AP Seattle bureau names new reporter

Martha Bellisle, an investigative and legal affairs reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal, has been named an Associated Press reporter in Seattle.

The appointment was announced Wednesday by West Region Editor Traci Carl, who oversees news for 13 states.

Bellisle has worked at the Gazette-Journal since 2002, and for the past five years has worked as an investigative reporter, producing packages that have appeared in the Reno paper and USA Today. She also has covered state and federal courts and worked on stories like the downfall of a lobbyist tied to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a mass shooting at a Carson City, Nevada, restaurant and the deadly crash at the Reno Air Races.

Prior to joining the Gazette-Journal Bellisle worked as the southeast Alaska correspondent for the Anchorage Daily News, covering the state Legislature. Bellisle also has AP experience, having previously worked at bureaus in Carson City, Denver and Los Angeles.

"Martha has a passion for journalism that shows through in everything she does," Carl said. "She is a persistent reporter whose main goal is to give readers access to accurate, fair information. We are thrilled to have her join our staff in Seattle."

Bellisle, 56, is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno.