Nate Trela serves as an Intermountain West Connect reporter, covering trending news stories across Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network. His role involves reporting on the most significant and emerging news developments in these two western states.

Trela brings extensive experience in journalism and fact-checking to his current position. He previously worked as a member of USA TODAY's Fact Check team, where he focused specifically on covering misinformation and verifying the accuracy of news stories and claims circulating in the media.

Before joining USA TODAY, Trela built his journalism career through various roles at different publications. He wrote extensively about the energy sector for Mergermarket, covering important developments in oil, gas, and renewable energy industries. His experience also includes working as both a reporter and assistant metro editor at the Detroit Free Press, where he gained valuable experience in metropolitan news coverage and editorial management.

Earlier in his career, Trela specialized in education reporting, covering the education beat for the South Bend Tribune. This role allowed him to develop expertise in reporting on school systems, educational policies, and academic institutions. Currently, Trela resides in suburban Denver, Colorado, which positions him well to cover news developments throughout the Rocky Mountain region.