James E. Reagen, the former award winning managing editor of the Ogdensburg Journal and Advance News, has been writing about Northern New York for more than 40 years. After growing up in Ogdensburg, he began his career as a student journalist and executive editor at the Cavalier Daily newspaper at the University of Virginia. In 1976, he co-authored a series of articles that won the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Journalism Award for outstanding coverage of the problems faced by African American students at the southern college. He was honored at the home of the widow of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and at a luncheon at the President John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In the summer of 1976, he worked with the White House Press Office for U.S. President Gerald R. Ford's bicentennial visit to Thomas Jefferson's home as part of the 200th anniversary July 4th celebration. That summer he also covered the visit of Queen Elizabeth. In 1978, he went to work as a full-time newspaper reporter for the Martinsville, Va. Bulletin where he wrote about local government, moonshiners and murders, among other things. He later wrote for Inside Detective, Master Detective and Front Page Detective Magazines, with articles including "Who Plugged Johnny Ya Ya," "Daylight Found the Bishop Bludgeoned," and "Seven Slugs for the Self Made Man" to name a few. In 1981, he returned to Northern New York as a reporter for the Ogdensburg Journal and Advance News. He was promoted to editor of the St. Lawrence Plaindealer in Canton and in 1982 was appointed as Managing Editor of the Ogdensburg Journal and Advance News. He was honored by the Associated Press Managing Editors Association for investigative reporting twice, the New York State Bar Association honored him for investigative reporting, and he received a first place news coverage award for reporting on the FBI's raid on illegal casinos at the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. Under his leadership, the newspaper was honored by the Associated Press for its coverage of problems facing the gay community when gunmen showed up at a gay dude ranch. He was the first newspaper editorial writer in Northern New York to editorialize on behalf of gay rights. In 1998, he was honored by Associated Press for his newspaper's coverage of the historic ice storm when he published the newspaper from his dining room table at his house, producing the only newspaper available in Northern New York during the first days of the ice storm. In 2001, on the 25th anniversary of winning the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award, he was invited by the African American Student Association at the University of Virginia to participate in a forum on the groundbreaking articles he co-authored and the effect they had on improving life at the college for students of color. He is the author of four books - Booze, Badboys & Bootleggers (North Country Tales Grandpa Never Told You); a sword and sorcery novel, "Wizardry, the League of the Crimson Crescent," a book on Ogdensburg's role in the French and Indian War - "Warriors of La Presentation," and a book on Ogdensburg's role in the Revolutionary War - "Fort Oswegatchie." He has worked with the OFA Key Club for over 30 years as its advisor and was honored with New York State's Key of Honor for his service to Ogdensburg's young people. In 2011, he went to work for New York State Senator Patty Ritchie and in 2019, he was elected to the St. Lawrence County Legislature to represent Ogdensburg. He and his wife, Donna, own the historic award winning Sherman Inn.