Since then, she has regularly reported on oil transport and rail and pipeline safety issues. Prior to joining the Star in 2012, Jessica lived and worked in West Africa for several years, covering stories such as the 2011 electoral crisis and subsequent civil war in Ivory Coast, the plight of former child soldiers in Liberia and the West African network of ex-combatants who now serve as mercenaries in neighbouring countries. Her work has been published by the Star, the Associated Press, IPS Africa and CBC, among others. She has lived and worked in Europe, Africa and the U.S. and across Canada. She recently left the Star to write a book.