At just 7 years old, Natalie Powers is the most informed person on Inglewood Drive — and she has the newspaper to prove it.

Every Wednesday, residents along the street look forward to a fresh edition of Natalie’s Nebby News, a neighborhood publication created by the second grader at Markham Elementary.

With help from her mom, Carrie, Natalie uses Canva to design and format each issue, which features original reporting on pets, events and even “juicy” neighborhood tips. Her headlines are often inspired by her own sharp observations. One of her favorite scoops? Spotting a construction worker in a Porta Potty.

“She always knows what’s going on,” Carrie said. “Our neighbor, Miss Robin, actually suggested she start a newspaper because Natalie always has the scoop.”

According to Carrie, the now-infamous Porta Potty headline from the first edition was a particular hit — especially with Natalie’s older brother Liam. “He was simultaneously laughing and crying because he was fresh off his tonsil surgery, so it was painful to laugh,” Carrie said.

Both Liam and Natalie had their tonsils and adenoids removed at the same time. It was while recovering from her tonsillectomy that she launched the paper in early June. Her sense of humor and curiosity are part of what makes Natalie’s Nebby News such a neighborhood favorite.

One storyline that really captured her attention was the ongoing “gossip” about neighbors Matt and Vincent and their respective workloads. “She loved looking for Matt and stopping him mid-job to ask him for a rebuttal to Vincent’s workload,” Carrie said.

Another of Natalie’s favorite scoops? Sharing when Carrie and her husband, Drew, had a chance run-in with former school principal Dr. Jocelyn Artinger. “She thought that was quite the bombshell and that she had inside information,” Carrie said. “She felt the same about sharing when students would get their teacher assignments — she even emailed our school secretary, Ms. Fornauf, and asked for the info!”

Natalie gets her news and information in various ways. It helps that she has an inquisitive nature.

Her process is surprisingly organized: she sends herself notes throughout the week and dictates her stories to her mom. She writes on Tuesdays and deposits it in the lending library on Wednesdays.

Sections of the paper include an “About” column with Natalie’s weekend updates, community news, a pet spotlight, events and activities and a rotating recipe section — originally a construction beat. Her readers have come to rely on her dispatches, from reporting back-to-school updates to sharing local events.

“It actually helps people learn things,” Natalie said.

Neighbor Bethany Knoblauch said the paper has become “one of the bright spots” of her week.

“It’s so innocent and genuine, which just makes it so sweet,” Knoblauch said. “I think the fact that it’s created and written by a 7-year-old is amazing. I’ve taken it out of town and shown family, and everyone is always so impressed.”

Knoblauch noted how much the paper has energized the neighborhood. “Everybody talks about it, jokes about things we’ve seen in it. It’s been a really fun addition to bring everyone together,” she said.

She recalled one edition that particularly surprised her family. “She saw my parents and my kids out to lunch at BJ’s at South Hills Village — and they had no idea she even saw them,” Knoblauch said. “It was in the newspaper the next week.”

Knoblauch’s son, a rising fourth grader, even contributed a sports column after Natalie invited neighbors to submit their own content. “It’s a nice way to make all the kids feel like they’re a part of this little community activity,” she said. “Our dog has also been spotlighted. It’s just little fun things like that.”

According to Carrie, one of the things that motivates Natalie most is the feedback she receives. “She enjoys chatting with the neighbors and getting their feedback on her latest stories and observations. I think that motivates her to keep churning out the news,” she said.

Though she’s unsure of her long-term career goals — currently weighing options between nurse, school nurse, or teacher — Natalie is already building an impressive resume as Inglewood Drive’s youngest reporter.

“She’s observant, warm and full of questions,” Carrie said. “This paper is her personality in print.”

For past issues of Natalie’s Nebby News, visit nataliesnebbynews.substack.com.