Matt Kettmann

VERDANT SCOOP: Our Senior Editor Matt Kettmann, who, as he puts it, is “in charge of everything and nothing” here at The Independent, crafted his latest coverage on the Botanic Garden saga in the form of this week’s cover story. With 10 years of reporting to his name, Kettmann says the unfolding garden controversy-which has seen little coverage elsewhere in town-has been unprecedented. “People care a lot about the Garden. I’ve had more people contact me about this story than any other in my career,” he observed. How the issue will be resolved, Kettmann says, is anyone’s guess: “Both sides have valid points. I have no idea what’s going to happen.” While congrats are in order for his unwavering commitment to the dramatic and, at times, convoluted Botanic Garden story, Kettmann deserves a pat on the back for another reason: He and his wife, Joanna, are expecting their first child, a boy, in early January.