AP adds award-winning sports writer to Tallahassee bureau

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Joe Reedy, an award-winning sports writer, is joining The Associated Press in its Tallahassee bureau to cover Florida State University sports and state government.

The appointment was announced Wednesday by AP South Editor Lisa Marie Pane and Florida News Editor Terry Spencer.

Reedy, 44, most recently covered the Cleveland Indians for FoxSportsOhio.com and also worked for AP covering events on a freelance basis. Before that, he was at The Cincinnati Enquirer from 2005 to 2014, including five seasons as the Bengals beat writer.

While covering the Bengals, Reedy was honored by the Associated Press Society of Ohio as Sportswriter of the Year in 2010. He has also been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee for the past six years.

''Joe is a tough-minded reporter who thrives on breaking news, especially in the hypercompetitive sports world,'' Pane said. ''We're looking forward to having him in a spot where both sports and state government news are closely watched inside and outside of Florida.''

This will be Reedy's third stint in Florida. He worked for The Gainesville Sun in 1999 to 2000 in a variety of roles, including covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. From 2004 to 2005 he was a sports night editor and page designer at the Palm Beach Post.

Reedy has also worked at the Warren (Ohio) Tribune-Chronicle, The Meadville (Pennsylvania) Tribune, The Post-Star in Glens Falls, New York, The Journal News in White Plains, New York, and The Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia.

During the college sports off-season, Reedy will be part of a team in the AP's bureau covering state government that includes correspondent Brendan Farrington and reporter Gary Fineout.

Reedy is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and a 1994 graduate of Kent State University.