HOT PURSUIT
A week doesn’t go by without someone calling, texting or stopping in to suggest a story idea of something interesting going on in the communities we serve.
One of my favorite aspects of my job is getting out into the community to cover stories. Journalists love to write stories and share them with readers. It shouldn’t come as a big surprise, but storytelling is the bedrock of the newspaper industry. We pride ourselves on developing stories that make our readers want to pick up the newspaper every week.
We have a special gift for readers this week. It’s our annual “Good News Holiday Edition,” a collection of positive stories produced by our editorial staff to capture a glimpse of life in Steele County and the surrounding area.
Every year it never ceases to amaze me how I think we outdo the previous year with the stories we find. This year is no exception.
Some of our stories are not for the faint of heart. People like Tanner Wencl have shared some real personal struggles they have faced and overcome. Some like Pastors Chris and Laurel Meester are grieving the loss of a young child but have beautifully found a way to honor their deceased loved one. The family of a woman murdered two years ago is hoping to make positive change in state law.
Others like 93-year-old Geraldyn Berg have shared their true passions. In her case, it’s a talent of wood carving that puts her a cut above the rest.
Another one of my favorites is what local musician Todd Utpadel has done in organizing Musicians Against Cancer to benefit the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group.
And then there’s Gloria Kenow who is a heavy hitter for the Owatonna Hospital Auxiliary and has volunteered only 9,000 hours. To put it in perspective, that’s equivalent to 24 hours every day for just more than a full year.
Sheriff Lon Thiele shows us what true leadership means. He’s stepped up to serve as president of not only a national organization (earlier this year), but now a state group on top of it at the same time. I’m not sure how he juggles it all, but he’s found a secret.
As you read this week’s array of stories, I think you will find them impactful and being told from the heart. Our goal is to showcase life in a way that provides inspiration, hope, peace, joy and love. We all need it, especially in a world that often seems bleak and hopeless. Despite the on-going negativity in society, and it has seemed to become worse in the past few years, there are wonderful things happening and people just trying to do the right thing for fellow human beings. Their stories need to be shared for the rest of us.
I am blessed to have some incredible writers who are gifted at telling stories. I hope you feel the same way.
The stories we share may not be major headline grabbers that other news outlets will pick up. However, if you haven’t figured out by now, we never forget about the little stories. Personally, I always write my stories as if they are the biggest story to ever be told. I’ve heard other professionals in our industry say, “Treat every story as if it were the biggest story of your career.”
That’s certainly great advice and motivation for journalists like us to live by.
Whether the story is life-changing or a seemingly unimportant happening, the story is important to someone. And that makes it important to us. That’s why community journalism is relevant and always will be. It’s our gift to you.
During this holiday season, don’t forget to focus on the core values in life: being kind to one another and treat each other with respect. Perhaps our holiday gift will be a catalyst to helping you achieve those values.
We can find peace and hope that things will get better. Let’s start by going in hot pursuit of recognizing the good that many people have to offer the rest of us.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!