From the Editor’s Desk: The Journey Continues

From the Editor’s Desk: The Journey Continues

Our journey is not always what we expect. The past two weeks have been very busy for the Meigs Independent Press (MIP), for me. Some things have changed in our community. Nine years ago, I started the MIP because I knew that some day the Daily Sentinel would be no more. I could see the handwriting on the wall with corporate buyout after another. My passion has always been local journalism. I had the opportunity to create the MIP and I took it, again, because I knew the day would come when Meigs County was in need of a local news source.

I do not celebrate the sudden death of the Daily Sentinel. I think of all the stories told, the people that worked so hard to create it for so long and suddenly, it was gone. I became a reporter because of the Daily Sentinel, more specifically, Charlene Hoeflich. Years ago when I was a young girl, I was at the Meigs County Fair with my family’s polled hereford cattle. Dressed in hat, leather belt, jeans, button up show shirt, and boots I was the styling the full cowgirl look. My father and family friend A.J. Willbarger were showing the cattle and had won grand and reserve champion ribbons. Of course, in those days it was not a fair without Charlene taking pictures. She placed me right where she wanted me and had me hold my dad’s show stick. I was in awe of her. She was the first woman I saw in a “non-traditional women’s” job. I watched her throughout the fair. Her camera was cool. She was cool. From that moment on, I began reading newspapers. I knew one day I not only wanted to be a journalist, I wanted to own my own newspaper. My journey to being a journalist had begun.

From the student newspaper at the University of Rio Grande to the Clermont Sun in Batavia to other publications and even working with Charlene, I have been involved with the news in one form or another for about 25 years. There have been ups and there have been downs in the journey, but I love what I do. “I’m a newspaper man. Darn it,” as so emphatically stated by Hildy in His Girl Friday.

For a while, I questioned it following an incredibly stressful year in my personal life and then the day came that I knew was coming. The switch flipped. The journey suddenly had more purpose. The MIP is needed now more than ever. I love Meigs County. You can laugh at that if you want, but this is home. This is where I choose to make things better. Life is not worth much if you just go through it and do not attempt to ever make your little corner of the world better. I may not be able to change the world, but I can try to positively impact my corner of it.

The Meigs Independent Press is here to stay, to serve this community. Right now the MIP is digital. One day that may change. Right now though, the MIP is here to cover the stories of our community, locally owned and locally operated right in the heart of Racine. The journey continues.

So in the coming days, you will see news stories, some new features and as we continue to tell the stories of our community, get the word out, hold officials accountable and as always work to make Meigs County better.