Email leigh.armstrong@patch.com
Phone (727) 204-7371 Hometown South Lyon, Michigan Birthday October 20, 1984   Bio I wish I could say I was born with a camera in my hand, but the truth is that I picked up an old camera my parents were going to throw away when I was seven years old. Ever since then, I’ve been shooting and trying to take photos of anything I could. My love of photography led to a love of writing and reporting on things of importance. I spent some time in the U.S. Army as a Public Affairs Specialist and worked for the St. Petersburg Times and tbt*. In December 2010, I had the two biggest achievements in my life happen within a week of each other. I received my degree in journalism from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and got married to the love of my life. In addition to gaining a beautiful wife, I also became the step-father to two rambunctious teenage boys. Just like everything else in my life, being a step-dad is a learning experience that I’m getting better at every day. Politics  I don’t fall under any political spectrum. I’m not registered under any political party because I really like to look at political issues on a case by case basis. Sometimes a conservative outlook is best, while other times being liberal is key. Religion My wife follows many of the Buddhist teachings and bit of that has rubbed off on me, but I wouldn’t consider myself Buddhist. I consider myself independent. I don’t practice any specific religion. Rather, I try to live my life by a personal moral code that guides me to being a good and upright person. Local Hot-Button Issues The drinking on the beach is something that is reaching a boiling point currently and I believe that the outcome of recent legislation will still be debated in the months to come. Something that is always a worry on the beach is the threat of hurricanes. The beach residents are resilient, but the threat of a direct hit is always there.