Sarah Ovaska

Sarah Ovaska

Senior Editor, Cardinal & Pine

is an senior editor and reporter at Cardinal & Pine. A veteran investigative journalist from North Carolina, her byline has appeared at The News & Observer, NC Policy Watch, NC Health News & More.

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Health Pediatricians saw a drop in childhood vaccinations in 2020. Photo illustration via Getty Images.
Health How COVID Fears Are Disrupting NC Children’s Routine Vaccinations

North Carolina saw immunizations for children plunge in 2020. It got better in 2021, but many NC babies and toddlers went without potentially life-saving vaccines.  

Sarah Ovaska Sarah Ovaska October 14, 2021 12:31 pm EDT
Culture A toddler girl enjoys a bag of popcorn while in a corn maze field. Image via Getty Images.
Culture Eight NC Corn Mazes to Get Lost in This Year

As we get ready for Halloween and fall, grab the family to one of these North Carolina corn mazes.

Sarah Ovaska Sarah Ovaska October 7, 2021 8:44 am EDT
Law and Policy Activists take part in a protest outside of the Old Ebbitt Grill to call for a full minimum wage with tips for restaurant workers in Washington, DC in May 2021. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
Law and Policy ‘More Rights for the Employer’: Why Workers Have it So Bad in North Carolina

North Carolina’s lack of worker protections makes it the worst place in the country to work, especially for Black women, a recent analysis found.

Sarah Ovaska Sarah Ovaska September 24, 2021 6:55 am EDT
Coronavirus Chris Rutledge, a nurse for Samaritan’s Purse, eats lunch in January 2021 during the only short break of her 12-hour shift inside the COVID-19 field hospital in Lenoir, N.C. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)
Coronavirus Mobile Morgues and Desperation: Inside North Carolina’s Least Vaccinated County

A hospital leader in Robeson County tells C&P why she’s exhausted, mad, and scared for her community right now. 

Sarah Ovaska Sarah Ovaska September 7, 2021 12:39 pm EDT
North Carolina Reverend Gregory Hardy is arrested in April 2015 as he and other clergy members demonstrate for Medicaid expansion outside the Senate chamber at the North Carolina Legislature in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
North Carolina Too Poor To Get Sick: What’s Next for the Half-Million Uninsured North Carolinians

Inside the wait for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, one of 12 states spurning a federally-funded healthcare program for poor people.

Sarah Ovaska Sarah Ovaska August 30, 2021 12:07 pm EDT

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To commemorate the first few lines of his short story "The Gift of the Magi," fans still leave $1.87 in change on the North Carolina grave of legendary writer O. Henry. (Image via Historic Riverside Cemetery in Asheville) Culture Giants, Folk Artists and Dick Trickle: 6 North Carolina Graves to Visit
This 2018 photo shows the signage of the Fayetteville Works plant where the Delaware-based Chemours Company manufactures C3 dimer acid, also known as GenX. The chemical has entered the Cape Fear River, a source of drinking water for much of the southeastern part of North Carolina for an unknown time period. (Photo via AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Environment Polluters of ‘Forever Chemicals’ No Longer Getting a Pass, EPA Head Pledges
North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, in Raleigh, N.C. Robinson is facing calls to resign from elected officials and LGBTQ advocacy groups over comments he made in June in which he criticized teachings in K-12 public schools and likened peoples' sexual orientation to “filth.” (AP Photo/Bryan Anderson, file) Commentary The Real Problem With Mark Robinson’s Bigoted Belief Is the NC GOP Believes It Too
Marion is hosting its fifth annual Dia de los Muertos event this year. (Image via Facebook) Latinos Dia de los Muertos Is Nobody’s Halloween. 11 Ways to Experience This Joyful Tradition in NC.
Climate NCDOT workers assess damage to a bridge spanning the Pigeon River, Thursday in Bethel, N.C., (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP)
Climate Haywood County Starts Its Recovery From Catastrophic Flooding

Seven people are still missing and two are confirmed dead after Tropical Storm Fred tore through Western North Carolina this week. 

Sarah Ovaska Sarah Ovaska August 20, 2021 4:13 pm EDT
North Carolina Many parents and guardians have already received their first advance child tax credit payments, which will continue monthly through December. Any one who hasn't can check their eligibility as well as make changes to their deposit accounts, address and number of dependents by going to irs.gov and updating their information. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
North Carolina Still Waiting on Your $250-$300 Child Tax Credit? Try These Next Steps.

Parents nationwide have begun receiving their monthly child tax credit payments. If you haven't gotten yours, here's what to do.

Sarah Ovaska Sarah Ovaska July 26, 2021 5:37 pm EDT