Alexa York’s debut investigation uncovers radioactive contamination in Luckey, Ohio

In this episode of How They Did It, Quỳnh Lê talks with Alexa York, winner of the 2025 Barlett & Steele Award for Outstanding Young Journalist. York shares how her investigation at The Blade revealed radioactive groundwater contamination in Luckey, Ohio, a discovery that led to state and federal action. Now a graduate student at Columbia University, she reflects on what it took to report the story and what she’s still working to uncover.