This week is the last edition of The News that News Editor Molly Roberts is with us. Molly is leaving The News to pursue her dream of earning a Masters Degree in Creative Writing.

Molly joined our staff nearly two years ago shortly after Helen and I resumed ownership of The News. She has done a good job of covering meetings and writing features about the people and events in our communities.

We wish her the best in her pursuit of her dreams and thank her for the time she has been with us.

RCS

This week the News staff has also put the finishing touches on the Fall/Winter Kalona Area Visitors Guide/tourism publication.  We want to thank all the advertisers who have made this 64-page publication possible.

This publication features a number of new stories and pictures of area events and businesses created to inform newcomers and visitors to the communities included in this publication.

In an effort to attract more people to visit Kalona, Lone Tree, Wellman, Riverside, Washington, etc., The News is distributing 15,000 copies of this popular publication statewide and beyond. It is also available on www.thenews-ia.com.

We wish to thank all the supporting advertisers and those who took the time for our reporters to interview them for the stories in this edition of the Kalona Area Visitors Guide.

RCS

Helen and I would like to thank all our advertisers and subscribers who have supported The News in the past two years after we resumed ownership of The News on June 17, 2020.

Taking over a business during the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a challenge, but with your support and a dedicated, hardworking staff, we have continued to grow and improve The News.

As other newspapers are losing subscriptions, and some 2,500 weekly and daily newspapers have closed their doors since 2001, The News’s subscription list by mail and online continues to grow.

The News staff will work to continue to provide you with a quality community newspaper that serves all our communities. There are areas where we need improvement, but we need your help in keeping us informed about potential good news stories, photos and feature articles.

Recently we received a note from a subscriber when she renewed her subscription stating: “I wish the News would be like it used to be —local community neighbors news, social activities, weddings, births.” These items are not being published because people are no longer submitting them. It is not because The News doesn’t want them.

Today too many people post their weddings, births, anniversaries, etc. on social media where it appears for a brief period of time and disappears into cyberspace making it hard to look at again.

The News staff would also appreciate area residents sending us their birth announcements, weddings along with photos, anniversaries and other social events. We would love to be able to publish this information where it will be recorded for history, both in print and available to search online.

Please help us improve The News and report your social news, weddings with photos, engagements, births etc.

Send this information to Editor, The News, PO Box 430, Kalona, IA, or bring it by The News office at 419 B Avenue or email to news@thenews-ia.com.