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From inipayroll
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
November Anniversaries
| 11/4 | 43 YRS | Daisey, James | Delaware Printing |
| 11/5 | 1 YR | Wills, Nancy Ann | Okeechobee News |
| 11/5 | 40 YRS | Jacobs, Michael Lee | Valley Printing |
| 11/6 | 3 YRS | Riggan, Lori Ann | Valley Printing |
| 11/12 | 1 YR | Klerk De Reus, Jennifer | Okeechobee News |
| 11/13 | 6 YRS | Kilpatrick, Norma | West Valley |
| 11/15 | 3 YRS | Millner, Nicole Carter | Corporate Services |
| 11/16 | 5 YRS | Lopez-Beltran, Jose | Valley Printing |
| 11/18 | 10 YRS | Mankin, Bonnie Marie | Delaware State News |
| 11/20 | 14 YRS | Michael, Heath | Valley Printing |
| 11/20 | 13 YRS | Jackson, Toni Lynne | Corporate Services |
| 11/21 | 41 YRS | Devlin, Deborah | Delaware State News |
| 11/26 | 7 YRS | Dias, Frank C | West Valley |
| 11/27 | 2 YRS | Luff, Sherry M | Delaware State News |
| 11/28 | 3 YRS | Dawson, Ashley G | Delaware State News |
Dale Conyers Honored by Rotary Club
Recently Dale Conyers, News and
Advertising Services Coordinator for the Caloosa Belle/Immokalee Bulletin
was recognized by the Rotary Club of LaBelle for the coverage he
gives them in the Caloosa Belle. Dale was awarded the Clubs, Rotary Club
of LaBelle Four-Way Test Award for all he does.
“I was humbled by the award,” Dale said, “I think any
club in LaBelle that does charity work for the community, should
be recognized by the paper.”
Congratulations to Melissa and Josh
Melissa Rosequist and Josh
Martinez forged a pretty cool little business - and event- centric
Q&A series leading up to Canal Convergence in Scottsdale and an effort to
bring in easy original business content.
The
question-and-answer format has been a focus of ours as an organization and Melissa
and Josh took on the challenge with great local content maybe popular with the
"cool" kids.
In total, we will
have 5 more Meet the Artists leading up to the Canal Convergence event.
INI Spirit Week
The Arizona Group decorated office doors as part of INI
Spirit Week of team building. Sun Cities News Editor Rusty Bradshaw takes part
in the fun. The winning door was created out of paper mache. Rosemary Wee shows
off the new “I Love My Independent Newspaper” t-shirt. Rosemary has been busy
selling Daily Independent subscriptions at community events. Another
team-building activity included creating a “house” ad to promote
YourValley.net. All judges (who did not work for Independent Newsmedia) had a
difficult time picking the winning entries, but “Feed Your Dog” took top
honors.
Sun City West greets guests
Rosemary Wee and Charlene Bisson greeted guests at Motors
and Meals charity event in Sun City West. The annual event that the Sun City
West Independent sponsors helps provide free transportation to seniors who can
no longer drive or are injured.
Friday, October 18, 2019
Mission stories: INI Florida Group
Community
rallies to help homeless blind woman
In
late August, alerted to the situation by a visiting nurse, the Lake Okeechobee
News learned that a blind widow was about to be homeless. Her landlord had
died, and the home she had lived in for several years had been sold at auction.
The new landlord did not want pets, and she refused to part with her elderly
dog. She found herself legally evicted by the court. Although she had 90 days
to relocate, she was unable to find a new home, in part due to her limited
finances (she lives on Social Security disability) and in part because she
wound up in the hospital for most of that time. Her housing search was also
limited by her disability, as she needed to live somewhere within walking
distance of stores.
After
the article by Okeechobee News reporter Cathy Womble appeared in the newspaper,
community members rallied to help the woman. Cathy’s mother took the stranger
into her own home while arrangements could be made to find her more permanent
housing. Community members came forward to help with donations, and by
September Mrs. Sims was happily moved into her own trailer in a park within
walking distance of stores.
The
story was popular with readers. It illustrated the spirit of the community,
which never fails to come together to help someone in need. As a community
leader, the newspaper pointed out a problem; the community reacted to solve the
problem.
Cattle
ranches source of confusions
In
September, the Lake Okeechobee News’ ongoing coverage of the water quality
issues in the Lake Okeechobee watershed focused on the cattle ranching
industry. Recent discussions at South Florida Water Management District
governing board meetings included comments that focused blame for excess
phosphorus on cow manure from area cattle ranches. Two articles in the Lake
Okeechobee News explained the scientific data that shows the cows may the
“scape goats” but they are not the source of the excess phosphorus. Instead,
the cow/calf operations on Florida ranches are actually net exporters of
phosphorus from the basin. The articles explain how cattle ranching in Florida
works. It’s not like ranching in northern or western states. With 1,000 people moving to Florida each day,
part of the newspaper’s mission is to educate the public on the background
needed to understand the water quality issues.
MISSION STORIES (Impact to reader & creating engagement)
Daily Independent – Chris Caraveo https://www.yourvalley.net/stories/maricopa-county-assessor-petersen-indicted-on-adoption-fraud-charges,88075? One of the biggest AZ stories of
the month, the county assessor is charged with multiple crimes in connection
with adoption fraud. Chris provided readers with all the facts involved in the
case and spoke to and quoted both someone in the assessor’s office and with the
Maricopa Board of Supervisors. We’ve seen Valley Voices feedback on this
subject (Oct. 10 issue) and would expect future letters to come in as
well.
Daily Independent – Chris Caraveo
– https://yourvalley.net/stories/7-years-sober-arizona-woman-shares-recovery-from-oxycodone-addiction,77003 The story of a Valley woman recovering from serious
drug addiction. Heartfelt recollections directly from the woman herself and her
counselor who is her biggest supporter. Links/phone numbers included for those
readers who are struggling or know someone struggling with a similar problem.
Daily Independent – Matt Roy – https://yourvalley.net/stories/helping-those-we-love-family-caregivers-key-to-diagnosing-alzheimers-dementia,77149 Helping those we love: Family, caregivers key to
diagnosing Alzheimer’s, dementia: Considering our readership is generally 55
and older, Matt provided a relevant and in-depth look at the incidence of
Alzheimer’s and other memory loss conditions. Multiple sources quoted plus
valuable information about new, free programs available for those who may be
suffering from this problem that affects so many seniors.
Apache Junction: -- Richard Dyer – Richard led coverage on
this story, which produced increased site traffic: https://apachejunctionindependent.com/news/former-ajusd-superintendent-wilson-indicted-on-felony-charges/
Apache Junction: -- Richard Dyer continues to press
for public record information as the Paper of Record. The endeavor continues to
pay dividends as this content increased readership and our profile as an East
Valley journalism institution: https://apachejunctionindependent.com/news/what-are-the-top-violent-crimes-reported-in-apache-junction/
and this one on as our newsroom guidelines refer to as secret meetings: https://apachejunctionindependent.com/news/what-are-the-top-violent-crimes-reported-in-apache-junction/.
Both stories took a lot of time and effort and a knowledge of how public record
law works.
Glendale – Mark Carlisle - https://www.yourvalley.net/glendale-independent/stories/glendale-considers-asking-voters-for-more-bond-authority-for-capital-projects,76991? -
Analyzing four areas deemed priorities by the Glendale City Council
- parks, flood control, landfill and government facilities - this story
from Mark breaks down the reasoning for the necessity and provides a financial
breakdown of each subject, allowing the reader to gauge the true value of these
areas.
Litchfield
Park – Mark Carlisle - https://www.yourvalley.net/litchfield-park-independent/stories/southwest-tech-incoming-tech-jobs-shape-the-future-of-the-southwest-valley,77600? -
Following a major trend in the Southwest Valley, Mark takes a deep dive into
the burgeoning technological and economic developments in the Litchfield
Park area, while also noting how such developments are reflective of larger
processes in surrounding cities and the state.
Paradise Valley: The latest
Paper of Record installment: Melissa Rosequist -- https://paradisevalleyindependent.com/news/whats-being-discussed-behind-closed-doors-in-the-town-of-paradise-valley/.
While there is nothing earth-shattering here, it is important both the powerful
and those who read our content are aware, that we are aware of what is
occurring behind closed doors.
Delarita Ford -- This was also a strong local piece: https://paradisevalleyindependent.com/news/town-settles-with-riester-family-following-sewage-civil-suit/.
Peoria – Phil Haldiman - https://www.yourvalley.net/peoria-independent/stories/go-ask-alice-peoria-church-hosts-active-shooter-response-training,77013? - Localizing a major national issue, Phil's
story takes the topic of mass shooting and presents a view from those who are
attempting to help in such dire situations, and how cities such as Peoria are
providing educational opportunities to its residents. We received a lot of
feedback on this from parents and teachers.
Queen
Creek – Richard Dyer – As in Apache Junction, Richard Dyer requested records on
the top violent crimes in Queen Creek, which had a different outcome than
Apache Junction. Violent Crime in Queen Creek: https://queencreekindependent.com/news/what-are-the-top-violent-crimes-reported-in-queen-creek-apache-junction/ Behind Closed Doors in Queen Creek: https://queencreekindependent.com/news/what-is-being-decided-behind-closed-doors/. Both stories had numerous click throughs online, and
we’re expecting feed back from our readers.
Scottsdale Independent -- Melissa Rosequist -- https://www.scottsdaleindependent.com/news/internal-investigation-finds-scottsdale-transit-officials-violated-city-policies-ethical-standards/. Melissa Rosequist was first to report on an internal
investigation in the city. We immediately saw reader comments online about the
investigation through concerned readers.
Sun City West – Roger Ball - https://www.yourvalley.net/sun-city-west-independent/stories/new-id-card-issue-causes-meeting-changes,78090? - Roger's story covers the effects of a newly implemented policy in Sun City West, giving his readers a preview of what many residents, especially those returning to the area from a summer absence, should expect and prepare for when updating their recreation cards. We had a lot of Local Voices and letters on this topic.
Surprise – Jason Stone - https://www.yourvalley.net/surprise-independent/stories/new-spirit-ouaz-about-to-change-face-of-surprise-with-3-facilities,77704? - Covering a facility that seems to be continually enhancing the City of Surprise, Jason's story about further Ottawa University developments charts the ever-increasing impact the business is having on the community, even beyond those who are involved in its educational offerings.
Mission Stories for October 2019
From
Ashley Dawson, managing editor of the Delaware State News:
On
Sunday, Sept. 1, we featured “Who’s
running your state government?”
Matt
took an extensive look at the cabinet secretaries and the department they run,
with his lead explaining that civilian knowledge of and participation in
government could be better and he explained the leaders of each cabinet, the
tasks the agencies handled and how each department is funded. He hit on the
interesting history of changes as Gov. Carney transitioned from predecessor
Markell’s cabinet to his own. Matt’s story was followed by a breakdown of each
agency.
We
devoted a lot of space to that enterprise story in our Sunday paper and it was
appreciated by readers. Subscribers applauded Matt’s efforts and several
educators, at the high school and college level, sought copies of the pages to
use in their curriculum.
Dover
City Councilman Fred Neil emailed me to say: “FYI: Even if you do not hear it,
I often applaud the Delaware State News for its great involvement and support
of civic events. Matt Bittle's story on State Government this morning reaches a
different level of public service. It should be a part of the curriculum in
Delaware High Schools.
“The
story oozes a journalistic effort of time and skill that earns kudos. As an old
radio newsman, this shows the value of the printed page over the ephemeral
nature of the electronic news media. Its another reason, I am delighted that my
newspaper is being delivered to my driveway. Best wishes as you remain a
mainstay of our democracy!”
In
addition, we are very proud of the
opioid package that ran on Sunday, Sept. 15. That story was underway once
we became aware that the Washington Post was sharing its database on opioid
pills distribution with fellow outlets. The database contained detailed
information on what drug companies were making the pills, what pharmacies were
distributing them and what communities were receiving the highest amounts. The
numbers were shocking, with roughly 40 pills per person in Kent and 60 pills
per person in Sussex on average a year.
Craig
began working on that story using addiction support service leaders in
Georgetown and Dover to connect us with real people willing to share their
stories of hitting rock bottom of addiction and beginning the journey to
recovery – some still in the throes of withdrawal. Gary Emeigh shot the photos
for us. As the publication date approached, related news made the story even
more timely, with Delaware joining national lawsuits against the pharmaceutical
companies responsible for pushing the drugs and the state receiving significant
federal money -- $17.4 million -- to provide increased addiction services given
the opioid crisis in Delaware.
The
grant news and lawsuits brought quite a bit of Speak Out fodder, with many
people disagreeing with the spending for a problem they felt was self-created.
Others agreed that pharmaceutical companies acted irresponsibly and should be
held accountable for the results.
We
dedicated the entire front page to the topic under the kicker: Opioid crisis
takes its toll in the First State. The front-page image was 25-year old Heather
Swank, who began taking pain pills during her first pregnancy. Her children
ended up in foster care. She had been sober 9 months when Craig and Gary met
her for our story.
Along
with the database, the Post graciously made graphics available to other media
who agreed to credit and share stories upon publication (we’ve done so). That
allowed us to illustrate in bar graphs the top pharmacies and manufacturers
distributing drugs in Kent and Sussex.
And
in addition to the personal stories of addiction and state’s response to the
crisis, Matt wrote about one of the state’s key programs developed in the wake
of opioid use increasing: the prescription monitoring program.
There
was also a breakout box on opioid laws passed in the last five years.
We’ve
continued to make the opioid news a priority publishing stories on the
developments of the lawsuits and a story on a Sussex County awareness campaign
expanding statewide on Wednesday, Sept. 18’s front page.
On
Facebook, the opioid stories had: 43 comments, nine shares.
But
engagement and reach numbers from Facebook indicate at least 2,300 readers
interacted with these stories.
At
the end of the month a Sunday, Sept. 22 story, “Housing
growth momentum in the Milford,” looked at the construction boom taking
place, backed by statistics from the city building department, state housing
authority and real estate sales. Leaders and developers weighed in on what’s
being built and who is moving to Milford. Jenn created graphics to accompany
her story, showing the types of residences being built and the stage of
completion.
Later
in the month, we were the first to report online on the
shooter alert at DSU, which turned out to be a false alarm. The experience
of our veteran staff shined – as it always does in breaking news coverage – and
Craig and Marc went to the scene, relaying photos and details for the web while
Mike nailed down officials from the office and posted updates.
This
story as breaking news online and linked to Facebook did well: 2,190 people
reached, 206 people engaged, three comments and eight shares – good number on
that!
From
Dave Ryan, editor of the Dorchester Banner:
Banner
stands up for open government.
The
Dorchester Banner made a strong statement in September about the importance of
open government and the newspaper's role in fighting for the First Amendment.
Item
"P" on the Dorchester County Council's agenda for their first meeting
of the month referred to a discussion of livestreaming meetings. Livestreaming,
as you know, shares online video in real time. This would allow the public to
witness council meetings in their homes or elsewhere.
Openness
in government.
Imagine
that.
It
was a topic that had come up before, and that had been shot down by a majority
on the council.
In
the afternoon before the 6 p.m. meeting, Council Member Lenny Pfeffer posted on
Facebook that the item had been removed from the agenda. Banner staff saw that,
and shared it, so the public would have a chance to respond.
As
the meeting began, with a Banner reporter present and taking careful notes, Mr.
Pfeffer tried to have the discussion put back on the agenda. This was voted
down, 3-2, in a split often seen in the council's votes.
Our
reporter used the public comment portion of the meeting to ask why the idea was
so unpopular. Council President William Nichols said it had already been
discussed and he wouldn't waste his time on the subject. He also said if people
really wanted to know what the council was doing, they should come to the
meetings.
That's
not how the Banner's readers saw it. An account of the meeting on the paper's
Facebook page received one of the greatest responses we have ever seen - it
reached about 5,500 people, and garnered about 120 written responses.
Many
of those responses then were put into the Banner's "Town Square"
column on the Viewpoints page. The news was also shared on "Banner
Newsminute," a cooperative effort on Radio WHCP.
Not
a single comment supported the council's move to squash livestreaming. Citizens
were outraged that their elected representatives were trying to keep the public
as much in the dark as they could.
As
long as the council is split 3-2, there might not be livestreaming any time
soon. But residents of Dorchester County know that they have a forum in the
Banner, and an advocate for their right to know, someone who will be front and
center on their behalf at the council's meetings.
From
Greg Bassett, editor of the Salisbury Independent:
In
September, Salisbury Independent reported on a dispute between the Maryland
Comptroller’s Office and the Wicomico County Executive. The county’s executive
leader, Bob Culver, complained in a letter to Maryland’s Senate President that
the Comptroller exceeded his authority in bypassing local oversight and
approved an alcohol license for the National Folk Festival. The city government
supported the Comptroller’s action. Culver’s letter drew a sharp rebuttal from
the Comptroller’s Chief of Staff. The newspaper printed both the executive’s
and chief of staff’s letter and sought to explain the permitting process, as
well as the motives behind the various officials’ actions.
Readers
reacted with surprise to the reporting and developments, taking sides with
either city or county leadership and questioning whether the County Executive
was somehow trying to torpedo the event because of animosity with the city’s
leadership.
Local
business leaders and their lobbying groups quickly reacted to the news with a
column that was printed in the newspaper.
From
Richard Crumbacker, editor of the County Times:
Somerset
County and much of the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland has thousands of acres
of state property that was formerly owned by a local timber company.
What
the state doesn’t specifically designate as public land is leased to hunting
clubs, and those leases have been renewed and continued uninterrupted for many
years.
The
Maryland Attorney General recently issued an opinion to the Department of
Natural Resources that these leases should not be awarded by rote, and DNR
announced a plan to have all leases when they expire enter a lottery. The
format was such that at the end of five years 20 percent of all leases would
come due and be drawn at random.
A
hunting club that leased land in Somerset County requested that the County
Commissioners weigh in with a comment about DNR’s proposal, and while in
sympathy with the hunters, the elected leaders decided not to issue a formal
opinion and decided the county should not get involved.
Some
four weeks later, two landowners who own property adjacent to these state
lands, made an appointment to meet with the commissioners about this and
appealed directly that the county express its objection’s to DNR’s plans.
One
of the gentlemen specifically mentioned seeing the story in the paper, and
enlisting his counterpart to appeal again to the commissioners. Another, a
Pennsylvanian, in an online post to DNR’s web page cited the letter published
by the paper from a hunt club.
Idea Exchange from Arizona
Daily Independent next generation.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ejHiUTx8H8pJ_NPpM2mL0LG6bYyOfiSj
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ejHiUTx8H8pJ_NPpM2mL0LG6bYyOfiSj
Thursday, October 10, 2019
September Anniversaries
| 9/1 | 41 YRS | Knight, Kelsie | Corporate Services |
| 9/3 | 8 YRS | White, Brett Andrew | Valley Printing |
| 9/5 | 3 YRS | Martinez, Joshua Ammon | North Valley |
| 9/10 | 29 YRS | West, Andrew F | Delaware State News |
| 9/11 | 6 YRS | Williams, Robert Francis | Delaware Printing |
| 9/12 | 3 YRS | Heck, Benjamin Edward | Delaware State News |
| 9/13 | 3 YRS | George, Benjamin Conan | Delaware Printing |
| 9/16 | 4 YRS | Kelly, Debbie Ann | West Valley |
| 9/20 | 1 YR | Womble, Cathy Anne | Okeechobee News |
| 9/20 | 35 YRS | Muros, Katrina Elsken | Florida Regional |
| 9/26 | 1 YR | Wandling, Barbara Joan | West Valley |
| 9/28 | 2 YRS | Larson, Stephanie W | Okeechobee News |
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Some notes and quotes between headlines and deadlines …
DOVER — For those of you with family or close friends who served in the military,
we are working on a unique way of recognizing their service.
“We want to honor them,” said Konrad La Prade, director of advertising for
the Independent Newsmedia Delmarva group, which includes the Delaware State
News. “We’re planning to publish a piece with photographs of area veterans.”
The images will be included in “A Tribute to Our Heroes” in the Nov. 10
edition of the Delaware State News.
There is no charge to have someone included.
Simply post information and a photo at https://delawarestatenews.secondstreetapp.com/Tribute-to-Heroes/gallery.
Or you can bring the photo by our office, 110 Galaxy Drive, Dover, so it
can be scanned.
With each photo, we will share the name, branch and years or era of
service.
Once on the website, you will see a gallery of images that has been
started.
***
Has it really been 10 years since Kent County Chapter 850 of the Vietnam
Veterans of America dedicated the memorial on South Little Creek Road in Dover?
A few weeks ago, we published a piece on the chapter’s new 10th
anniversary commemorative coin that brought back memories of the effort that
went into raising funds and support for the monument.
Proceeds from the $10 coin will go to maintenance of the
memorial park.
The coins will be available for purchase at the Veterans Day ceremony at 2
p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, at the memorial park.
On a cold Veterans Day in 2009, the organization unveiled the memorial to
Kent Countians who died in Vietnam.
It is the centerpiece of a 1 ½-acre park space donated by Kent County. The
Kent County Veterans Memorial Park has grown to include memorials to Gold Star
Mothers and Families, and those lost in Korea and the Middle East.
It also includes a Huey “Dustoff” helicopter, a War Dog memorial and a
POW/MIA Chair of Honor.
Dave Skocik, who has been a faithful contributor of veterans news, said
there will be a special program for this year’s event, chronicling the history
of the park.
***
Today’s guest commentary from Gene Thornton offers an insightful look into
her husband Don’s challenges with Frontotemporal Degeneration and a need for a
dental clinic inside the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford.
As you will read in her commentary, the state has allocated $1.5 million
for the dental clinic in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, but another half-million
is needed.
The dental clinic was one of the Delaware Veterans Commission’s priorities
in requests to the General Assembly.
The funds do not include pay for dentists and staff.
The Delaware Veterans Home is a skilled nursing care facility.
***
There’s something about “thunder” that draws a big crowd in Dover.
Last month, it was “Thunder Over Dover” that brought 40,000 to the two-day
open house at Dover Air Force Base.
This weekend, that many and more will enjoy the thunder of NASCAR stock
car racing at Dover International Speedway. The track is celebrating its 50th
anniversary.
If you like both speed on on the ground and in the sky, you’ll enjoy the F/A-18
Hornets in the pre-race flyover. The F-18s hail from Naval Air Station in
Oceana, Virginia.
Reach Executive Editor Andrew West at awest@newszap.com
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Need an accident report form?
Looking for the workers comp accident report? Finding it just got easier!
The form has been saved on the HOME screen of
ADP in the box QUICK LINKS. Just click
where indicated; open the document; copy and paste into an email; complete the
form and send to inipayroll@newszap.com
and safety@newszap.com
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