Introducing Team Herald

By GEORGE CUSTER/Editor/The Herald  —  It has occurred to me that it takes a lot more than one person with a computer and a publishing application to put out an online news source for a community.

This should seem obvious. Thankfully, there has been an outpouring of support to ensure that local journalism will continue to flourish in, and along, the Highway 58 corridor. I salute them and want them to be recognized for the massive contribution of time and effort they have been devoting to “Team Herald”.

This support comes from not only contributors, but also you, our readers. Because of you, the Highway 58 Herald exists. You are the real bosses of this organization.

The handful of persons who created The Herald felt adamant about developing a reliable means of public information. Our communities, void of a reliable news and information source, would succumb to reacting instead of acting, solely on rumors and misinformation that drifted about. A legitimate public forum must be made available to all persons.

The Herald strives to report on all matters

They say that knowledge is power, and that people want to be empowered. That’s a good thing, as long as the knowledge is truthful and accurate. We strive to report on all matters of relevance to our readers, both good and bad.

The Herald exists for you, and you are who we are. Team Herald is made up of our meager staff, an ever-growing stable of reporters, photographers and correspondents, and you, the readership.

Most all of The Herald’s staff and reporters are volunteers. These volunteers have stepped forward because they care very deeply about their communities. They want their respective communities to know all about who has opened the new business down the block. And, they want their friends and neighbors to know about the availability of books at the library. They want their community to know about the decisions being made that affect their daily lives by their elected officials.

First Amendment rights

It’s the people’s constitutional right to have this information made available to them. The 1st Amendment of the United State Constitution guarantees freedom of the press. This information, however, should be timely, accurate, and unbiased. It should be responsive and responsible for its content.

We’re not an organization of school-trained journalists. Although we are lucky to have a couple of them on board. Volunteers who contribute to The Herald do so willingly, outside of their normal lives.

With that said, it’s time to introduce the entire team that is putting The Herald on the airwaves to date.

In alphabetical order:

Cameren Anderson                                 Ella Brown

Gary Carl                                                   Brenna Chapman

Rob DeHarpport, Crescent Lake         Guen DiGioia

Jacob DiGioia                                          Kevin Gobelman, photos

Jess Henryes                                            Kathy Holston

Lynda Kamerrer                                      Tara Kennedy

Joy Kingsbury                                          Ben Olson

John Ross                                                 Edwin Weih

Robert Woodson                                    Rick Zylstra

Sunny Zylstra, photos

We hope more will join our team. I have left off the Board of Directors, except Joy who does some writing for us. The people named above represent all local news.

Periodically, we receive articles and letters from some of our readers- and we thank you, as well. We also receive many articles from other news sources that we have reciprocal agreements with.  Unlicensed news and information that we feel relevant to our readers is also republished on The Herald’s site.

Currently, we are trying to increase our coverage of other communities along Highway 58 once we enlist volunteer correspondents from those areas.

Our financial future may be tenuous, but our dedication is unflagging. Please support The Herald in our quest to keep good, local journalism alive in rural communities.