Dear Middle Georgia, I’m back!

My first day at work as the publisher and editor at The Courier Herald, a trusted news source in Dublin and greater Laurens County for decades, was Monday, Sept. 21. But it wasn’t my first time working as a journalist in Middle Georgia.

During my 20-year career as a sports, religion, real estate, and political reporter and editor, most recently as the Editor in Chief at The Atlanta Voice, I have had the opportunity to join communities in Atlanta, Savannah, Newnan, Greensboro, Eatonton, Jonesboro, Forest Park, and Riverdale. That said, there was no place that challenged and changed my career like my time in Middle Georgia.

Dear Middle Georgia, I’m back!

For more than four years, I worked as the sports editor at the Houston Home Journal (HHJ). The coverage area included Perry, the HHJ’s home base, Warner Robins, and Kathleen, and each city had strong high school sports programs in particular sports. The high school football, basketball, baseball, softball, and track & field coverage kept me at six schools on every side of town in all three cities night after night.

With that much exposure to the student-athletes, coaches, school administrators, parents, fan bases, and in particular, the cities, Middle Georgia just grew on me. Hopefully, I grew on them, too. I still get Facebook messages from people from Warner Robins about former Warner Robins High School Demons and Northside High School Eagles players on the collegiate and professional levels. Those were some good times. 

Being back in Middle Georgia was one of the key reasons I accepted the opportunity to be the new publisher and editor at The Courier Herald. The people made that move easy when I started at the Houston Home Journal in the fall of 2016. A decade later, I have returned, and I can’t wait to meet the people of Dublin. 

By the time you read this, I will have already had lunch at Miller’s Soul Food and a peaches-and-cream danish at Petals and Pastries. I plan on attending Dublin Fighting Irish football games, beginning on October 9 against Swainsboro and West Laurens, and East Laurens softball games. I want to attend Mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and visit the comic book store across the street from Company Supply. I walked past it last week, and can’t wait to pop in and say hello.

To sum it up: I want to be a part of this community.

I’m back in Middle Georgia, and more specifically, I am the new publisher and editor of a community newspaper that means a lot to this community.

I’m happy to be here, and I look forward to meeting you, wherever that may be.