Courtney DuChene

Ann Arbor, Philadelphia

Multimedia Journalist at Freelance

Writer. Journalist. Poet. MFA: @UMichWriters She/Hers Views my own.

Articles

Mommy the Galápagos tortoise

1 week ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

At around 97-years young and with wrinkly grey skin, Mommy, a Galápagos tortoise and the Philadelphia Zoo’s oldest resident, might not look like much. But she’s actually very eligible. Mommy is one of the most genetically valuable Western Santa Cruz Galápagos tortoises in North America. Since 2022, the zoo has been trying to breed her in an effort to help preserve the species.
A Monumental Loss: Fine Art Collectors and Museums Grapple with the Aftermath of the Palisades Blaze - Risk & Insurance

2 weeks ago | riskandinsurance.com | Courtney DuChene

Topics: Fine Arts | Mar./Apr. 2025 Issue The Getty Villa protrudes like a fortress from the hills along the coast of Malibu. The concrete, protected steel and travertine building was surrounded by an inferno for a time during the fire that struck the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles in January. It was in the mandatory evacuation zone for a period of time as the fires burned.
It's Not Too Late to Apply for LIHEAP — and Save on Utilities

2 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

Apr. 04, 2025 Five years ago, Helena Best was struggling financially. After a long career as a registered nurse, she had recently retired. She was in her 70s and single. Though she had saved for retirement and lived in an affordable housing community for seniors in Falls Ridge, she struggled to pay her bills. Heating bills in winter were especially challenging. Best found herself putting off buying food or medications so she could keep her apartment warm.
Can Philly Still Throw an Epic 250th Birthday Party?

3 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

Do Something This is also a moment where citizens can weigh in on the process. If you want Philly to throw a great party for the 250th, call your councilmembers and your state reps and let them know this is a priority.
The E&S Boom: How Climate Change and Storm Losses Are Changing Insurance - Risk & Insurance

3 weeks ago | riskandinsurance.com | Courtney DuChene

Topics: Excess/Surplus | Future of Insurance | Mar./Apr. 2025 Issue Wood risk has long been difficult to place, said Angelo Ganguzza, vice president, PLM, in part because of the nature of the claims. “The niche is a severity-based exposure rather than a frequency one,” he explained. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible — at least that’s how it was in the past.
Jon M. Chu’s Wicked Understands Politics Are Personal

1 month ago | electricliterature.com | Courtney DuChene

essays In the film adaptation of the musical, Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship is at the center of the film’s politics Early in Jon M.
Constructing Opportunity With Blane Stoddart

1 month ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

Mar. 17, 2025 Craig Williams, CEO of PRIDE Enterprises, likes to describe himself as “a decades-long overnight sensation.”Williams’ family has been in construction for more than three decades. His father owned a construction company, and Williams launched his own, partner company in 1996, before eventually acquiring his father’s firm.
Who is Pat Dugan?

1 month ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene |Lauren McCutcheon

Do Something Make sure you’re registered to vote. You can do it online or and do it by mail. The primary election in Philadelphia is May 20, 2025. The municipal election happens November 4, 2025.
Citizens of the Week

1 month ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

Mar. 13, 2025 When Dr. Elena McDonald was conducting Covid vaccination clinics during the early days of the vaccine, she remembers a young girl who looked at her with some confusion. “Are you a doctor?” she asked. The girl was understandably skeptical: She’d always gotten shots at the doctor’s office before; now they were in a school. Moreover, she had never seen a Black woman doctor in her life.
Diversifying the Construction Industry

1 month ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

When Louis King II visited Asheville, North Carolina last year, he was struck by the destruction he saw. Cars were stranded in creek beds. Hurricane Helene’s rains and winds had damaged and destroyed roads, businesses and homes. “It was like something from a Mad Max movie,” he recalls. King, who is president and CEO of the workforce training group Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc. (OIC), knows a bit about what it takes to rebuild and replace infrastructure after a storm.