Dear readers, thank you. The generosity of our community never fails to amaze me.
Just weeks ago, we kicked off our annual Support Local Journalism campaign asking you to help us deliver quality local news. We asked our readers to consider donating to our Support Local Journalism campaign. You heard us and responded. We are honored that you trust us to use your gifts to help us gather and share the stories of our community.
It’s no secret the business model that has supported local newspapers across the country is under attack. At the Leader, we are lucky our advertisers continue to support our local newspaper. In turn, we hope our readers continue to support our local businesses. Strong local businesses lead to strong local communities.
The money you donate to Support Local Journalism is used in part to offset the increased costs of postage, printing and operating a small, local business. But most importantly, your donations are used to keep our journalists working in our community to report on the news you need and want.
We saw that earlier this month as readers turned to the Leader’s digital platforms and then our print editions to learn about the recent storm and the recovery. Reporters, photographers and editors were working from the time the storm hit to document the aftermath so readers could safely see what had happened without getting in the way of emergency crews. The tornados struck fast. The cleanup will take time. The Leader will be here to report what happens, just like we have for the past 30 years.
We are incredibly proud of the work we do. Your support allows us to continue this work. As a young reporter, I never imagined myself as a publisher or owner of a company. I loved the opportunity to tell stories that make an impact on our communities. Now, I’ve been in the business long enough to see how local journalism helps our communities grow.
When I drive past Helping Hands and Horses in Herculaneum on the way to my dad’s house, I feel a parental sense of pride. Back in 2008, I wrote the first story about the program starting up. The small team had hopes of building a therapeutic horse-riding program to benefit children in the community. In the years since, Helping Hands and Horses has grown into a successful enterprise that serves kids and volunteers. They make our community better. I’m proud to have had the opportunity share their story with you.
I know the stories will continue. Our communities will continue to grow and change, and the Leader will be here to document this history.
Before we shift our focus to the work we love, I wanted to share some exciting Leader news with you. (Clever readers may have already guessed what’s coming.)
One of my favorite parts of the Support Local Journalism campaign is the delightful notes that readers send along with donations. We love to read your words of encouragement, your reasons for giving, what you love about the Leader and your suggestions.
This year, we’ve heard messages that include:
“The world’s best local paper!”
“Please keep it coming.”
“You provide a local voice and help build community.”
“I don’t know what we would do without your paper.”
“Thank you so much for putting out such an insightful, intelligent and smart paper.”
“We love our Leader.”
We have also heard loud and clear one specific suggestion. “We would like to have a crossword puzzle.” “Can you add a crossword puzzle?” “How about a crossword puzzle? We would love that.”
Leader readers, we hear you and we agree. As a small thank you for all the words of encouragement and support you have shown us, the Leader is adding a crossword puzzle to the newspaper once a month.
The puzzle here is just for fun. Its theme centers on our Support Local Journalism campaign. The real crossword puzzle, which we think is a bit more challenging, may be found below. Look for a new puzzle in the Leader the last week of each month. We hope you enjoy the addition.
We appreciate all the readers, advertisers and donors who continue to support our work. If you haven’t given yet, there is still time.
Again, thank you for supporting local journalism and the Leader as we bring you news once a week but never weakly.
Click to support local journalism.
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