Goldsboro native Taylor Heeden is joining the staff of the News + Record as a reporter, covering Pittsboro and Siler City government and producing other news and feature stories for the newspaper’s print and online products.
She comes to the CN+R after a stint as a reporter at The Johnstonian News, where she covered government and worked as a general assignment reporter.
News + Record Publisher Bill Horner III said Heeden will replace D. Lars Dolder, who’s leaving the News + Record for a position as business reporter at the News & Observer in Raleigh.
“I hope to be able to bring awareness of decisions impacting the Chatham County community, as well as provide a platform for those whose voices historically have been overlooked,” said Heeden, whose first day with the News + Record will be Monday, Oct. 11. “I also want to showcase the amazing things happening in this community by telling the stories of the people who live here.”
Heeden, a 2020 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, described herself as “passionate about telling the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in their community, as well as keeping communities aware of the decisions being made impacting them.”
When not typing furiously on her laptop to make deadlines, Heeden said she can be found watching true crime docuseries while sipping on a cup of coffee or her favorite tea.
Dolder worked as a stringer for the News + Record before joining the staff full-time last October.
“In the year that he’s been here, Lars has done remarkable work for us,” Horner said. “He came here as an experienced writer but developed into one of the finest reporters I’ve ever worked with in a very short time. He’s been part of this incredible team we’re trying to develop here and we’ll miss him and his talents greatly. The News & Observer is lucky to have Lars, and he has a great future ahead of him.”
Horner said Heeden comes to the News + Record with strong recommendations from journalists he knows in the industry.
“Taylor already knows some of our staff and I’m excited about her enthusiasm and her capacity for producing a lot of compelling stories,” he said. “She’ll help us continue to meet our objective in being the key source of news and information for and about Chatham County.”