Anthony Plascencia is a multimedia producer and photojournalist for the Ventura County Star. Being one of the creators and co-producers of the Star’s “Never 30” history podcast, he loves hearing and sharing unique stories of interesting people and places. As a native of Ventura County, he is often out in the community covering local news and attending community events. He lives in Oxnard with his wife, children and an extended family of pets.
Arlene Martinez is part of the Ventura County Star's watchdog team, covering government and tracking spending. She has spent time in various news organizations across the country, writing about politics, education, the environment, sports and music. She spends a lot of time exploring the outdoors with her two creative, energetic toddlers and artist husband.
Cheri Carlson is a member of the Ventura County Star's watchdog team, covering the environment and data-driven stories. Before coming to Ventura County in 2005, she covered education and the environment in California's Central Valley. Growing up in Canada, she kayaked in the summers and learned to ski in the winter. Now she calls Southern California home and loves to spend time on local trails.
Wendy Leung is a local government reporter for the Ventura County Star who has worked in newsrooms in the Inland Empire, Los Angeles and Taipei. She was a storyteller for the Star's first event in Ventura and now enjoys meeting and introducing other storytellers as co-emcee. She lives in Oak Park with two cats and a husband who occasionally argues with her over the merits of cheese in a can. Follow her on Twitter @Leung__Wendy and on Facebook @WendyLeungVCstar.
Megan Diskin covers courts, the criminal justice system and law enforcement for The Star. She started at the paper in 2014 and previously covered the breaking news and crime beat. She graduated from California State University Northridge in December 2013 with a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a bachelor's degree in Religious Studies. She is a passionate Los Angeles Dodgers fan.
Alexa D'Angelo is the education reporter at the Ventura County Star, covering the K-12 and college systems in the county. Born and raised in Arizona, she's spent time in newsrooms in both Arizona and California covering crime, courts, business and technology at various internships during her time at Arizona State University. In her free time, she's often on one of Ventura County's beaches reading a book with her dog Cooper.