to bring burlesque back to the Orpheum stage in a creative and modern way. This led her to seek a partnership with Marshall Shore, Arizona’s “Hip Historian.”

Together, along with the volunteer nonprofit, Friends of the Orpheum, the historical burlesque production was born.

Laura Lovato Stenzel, treasurer of the Friends of the Orpheum, but better kn
Mesa Legend •

Creativity and imagination abundant at Chuck Palahniuk book signing

When you find yourself surrounded with stuffed kangaroos and LED foam sticks, you have either found yourself in your former-raver, Australian great-aunt’s attic, or at a Chuck Palahniuk book signing, like the one from Sept. 7, 2023 .

Last Thursday’s event at the Mesa Dobson High School auditorium, hosted by Changing Hands Bookstore, highlighted an aura of randomness fitting for the literary guest of honor.

The author of “Fight Club” and “Choke” presented his new book, “Not Forever but For Now”
Blaze •

The 9/11 column that keeps history alive - Blaze Radio

The Arizona Republic Reporter and Arizona State University adjunct professor has written about his 9/11 experience in an annual column since the American tragedy occurred.

He described the context of 9/11 to his students last Monday, sharing the impact of his personal experience that still shakes him to the core.

“I don’t know the lesson of this,” Anglen said. “I just want to make you more intimate with my experience.”

When 9/11 happened, Anglen was a reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer and
State Press •

Becoming Roosevelt Row: First Friday's evolution in Downtown Phoenix - The Arizona State Press

It all started in the early 90's, with a drunken conversation and scribbled musings on a bar napkin.

"If Scottsdale can do it, why can’t we?" Local Phoenix artist Pete Petrisko said to fellow artist John Herman. They had been drinking all night at a dilapidated old Victorian on Van Buren, and, as usual, the subject had turned to local art.

Petrisko was referring to Scottsdale's monthly art walks, where galleries displayed local art.

At the time, downtown Phoenix consisted of abandoned houses,
State Press •

Program gives incarcerated students and ASU students chance to connect - The Arizona State Press

ASU's Inside-Out Exchange Program arose from a need to humanize the education system, according to program director Kevin Wright.

The program places incarcerated students and ASU undergraduate students together in a classroom setting with the goal of creating an actionable project designed to improve the correctional system.

"It's about focusing on what makes us human, whether we're incarcerated or not," Wright said.

The course is a partnership between The School of Criminology and Criminal J
State Press •

Phoenix Rainbows Festival embraces diversity amid proposed anti-drag legislation - The Arizona State Press

The 20th Annual Rainbows Festival celebrated the progress and resilience of LGBTQ+ people this weekend. The free event was held April 1 and 2 in Heritage Square Park, adjacent to ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus, and drew a diverse crowd of up to 25,000 attendees.

“I guarantee you, this is the most open, welcoming crowd you’re gonna find in Phoenix this weekend," Phoenix Pride spokesperson Jeremy Helfgot said.

The focus of the event was to emphasize the strength and joy of LGBTQ+ people with two
State Press •

Michael Crow addresses student concerns at Tempe campus forum - The Arizona State Press

ASU President Michael Crow spoke about the upcoming tuition increase and West campus expansion to students at the quarterly forum on the Tempe campus on Monday.

Andrew Kalthoff, president of the Undergraduate Student Government Tempe and senior majoring in electrical engineering, and Florian A. Schneider, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association and a graduate student studying sustainability, moderated the forum.

Of the greatest concern amongst students was the impending
State Press •

Student-organized Out of Darkness Walk brings conversation about suicide into the light - The Arizona State Press

On March 18, ASU students and other community members are participating in the Out of Darkness Walk on the Student Services Lawn to show support for those who have been impacted by suicide and open the door to conversations about mental health.

The hope of the walk is to normalize the conversation about suicide, the importance of suicide prevention and mental health in general.

Funds raised at the walk will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, assisting the group in funding re
State Press •

Incarceration reframed concept of community for student Cordero Holmes - The Arizona State Press

"I like to tell people I changed, not because of prison but in spite of it," said Cordero Holmes of his 10-year incarceration.

Holmes, 34, who is a junior majoring in public service and public policy, was recently awarded the 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. "Living the Dream Award" by the city of Phoenix, honoring his accomplishments in community growth through dedication to human and civil rights.

He said prolific authors he read in class who have become role models not only put their community f
State Press •

Citizen science kits take science beyond the lab - The Arizona State Press

In perhaps what seems like an oxymoron, the term "citizen science" has become a trend.

Those picturing scientists in lab coats and goggles might be surprised to learn that a lot of scientific data is collected through everyday observation from citizens.

ASU is leading the charge in a resurgence of citizen science programs with a program called Libraries as Community Hubs for Citizen Science. The partnership between the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, SciStarter and hundreds of
State Press •

ASU's BJ Bud Archives works to preserve LGBTQ+ History - The Arizona State Press

When an iconic gay club was scheduled for demolition to make way for a newer building, an effort was launched to save the 307 Lounge.

Though the building didn’t escape its fate, its destruction helped build something in its stead.

Phoenix Pride and Marshall Shore, Hip Historian, responded to the reality of vanishing queer history by launching a project called the Arizona LGBTQ+ History Project with the intent to preserve the under-documented history of the state's LGBTQ community.

They found
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