Goodbyes are rarely easy, but when you get the opportunity to watch someone step into their dream, they can be quite special.
In recent weeks, the News Journal has said goodbye to three people. For a small staff, those farewells seem to hit just a little harder.
Two weeks ago, we wished Andy, our delivery driver, well as he traveled to the west coast for the next chapter of his career.
Andy was a behind the scenes person, and his contributions to the newspaper were invaluable. If Andy didn’t show up on a Wednesday, you wouldn’t see the News Journal on the newsstands scattered throughout the region. If he didn’t show up on a Thursday or Friday, you wouldn’t see the Homes Guide magazines.
Early on in my tenure as publisher, I got the opportunity to ride the route with Andy. Our conversations ranged from what a ‘holler’ was to our opinions on artificial intelligence. More recently, I rode along as he delivered the Homes Guide magazines on our Tri-State route. I won’t soon forget our excursion to a little deli/bakery in Virginia. He had mentioned early in the route that Trevor, the News Journal’s former publisher, had taken him to the spot when he was training. Although he hadn’t been back since that first visit, Andy said it was somewhere we would stop if he could find it again. Sure enough, between Andy’s memory and GPS, we found it.
That was the thing about Andy – he remembered the little things and maybe most importantly, he cared. Whether it was a paper that was askew in a rack or a bakery on the route, Andy worked to ensure that he served the News Journal and you, our readers, were taken care of – even if it meant stopping to get the staff some cookies.
Last week, Leeann announced publicly that she was returning to a classroom as a teacher.
During her time at the News Journal, Leeann did a little bit of everything in the newsroom. She covered news and sports, oversaw the paper’s digital presence and helped with the transition to the new website, and more.
Leeann’s personality was naturally bubbly, but I rarely saw her more excited than when she had the opportunity to teach.
This summer, the newspaper was privileged to host Gray, a Kentucky Press Association intern. Early in the internship, Leeann began working with Gray. Not only did Leeann help Gray grow as a journalist, but she also grew. Watching Leeann step into the role with confidence was confirmation that teaching would likely be her long-term career.
Just two days after Leeann left, Gray’s internship came to an end.
Gray will be headed back to school soon, but the goal for this internship was teach them things they would likely not get in a classroom.
There are some skills you need as a journalist that can only be learned in the field – how to build a report with sources, how to conduct interviews and ask impromptu questions, what it is like to work on a story only to have breaking news cause you to switch courses.
Gray covered a variety of stories from features to hard news. Gray helped Leeann with digital content, rode along with Melissa to learn about sales and even visited a radio station to see how news was distributed on a variety of platforms.
While Gray was often quiet in person, when they wrote, people listened. I know I did. Gray is developing a voice of her own. It was fun to see the change from the quiet intern to the confident reporter throughout the summer.
Andy, Leeann and Gray are all stepping into new chapters. While we wish that their time at the News Journal could have lasted just a little bit longer, we are grateful for what they have helped us accomplish and excited to watch as they chase their next dream.
Although the News Journal can trace its history back more than 100 years to the Whitley Republican, that legacy did not build itself. The News Journal and its reputation were built by the people who worked here.
Andy, Leeann and Gray – thank you for being part of the reason the News Journal is still so successful today.
