Racine County Eye is an independent, community-centered newsroom serving Racine County with fact-based local reporting.
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How we build trust: We verify before we publish, link to primary sources when possible, and correct errors promptly and transparently.
Founder & Publisher
Denise Lockwood is the founder and publisher of the Racine County Eye and an award-winning investigative journalist with more than 25 years of experience covering government accountability, criminal justice, racial equity, health care, and economic development.
She launched the Racine County Eye in 2013 to deliver fact-based, community-centered journalism for Racine County residents, and leads both the newsroom’s editorial direction and its sustainability strategy — including revenue, grants, and community partnerships.
Email: [email protected]
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Co-Founder & Editorial Lead
Heather Asiyanbi is the co-founder and editorial lead at the Racine County Eye — part editor, part reporter, and the steady hand that keeps our reporting sharp and our standards high when the news cycle is chaotic.
Her focus is accountability and reader service: ensuring our reporting is accurate, fair, and genuinely useful to Racine County residents, especially when the stakes are high.
Heather leads our day-to-day editorial operations — assigning and shaping coverage, strengthening verification, and helping every story deliver clear answers for readers.
Email: [email protected]
Revenue & Events
Jamie Freeland leads revenue and sales at the Racine County Eye, building the sponsorships, advertising partnerships, and event revenue that sustain local journalism in Racine County. She also spearheads the Racine County Eye’s signature events — including Elegance Unveiled Wedding & Quinceañera Expo, THRIVE - Home, Garden & Wellness Expo, and the Aging Well Resource Fair — bringing together local businesses, community partners, and residents in ways that strengthen Racine County and fund reporting that stays free to read.
Jamie’s work is about growing revenue without compromising trust — developing long-term partnerships, delivering strong sponsor results, and protecting the bright line between advertising and the newsroom.
Email: [email protected]
Education Reporter & Report for America Corps Member
Grant Ritchey is the Racine County Eye’s education reporter, covering the decisions and systems that shape students’ lives and families’ well-being across Racine County. As a Report for America Corps Member, he’s at his best when the story is complicated, and the stakes are real — translating policy, budgets, and board decisions into plain language people can actually use.
Grant’s work is about reader service with backbone: get the facts, show the receipts, and explain what it means for local families.
Email: [email protected]
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Editorial Assistant
Cheyanne Lencioni is the Racine County Eye’s editorial assistant — the behind-the-scenes force that keeps a newsroom moving when the news won’t slow down. She also brings the heart: Cheyanne writes some of our most-loved local history stories and leads our Made in Racine Storytelling Nights, helping residents see themselves and their neighbors in the narrative of this place.
Her work connects the dots between today’s headlines and the people, history, and culture that make Racine County home.
Email: [email protected]