ASHLAND — It’s really weird to think that at the beginning of this year, I lived in Missoula, Montana, still attended college and had no clue that I’d jump halfway across the country to come and work for Ashland Source.
I still vividly remember hopping off my job interview for Ashland Source. The first thing I did was call my dad to tell him about it.
When I was choosing a college, he had a feeling about where I’d go. He’d been spot on then.
When I called him and told him how things went, the first thing he said to me was, “I have the same feeling I did when you finished your interview for the University of Montana.”
I knew a choice about taking this leap was coming.
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As I debated taking the job, like any good journalist might do, I started researching.
One of the first stories I came across was about something completely foreign to me: Amish buggies.
Nathan Hart, my predecessor, spent part of the start of this year documenting a court case about Ohio’s new buggy law.
It required the Amish place yellow flashing lights on their buggies so they could be seen at night. But some said they’d rather take the jail time than push against their religious beliefs.
Those stories caught my attention immediately.
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Once I’d decided to take the job, I kept following along. I knew I’d be taking over for Nathan, so I read just about any and everything he wrote.
I found myself most impressed with some of his feature stories.
One about Ukrainian students who came to Ashland University and their reflections on the importance of living in the moment was a favorite.
The same day Report for America and Ashland Source announced the news about my new gig, Nathan’s story about an AU t-shirt showing up on Ted Lasso popped up on my Twitter feed.
As I prepared to take my adventure and started packing in Montana, Nathan shared a beautiful story about a young boy in Loudonville who wrote a book about some adventures of his own.
Reading his work helped me understand this place I’d be coming to.
I’ve returned to his stories often since my move. He did some amazing documenting of what was going on in this section of Ohio.
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Once I arrived here, it meant Nathan was gone. With nerves flowing and anxieties abounding, I was so glad to land in a newsroom under Dillon Carr’s capable guidance.
He knew everything about everything in Ashland.
In those early days in the newsroom, I think I learned the most from watching him do his reporting. If you don’t know Dillon, one word describes him: diligent.
During my first couple weeks in town, Sheriff E. Wayne Risner announced he wouldn’t be running for re-election in 2024.
In a matter of just a day, I watched Dillon turn around a wonderful story about Risner’s reflections on his service.
It had everything in there: comments from Risner, his friends and colleagues and even included information about who’d filed to run next.
It was the kind of reporting you can only do if you’ve really put in your time earning trust.
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As I got more comfortable around here, I started spreading my wings a bit.
I figured out pretty early on that one of my favorite things about working here was our Open Source feature. It lets readers submit questions or suggestions for stories, and we can chase them down.
One of my personal favorites was a story about the YMCA’s first all-girls’ flag football team. The squad had an awesome first season and seeing them in action was so fun.
More serious stuff cropped up too, like local elections this fall.
I wrote about everything from abortion to school board races. It all culminated in my first election night as a pro reporter.
With that came our first-ever “Live Blog,” where we served as an elections “hub” for Ashland County.
Elections didn’t just end with election night though.
All the way until the beginning of December, Dillon followed an important story about the United Postal Service not delivering ballots in time.
Ninety Ashland County voters were disenfranchised as a result.
Dillon’s reporting served as an excellent reminder of exactly why local news is important. It holds those in power accountable.
I also fell more than a little in love with the education beat. I guess it comes naturally having two teacher parents!
One of my favorite stories focused on continuing struggles with the national bus driver shortage.
Leaders across multiple districts stepped up to make sure students got to school. It’s a difficult challenge. But, I found myself heartened by the fact that leaders in this community care so much.
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Last but not least, I also loved following along with the new sports around here. Believe it or not, I got my journalism start covering athletics at the University of Montana.
I especially love a good sports feature, and this one from Doug Haidet about the coach reinvigorating wrestling at Hillsdale was excellent.
Wrapping it up
I’ve said it in newsletters, on social media and in many, many conversations, but I can’t emphasize enough how grateful I am to have landed in Ashland this year.
The stories I’ve read, journalists I’ve learned from and people I’ve met have been kind, pushed me to be better and helped me grow.
That girl from the start of the year had no clue what was in store and was so scared about what came next.
But thanks to all of you, the version of me finishing this year is excited about the future’s open doors.
So, Happy New Year Ashland! And thanks for being a great home.
And we can’t forget that none of our reporting could happen without your support.
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