Our newsletter: Independent, snarky

Thank you for checking in with us as we begin our second year. We hope this idea takes local coverage to a different level without all the trappings of traditional media and social media yammering.

Among our anchor features are an expanded look at local changes, dining, the latest area trends, “civil” politics — plus some rants and raves.

We offer commentary on what’s happening here — and why. Our newsletter is not Hometown 2.0. We’ll be doing additional features but we have no intention of joining the parade of meeting coverage and posting press releases.

We’re independent, snarky and spam-free BUT… we offer paid subscriptions and other ways to support our independent efforts.

How to support our efforts

In January 2025, we launched this newsletter to see if there was interest in a different look at local updates. The answer was an immediate yes; we now have more than 630 subscribers.

We also offer subscriptions for $5 a month or $60 a year.

We appreciate our newsletter donors as well, usually a one-time or once-a-year donation. Our founding partners so far include:

Mark Cochran of Rome.

LDF of Rome.

SN of Rome.

GR of Rome (renewed for a second year; thank you!)

(Initials only as requested by our partners).

What is Substack

It is not just another social media offering. Instead, it is an independent platform for writers and others, including a strong podcast option. The company states it now has more than 35 million active subscribers, including five million paid subscribers (up 1 million since November and thank you for being part of that).

Substack offers basic subscriptions, asking only for your email address. There is an app as well. Most important, you decide what your want to read and hear — and what to block if need be.

Bio: The I/me/my stuff

Editor with an ego: I’ve been a professional journalist for 48 years — print, web, broadcast, education and social media — in nine communities from coast to coast. In our traditional, bullet-point style:

• Bio: An Ohio native, I was raised in Rockledge on Florida’s Space Coast. My father worked for the uncrewed space program and we had ringside seats to every historic launch. I graduated from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communication in June 1977. Married to Jean, we are very proud of our wonderful son, Jack.

• Career stops: Lakeland, Fla.; Fort Myers, Fla. (twice including Port Charlotte); Cocoa, Fla.; Washington, D.C. (USA Today); Gainesville, Ga.; Fresno, Calif.; Atlanta (AJC and Daily Report); and Rome.

• 24 years in Rome: I’ve pretty much touched most of the bases here (and have been “tagged out” more than a few times). That includes stops at the Rome News-Tribune (twice); founder and publisher of Hometown Headlines (independent from 2004-2021); afternoon news on K-98; a weekday news/commentary show on WRGA from 7 until 9 a.m. for eight years and nearly 2,000 episodes; a brief stint at WLAQ; all forms of social media; and both short- and long-form podcasts.

• Big mouth on campus: I was an adjunct professor of journalism at Berry College from 2004 until 2011. That included 20-plus classes and meeting 250 students who taught me more than the other way around. Class acts all. Similar stops included the American Press Institute, Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and summer programs at the University of Georgia.

• Retiring type? In October 2024, I retired from daily, traditional journalism. An ensuing Caribbean cruise did not lead to a travel writing niche so in January 2025, we launched this Substack report.

To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.