What a year it’s been for The Kewanee Voice. I said the same thing last year, but this year, the second full year of operation for the online nonprofit news publication, it rings truer than ever.
It’s hard to wrap my mind around how far we’ve really come. At a recent office Christmas party, Mike Berry commented as much to me, when looking around our new 1800 square foot downtown space, which now has six desks for employees, he asked, “Can you believe it?”
Sometimes I can’t. It’s difficult to think back to The Voice’s humble beginnings as a two-person operation that was published from a corner of the senior center with office furniture generously donated by the State Bank of Toulon and trace the path that led us here.
But I certainly feel the awe that Mike feels when he looks back at how far we’ve been able to come, buttressed, of course, by a dedicated board, board chair, a talented group of correspondents and columnists, and supported generously by advertisers, sponsors and donors- all of whom have given this community back its local news.
Looking back over 2024, change has come not in small leaps but tremendous bounds. The move into the downtown office in August planted us firmly where we belong, right in the heart of the downtown of the community we serve.
Our accomplishments are many and include a student journalism program that is funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust. With the help of student advisers Jacob Doan from Kewanee High School and Amanda Frank from Wethersfield High School, the program, in its second year, has excelled and achieved the goal for which it was originally intended. Student journalists and photographers are covering sports in a meaningful way for both the students, the school districts and the community.
Our board has grown and added new members with Jean Berlinski and Marianne Culver, who join TD Welch, Paula Kapacinskas, Nichelle Morey, Van DeVilder and Jesse Humphrey. It’s a group of creative, intelligent, talented and enthusiastic people who have only the best interest of the community at heart.
In September, The Voice learned that they were one of the first recipients of the $100,000 Press Forward Grant, funded by the Miami Foundation. Press Forward is a nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news. The Voice was among 205 small local news outlets, including one in every U.S. state, that received a share of $20 million to close persistent coverage gaps in their communities.
We are grateful for the grant and our grant writers, Linnea Gustafson and TD Welch. The funds enabled us to hire three new employees who will assist us in becoming a sustainable news operation for years to come. As a nonprofit, we will still need to rely on the generous support of our community and on our businesses, but because of the grant, the future is much more certain.
A few months ago, three new desks were added to the office as Nichelle Morey came aboard as Marketing/Advertising Director. She was later joined by Diane Tucker, who acts as an editorial assistant and correspondent and Janie Metscaviz who has taken on the role of office manager.
One notable accomplishment was the first print publication of the Hog Herald. The free, 16-page newspaper included news and information about Kewanee Hog Days and was placed in businesses all over town. The printing of the publication was made possible through the sponsorship of the Hog Days Committee and advertisements by local businesses and it will be the first of an annual publication.
In order to preserve the history of Kewanee, Board Chair Welch worked with the Kewanee Public Library, Team WTI, who maintains our website, and NewsBank to ensure that history in Kewanee won’t be lost, but archived for future generations. The Kewanee Voice, thanks to the work of Welch, is now the news publication of record. People soon will be able to access and print articles at both the library and Black Hawk College.
With this year under our belt, the board of directors and leadership are already looking to the future. We have exciting plans for the website. Look for the Milestones and Memories section. The public will be able to submit important events to us, such as birthdays, engagements, anniversaries and weddings and we will publish the information and photos on our website. That’s coming soon.
And plans are underway to develop an app that will allow our readers to download The Kewanee Voice onto their devices for easy and quick access.
The Year in Review is our second print publication that will be published each January and it will be one of four special print publications throughout the year. The print publications will be tailored to address economic and community needs and a business special edition is being planned for the spring.
The end of the year and beginning of the year are always good times to take stock of how far you’ve come and look ahead to how much further you can go. Here’s hoping that 2025 brings as many exciting opportunities for The Kewanee Voice as 2024 did.
Thanks for supporting our work. We couldn’t do what we do without the community’s support. We will endeavor to remain your most trusted source of news. Your Town, Your News, Your Voice.
