Staff Reports
Jeffrey Schweers, the Tallahassee Democrat‘s local government watchdog reporter, now is taking his estimable talents to the Capitol.
The newspaper on Monday announced his move to Capital Correspondent for the USA TODAY NETWORK–Florida, the other name for the state’s Gannett-owned newspapers.
“He will be focused on statewide coverage for the network, which consists of the Democrat, the Pensacola News Journal, the News-Press in Fort Myers, the Naples Daily News, FLORIDA TODAY in Melbourne and the Treasure Coast newspapers, which includes the Stuart News, Indian River Press Journal and the St. Lucie News Tribune,” the paper reported.
He was the last Capitol bureau reporter for the Tampa Tribune, replacing current Florida Politics’ Senior Editor Jim Rosica, until the paper was purchased and closed by the Tampa Bay Times’ parent company.
“Returning to the Democrat brought his career full circle (his first professional reporting job after college was as the Democrat’s K-12 education reporter). In his more than two years at the Democrat, his work on the ongoing FBI corruption investigation of City Hall and coverage of the booming marijuana industry have won statewide awards,” the Democrat reported.
The paper also said retired Democrat capital reporter Bill Cotterell would continue to write his twice-weekly column. Reporter James Call, who has covered state government in recent years, will remain with the newspaper.
