Barbi J Walsh

Freelance Journalist & Flight Attendant

United States

Journalist, podcaster, and multimedia producer. Freelance editor, ghostwriter, and AI prompt writer. NYU MA in American Journalism & ASU Walter Cronkite journalism grad. AZ native from the coolest town in the state. Veteran flight attendant with a serious case of wanderlust. Off-duty: Fast car lover, occasional cigar smoker and a little foul-mouthed at times.

Portfolio
Wrangler News
09/09/2024
Construction trades aspirants benefit from $1 million gift to MCC - Wrangler News

Tempe and West Chandler residents who aspire to build careers in the thriving construction industry have a new reason to celebrate. A $1 million Lowe's Foundation grant to the Maricopa County Community College District will enhance construction trades programs at Mesa, South Mountain and Rio Salado community colleges, conveniently accessible to Kyrene Corridor residents.

Wrangler News
08/06/2024
Transplanted stylist weaves clients' hair into works of art - Wrangler News

Lillian Herbert is more than just a salon business owner; she's an artist who seamlessly blends hairstyling with artistic creativity. For decades, Herbert has transformed her clients' hair into intricate, three-dimensional art pieces. Her unique approach has not only garnered a following but also led to the sale of one of her pieces for $10,000, [...]

Wrangler News
07/23/2024
St. James parishioners urged to embrace sustainable practices - Wrangler News

On a sweltering 114-degree Saturday morning, July 6th, St. James Episcopal Church in Tempe welcomed the Most Reverend Marinez Santos Bassoto, the first female bishop in South America. Bassoto spoke on Christians' call to be good stewards of the climate and planet. Christians must also protect the Amazon and the Indigenous people living in the [...]

Wrangler News
07/06/2024
Calling all neighborhood leaders: Chandler wants YOU! - Wrangler News

Chandler is strengthening its bond with Westside and other city residents through a neighborhood registration program, an initiative designed to foster communication and collaboration between homeowner groups and city officials. The program offers a range of benefits for registered neighborhoods, including financial aid for community projects like graffiti removal, educational resources such as neighborhood management [...]

Wrangler News
06/24/2024
Freely, still the buzzing place to bee - Wrangler News

Freely Taproom & Kitchen, nestled in the vibrant NW corner of McClintock and Warner, draws locals to its buzzing hub with a unique blend of great drinks, delectable food, and a strong sense of community. The thriving restaurant has become the pride of the neighborhood and its owner, Paul Gillingwater.

Wrangler News
06/04/2024
Diploma a milestone of near-centenarian's Holocaust triumph - Wrangler News

Oskar Knoblauch wasn't like the others waiting for their diploma on a warm May day at his high school graduation ceremony. He already had an eight-page resumé summing up a lifetime of experiences that are a massive part of history - history that graduating students had learned in class.

Wrangler News
05/20/2024
Empowering the autism community for 25+ years - Wrangler News

Two determined Valley mothers with children on the autism spectrum, Denise Resnik and Cindy Schneider, united with their developmental pediatrician over 25 years ago to establish the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center. In 1997, when Resnik's 2-year-old son Mathew received an autism diagnosis, people initially misunderstood, assuming she was referring to his "artistic" abilities.

Wrangler News
05/06/2024
For Mom on her day: 'Thank you for being you' - Wrangler News

Photo by Emily Carroll Photography She knows I'm here before I step up to knock on her door. She's sitting at her kitchen table, watching for me through her front window. Her wide smile is brighter than the cheery pink tee that engulfs her petite frame. "Hello, darlin'!"

Wrangler News
04/22/2024
Outdoor updates at Sunset Library add versatility to visitor experience - Wrangler News

While National Library Week has drawn to a close, Sunset Library in West Chandler continues to be a thriving hub of activity, offering a plethora of engaging programs and services for all ages. Now, with an updated patio area, patrons can not only broaden their access to reading materials but get a refreshing breath of [...]

Wrangler News
04/10/2024
Navigating the future (hold your breath til we arrive) - Wrangler News

South Tempe teen revs up driving skills while connecting to a community Watching your child chase a dream is exhilarating, but when that dream involves high speeds and negotiating a 15-turn race track, it's also nerve-wracking. Those moments of gripping the armrest and mashing on a non-existent brake in the passenger side floorboard come flooding [...]

Wrangler News
03/20/2024
Beyond the bubble sheet - Wrangler News

How TUHSD is preparing students for college in an ever-evolving testing arena The pandemic disrupted the testing landscape for college applicants, sparking debates over the fairness and validity of the SAT and ACT. Test scores are optional, but are they obsolete, and are these tests really the best way to measure students' potential?

Wrangler News
03/20/2024
Bridging the Generations: Popular Tempe Coffee Shop Provides an Ideal Setting for Traveling...

Sitting in the corner by the window of the local coffee shop with his laptop open and working both his phone and keyboard, Ryan Bastuba almost doesn’t stand out against the other locals doing the same that morning at Steve’s Espresso in Tempe. Almost. Bastuba isn’t your average college student. The 22-year-old ASU senior isn’t ditching class or scrolling through ego-deflating social media feeds. He’s working and working hard. The uber-focused young entrepreneur, dressed in the typical...

Wrangler News
02/16/2024
Enlightened vision for area grads who attend MCC - Wrangler News

Incoming VP vows to reinforce campus' focus on inclusion, diversity Students from Corona del Sol and Marcos de Niza high schools may get a glimpse of a new era at Mesa Community College as Dr. Jeannetta Hollins takes the helm as the school's vice president of student affairs.

Wrangler News
12/05/2023
AZTECH robotics: Triumph through teamwork, innovation - Wrangler News

In the bustling robotics room at Corona del Sol High School, the sounds of machinery, buzzing conversations, and focused work create an energetic atmosphere. Ben Lewandowski, the president of the student-run robotics program, gives his team final instructions before they disperse to their respective stations.

Wrangler News
11/28/2023
Surviving and thriving through resilience, effort, discipline - Wrangler News

Local businessman comes back stronger than before "When I woke, my nurse said we were worried about you; you're in Room 1," Glenn Jordan said of his first recollection after a hospital stay. "I was just out of a coma, but I'm doing the math, and 1 is a pretty low room number" - the [...]

Wrangler News
11/28/2023
Life's a Zoo: A free art event for families in Tempe - Wrangler News

Get messy and dive into a wild adventure at Life's a Zoo, a roaring fusion of fun and learning where families with young explorers will embark on a global animal safari through art, music and sensory play. Say program planners: Unleash your inner explorer and let the zoo come to you!

Wrangler News
10/26/2023
Dan O'Neill receives warm welcome back to Tempe after 13,000 miles - Wrangler News

Dan O'Neill, 68, arrived home to a surprise welcome of fanfare from family, friends, neighbors, the press and Tempe Mayor Corey Woods. O'Neill just completed a seven month, 13,000 mile bicycle trip around the perimeter of the United States, known as the loop. O'Neill did the solo trip without any support vehicle.

Wrangler News
09/25/2023
School bus drivers in ample supply, as is their enthusiasm for job - Wrangler News

Story by Barbi Walker-Walsh While school bus driver shortages continue nationwide, Tempe/West Chandler schools seem to be bucking the trend and managing the challenge through planning and innovative strategies. The situation isn't new, but all three districts- Kyrene, Tempe Union and Tempe Elementary - are earning high marks for their efforts to avert possible shortages.

The Click
01/06/2023
The Problem With a Crypto King's Mega Donations - The Click

(PHOENIX) - Millennial crypto billionaire Samuel Bankman-Fried caught people's attention when he donated more than $10 million to an unknown and first-time political candidate running a Democratic primary for Congress in Oregon. A self-professed follower of a social and philosophical movement known as effective altruism, Bankman-Fried claimed his goal was to give away all his money to charity and, more recently, political donations.

Climate & Capital Media
01/26/2022
A fossil fuel addict rethinks green 'muscle cars' - Climate & Capital Media

Can an EV be unadulterated driving fun? I feel the suction to the road before the speedometer clocks 110 mph. If my Burmester sound system weren't near live-concert decibels, I'd probably hear the 4.8-liter V8 engine of my 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS . I it - the same with my Pirellis' grip on the asphalt.

Climate & Capital Media
10/13/2021
Is wood the new concrete? - Climate & Capital Media

Companies looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions are turning to mass timber as a climate and building solution. With efforts to find new ways to lock up carbon, developers, architects and net zero committed companies are asking, "is wood the new concrete?"

Climate & Capital Media
07/16/2021
Seven vertical farm investments to consider - Climate & Capital Media

Bowery Farming is not the only hot vertical farm opportunity. Five U.S. vertical farming companies alone have raised over $1 billion to grow their operations and place their products with major supermarket chains including Kroger, Albertsons, Walmart and Whole Foods.

The Click
01/18/2021
The Pandemic Brings Paradise Back to Waikiki - The Click

(WAIKIKI, Honolulu) - Green palm fronds flutter high above the empty northern end of Waikiki Beach. A warm breeze floats the fragrance of plumeria tinged with sea salt through the air. No longer do exhaust fumes from tourist-laden buses nor the rank odor of sweat-drenched bodies running to and from the ocean taint the atmosphere.

The Click
11/12/2020
Tourism in Spain Continues to Suffer Amid the Pandemic - The Click

(MADRID) - Spain's Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport in Madrid is a ghost town. No more strategizing or jockeying for space while dragging your luggage through crowds of tourists; navigating one of the world's busiest airports is now a walk in the park.

The Click
11/03/2020
Space Travel Made Easy, From Your Sofa - The Click

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.) - Before we settle down to participate in the live-streaming stargazing event, my husband, 13-year-old son, and I head outside to look at Mars. It shines as bright as an autumn moon. Tonight (Oct. 13) is the Lowell Observatory's interactive stargazing and "Mars at opposition" event on YouTube.

The Click
10/18/2020
A Hopeful Return for Once Vibrant Downtown Phoenix - The Click

(PHOENIX) -- On any given afternoon, downtown Phoenix is a madhouse of traffic and pedestrians heading home, to the gym, or to happy hour. The busy one-way streets share space with the light rail. But not today. It's 4:30 p.m. in the sweltering heat, and few people cross the street or crowd the buses and rail.

Greenlivingmag
11/18/2020
Tempe Micro Estates Makes Big Impact

By Barbi Walsh impact. Made up of 13 small homes-or humble homes, as they are often referred to-the Tempe Micro Estates is a scaled-down version of a master-planned community with a huge LEED-certified development is leading the way into sustainable housing and communities.

Greenlivingmag
11/18/2020
Liberty Wildlife - Rescue & Rehabilitation of Injured Wildlife

By Barbi Walker-Walsh. Liberty Wildlife is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to solve conflict between humans and wildlife through the rescue and rehabilitation of injured wildlife, education of the public and conservation. From humble roots, they are now a shining example of what true conservation can be.

Greenlivingmag
11/18/2020
Food Trucks and Good Eats Make for Good Company

BY BARBI WALKER Good eats are just around the corner, thanks to the food truck revolution. Food trucks or "street eats," as they are often called, have taken the country by storm in the last few years. Downtown Phoenix now has a regular fleet of them and will be celebrating the first anniversary of Food Truck Friday this November 4.

Greenlivingmag
11/18/2020
Sugar Dumbs You Down

BY BARBI WALKER We've long known that eating too much sugar isn't smart-but scientists are now finding that eating too much sugar actually makes people less smart. Most people have heard that a diet high in sugar can lead to insulin resistance, hyperactivity in kids, sluggishness in adults, and weight gain for people of all ages.

Greenlivingmag
11/18/2020
Low-Impact TRAVELER

BY BARBI WALKER Historically, low-impact travel has referred to ecotourism and meant traveling to fragile rural or wilderness areas to learn about preservation, ecology and the indigenous people. Today, it's viewed as incorporating sustainable practices to leave a smaller 'footprint' regardless of destination.

Greenlivingmag
11/10/2020
From Downward Dog to a Downswing Yoga Meets Golf

BY BARBI WALKER If you think of golf and yoga simultaneously, you'll probably imagine Bill Murray in Caddyshack explaining how, after a round of golf, the Dalai Lama promised him total enlightenment on his deathbed.

Green Living AZ
01/13/2012
Vintners Going Sustainable

As any good wine maker or wine lover knows, terroir has a major impact on a wine’s taste. Vintners agree that through chemical-free, sustainable farming the wine will be more authentic by picking up the true essence of the land.

Cronkitezine ASU
05/10/2008
A Woman In Need

An intimate profile of a struggling single mother in Arizona during the Great Recession of '08

Ghostwriting/Corporate

Podcasts

Photojournalism

Personal Essays

NAYLA
03/13/2024
NAYLA

Looking back, I wish I had captured more of my parents' stories - the love letters, conversations, and quiet sacrifices, as journalists, we hold a sacred responsibility: to be custodians of memories

Expert Advice/Opinion

Blog Posts

BJWPost | Blogger. Journalist. Writer.
02/08/2020
When Old Dogs Get Scared | BJWPost

As I tried to escape it, I actually started shaking. It was uncontrollable. It wasn't until my mom took the bird off the ceiling and pulled out its guts that the noise stopped. I was so shaken up. I tried to climb out of the window, but my mom found me and sat down on the sofa with me.

BJW Post I Blogger. Journalist. Writer
11/23/2018
Oversharing

As a flight attendant, I get to see my share of quirky behaviors (yeah I'm talking about you guy, the one walking around the cabin in your sock feet, and yes into the shitter! Gross dude!). But I am increasingly shocked by how much people "overshare" information these days.

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Op Eds

Environmental Coverage

Community News