Meet Rachel Spacek, new Statesman reporter covering Meridian, Eagle, Canyon County

The Idaho Statesman welcomes Rachel Spacek to our local government reporting team from the Idaho Press. Spacek will cover the communities of Meridian, Eagle, Star, Kuna, and Canyon County. She is one of several recent hires by the Statesman to fill out its newsroom team.

Rachel joins the Statesman after two years at the Idaho Press, where she reported on Canyon County government, Latino affairs and rural communities.

She moved to Idaho in 2019 from Las Vegas, where she was a community reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Before that, she worked as an intern on the Los Angeles Times business desk.

Rachel grew up in San Jose, California, and is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno.

When she isn’t working, Rachel enjoys pottery, baking, reading, especially books by women of color, and spending time outside.

One of Rachel’s goals is to shine a light on what happens in council and committee meetings and translate those sometimes mundane happenings into stories that impact people’s lives.

“I’ve often been the only person in the room at local government meetings, other than the elected officials themselves,” she said. “Through my government coverage, I want to put readers in those meetings and ensure they understand policies and can hold those in power accountable.”

Send Rachel tips or reach out at rspacek@idahostatesman.com.

Follow her @RachelSpacek on Twitter.

This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 12:31 PM with the headline "Meet Rachel Spacek, new Statesman reporter covering Meridian, Eagle, Canyon County."