An established writer and professional journalist, Linda Heuring has waded through chin-deep floodwaters in the Midwest to follow animal rescuers and flown a US Army attack helicopter simulator, while covering the training of the first woman allowed to fly attack helicopters in battle. She’s covered environmental issues including hazardous landfill permitting, Ohio River water quality and the reclamation of a state super fund site. Her stories are diverse: from the legalization of riverboat gambling and its Vegas influence on Ohio River towns to interviews with scientist Carl Sagan and political prisoner Thomas Southerland. She’s covered lumberjack competitions, business expansions and closings, sweetheart swindlers and fatal fires.

    An Indiana native, Heuring grew up in a newspaper family, editing the high school newspaper for two years and writing for the yearbook while stringing for two local newspapers. She was graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., where she was editor-in-chief of the yearbook, The Mirage, and held various positions on The DePauw, the school newspaper, including managing editor. She studied briefly at the University of Iowa under visiting writer John Irving. She served as a VISTA volunteer, handling public relations for a non-profit agency, and spent several years in government public information working for local and state governments and federal programs. In addition she has owned a marketing and public relations firm, served as a vice president of Petland, Inc., an international franchise company, as managing editor of the Warrick County newspapers, a reporter and columnist for The Evansville Courier, assistant metro editor of The Courier, and editor of The Courier’s financial tabloid, YOUR MONEY. She worked for General Electric in communications, specializing in environmental issues, and was global communications manager for GE’s Silicones business. Most recently she was director of marketing for the Kennametal Industrial Products Group, based in Evans, Georgia. In July 2001 she returned to writing full-time.

 
    She is a member of Sigma Delta Chi, journalism honorary, the Society of Professional Journalists, has served on the marketing and public relations committee of the International Franchise Association, the Mayor’s Task Force on Clean Cities, and on the boards of various non-profit agencies, including the United Way in Ross County, Ohio. She was vice chairman then chair of the Ohio Valley Chapter of the Elfun Society, GE’s volunteer organization and was on the speaker’s circuit for the Evansville newspapers.

    Her work appears in a variety of national and regional publications, and she is a contributing writer for Columbia County Magazine.