Former N&O investigative reporter Pat Stith, who retired in early October, was spotted a few days ago in downtown Raleigh. Stith was sporting a beard and -- this is bad news for state bureaucrats -- passed along a tip.
According to N&O reporter Mandy Locke, Stith recently received a phone call from a woman who said she had some juicy news.
"Lady, I'm retired," Stith said.
"I know, but it's a really good story," the woman said.
"All right," Stith said. "Where do you want to meet?"
Stith met her at a local pancake house. I am not at liberty to give more details about the time or location of the meeting.
For more on Stith, click here to read Locke's recent story about him, "Bulldog reporter Pat Stith retiring."
At Stith's farewell party, I read from a memo I wrote then-Executive Editor Melanie Sill in 2002. I was interviewing for a job at The N&O. She asked me to write about the people who had most shaped me as a journalist. I mentioned about a dozen people, in chronological order. Stith was first.
"From Pat Stith, I learned the value of preparation and determination," I wrote. "I was a 22-year-old reporter just out of Chapel Hill. Through the grace of God, my desk was 10 feet from Pat's, within easy earshot. I listened eagerly to those one-sided conversations as Pat, without emotion, in a flat, low voice, methodically dissected liars and dodgers. I thought: Maybe I'll be that good some day. I never got that good. But at least I know what good sounds like."
When Stith retired, former NC Supreme Court Justice Burley Mitchell told The N&O's Rob Christensen: "Pat has done more than any public official during the last 40 years to keep North Carolina government clean."
That is true, no doubt. Our readers knew what a great reporter Stith was. They might not have known what a great colleague he was. He has many disciples here who are ready, willing and able to carry on his work. That's good for The N&O and good for North Carolina.
