Edgar Mendez grew up on the south side of Milwaukee and is now using his reporting skills to shine a light on his Clarke Square neighborhood and beyond. He works for Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, a nonprofit based at Marquette University, that covers what other media outlets often neglect –the complex, rich stories of the city’s diverse neighborhoods. With a  master’s from Marquette and a bachelor’s in journalism and sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Edgar, who is fluent in Spanish, has also written for El Conquistador, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Associated Press. His reporting on taverns, marijuana law enforcement and lead in water service lines and columns dealing with poverty, homelessness and racism have led to a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award and Milwaukee Press Club awards. He found himself the subject of news coverage in 2018 after getting arrested, handcuffed and fingerprinted for taking pictures of vehicles in a Milwaukee police parking lot for a story. A judge found him not guilty of trespassing and he was instead ticketed for violating a “no parking” ordinance. Afterward, Edgar wrote a column about the traumatic experience and wondered whether his arrest was related to his brown skin or his status as reporter, covering the Milwaukee Police Department.