Best of Adams 2021 by Adams Publishing Group

BEST OF

ADAMS 2021

A Collection Of Outstanding Work From Newsrooms Across The Nation

TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES...................................3

Compelling storytelling that is celebratory or reflective, introducing new local places, people or ideas, giving the reader a sense of place and a chance to better realize what’s unique about their community.

LOCAL NEWS ............................4

Work that demonstrates a commitment to informing the community on happenings in the community, however big or small. The proverbial “bread and butter” of our journalism portfolio.

SPORTS & OUTDOORS..............6

Beat coverage, features, profiles and enterprise on sports topics, from Little League to professional play.

COVID-19 .................................7

Work that presents new angles, including breaking coverage that is informational, features that are unique to your community, or enterprise that helps readers understand the complexities of the pandemic.

LOCAL ENTERPRISE....................8

Issue-based coverage that adds context, perspective, explanation and, sometimes, analysis around local news.This work should help readers understand what’s at stake and why they should care about the issue in focus.

BEST OF ADAMS 2021

COMMUNITY JOURNALISM:

We Showed Up For A Big Job, Close To Home We approached 2021 with hopes for a better year. Around the globe, better would mean striving to defeat the pandemic. Across the nation, it meant getting to the other side of an election and the aftermath that followed. APG journalists brought both of those issues and many other world and national stories home with local context and perspective. Our jobs were much bigger than two behemoth issues that hundreds of journalists worldwide were covering, however. Our focus was on Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Boise, Idaho, and Athens, Ohio, and the hundreds of other places where APG journalists keep watch, tell compelling stories and help our communities navigate what’s going on closer to home. If you settle in with this Best of Adams 2021 collection of journalism from our newsrooms, you’ll find some common threads. A widespread lack of affordable housing. Environmental concerns at critical levels around our rivers and lakes, basins and forests. Flooding in Skagit Valley. Drought for Idaho ranchers. Social justice issues around race and tolerance and civil liberties. All of these topics required explanation in communities that relied on our newsrooms for coverage, perspective and public forums. National media swooped in on some of our local stories: There was the weeks-long coverage of the Gabby Petito murder case and search in Florida, and the passing of Mayberry’s Thelma Lou in Mount Airy, North Carolina, also Andy Griffith’s hometown. We covered stories of impact to individual communities, such as Smith & Wesson’s plans to bring jobs and development to Maryville, Tennessee, a scoop for the Daily Times.

DATA & INVESTIGATIONS.......10

We were there for celebrations, too. The East Idaho Business Journal and the Blowing Rocket in Boone, North Carolina, introduced their communities to artists who are finding great success in trying times. In Anoka County, Minnesota, a neighborhood rallied around the rescue of two great horned owl babies. Adorable.

SPECIAL REPORTS....................11

The journalism submitted for this year’s Best of 2021 focused on stories that matter — both big and small. As big as a special report on the Klamath Basin that’s been in the works for more than a year, as small (yet thrilling) as a high school winning a regional championship for the first time. The most common thread was that the work promoted here was submitted by editors who were proud of what their teams accomplished in the spirit of serving their communities.

Work that is revelatory and requires numerous sources, including interviews, documents, data and, often, the culmination of coverage over time.

Content initiatives that are introduced outside of the daily journalism portfolio. This work generally is planned as a standalone and ad hoc initiative around a topic of high importance in the community.

EDITORIALS..............................12

The news organization’s official voice on community issues and happenings. The best editorials are of local relevance, state the position clearly, concisely and assertively, and are related to issues the local team has covered so that readers go into the piece with context and facts.

It is with pride that APG presents them here as a small example of a tremendous body of work completed in 2021. Reason to be proud indeed.

Traci Bauer APG Vice President of Content

LINKS.......................................13

Additional noteworthy stories from 2021

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BEST OF ADAMS 2021

FEATURES

A photo of deceased U.S. Air Force Airman 2nd Class Edward J. Miller, who died in a plane crash in 1952 in Alaska, is displayed with a single dog tag, debris

from the plane crash and a letter telling the family that these items were recovered from the crash.

Edward Miller, Evansville’s Long-Lost Airman, is Coming Home Gazette reporter Neil Johnson was able to piece together the incredible lengths to which the U.S. Air Force went to recover the remains of 52 servicemen, including two Rock County men, who died 70 years ago in a plane crash in an inaccessible mountainous area of Alaska. The feature included a map made in house showing the crash site and the 14-mile path the wreckage traveled as the glacier melted. Johnson found and interviewed the Evansville man’s sister, now living in Florida. And The Gazette arranged to have photos of her, her brother’s recovered dog tags and other items from the crash site taken by a photographer for The Gainesville Sun in exchange for permission for that paper to reprint the story. More at Janesville, Wisconsin: The Gazette

Eagle Eye:

‘Step’-Dad:

Artist In Residence:

Efrain Sueldo is a fantastic photographer and gave the Leader-Telegram the opportunity to blend good storytelling with his remarkable images. The digital version of this story features spectacular images in a long-form presentation. You’ll scroll to the end, we promise. In print, readers were treated to an impressive photo page. Story by Eric Lindquist.

The Daily Reflector had written about Willie Joyner over the years. What the high school administrator had done with his step teams was worthy of headlines. So was his unlucky brush with the pandemic as Pitt County’s first documented case of COVID-19. His perseverance with the HYPE step team through it all made him the perfect feature for a gifted storyteller like Kim Grizzard to help the community celebrate Father’s Day.

One of several stories covering the guest artists and artisans at the Blowing Rock Historical Society’s “Artists in Residence” series at Edgewood Cottage, this one focuses on a Blowing Rock native daughter, Lee Harper Vason, who became a professional dancer who pioneered in an otherwise all-Black dance troupe after studying at Julliard and a then launching North Carolina School of the Arts. While still involved in dance, in Atlanta, her creativity is now more thoroughly addressed in her painting and photography.

Passion, Patience Help Local Photographer Capture Rare Wildlife Images

More at Eau Claire, Wisconsin: Leader-Telegram

For More Than 25 Years, Educator-Coach Has Helped Kids Find Their Footing

More at Greenville, North Carolina: Daily Reflector

Lee Harper Vason

More at Boone, North Carolina: Blowing Rocket

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BEST OF ADAMS 2021

LOCAL NEWS North Port Remembers Gabby Petito The disappearance and death of Gabby Petito captivated the nation during the fall of 2021. Her boyfriend’s avoiding police and later dying of suicide brought suspicion onto him and ridicule onto North Port authorities who thought they knew where he was. The Sun staff wrote dozens of stories on the case, often breaking news as it happened. Any number of them are good enough to be a “best of” from this team. In Morgan Simpson’s story, she captures the scene of a local memorial service for Gabby Petito. What had been planned as a rally to keep her in mind turned into a mournful evening after her family said a body found in Wyoming was likely that of Gabby Petito. More at Port Charlotte, Florida: The Daily Sun

Smith & Wesson Moving HQ To Blount County After 169 Years in Massachusetts

Missing Athens County Teen Escapes Reported Sex Abuse, ‘Cult’-Like Family

Reporter Andrew Jones was tipped off about the gunmaker’s headquarters relocation and worked myriad sources to get the story before anyone else, including the Springfield, Massachusetts, paper. Along the way, Andrew had to negotiate nondisclosure agreements to avoid torpedoing the deal.

This story has had far reaching implications including the prosecution of a local officer as well as multiple arrests of a local family for the abuse of multiple children. The Serah Bellar story has been covered by multiple media groups, including The Daily Mail out of the UK, but it was originally broken by reporters from both The Athens Messenger and the Athens News.

More at Maryville, Tennessee: The Daily Times

More at Athens, Ohio: Athens Messenger

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Hidden Camera, Swallowed SD Card, 9 Boys Interviewed About Judge Before Apparent Suicide With Cops at Door This story was the culmination of reporting done about a judge, potential sexual exploitation and his apparent suicide. The story was a wild ride from beginning to end. Throughout the reporting of this story, Natalie Jones worked hard to ensure that the crime as well as the human-interest angles of this story were effectively written out. More at Easton, Maryland: Star Democrat

BEST OF ADAMS 2021

LOCAL NEWS

A woman is seen entering an ambulance for treatment after witnesses say she was struck by a vehicle whose driver tried to move around and through protesters on Ehringhaus Street.

Motorist Charged with Two Felonies After Striking Two Protesters With Vehicle During Brown-Shooting March This story is an example of the work The Daily Advance produced covering the aftermath of Andrew Brown Jr.’s fatal shooting by Pasquotank County sheriff’s deputies on April 21. The shooting of Brown, an unarmed Black resident of Elizabeth City, sparked daily peaceful protests on the streets of Elizabeth City for three months. This story by Multimedia Editor Chris Day and Managing Editor Julian Eure covers the aftermath of one of those protests. It was significant because it represented the first time anyone was injured in one of the protests. It also happened after police began downsizing the level of protection for the daily protests. More at Elizabeth City, North Carolina: The Daily Advance

Woman’s Disappearance Still a Mystery After 40 Years This unsolved disappearance remains a subject of interest among longtime residents of the Florida Keys. Reporter Elliot Weld scoured archives and conducted interviews with those close to the mystery to inform newer residents of its lingering importance. More at Florida Keys: Free Press

Community Divided: Cache County Betty Lynn, Mayberry’s Thelma Lou, Passes Away While this was a national story – nearly everyone age 40 and older knows Thelma Lou from The Andy Griffith Show – it was also a local story for the Mount Airy team. Betty Lynn. the actor who played Thelma Lou, adopted Mount Airy has her full-time hometown more than a decade ago. Mount Airy is the home town of Andy Griffith. The News’ John Peters wrote about her, and her death, in a personal way, relating how she had become a part of the city’s culture, as well as showing how she had stayed in touch with the show’s fans.

School District Says Anti-Racist Video Shown During Sky View Assembly was Inappropriate

The national “Critical Race Theory” debate hit home with full force in the Cache Valley community after one of the local high schools conducted a racial-sensitivity assembly in response to a student wearing a black-race Halloween costume. Reporter Steve Kent put this article together on deadline. Other media rushed in to cover the controversy, and eventually it ended up a national story. More at Logan, Utah: The Herald Journal

More at Mount Airy, North Carolina: Mount Airy News

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BEST OF ADAMS 2021

SPORTS & OUTDOORS The Kid with the Megawatt Smile Writer Patrick Obley has a way of bringing a reader into a story and gently guiding them along. This entry is actually a feature obit. But readers didn’t know that. They are taken on a journey through the life of a local sports hero who died far too soon. This is a story that will make you sad and make you smile. And in the end, you’ll be glad you learned just a little bit more about this amazing human being. Shane Williams in better days with his two young daughters.

3 Magic Words, 1 Magic Title St. Francis graduate Dakotah Lindwurm became the first Minnesota woman since 1987 to win the women’s title at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth. Grandma’s is one of the most prestigious marathons in the country, having been in existence since 1977 and typically attracting an estimated 10,000 runners. More at Anoka County, Minnesota: Union Herald

Mount Airy Captures Regional Tennis Championship The tears that streamed down Charlotte Hauser’s face were a depiction of just how much this win meant for Mount Airy High School. A young group of girls, with no senior players, ran the regular-season and conference tournament gauntlets and came into the West Regional Final undefeated. Mount Airy ran into its all-time greatest rival with a shot at the state championship on the line and won. This article captures the pure emotion of these student-athletes, coaches and loyal Granite Bear fans that stuck with the program through good times and bad. More at Mount Airy, North Carolina: Mount Airy News

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More at Venice, Florida: Venice Gondolier

A Man And The Leaf: Darby Carlson Has Been With Maple Grove Since the School’s Founding For over two decades, coach Darby Carlson served many different roles at Maple Grove Senior High School: physical education teacher, football coach, basketball coach and head varsity baseball coach. And in everything he did, he left a lasting legacy among his students, players, and fellow coaches. This piece delves into Carlson’s start at Maple Grove, what he means and meant to students and coaches, and the legacy he leaves. After the story ran, reporter Sam Johnson had a lot of feedback from the community and high engagement on social media, illustrating it is the kind of community journalism that resonates with our readers. More at Coon Rapids, Minnesota: The Press & News

BEST OF ADAMS 2021

COVID-19

When Boise celebrated the end of the Great War on Nov. 11, 1918, it was a dangerous gathering in the midst of the Spanish flu epidemic that killed millions.

1918 to Now: How Idaho Weathers Pandemics Reporter Carolyn Komatsoulis took a look back at the 1918 pandemic in Boise and the Treasure Valley and compared it to today’s local COVID-19 scenario. The story drew an interesting comparison, illustrating pushback against politicians, government regulations, social distancing protocols and masking over 100 years before. The story was used throughout all of APG’s Idaho sites. More at Nampa, Idaho: Idaho Press

The Lost Year: Looking Back at a Year of the Covid-19 Pandemic This was a deep dive into COVID-19 and how it affected not only Watauga County, but the High Country as a whole from health care to education to businesses and the community. It took some multimedia aspects to show how COVID-19 grew from the first case in North Carolina on March 3 to how it looked exactly a year later. The story dived into how health care workers were feeling and where the community was in the fight against COVID-19. More at Boone, North Carolina: Watauga Democrat

Covid Survivor Focuses On Recovery After Long Journey To Stay Alive

Local Restaurant Owners Express Frustration at State’s Handling Of Closures and Restrictions

Many compelling COVID stories came across APG editors’ desks in the past two years, but this personal profile of Karen Henderson’s epic battle with the virus painted a vivid picture through a nicely told story. It’s the tale of an otherwise healthy woman suddenly finding herself struggling to breathe in January. The next thing she remembers was waking up in March. In between, her family struggled to keep her on life support, slept in cars in the parking lot in the snow and then embarked on the long (and expensive) road to recovery. Story by Evan Caldwell.

In this two-part series, area restaurant owners described the struggle around the state’s handling of COVID closures and the dramatic impact it had on local business. For the closures, restaurant owners had to handle getting their employees onto unemployment in a timely fashion so those employees could begin accessing the funds as quickly as possible. There was money wasted as food had to be thrown out because it was purchased under the assumption it would be used by its good-by date. And shifting to a completely to-go business model requires a change in scheduling for the staff who were retained through the shutdowns.

More at Stanwood, Washington: Stanwood Camano News

More at East Central Minnesota: Forest Lake Times

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BEST OF ADAMS 2021

LOCAL ENTERPRISE

Cattle graze on supplemental alfalfa within a pasture near Island Park.

Cattle Conundrum: High Feed Costs Heading into Winter, Promise of Better Prices to Come Have Ranchers in a Bind

Heading into the winter, Idaho cattle ranchers face extremely high feed costs while being paid relatively low beef prices. In his article “Cattle Conundrum,” Farm & Ranch editor John O’Connell shared experts’ insights into navigating a difficult cattle market. The high cost of feed, combined with poor grazing conditions following an extremely dry season, led many ranchers to cull marginal cattle, contributing to a temporary beef supply glut. Ranchers who can afford to hold onto their best livestock, however, face the likelihood of a much better market for beef later next season, thanks to the significant reduction in the cattle herd resulting from extra culling. More at Idaho Falls, Idaho: Intermountain Farm & Ranch

2 Skagit County Mothers Sound Alarm On Fentanyl Lori Carpenter and Carol Schweigert lost their sons to fentanyl overdoses in a two-month period in 2018. Since then, the two Skagit County mothers have bonded through their tragedies, and have made it their goal to keep other mothers and fathers from going through the same heartbreak of losing a child. Story by reporter Kera Wanielista. More at Mt. Vernon, Washington: Skagit Valley Herald

Finding A Home: Community Prevails At Bozeman Pond, Despite Misconceptions

Where is the Owner Of Flight School That Trained 9/11 Pilots? Some of the pilots who trained to fly into buildings on 9/11 trained in Venice. There is a barbecue restaurant near the airport where the terrorists would eat often. And they always sat in the same booth -- the one by the door. Most natives can tell you this story. But whatever happened to the man who trained the pilots -- who broke no laws and had no idea he was training terrorists? Writer Bob Mudge spent weeks hunting for this man. This is his story. More at Venice, Florida: Venice Gondolier

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Bozeman’s housing market has left a lot of people behind. For some, that means living in tents or RVs because they can’t afford to buy a home or secure a rental. Reporter Melissa Loveridge started hearing this summer about a small community that formed in a city park where people were living in tents long term. People who lived in houses nearby were often raising concerns about the camp, worried it was a blight on their neighborhood. Melissa and photographer/ Report for America Corps Member Samuel Wilson went to the camp and met the people who lived there. Through this story, they introduced them to Chronicle readers and humanized Bozeman’s housing crisis. More at Bozeman, Montana: Daily Chronicle

BEST OF ADAMS 2021

LOCAL ENTERPRISE

Clara Carr, 18, left, and her mother Nancy Wilcox stand outside of the home they’ll soon own on North Grant Avenue, across from Irving Middle School in Pocatello. The local housing market has grown extremely tight recently, leaving buyers with few affordable options.

Priced Out of the Market: Tight Local Housing Market Leaves Buyers with

Few Options

Southeast Idaho encountered an unprecedented housing crisis beginning early in 2021. Home listings in the local real estate market became historically tight, with affordable homes typically selling the moment they were listed. Home values and tax assessments climbed. Local rentals also became scarce, as landlords sold properties to take advantage of the hot market, leaving tenants without good options. John O’Connell, of the Idaho State Journal, explored the real estate challenges in a three-part series, “The housing crunch,” which ran in March. The series also offered possible solutions to the affordable housing shortage, as well as steps taken by local leaders to address the problem. More at Pocatello, Idaho: Idaho State Journal

Struggling to Find Candidates as Police Officer Hiring Crisis Sets In A reduced number of candidates for open police positions has some local departments concerned. With retirements and officers simply walking away because of the stress, this issue is likely to be at the forefront for some time. Compared to 30 years ago, some departments are seeing a nearly 80% reduction in applicants. The 2-part series on police staffing issues by reporter Hannah Davis. More at East Central Minnesota: Forest Lake Times

Family, Friends Still Grieve Disappearance of Young Boise Woman 27 Years Later Reporter Alexandra Duggan tracked down the family, friends and suspect in a 27-year-old cold case involving a young woman who went missing from Boise in 1994. Alexandra, who was hired in October, is a local native who was named public safety reporter a week before chasing down this important story. She also tracked down photos and made a timeline pertaining to Krystyn Rae Dunlap-Bosse’s disappearance. It was a top digital story for several days and was picked up by multiple media outlets. More at Nampa, Idaho: Idaho Press

Is Wyoming’s School Funding Model About to Fail? This story about school funding was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s education reporter at the time, Kathryn Palmer, coordinated with a Hechinger project editor throughout this work, and traveled to small communities in the state that would be severely impacted if education funding were further cut. This extra level of project support was very helpful, and even though it required some dedicated time for the reporter to work with the project coordinator, it was no different than if they were working with a local editor. The result was outstanding! More at Cheyenne, Wyoming: Wyoming Tribune Eagle

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BEST OF ADAMS 2021

DATA & INVESTIGATIONS

The Highland High School football team runs onto the field before a game at Holt Arena.

Fields of Change: An Investigative Series Around the State of Public School Athletic Facilities

The Idaho State Journal’s three-part series by Jordan Kaye, titled “Fields of change,” investigated why Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 failed to accept donations to renovate its athletic facilities. At the crux of the story is the relationship between Idaho State University and District 25 and how that contributed to District 25 turning down a $250,000 donation rather than making needed facility upgrades. Backed by more than a dozen interviews, the series delves into the lack of athletic facilities serving local public schools, what caused it, why it has stayed that way and what is being done to possibly change the situation. More at Pocatello, Idaho: Idaho State Journal

Watauga County Sees More Deaths In 2020 Than Any In Previous 20 Years This was a deep dive into more than 450 death records of those who died in Watauga County and what they died from. The data showed that more people died in 2020 than any other year and had the highest death rate per 10,000 since 2002. Each death certificate labeled the cause of death, which resulted in the finding that tobacco use was the No. 1 cause with heart and respiratory illnesses also in the top. More at Boone, North Carolina: Watauga Democrat

Restoring the River: Groups Chart Complicated Path Forward for Stillaguamish Salmon

There is no single, simple silver bullet answer when it comes to saving the salmon of the Pacific Northwest. This detailed article sheds light on how the many different interests — cities, state, tribes, land owners, etc — are finally beginning to work together on several fronts needed to help reverse the declining salmon populations, showing the reader that saving salmon is more complicated than some think. More at Stanwood, Washington: Stanwood Camano News

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Missing $41k in Jail Money is Simply Gone Over the summer of 2021, the Daily Press began getting tips that the local jail administrator, who had recently killed himself, was being investigated for stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the jail’s fund. When administrators refused to comment or answer questions, the news team began filing open-records requests — and only then did the county issue a brief press release with incorrect information about the money. The followup open-records requests revealed the strange truth, which was difficult to tell while protecting the deceased officer’s suicide, which the Daily Press typically does not report. The attached story, based on documents obtained under state openrecords law, is the final in a series. More at Ashland, Wisconsin: Ashland Daily Press

BEST OF ADAMS 2021

SPECIAL REPORTS Project Klamath

Saving A Watershed in an Era Of Climate Change “Months of work helped us dive into the changing Klamath Basin environment, which is often described as just ‘too complicated’ to explain in day-to-day reporting,” said Herald and News Editor Tim Trainor. This special project included new reporting, visual journalism, graphic art, web design and more, all of which challenged the staff and led to a final product that will have lasting impact on the community. To share the work, the team collaborated with APG’s High Road Agency to create a standalone website, they created a special magazine inserted into the daily paper, and published stories over several days for print subscribers. The special report was produced with funding and support from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Environmental Solutions Initiative and Report for America. Crater Lake is a gem of America’s national park system. The stunning volcanic caldera sits largely protected from development, but even it can’t escape a changing climate.

More at Klamath Falls, Oregon: Herald and News Reporter: Alex Schwartz; photographer: Arden Barnes; editor: Tim Trainor.

Working Waterfront Lovric’s Sea-Craft Survives Windstorm, But Other Challenges Remain

Reaching For Representation

To observe the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, journalists from seven APG news organizations in southeastern Ohio collaborated on a premium edition that was inserted in issues published on Sept. 11, 2021. Through harrowing eyewitness accounts, personal memories, archival content and deep reporting, the edition recalled that terrible day and examined its effect on the people and communities of this Appalachian region. Part of the proceeds from the edition were donated to the widow of a Nelsonville firefighter who died on duty earlier in the year; three Nelsonville firefighters volunteered at Ground Zero and the department holds an annual remembrance ceremony.

Conflict, history, weather, business, money, cleanup, government intervention and boats - all great story topics for islanders. Lovric’s Sea-Craft boatyard is a prime example of how a working waterfront business often creates environmental challenges. A big storm sunk some boats and brought some complex issues to the forefront. The Anacortes American used the opportunity to shine a light on a situation that affects the entire community. It is one example of many for this island and one we continue to cover. Similar scenarios play out all over the world.

Some Cheyenne residents of color say they don’t feel heard by largely white leadership in local government and schools. This lack of representation makes it easier for leaders to, even unintentionally, overlook the issues that affect them, they say. In part two of this series, residents express why this kind of representation matters and how they’re working to achieve equity.

More at Athens, Ohio: Regional collaboration

Story and art by Richard Walker

9/11

One Day, Twenty Years

Participating sites and contributors: The Athens NEWS (Editor Corinne Colbert), The Athens Messenger (Alex Hulvalchick), The Logan Daily News (Jim Phillips and Keri Johnson) The Circleville Herald (Emily Moore), the Vinton-Jackson Courier (Will Meyer), and the Pike County Watchman (Patrick Keck). Cover design by Laura Zielinski, Athens.

More at Anacortes, Washington: Anacortes American

Prompted By Inequities, Local Campaign Efforts Strive For Change

This special report was made possible by a grant from Wyoming Humanities as part of its Collaborative Journalism Project to report on local challenges, opportunities and successes in coming together to solve problems. But, as Managing Editor Brian Martin says, “The reason to join this effort wasn’t for the money, it was for the chance to challenge our team to step back and address an issue in a larger way.” The Tribune Eagle published a strong editorial challenging the community to take real action to help fix the problem. More at Cheyenne, Wyoming: Tribune Eagle Reporters: Margaret Austin, Kathryn Palmer, Niki Kottmann, Hannah Black

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BEST OF ADAMS 2021

EDITORIAL We All Have Work To Do To Achieve Equal Representation The following is an excerpt from an editorial published in conjunction with a series on representation, which is featured in the Special Reports category. This editorial is an excellent example of how the site made a powerful statement backed by impressive enterprise reporting, and used the work to hold the community accountable. Thankfully, Cheyenne isn’t like Minneapolis, Columbus or Chicago, where every time you turn around, another Black person is being killed by a white police officer. But that doesn’t mean Wyoming’s capital city doesn’t discriminate against people based on the color of their skin (or their economic status or sexual orientation, for that matter). That bias just manifests itself in less-violent ways.

Brenda Hayes poses for a photo at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in west Cheyenne. Hayes, the owner of Soul-Full Cuisine, holds teachings for fellowmembers of Cheyenne’s Black community.

L-TOpinion LeaderTelegram.com

MATT MILNER RANDY RICKMAN

EDITOR

PUBLISHER

LIAM MARLAIRE ASSISTANT EDITOR

Email Voice of the People letters to voices@ecpc.com Include your name, address, daytime phone number

Officials should show their work

Monday, May 3, 2021

Gun violence not all covered equally

The Obiden administration appears to be working hand in glove with the Mexican drug and alien smuggling cartels to achieve reciprocal goals of great importance to each side. The cartels make vast sums of money bringing drugs and illegal aliens across our southern border. Hispanic illegals are charged $4,000 to $5,000 each, while those from Africa, the Middle East or Asia must pay upwards of ten thousand to be escorted to the U.S. President Joe Biden campaigned on an open borders platform and raised the floodgates on day one of his presidency by reversing nearly all of the Trump administration’s successful border security policies. The resulting and predictable chaos is moving the Democrats closer to their long sought goal of turning Arizona and Texas blue, which would guarantee them control of our national government for decades to come, by increasing the number of left-leaning voters in those, as well as many other states. Past being prologue, they know that nearly all the illegals will eventually become voters, repaying the Democrats for their free health care, education and eventual citizenship. Democratic governors (including our own Tony Evers) and prosecutors are doing their part by reducing or eliminating illegal drug penalties and increasing minimum wage laws to ensure this deceitful scheme remains profitable for both sides. The losers in this bargain will be the victims of the criminal element (think MS-13) among the illegals and the taxpayers who will bear the tremendous burden of supporting a large population of uneducated, non-English speaking people who have been invited to break our laws with impunity. Someone needs to inform Biden that the words inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty are from a sonnet written in 1883, not the U.S. Constitution. JOHN TORGERSON Eau Claire

Transparency In Local C Government: Officials Should Show “It makes it harder to get out of the house able news programming suggestion: every day knowing another child has lost Instead of filling every broadcast their life,” one victim’s older sister said. with the latest presumptive police So far, however, this ongoing tragedy outrage, try covering the latest drive-by killings. Show us more of what’s really hap- has drawn little commentary on CNN or MSNBC. “Among our elites,” my pening on the streets where we friend Bob Somerby writes, “no live. Newspapers and local TV one cares about the gun violence are already on it. which takes so many other lives. For example, the morning after It doesn’t matter if Black people police released video of the fatal get shot and killed unless it’s shooting of 13-year-old Adam done by police.” Toledo by a Chicago cop, the At his website The Daily lead headline in the Chicago SunHowler, Somerby has been Times read, “Girl, 7, fatally shot writing acid commentaries about at McDonald’s drive-thru.” GENE LYONS the melodramatic coverage given Witnesses told reporters they police/civilian shootings. In the were astonished by the brazenness of the gang members who opened fire wake of the Derek Chauvin murder trial, the sad and dangerous truth is that on anyon a rival in front of many onlookers and thing regarding cops and race, you pretty several security cameras. The little girl much can’t expect anything like accurate, seemingly got in the way. dispassionate journalism from too much of Young Adam Toledo, of course, was the news media. Particularly not the cable involved in a similar shooting episode imnetworks. mediately before his deadly confrontation Uncomfortable facts are routinely with police. ignored or suppressed to preserve the Heaven knows, Chicagoans have reason to be leery of their city’s police department, good-versus-evil storyline. Pundits appear on national TV to opine about complex but context is crucial. life-and-death situations without having the This morning’s headline in the Little first idea what they’re talking about. Once Rock newspaper was, “Peace urged after the basic storyline gets laid down, it rarely man killed, toddlers hurt by park gunfire.” changes. The toddlers, aged 3 and 4, are expected Consider, for example, the tragic killing to recover. More collateral damage, as it’s of Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb called when soldiers shoot civilians. Two by a veteran officer who says she mistakyoung men playing basketball were the intended targets; one survived. Last month, enly fired her handgun instead of a Taser. Wright apparently told his mother that he however, a 10-year-old girl was killed in a was stopped for having an air freshener similar incident in another city park. hanging from his rear-view mirror. Criminals, however, don’t wear body Pundits at PBS, MSNBC, The New York cams, so TV footage is harder to come by. Also, because filing wrongful death lawsuits Times and The Washington Post have given the air-freshener angle a workout. Al against street gangs is futile, CNN’s roving cast of pundits and personal injury lawyers Sharpton mentioned it during an emotional eulogy at Wright’s funeral. So why were aren’t primed to respond with appropriate Brooklyn Center police arresting Wright, indignation. and why did he flee? “When a suspect is a person of color, Well, it turns out that Wright had been there is no attempt to de-escalate the situcharged with aggravated armed robbery in ation,” said civil rights lawyer Ben Crump 2019, released on bail, subsequently picked regarding a recent incident in Knoxville, Tennessee. “Police shoot first and ask ques- up for carrying a pistol and fleeing police, released again, and then blew off a court tions later, time after time, because Black hearing on the gun charge. He had to figure lives are afforded less value.” Regarding the value of Black lives, here’s they’d keep him locked up this time. So he tried to run. Terrible decision. some important information: According to Not a capital crime, no. And still a tragan extraordinary piece of reporting by Rick edy. Rojas in The New York Times, Anthony J. But if you’re one of those posting indigThompson, age 17, who was killed by Knoxnant Facebook screeds about cops stopping ville police in an armed confrontation in a drivers for minor infractions, now you cramped bathroom at Austin-East Magnet High School, was the fifth student from that know why. Lyons, an Arkansas Times columnist, Nacampus to die of gun violence during this tional Magazine Award winner and co-auschool year. thor of “The Hunting of the President,” may Five kids, all African American, all shot be reached at eugenelyons2@yahoo.com. dead at one school in one year.

A pair of decisions by local government presented the opportunity to show why officials needed to do a better job of explaining their actions. In both cases there were a range of unanswered questions that left decisions vulnerable to second-guessing. By pressing for more information on these comparatively minor points, the paper continued to send a clear and consistent message about the need for transparency in local government. Addressing cannabis regulation in state

I applaud Gov. Tony Evers for including taxation and regulation of cannabis as part of his budget proposal. In spite of generations of prohibition, the market for cannabis products has not gone away, and this authoritarian approach creates more problems than it solves. Without regulation there is no quality control, leaving cannabis users vulnerable to mislabeled or tainted products. Prohibition erodes the trust level of law-abiding cannabis users toward law enforcement. A well-regulated cannabis industry would offer a lucrative new revenue stream for family farms, small businesses and cashstarved state and local governments. Prohibition forfeits this industry to neighboring states and to the shadowy unregulated and untaxed underground market. Wisconsin’s tax and regulatory structure for cannabis production must be optimized to support a large number of small producers while discouraging large corporate operations. Other states have seen mega-growers (many backed by the tobacco and alcohol industries) force small and artisan growers into bankruptcy. Wisconsin can do better. Activists tell me that the biggest obstacle to a Wisconsin cannabis industry is the Tavern League. What if taverns were offered a “taste” of this new industry? Perhaps they could offer an alcohol-free cannabis-based beverage, or they could sell cannabis products “off sale.” Instead of competition, cannabis could give taverns new products to offer their customers. If we do this right, cannabis regulation and taxation will bring rich new sources of income to our small farms, our corner taverns and our tax bases. To brush this proposal aside is simply throwing money away. OBBIE KING La Crosse

More at Eau Claire, Wisconsin: Leader-Telegram

Credit: News Service of Florida

Biden’s track record on border lacking

Their Work

More at Cheyenne, Wyoming: Tribune Eagle

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

OUR VIEW

veryone remembers those math worksheets from elementary school. You know, the ones where you had to solve problem after problem, showing you knew how to perform the arithmetic involved. When you got to higher grades and the problems became more complex, the sheets had another instruction from the teacher: “Show your work.” You had to prove you weren’t just using a calculator to do the work for you. City officials would be well advised to follow that instruction. When you make a claim or a decision, show residents how you arrived at that conclusion. Show your work. Two recent cases illustrate the need for the city’s elected and administrative officials to do a better job on this count. The decision on brush site fees was one. The plans at first called for a hike from 50 cents per bag of yard waste to $2 per bag. That’s a fourfold jump. Residents said they wanted to hear how the city arrived at the proposed figure. Council members didn’t have all the information they wanted, either. Councilwoman Kate Beaton had to ask for projections for site expenses and revenues from the proposed fees. The primary concern was the sudden rise in the cost. On April 27 the council backtracked, setting a fee of $1 per bag. It was a 9-1 vote and the fees will begin in mid-May. Officials also gave financial projections, saying the site will probably run a deficit. The other event was the hiring of Dr. Jeneise Briggs as the city’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator. The position will serve both the city and county. In announcing the hire, Interim City Manager Dave Solberg said there is “much work to be done as we strive to create a more inclusive community.” His statement needed more. Remember, this wasn’t an off-the-cuff comment. It came from a press release he had plenty of time to prepare. In what ways does he believe the community needs to be more inclusive? What does he hope to accomplish? Questions also remain about what precisely Briggs’ authority and role will be. Given that this is a position for both the city and county, what’s the breakdown on compensation and the chain of command to which she’ll report? Some read Solberg’s comments as an indictment of Eau Claire, a claim that the community itself is racist. We don’t believe that’s the case. A more nuanced description serves better, and we think there’s an example of that from Vice President Kamala Harris. In a recent interview, Harris said she does not think America is racist, but that it does have racism in its history and continues to struggle with it. The presence of racism in American history is undeniable. Slavery, the Chinese Exclusion Acts, Jim Crow laws and many more examples give testimony to that fact. It is also unquestionable that racism remains a challenge in our country. But specific events are distinct from the nation itself. In the same way, incidents in the Chippewa Valley are distinct from the communities themselves. Are there racists present? Yes. Are they representative of their communities as a whole? We don’t believe so. By presenting material detailing how the decision on yard waste fees was made, the city could have made a stronger argument for the initial proposal. At minimum, council members wouldn’t have had to ask for information they should have already had in hand. Would the $2 fee have led to some protests? Of course. But the city would have been in a far better position to defend it than it was the first time it was discussed. Showing your work in government means one other key thing: you understand that you must sell the community on the direction you wish to go. Elected officials remain beholden to the people. Government is a sales operation as much as it is leadership. Explaining how you reached a decision is an easy way to demonstrate that you know you cannot simply dictate an outcome when taxpayer dollars are involved. We don’t believe either decision was made in bad faith. But we do believe both could have benefited from officials better showing their work.

And even though most of us knew it to be true already, we hope our two-part “Reaching for Representation” project today and last Sunday will not only spotlight a problem in our community, it will get a conversation going about how to change things for the better here. Because it’s not enough to simply know there’s a problem. We have to work hard at overcoming it.

FROM OUR FILES 5 years ago — 2016 The Indianapolis Colts sign former Blugolds offensive lineman Isiah Cage as an undrafted free agent. 10 years ago — 2011 Plans for a new Mega Foods on Eau Claire’s east side along South Hastings Way are discussed.

20 years ago — 2001 Peggy Larson is Eau Claire’s new postmaster. 35 years ago — 1986 State Bank of Withee, which lost $1.2 million the previous year, tries to sell stock to beat a federal deadline to get its capital up to par.

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Desantis Needs to Take Lead on Vaccination

Excerpt: Gov. Ron DeSantis, who clearly has ambitions for higher office, could show real leadership by speaking out against the misinformation that contributes to vaccine hesitancy and urging his fellow Republicans to get their shots, like he did. He is riding a wave of popularity in his party. He can afford to spend some political capital to give a forceful, unequivocal statement in favor of vaccinations. More at Port Charlotte, Florida: The Daily Sun

Civics Might Soon Be Required In School – Hear, Hear! Wisconsin is one of the most purple states in the union, and politics seems to find its way into almost every conversation. It’s hard to even carry on discussions at family holiday get-togethers without everyone picking sides. In the course of this debate, and drawing in all the challenges that happened with protests and insurrection around both the state and nation’s capitals, there seems to be a lack of civility and decorum, a tendency to strive for winning at all costs, and terms like compromise are treated like signs of failure. Against that backdrop, this was written. This editorial was hailed by the state press association and picked up by dozens of papers around the nation. More at Watertown, Wisconsin: Daily Times

BEST OF ADAMS 2021

MORE NOTEWORTHY STORIES OF 2021 COVID19 East Central Minnesota: Sun Post New Hope seniors remember pandemic: ‘We’re gonna make it through this’ Janesville, Wisconsin: The Gazette ‘We’re not animals:’ Half of Rock County Jail inmates test positive for COVID-19 Bozeman, Montana: Daily Chronicle Through their eyes: Life in Bozeman long-term care facilities during the pandemic Southern Wisconsin: Cambridge News and Deerfield Independent Deerfield school music classes move through pandemic Maryville, Tennessee: The Daily Times 'Elvis has left the building:' Blount Memorial's Tom Cunningham died after hospitalization with COVID-19

FEATURES Greeneville, Tennessee: The Greeneville Sun Fire And Iron: Forging The Future With Tools From The Past Antigo, Wisconsin: Antigo Daily Journal Dinsmore has seen it all in his 105 years Watertown, Wisconsin: Watertown Daily Times Watertown's Marchant enjoys dream job with Packers East Idaho Business Journal Longtime Pocatello artist takes big risk, finds big success Waverly, Ohio: Pike County News Watchman It's never too late to graduate Southern Minnesota: Waseca County News Waseca mourns the loss of its first — and only — female mayor East Central Minnesota: Burnsville-Eagan Sun Thisweek Author hit wall, found life on other side Circleville, Ohio: The Circleville Herald Keeping it clean: Custodian takes pride in his work Gladwin, Michigan: Record & Clarion Strong Roots: Govitz family of Gladwin County Anacortes, Washington: Anacortes American Town crier leaving after 14 years of operatic pageantry Marinette, Wisconsin: Eagle Herald Chad Francour continues to defy the odds Lake Mills, Wisconsin: Lake Mills Leader Caring for the passed: Sexton raises headstones, provides flags at Lutheran cemetery New Lexington, Ohio: Perry County Tribune Fighter touches gloves with fans Ashland, Wisconsin: Ashland Daily Press Weaving her own story East Central Minnesota: Anoka County Union Herald Raptor Rescue

LOCAL ENTERPRISE Port Charlotte, Florida: Daily Sun A sex scandal: One victim's fight involved coach, congressman Boise, Idaho: Idaho Press Family, friends still grieve disappearance of young woman 27 years later

Idaho Falls, Idaho: Intermountain Farm & Ranch Drought shaping growing season for Idaho farmers Athens, Ohio: The Athens News Where is Ohio University CFO Deb Shaffer? Nobody will say Owatonna, Minnesota: People’s Press Medford officials discover treatment plant in disrepair following state investigation Southern Wisconsin, Deforest Times-Tribune The Fuzzy Language Around 'Conservancy' Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin: Daily Jefferson County Union Firefighter series: They answer the call, but who answers their call for help

LOCAL NEWS Elkton, Maryland: The Cecil Whig Cecil Solidarity protests to show support for inmates seeking better conditions at Detention Center Retailers get creative to deal with product shortage as consumers shop in earnest Star Democrat (Easton, MD) Talbot Boys' days in Easton on courthouse lawn could be numbered Southern Wisconsin: Cambridge News and Deerfield Independent Newspaper files second fire and EMS open meetings complaint Athens, Ohio: Athens Messenger Republicans leak audio of Patterson bashing progressives at private GOP lunch Waterloo, Wisconsin: The Courier Waterloo superintendent calls t-shirts 'insensitive,' says wearers have been 'dealt with' New Lexington, Ohio: Perry County Tribune ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author, Senate candidate visits Perry County Gladwin, Michigan: Record & Clarion Restoring the lakes following May 2020 dam breaches La Plata, Maryland: Southern Maryland News St. Mary's redistricting board revises draft map; board chair and county attorney argue Owatonna, Minnesota: People’s Press Blooming Prairie man watched as protest turned to riot at Capitol Greenville, North Carolina: The Daily Reflector Cryptomining project officially withdraws from Belvoir area East Central Minnesota: Sun Sailor St. Louis Park/Hopkins After 52 years, St. Louis Park Roller Garden reaches its last laps East Central Minnesota: Sun Post Brooklyn Park/Brooklyn Center BC leadership change follows Wright killing East Central Minnesota: Edina Sun Current Edina park renamed in honor of Black pioneers East Central Minnesota: Sun Post BC leadership change follows Wright killing East Central Minnesota: County News Review Search continues for missing 32-year-old Logan, Utah: Herald Journal County clerk's office exodus includes $97,000 settlement

Newland, North Carolina: Avery Journal-Times Search warrant application, execution includes explosive details in Taylor investigation Wyoming: Wyoming Business Report LHS students walk out of class, protest mask mandate East Central Minnesota: The Gazette May Township woman aiming to become first with Down Syndrome featured in the Sports Illustrated Swim edition East Central Minnesota: UnionHerald Looking to survive: Anoka restaurant sued after defying governor’s orders East Central Minnesota: Forest Lake Times Anoka County administration tells libraries not to use Pride, Black Lives Matter messaging Southern Wisconsin: Waunakee Tribune A year after racial incident, transformative justice completed Athens, Ohio: Athens News Council rejects attempt to expedite APR director hire, cites frustration with process Southern Wisconsin: DeForest Times DeForest Board Asks For Village Representation in Wisconsin Redistricting Jefferson County, Wisconsin: Daily Union ‘He died a hero’: Neighbors, friends react to loss of boys in Fort house fire Elizabeth City, North Carolina: Daily Advance Womble: Deputies' fatal shooting of Brown justified Mount Airy, North Carolina: Mount Airy News Pilot Mountain ablaze: Smoke, fire keeps hearts racing Laramie, Wyoming: Laramie Bommerang Standoff over face mask results in lockdown at Laramie High School East Central Minnesota: Stillwater Gazette Craft brewers hindered by ‘growler cap’ East Central Minnesota: Press and News Anoka-Hennepin to require masks for grades K-6 Skagit Valley, Washington: Skagit Valley Herald/goskagit.com A week later, Hamilton still feeling effects of flooding Southern Wisconsin: A year after racial incident, transformative justice complete

SPORTS/OUTDOORS Greeneville, Tennessee: Greeneville Sun Tri-Cities Thunder Looking To Raise Profile Of Women's Football Boone, North Carolina: The Blowing Rocket Ryan Fox signs to play baseball at Catawba College Southern Wisconsin: Lake Mills Leader WIAA Division 3 girls basketball: Relentless L-Cats beat Blugolds for state championship East Central Minnesota: Stillwater Gazette Boys lacrosse: Destinty delayed for Ponies Florida Keys: Key West Citizen and Free Press A Keys man enters Hall of Fame Beloit, Wisconsin: Beloit Daily News Sky carp flock to Beloit East Central Minnesota: Forest Lake Times Kivlenieks touched hearts in Forest Lake

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