As they say, all good things must come to an end – but sometimes that also means that something else good is just starting to crank up.
Getting straight to the point, this is the last edition for which I will be serving as head staff reporter and sports editor with the Carroll County News-Leader.
My boss, Daniel Richardson, recently offered me the spot as editor over our sister paper, the Enterprise, just up north in Weakley County, and, after some consideration, I accepted his offer.
So that means that I will no longer be attending and taking pictures and writing stories about ballgames and governmental meetings and community events in Carroll County.
I do, however, intend to keep on writing this weekly column, which will continue to appear in the News-Leader and the Camden Chronicle and, starting next week, in the Enterprise, as well.
To those who, over the years, have come to expect me there at certain meetings and sports events and have come to rely on me to spotlight your community or school or team or organization in the paper, I sincerely hope you don’t have any hard feelings over this.
But I am aware that my departure is going to leave something of a hole in local news coverage, and it may take some time to fill that hole.
So I’m asking for your understanding and patience – and I guess I’m also asking those who are willing to step up and help out.
Whether it’s regarding a local sports program or a community event or a town board or school board meeting, sending in some typed up info and maybe a photo or two will help out – and I’m sure Shirley will definitely appreciate anything that takes some of the burden off her.
And, please, continue to support the News-Leader through your readership and subscriptions and advertising. When it comes to small town newspapers, they can’t continue to exist without local support. And once these longstanding bastions of local flavor and shared community history are gone, they’ll likely be gone forever.
I’d like to express my appreciation to all my colleagues at the News-Leader – to Russell and Jim and Amber and Raven and especially to Shirley, who I have been working with for nearly 20 years all told. It has been good, and I wish you all well.
I also want to thank everyone who has helped me to do my job over the years – and that includes elected officials, school officials, teachers, coaches, office staff, law enforcement officers and other emergency responders, local business leaders, and a whole lot of ordinary, everyday people from all walks of life.
As a Carroll County native and recently returned resident, I must say this is a great place to be from and to live with no shortage of excellent people – and I’m proud to call myself one of you. It has been a privilege to highlight and share in your triumphs, tragedies, and everything in between over these past years.
So, I hope you all will wish me well in this new challenge and adventure.
And I’ll still be living here, so you may see me around here and there. I’ll just be working somewhere else.
