About
William A. “Bill” West
I am the founder / owner / publisher of the website AshtabulaCurrent.com (AC). My desire to produce an alternative source for stories about the Ashtabula County area news and arts scene lead to the creation of the AC website.
This has been an extensive learning process for myself and my AC staff. This site would not be a reality without the invaluable knowledge and assistance from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale professor Anita Barrett, award-winning online journalism guru.
I am from Bemus Point, N.Y., and served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam Era. Studied photojournalism and political science at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. Graduated in 1987.
My photojournalism career began in the 1980s and I have earned numerous awards for outstanding photography from Associated Press, National News Photographers Association, Ohio News Photographer Association, Community Newspapers Holding Inc., Star Beacon newspaper and the Chautauqua Society of Artists.
My work has appeared in Life and Gameday (NFL) magazines and has been seen world-wide via Associated Press. The USA Today, Washington Post, Dallas Morning News and Cleveland Plain Dealer newspapers have also published his outstanding news photographs.
Although I have focused on photojournalism efforts I never lost my love of the beautiful scenes found in nature and and landscapes. Artists Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Matisse, Thomas Benton and Andrew Wyeth have influenced West’s view of the world. Photographers Matthew Brady, Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Man Ray, Alfred Eisenstadt, Robert Capa and Eddie Adams are among my favorites.
I make the very affluent village of North Kingsville his home and can be contacted at ashtabulacurrent@gmail.com
About the site builders
From left: Marta Bender, Lisa Brock, Chris Zoeller, Ian Mullen, Amy Meier, Jamie Broadnax, and Anita Barrett
The SIU School of Journalism in Carbondale, Illinois is Bill West’s alma mater.
The Spring 2012 Online Journalism class (JRNL 426) studied Mark Briggs’ Entrepreneurial Journalism and built a basic website for Mr. West.