APG Newsletter May 2019

ASSOCIATE NEWSLETTER

MAY 2019

Home of the Key West Citizen

CONTENTS

SHARE YOUR AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS! Did you take a photo that you love for an article, a project you are working on, or from your last adventure? Send your image with a description to AskHR@adamspg.com and it may be featured in the next newsletter.

“A White Spring” Photo by Rebecca Portis, Mount Airy News 2

MAY 2019 NEWSLETTER

Health & Wellness, Safety

APG East

APG Central

APG West

MANAGE STRESS, CONTINUING EDUCATION

AWARD WINNERS, STATE PRESS AWARDS, ACHIEVEMENT CUP

LEGAL NOTICES, NEW TECHNOLOGY, LEADERSHIP CHANGES

RETIREMENTS, 300 GAMES, DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS, SEMINAR SUCCESS

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PAGE 06

PAGE 10

PAGE 12

WEST DIVISION

Regions: Washington, Oregon, Montanta, Idaho, Utah Divisional President: Eric Johnston

CENTRAL DIVISION

Regions: Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin Divisional President: Jeff Patterson

EAST DIVISION

Regions: Michigan, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Florida Divisional President: Gregg Jones

West Division Central Division East Division

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

TIPS TO MANAGE STRESS AT WORK GET HELP MANAGING YOUR STRESS AT WORK SO YOU CAN PREVENT SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.

Some stress is healthy and can even help you get through difficult situations.

However, chronic stress can lead to longterm health problems. Shannon Tierney, a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota wellness coach, shares some tips to help you manage stress at work.

Q: HOW CAN STRESS IMPACT MY WORK? A: Stress can cause poor job performance, unhappiness at work and poor relationships with coworkers and managers. It’s important to manage stress at work so you don’t put your job at risk.

One way to get started managing stress quickly is with the Blue Cross do.® app. The app gives you actions and wellness tips that Q: WHAT ARE SOME STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES I CAN benefit your mind and body.

DO AT WORK? Q: WHAT DOES STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE LOOK LIKE? A: Stress at work is caused by many different things. It can be something small, like your computer not working, to something big, like a conflict with your boss. Some common causes of stress at work include lack of control, more responsibility, unhappiness with your job, confusion about your role, poor communication, lack of support and bad working conditions.

Some stress can be good by helping you rise to the occasion on a tight deadline.

Stress that lasts too long, however, can lead to long-term health problems.

Q: WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS? A: Common symptoms or signs of stress include headaches, trouble sleeping, problems focusing, short temper, upset stomach, being unhappy and low self-esteem. Chronic stress can cause more serious health conditions, like high blood pressure, back problems, depression and heart disease.

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A: It is important to take your required breaks. During your breaks, you can:

• • • •

Take a walk around the building Do some deep breathing exercises Stretch Meditate

If chronic stress is negatively impacting your work on a regular basis, you should sit down with your boss to discuss your job performance and current stress levels.

Q: WHAT CAN I DO TO MANAGE WORK-RELATED STRESS WHEN I AM NOT AT WORK? A: A daily activity like meditation, deep breathing, walking, yoga, stretching, massage, baths, journaling and coloring can help you manage your stress. Set SMART goals to complete these activities and stay on track. You are more likely to reach your goals if they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

Your SMART goal, for example, can be to do a 1-minute deep breathing exercise every day at work during lunch. You can set an alarm on the do. app as a reminder and to measure your progress.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME PROGRAMS I CAN USE TO HELP MANAGE MY STRESS? A: Blue Cross members have a variety of health programs to help you stay healthy.

Some of them include fitness discounts* and the wellness discount marketplaceOpens in a new window*.

The Blue Cross do.® app can help you manage stress with daily activities and wellness tips. The app is free and available to everyone, even if you don’t have a plan with Blue Cross. Blue Cross offers a wellness coaching program*, available with some plans. A wellness coach can help you determine what is causing you stress, then help you set goals and provide resources and support to manage your stress long term.

SAFETY

SAFETY CONTINUING EDUCATION TIPS JEFF ROWTON, APG SAFETY MANAGER

APG has conducted our first in-house OSHA 10-hour for General Industry course in Safety and Health! The Greeneville Sun recently presented Associates from Inserting, Press, and Maintenance departments with their OSHA 10-hour completion cards.

The course was tailored around our unique production environments.

Associates also were involved in a walk-through inspection of the Pressroom and participated in identifying hazards in the workplace.

TRAINING TOPICS INCLUDED: • Introduction to OSHA • Walking and Working surfaces • Fall Protection • Exit Routes, Emergency Action Plans, Fire Prevention and Protection Plans • Electrical Safety and Hazard Prevention • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) • Hazard Communication (Chemical hazards and safety in the workplace) • Machine Guarding • Safety and Health Programs • Material Handling • Bloodborne Pathogens

Back row L to R: Dale Long, Circulation Director, Kevin Johnson, Press Operator Front row L to R: John Cash, General Manager, Zachary Ferguson, Mailroom Assistant Supervisor, Maxwell Olmsted, Press Operator, Charles Johnson, Press Operator, Kevin Freudenberger, Maintenance Supervisor

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information on the OSHA 10-hour course or for Safety related training materials for your location please contact: Jeff Rowton, APG Safety Manager jeff.rowton@adamspg.com or 423-359-3124

Associates Contribute to the APG Newsletter We want to hear what is going on in your neck of the woods. submitnews.adamspg.com

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APG EAST DO YOU KNOW YOUR

CONGRATULATIONS AWARD WINNING TEAM MEMBERS!

PAID TIME OFF BALANCE? IT MAY BE TIME FOR A VACATION!

Accrued, unused paid time off of up to 80 hours can be carried over to the following calendar year.

AMY BENNETT

LISA MINTO

JANE BELLMYER

JORDAN SCHATZ

KATIE TABELING

BETSY GRIFFIN

BRANDON SILVERSTEIN Advertising-driven Special Section - in-paper product, First Place: “Talbot Goes Purple” The Star Democrat

GEORGI CHAUVIN

CONNIE CONNOLLY

IRYNA VARNIAGA

JAKE MULLEN

GREG MUELLER

JENNIFER HELMER

JOHN GRIEP

SAMANTHA SCHAEFER

RICK KOLLINGER

TOM MAGLIO

HANNAH COMBS

JOSH SHANNON

COLIN STOECKER

JAMIE DRAKE

DAVID EVERMAN

New Business Concept / Wild Card, Second Place: “Santa’s Little Helper Section” Cecil Whig

New Business Concept / Wild Card, Second Place: “Santa’s Little Helper Section” Cecil Whig

Religion Reporting, Second Place: “Tome Memorial UMC members preparing to say goodbye” Best Photo Gallery, Second Place: “Cecil County Fair” Cecil Whig

Multimedia Storytelling (Sports), First Place: “Chasing the ghost of Apollo” Sports Video, First Place: “Chasing The Ghost of Apollo” Cecil Whig

Business Reporting, Second Place: “Threat of global trade war stokes dairy farmers’ fears” Public Notice Reporting, First Place: “County rethinks Port Deposit sewer plans” Best Photo Gallery, Second Place: “Cecil County Fair” Cecil Whig

View PTO Policies online at: hr.adamspg.com/handbook

APPLY FOR JOBS AT APG TEXT APGJOBS TO 41411

Advertising-driven Special Section - in-paper product, First Place: “Talbot Goes Purple” The Star Democrat Best Event, First Place: “2018 Senior EXPO” Maryland Independent

New Business Concept/ Wild Card, First Place: “Administrative Professionals Day” Advertising-driven Special Section in-paper product, First Place: “Talbot Goes Purple” The Star Democrat

Feature Story: Non-Profile, Second Place:“Rock Solid” The Star Democrat

New Business Concept/ Wild Card, First Place: “Administrative Professionals Day” The Star Democrat

ASSOCIATE NEWSLETTER

NOW QUARTERLY Beginning in April the Associate Newsletter went quarterly.

Each month we will bring you the HR Newsletter bringing you information from Human Resources, Safety, Health, Financial and the always fun, Movie Trivia!

WE WANT YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NEWSLETTER! 6

New Business Concept/ Wild Card, First Place: “Administrative Professionals Day” The Star Democrat

Editorial Cartoon, Second Place: “Weatherman” Bay Times

Sports Story, Second Place: “Braves have ‘a legacy of sisterhood’” The Enterprise

Advertising-driven Special Section - standalone, Second Place: “At Ease” News-driven Special Section, First Place: “Waterfowl Festival” The Star Democrat News-driven Special Section, First Place: “Waterfowl Festival” The Star Democrat Sports Column, First Place: “Fox gets into the record books” Maryland Independent

News-driven Special Section, First Place: “Waterfowl Festival” The Star Democrat

State Government, Second Place: “Md. taxpayers to see benefits at federal level” Cecil Whig Headline, Second Place: “Future of farming might become game of drones” Record Observer

Editorial, Second Place: “Paper investigating source of fake letter” The Star Democrat

Public Service, First Place: “LLC reps 31 votes prompt concern” Public Notice Reporting, Second Place: “Coleman receives raise, $10K bonus” The Newark Post

Restaurant/Entertainment ad - Small print only, First Place: “Decoy and Wildlife Art Festival” The Star Democrat

ALEX EVERS

Best Photo Gallery, First Place: “Chasing The Ghost of Apollo” Sports Video, First Place: “Chasing The Ghost of Apollo” Cecil Whig

APG EAST

APG CHESAPEAKE We are proud to congratulate every one of APG Chesapeake’s winners from this year’s Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C. Press Association (MDDC) annual awards.

A MINUTE WITH MARK ADAMS: What is your primary job at APG? Watch this month’s video: hr.adamspg.com/minute Submit your question: AskMark@adamspg.com

DOUG BISHOP

Photo Series, Second Place: “Tuckahoe Equestrian Center presents ‘Celebration of the Horse’” Record Observer

BROOKE SCHULTZ

Public Service, First Place: “Liquor permits under review” The Newark Post

DANDAN ZOU Calvert Recorder

BILL GATES

JESSE YEATMAN

ANGELA PRICE

BROOK ASH

MARK ELLIOTT

SCOTT SERIO

Sports Column, Second Place: “Decision to play youth football not for state to make” The Dundalk Eagle

Advertising-driven Special Section - in-paper product, Second Place: “Generations” Custom Publication, First Place: “Calvert County Business and Community Services Guide” Calvert Recorder Best Event, First Place: “2018 Senior EXPO” Maryland Independent

Feature Photo, First Place: “Fair time, finally” The Enterprise

Advertising-driven Special Section - in-paper product, Second Place: “Generations” Custom Publication, First Place: “Calvert County Business and Community Services Guide” Calvert Recorder Best Event, First Place: “2018 Senior EXPO” Maryland Independent

Breaking News Social Media, Second Place: “Students injured when bus driver tries to escape traffic backup” Record Observer

MICHAEL REID

JENNIFER RABY

Sports Story, First Place: “Going out with a bang” Maryland Independent

Real Estate ad - Small print only, First Place: “B&B Enterprises” Motor Vehicle ad - Large print only, First Place: “Kleenwave Auto Spa” Maryland Independent

TRISH MCGEE

DANIEL DIVILIO

Calvert Recorder

Breaking News, Second Place: “Firefighters’ hairraising rescue is Christmas miracle, sort of” Local Government, First Place: “Councilman questions intent of surveillance cameras in Third Ward” Kent County News

Multimedia Storytelling (Sports), First Place: “Chasing the ghost of Apollo” General News Photo, Second Place: “Wife’s Remembrance” Breaking News Photo, First Place: “Inferno Save” Best Photo Gallery, Second Place: “Cecil County Fair” Best Photo Gallery, First Place: “Chasing The Ghost of Apollo”

What is your primary job at APG?

State Government, First Place: “Hogan calls for state redistricting commission” Environmental Reporting, First Place: “ShoreRivers highlights programs aiding the Sassafras” Editorial, Second Place: “Redistricting a big need in Maryland” Best Photo Gallery, First Place: “Legacy Day block party brings dancing downtown” Kent County News

Sports Photo (Sports Action), First Place: “Out Of The Chute” Sports Photo (Feature), First Place: “Winning Point Celebration” Sports Video, First Place: “Chasing The Ghost of Apollo” Cecil Whig

NICOLE RODMAN

Editorial, Second Place: “This is why we can’t have nice things” The Dundalk Eagle

GREAT JOB!

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APG EAST

RISING STAR AWARD Watauga Democrat newspaper and All About Women editor Anna Oakes presented the 2019 Boone Area Chamber of Commerce’s 4 Under 40 “Rising Star” award on Wednesday, April 10, at Harvest House of Boone.

As the 2018 winner of the same award, Oakes announced Danielle Ward, president of Jackson Sumner & Associates of Boone, as the 2019 winner.

ASSOCIATE OF THE QUARTER Mountain Times Publications Executive Editor Tom Mayer, right, congratulates Ashe Post & Times (West Jefferson, NC) reporter Colin Tate on his earning the recognition as Associate of the Quarter for MTP’s first quarter 2019.

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ADAMS ACHIEVEMENT CUP APG MEDIA OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Effective March 1, 2019, All APG Media of ENC retail advertising sales executives will begin competing for monthly and annual awards. One overall winner will be chosen to receive the Adams Achievement Cup and an all-expense paid vacation to fabulous Myrtle Beach, SC!

Beach, SC. Two additional vacation days will be awarded to enable the winner to take a long weekend. The trip must be taken in June 2020.

Each APG Media of ENC daily paper will select a monthly winner and one annual contest winner. The overall Adams Achievement Cup winner will then be chosen from the 3 annual winners. Our retail advertising teams will gather at a luncheon in early April 2020, when all winners will be recognized and the annual winner will be named.

• Ad Seller/Active prospecting participation

Monthly winners will receive a $150 Visa Gift Card and a certicate. Annual Winners will receive a $500 cash bonus.

ADAMS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FIRST MONTH WINNERS

The Adams Achievement winner will receive a trophy ( The Adams Achievement Cup ), $75 Speedway gift card, $1,000 cash bonus, and a 4-day, 3 night hotel stay in Myrtle

Greenville: Alan Skirnick

AREAS OF CONSIDERATION IN SELECTING MONTHLY AND ANNUAL WINNERS:

• Regular online manifest and/or sales board participation • Meeting Sales Goal ( with a focus on print and digital growth ) • Active Accounts ( growing your number of active accounts )

Rocky Mount: Kelly Ayscue Elizabeth City: Lisa Bailey

JEFF BUNCH TO RETIRE FROM THE ATHENS MESSENGER. After 22 years as ad director, Jeff Bunch announced last month he was retiring.

The company threw Jeff a party for Associatess, Jeff’s family and customers on Friday, April 12.

Jeff will be missed.

APG EAST

MOUNTAIN TIMES PUBLICATIONS EARNS 35 STATE PRESS AWARDS MOUNTAIN TIMES PUBLICATIONS

Among the Watauga Democrat and its sister publications The Blowing Rocket, the Avery JournalTimes and the Ashe Post & Times, Mountain Times Publications claimed a total of 35 editorial and advertising awards during a ceremony on Thursday, March 21, at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley.

The Watauga Democrat claimed 21 awards from the North Carolina Press Association.

The highlight of the editorial contest for the Watauga Democrat was being presented with a pair of thirdplace General Excellence awards — the top editorial award for newspapers — for the newspaper and for the newspaper website. The Democrat was the only news outlet in Division B to place in the top three in both print and online.

In the advertising contest, a Blue Deer Cookie advertisement by Meleah Bryan and Mark Mitchell won Best in Show for all of Division B, regardless of category.

In editorial Division B, the staff won first and second in Best Niche Publication for All About Women magazine and Boone: My Hometown, a relocation and community resource guide produced with the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, respectively.

Two first-place editorial awards went to reporter Kayla Lasure. The first was in the Spot Photography category for “Vehicle fire spreads to home.” The second was in the Profile Feature category for “Through Macie’s Lens,” which chronicled the life and photography of the late Macie Lane Dove Pietrowicz.

Lasure also got a third-place award in the Best Video category for “Flood waters take over parts of Watauga.”

Thomas Sherrill picked up a first-place award in the Headline Writing category and won a second-place award in Election/Political Reporting for “Campaign finance reports,” an in-depth look at local election campaigns and the money they raised in 2018. “(The) reporter eschewed sound bites in favor of substantive quotes, and also took time to explain

concepts that journalists sometimes assume their readers already understand,” the comments from the judges stated.

Editor Anna Oakes picked up a second-place award in News Feature writing for “The Best Western hotel deaths, five years later.”

“The extensive reporting in Anna Oakes’ series on carbon monoxide deaths at hotels and motels is an excellent piece of public advocacy journalism, written with depth and nuance,” the judge’s comments stated.

The Watauga Democrat staff also won second place in Community News Coverage and third place in Appearance and Design.

In advertising, the staff swept two categories, claiming first, second and third in Best Niche Publication, as well as Best Retail Ad in a Niche Publication. For Best Niche Publication, “All About Women: March-April 2018,” “Boone: My Hometown 2017-18” and “All About Weddings 2018” were the top three, respectively.

In Best Retail Ad in a Niche Publication, “Blue Deer Cookies,” by Meleah Bryan and mark Mitchell won first place, “Things We Love” by Bryan, James Howell and Nathan Godwin was second and “Mountain Blue Gallery” by Kristin Obiso and Mitchell claimed third.

Bryan and Mitchell also won first place in the Best Service Ad in a Niche Publication for “Rising Star Equestrian Center,” and Obiso got second place in Best Retail Ad for “Magic Cycles.”

At other Mountain Times Publications news outlets, the Ashe Post & Times won seven NCPA honors, The Blowing Rocket won four awards and The Avery Journal-Times claimed three. All three news outlets were in Division A. For the Ashe Post & Times, in the editorial division, Luke Weir won second place in election/political reporting for “One in 19,000: a conversation with Ashe County’s lone Green Party member,” and third place in city and/or county government reporting for “Stonebridge Subdivision gains Board of Commissioners support in redistricting blunder.”

Colin Tate claimed third place in sports news reporting for “Bare takes home 2A state title,” and Lee Sanderlin got third place in online breaking news coverage for “Terry Buchanan resigns as Ashe County sheriff, charges dismissed.”

“The focus on the wrestler’s experience really makes this story stand out, and makes me cheer him on, too,” the judges commented about Tate’s story.

In advertising for the Ashe Post & Times, Obiso and Teresa Laws won first place for best motor vehicle ad for “Ashe County Ford,” as well as a third place in best entertainment ad for “Forest Ridge Assisted Living.”

Bryan got third place in best newspaper promotion for “NCPA Awards House ad.”

The Blowing Rocket claimed four awards in Division A. In editorial, Sherrill won first place in religion and faith reporting for “St. Mary’s of Blowing Rock in transition.”

In advertising, Bryan won first place in best food ad for “Blowing Rock Market,” and first place in institutional ad for “Carlton Gallery.”

Advertising staff won second place in best special section for “Blowing Rock: My Hometown 2018.”

The Avery Journal-Times won three NCPA awards in Division A. Jamie Shell, Steve Behr, Matt Laws and Logan Parks won first place in sports coverage for newspapers only.

“Really well packaged all around,” the comments from the judges stated. “I like the info box on the preview as well.”

Carl Blankenship won third place in feature photography for “Callum Vinson, 2018 Grandfather Mtn. Highland Games.” In advertising, Obiso won third place in the best food ad category for “Vidalia.”

“As always, it’s wonderful to have recognition for your work from your colleagues and peers within the industry,” said Gene Fowler, group publisher of Mountain Times Publications. “I truly feel that the editorial staff we have at Mountain Times Publications is among the best in the state. It’s my honor to work with such a talented group of people.”

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APG CENTRAL

Regional President help keep

LEGAL NOTICES IN WYOMING NEWSPAPERS

36 AWARDS FROM STATE PRESS ASSOCIATION APG MEDIA OF THE ROCKIES Newspapers from the APG Media of the Rockies group earned a total of 36 awards from the Wyoming Press Association in January.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle in Cheyenne, Laramie Boomerang, Rawlins Times and Rock Springs Rocket-Miner all came away with honors this year.

Among the top prizes, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle took first-place honors among all daily newspapers in the state for advertising

excellence and typographical excellence, and second place for general excellence.

WTE photographer Jacob Byk won the daily sweepstakes photo honor for a Laramie County Fair photo titled “Tear-ful farewell,” and the newspaper finished in second place among dailies for photographic excellence.

The awards were presented Jan. 19 at the Red Lion Hotel in Cheyenne. They honored work published between Nov. 1, 2017, and Oct. 31, 2018.

Thanks, in part, to the efforts of APG Media of the Rockies Regional President Rory Palm and editorials in the pages of APG publications, Wyoming newspapers were able to fend off an effort in the state Legislature to remove public notices from print.

Lawmakers filed two bills to remove the requirement that legal notices be published in local newspapers. House Bill 201 would have allowed county, city and town gov-ernments to post public notices to their own websites, rather than declaring a legal newspaper and printing them there. House Bill 244 would have created a state-run website that would served as a central repository for these notices.

Thanks to the lobbying efforts of the Wyoming Press Association, both bills were defeated in committee. Palm is a member of the WPA’s board of directors.

KIDZ ‘N’ DESIGN WAUNAKEE TRIBUNE Kidz ’n’ Design is a special tab-size section, an annual collaboration between the Waunakee Tribune (APG of Southern Wisconsin) and the Waunakee Middle School art department. Students design ads for each participating advertiser, and each advertiser chooses one winner from several designed specifically for them.

The marketing director at H&R Carpets loves the print publication, is a supporter of both the newspaper and the art classes, and wanted to incorporate all of the ads designed for H&R Carpets onto an electronic billboard in town.

The hand-drawn ad designs rotated on the billboard for 24 hours on March 25. The section published March 7.

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APG CENTRAL SCOTT PETERSON NAMED MANAGING EDITOR WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES

Scott Peterson, a veteran Milwaukee journalist, has been named managing editor of the Watertown Daily Times.

Peterson succeeds Tom Schultz, longtime managing editor of the Times, who will officially retire from that position after a short transition period.

In his new position, Peterson will have overall responsibility for the news staff and the content of the paper.

WINTER WEATHER WOES

His appointment was announced by Robb Grindstaff, general manager for APG of Southern Wisconsin.

Late last year the publishing group purchased the Daily Times from the Clifford family, which owned the paper for just short of 100 years.

Peterson, 61, and his wife, Nancy, have been married for more than 36 years and have two married children living in Wisconsin. In recent days they welcomed their first grandchild into the family.

Peterson has worked for 40 years in the newspaper industry, including nearly 30 years with Journal Communications and its successor companies.

He is active in his church and has been a Rotarian for more than 30 years.

He has spent the last two years working as an editor in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newsroom in downtown Milwaukee, after serving as editor-in-chief of the Waukeshabased Now News Group, which published 19 newspapers, two magazines and nine websites serving the suburban Milwaukee market.

During that time, his newspapers earned more state, regional and national awards than any newsroom in Wisconsin for three straight years, including three national Eppy awards.

Peterson said, “I am so excited about this opportunity. I look forward to getting to know Watertown better. I have a few cousins who live in Watertown and my mother’s family owned a laundry in the city until a few years after World War II,” Peterson said. “It’s an honor to succeed the legendary Tom Schultz, the hall-of-fame editor who has guided the Daily Times for a half century. I look forward to working with his hard-working and awardwinning staff.

He spent much of his career in Hartland, as managing editor for Lake Country Publications, a group of weekly and twice-weekly newspapers serving Waukesha County. He also served as editor of the Hartford TimesPress early in his career.

“This is a challenging and invigorating time to be in journalism. We have more ways to reach our readers than ever before and I look forward to working with our team to find new ways to reach and engage our readers with our important and interesting content,” he said.

DIRECTING IN OWATONNA Jeffrey Jackson, the managing editor of the Owatonna People’s Press in Owatonna, Minnesota, just finished directing the musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” for Little Theatre of Owatonna.

The cast and many of the crew members of Sweeney Todd. Jeffrey Jackson, the managing editor of the Owatonna People’s Press, is in the middle of the front row.

He was also the director of the musical. (Submitted photo)

The show — the eighth production that Jackson has directed for the theater company — had a cast of 33, a crew of about 30 and a 13-piece orchestra.

In the Northern Minnesota region, the start of 2019 has brought the worst weather conditions in recent memory. The Polar Vortex delivered extremes in weather, with several consecutive days of subzero temperatures followed by measureable snowfall events across the region. The last week of January left most citizens in the area homebound due to the weather, school cancellations and suspension of City transit services.

It also caused more than a few folks to question their decision to live in Northern Minnesota.

During the last week of January, actual air temperatures in the region plummeted to -20 to -30 degrees, with wind chill readings in excess of -50 degrees. With temperatures this low, frostbite can occur on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. Due to the frigid weather conditions, and in an effort to keep carriers safe, The Hibbing Daily Tribune, The Mesabi Daily News and The Grand Rapids Herald Review suspended delivery service to customers January 30th and 31st.

Deliveries resumed on Friday, February 1st. Our customers were thrilled to receive the missed issues of their papers and extremely understanding in regard to the delay in delivery.

Jackson also just recently celebrated his 15th year in Owatonna.

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APG CENTRAL

AWARDS IN WISCONSIN SOUTHERN WISCONSIN

ERIC KILLELEA JOINS NORTHERN MINNESOTA GROUP Adams Publishing Group, the parent company of the Mesabi Daily News, Hibbing Daily Tribune and Chisholm Tribune Press, have restructured their newsrooms and announced a new assistant editor. Eric Killelea will be the new assistant editor of the northern Minnesota papers, reporting to Jerry Burnes, who will oversee operations in Virginia, Hibbing and Chisholm.

Killelea has been with the company since November and will be based out its Hibbing office. Burnes has served as managing editor and editor of the Mesabi Daily News since 2015.

APG of Southern Wisconsin, a group of two dailies and ten weekly newspapers, brought home a truckload of awards at this year’s Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, presented at the annual WNA convention awards banquet on March 7.

A total of 27 staff members from seven newspapers brought home 50 awards, including 13 first-place honors to nine Associates in news, sports, features, photography and advertising.

The Watertown Daily Times came away as the night’s big winner, collecting 27 awards, with three Associates garnering seven firstplace plaques.

WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES

• Emily Walsh: Headlines, Portrait/Artistic Photo

• Ed Zagorski: Feature/Profile Story, Feature Photo

• Mark Shingler: Bill Payne Award (best

ad), Large Ad, Use of Local Photo in an Ad, Ongoing Niche Publication

WAUNAKEE TRIBUNE

• Peter Lindblad, Reporting on Local Education

• Tom Linder, Rookie Reporter of the Year

SUN PRAIRIE STAR

• Jennifer Fetterly, Enterprise/Interpretive Reporting

CAMBRIDGE NEWS/DEERFIELD INDEPENDENT

• Karyn Saemann, Breaking News Coverage

LAKE MILLS LEADER

In addressing reporters, Killelea said the staffs are “in a unique position to bring readers original, boots-on-the-ground reporting.”Killelea’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Outside Magazine. He’s been reporting from rural parts of the nation in Montana, the Bakken oilfield of North Dakota and most recently in New Mexico. He is currently a criminal justice reporting fellow for John Jay College.

The appointments signal a renewed focus by the papers on their reporting about in-depth community issues and expanding coverage. Burnes said the papers plan to focus on new areas of interest, while also placing more attention on cities and townships that lack a news source directly within their community.

FIRST-PLACE WINNERS FROM APG OF SOUTHERN WISCONSIN INCLUDE:

• Becky Weber and Coyt Ruell, Multiple Advertiser Spread

Karyn Saemann, managing editor of the Cambridge News & Deerfield Independent, won first place in breaking news coverage, more proof that our smallest community newspapers can compete in the toughest hard news categories and produce top-quality news content.

Coyt Ruell and Becky Weber, Lake Mills Leader, picked up a first place for best Multiple Advertiser Spread.

Emily Walsh, Mark Shingler and Ed Zagorski from the Watertown Daily Times display their haul of hardware at the WNA Convention’s “Better Newspaper Contest” annual awards banquet on March 7. The trio brought home seven first place awards in editorial, photography and advertising categories.

Tom Linder and Peter Lindblad from the Waunakee Tribune collected first place honors at the WNA Convention. Linder was recognized as the “Rookie Reporter of the Year” for the state of Wisconsin, while Lindblad reporting on local education was honored as the best.

“We’re very excited to have Eric’s wideranging experience in rural communities and his reporting on the broader issues we face at the local level,” said Chris Knight, regional president and publisher of APG Media Northern Minnesota.

“He adds a tenacious approach to the news that I think will benefit all our readers and provide a deeper understanding into what is happening within their communities.”

Killelea joins the company at a time when its reporting is garnering statewide recognition, most recently on the Iron Range’s opioid crisis. The papers also produce the annual MINE editions that focuses on region’s largest employer, the mining industry.

12

APG CENTRAL

CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP SOUTHERN MINNESOTA

Left to Right: Chad Hjellming, Ron Ensley, Ginny Bergerson, Mark Nelson

Chad Hjellming is now the Regional Publisher for APG of Southern Minnesota.

He was previously publisher of the Faribault Daily News and the region’s weekly newspapers.

Among those changes, Ron Ensley has returned to southern Minnesota as publisher of the Owatonna People’s Press. Ensley was formerly the publisher of the People’s Press before retiring and moving to Florida a few years ago. He returns to Owatonna to provide stability and leadership of the 5-day per week newspaper.

“I’m looking forward to this new opportunity,” said Hjellming, who has been with APG since 2015. “We have a lot of experienced and talented staff, and with some of the changes we are implementing I see a bright future.”

“We are excited to bring Ron back to Owatonna, and it will be a good addition as he acclimates back into the community,” Hjellming said. “He has been successful in the past, and I look forward to working with him as we tackle the challenges ahead.”

Leadership changes were implemented in APG of Southern Minnesota during February.

Ginny Bergerson is also taking on a new role as Director of Events and Magazines. “Ginny’s talents and ability to drive revenue in these categories will be important throughout 2019 and beyond,” Hjellming said.

Mark Nelson has been promoted to become regional sales manager. Nelson will be leading the sales efforts for all sales reps along the I-35 corridor. “Mark has a track record for success in sales leadership,” Hjellming said. “He will be a stabilizing force for us throughout the region.”

EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGY APG OF EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA

From our new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system from Brainworks to using Affinity X for all ad design, APG of East Central Minnesota (APG-ECM) has embraced new technology to help all Associates across all departments become more efficient at their job. Long gone are the days of customer paper file folders as the new CRM

sales systems places customer history and information at the fingertips of all sales Associates. Norma Carstensen, APGECM Sales Associate, said, "The new CRM system is so easy to use and gives me all the information I need on my laptop to drive sales." Also new to APG-ECM is the partnership with Affinity X to design all ads. Mike Erickson, APG-ECM Production

APG-ECM Sales Associates training on the new CRM sales system: Norma Carstensen, Michele Ahrens, Sharon Brauer, and Amy Lindquist.

Director, said, "The tools and features of Affinity X help our sales staff in many ways to serve their customers." Associates are being trained on both technologies as APG of East Central Minnesota strives to use technology to help Associates across the region do their jobs serving our customers.

APG-ECM Production Associates training on the new Affinity X ad design system: Cheri O’Bannon, Jenna Endres, Lisa Smith, Sarah Lemper, Jeff Remme, and Jason Baumgartner

13

APG CENTRAL

TOM SHULTZ

Tom Schultz, managing editor of the Watertown (Wisc) Daily Times, retires after 53 years leading an award-winning newspaper.

RETIRING AFTER A HALF CENTURY Tom Schultz, managing editor of the Watertown Daily Times for 45 years and a full-time member of the newspaper’s staff for nearly 53 years, has announced his upcoming retirement. His retirement date will come in the near future after the paper transitions to a new managing editor.

Schultz said, “My career here at the Daily Times has been wonderful, there is no other way to describe it. But, at the same time, it’s time for me to move on and enjoy life without the pressures and time needed to lead the news department of a daily newspaper.

“My wife, Mary, and I have four grandchildren, ages 8 to 2 and we want to spend more time with them. We also want to travel a little more and of course there will be some opportunities to contribute to the Daily Times coverage as we move forward,” he added.

Schultz said, “You don’t easily leave a career that spanned this amount of time, but I’m ready for the change and am excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead.”

In 2017 and 2018, the Watertown Daily Times was named best in its circulation division and this year it finished with 27 awards and nearly won the top award for the third consecutive time.

Schultz said, “The newspaper industry is going through a massive transformation these days and there is more to come. In recent months, we have moved from the Clifford family ownership of just short of 100 years to the Adams Publishing Group, and we’re confident the change in ownership will keep the newspaper the solid publication it has been.”

and is current president of the Watertown Area Community Foundation, and also a founder and continues as chairman of the annual Riverfest celebration, now in its 33rd year. He said he plans to continue in those capacities after retirement.

He is a past president and member of the Hall of Fame of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association; past president of the Wisconsin Associated Press Managing Editors Association; a 44-year director, past president and member of the Hall of Fame of the Wisconsin State Bowling Association, and is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.

Schultz and his wife, Mary, will continue to live in Watertown. They have two married sons and four grandchildren they expect to see more often in the future.

Over the years, Schultz has been a founder

VINCE CLEVELAND, NORTHERN MINNESOTA REGIONAL CIRCULATION DIRECTOR, ROLLS TWO 300 GAMES Bowling one perfect game in a month — no problem. Bowling two 300 games in a two-week span — no problem, said veteran bowler Vince Cleveland, who recently completed that feat on March 6 and 19 at the Blueberry Bowl in Deer River.

“My goal every time I go down there is to throw a 900 (in a three-game series). That’s what I want to throw until I don’t throw a strike.

That’s what I’m aiming for.’’ Cleveland, who is from Grand Rapids, hasn’t achieved the 900 yet, but he came pretty close with an 845, which included a 300, a 289 and a 256 on “one special night.’’ Adding two 300 games to his resume this month, Cleveland now has nine 300s during his career in league bowling.

When not bowling Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Cleveland, 54, is the father of eight children (three still in the house) and grand father of 12. He works as the regional circulation

14

director for Northern Minnesota for APG Media, which includes the Mesabi Daily News, Hibbing Daily Tribune and Grand Rapids Herald-Review.

What has been the secret to Cleveland’s bowling success? “You know, I don’t know. I quit bowling for seven years’’ and had a 170-175 average at the time. He recorded a 180 average his first year back and just went up from there. “Ever since then I’ve been averaging over 200’’ starting in 1997 and was as high as 229 one year. “Everything just started clicking.’’

Did Cleveland every consider becoming a professional? “It has crossed my mind,’’ he said, but the pro lanes are so hard with a entirely different oil pattern. “It is tougher. I’ve bowled on lanes like that and it’s tough. Am I disappointed I didn’t try, yes. I wish I would have,’’ Cleveland said. “But I have fun doing what I do and I love the guys I bowl with. I wouldn’t want to lose that for anything.’’

APG CENTRAL

LINDA LINDAHL RETIRESSOUTHERN AFTER 40 YEARS WISCONSIN HOW AND WHY DID YOU GET INTO THIS FIELD?

I went to school for accounting and I like numbers.

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOUR WORKED FOR ECM?

Almost 40 years. I started working for Elmer L. Andersen at Princeton Publishing Web Plant in June of 1979.

HOW DID YOU COME TO WORK FOR ECM?

I moved back from Wyoming there was an accounting and payroll position at the Web Plant in Princeton.

HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED COMPARED TO WHEN YOU STARTED?

numbers. I like accounting.

I will miss my work family. All of the people I work with.

WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO IN RETIREMENT?

I plan to spend time with my family especially my husband and grandkids. I also plan to do some vacationing.

When we asked her supervisor John McGraw, Regional CFO - APG of East Central & Southern Minnesota how he felt about Linda’s retirement he said “It has been great working with Linda. She has made my job easier. She will really be missed.”

We did payroll all by hand in my early career. The paychecks were written by hand and all accounting was written in big ledger books. There were about 40 to 50 Associatess when I started. I was working part time with Lois Anderson. She was full time. It was just the 2 of us. There have been so many changes with software. I worked with 4 different CFO’s and many managers over the years.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT THE JOB? WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST?

I like the whole job and working with

Nichole Cerrillo

EAU CLAIRE LUNCH AND LEARN Brian Maki, Eau Claire Leader-Telegram advertising director, recently shared the legacy publishing brand of the newspaper with decision-makers from the area through a digital and print “Lunch-n-Learn” program.

Attendees included representatives of the local YMCA, Donnellan Real Estate and Signarama. “(They) learned more about investigative reporting, the Leader-Telegram as a trusted news source and print audience statistics,” Maki said.

As far as the digital side, participants “learned what makes up the new normal many families experience in their homes as digital has infiltrated their habits as well as their devices,” Maki said. “They also learned the power of analytics: No one can manage what one cannot measure.”

We will all miss her expertise in the Accounting Department!

CHILLY EVENTS Owatonna’s “Bold & Cold” Winter Festival was a week-long winter celebration with events and activities that were designed to highlight the Minnesota psyche of “cold noses and warm hearts!”

The festival featured two busy weekends in January sandwiched around a week full of activities for young and young-at-heart participants, including a medallion hunt by The Owatonna People’s Press, a candlelight cross country ski, hockey tournament, snow sculpture contest, Crazy Days shopping event and much, much more! Festival buttons were available for purchase and a percentage of the funds raised went towards replacing the holiday lights in Central Park.

Those in attendance heard from Nichole Cerrillo, Pixel Ink’s digital director in Eau Claire, about the spectrum of marketing capabilities available at the LeaderTelegram, from print to digital. Followup meetings were held with each attendee.

“The intent is to design a base marketing strategy of print,” Maki said, “along with a layer of strategic digital solutions to address their individual business objectives.”

Participants left with a Leader-Telegram backpack filled with editions of the Leader-Telegram, Buckshot and Coupon Bonanza publications, in addition to a branded folder with print marketing materials and Pixel Ink marketing strategy programs.

Brian Maki

15

RECOGNIZED BY WNA LEADER-TELEGRAM

Left to Right: Gary Johnson, Liam Marlaire, Eric Lindquist

The Leader-Telegram earned 19 awards in the 2018 Wisconsin Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest.

The newspaper claimed five first-place awards, four seconds, five thirds and five honorable mentions in the statewide journalism competition. The LeaderTelegram, competing in the category for daily newspapers with circulation between 7,000 and 20,000, took second place in the general excellence category under the leadership of editor Gary Johnson.

The Country Today, a statewide weekly agricultural newspaper also based in Eau Claire, won five awards in the division for nondaily newspapers with circulation of 4,000 or more, including a first, second, third and two honorable mentions.

Both newspapers are published by Adams Publishing Group.

The Leader-Telegram won first place in the best sports section category for the second straight year for the sports staff including Ron Buckli, Spencer Flaten, former sports

editor Joe Ziemer and former sports reporters Nick Erickson and Mike Klees.

general news photo; Lindquist for business coverage; and Erickson for sports feature.

Assistant editor Liam Marlaire won two first-place awards, one for editorial sections and one for local column for Off Beat columns about an Eau Claire native teaching abroad, an eventful trip for a local motorcycle group and an area gold medalist in women’s hockey reflecting on Team USA’s latest triumph.

Third-placed winners were: photographer Steve Kinderman for general news photo and portrait or artistic photo; Reiland for feature photo; and former copy editor Tom Gunderson for best headlines and overall page design.

Former reporter Julian Emerson earned first place in investigative reporting for a series of stories about the adversarial management style of former Altoona school district superintendent Connie Biedron, and special projects reporter Eric Lindquist won a first in the best localized national story category for his article about late NHL player Jeff Parker’s struggles with CTE and the impact on his family, including Chippewa Falls High School boys hockey coach Scott Parker.

Winning second-place individual awards were: photographer Dan Reiland for

Earning honorable mentions were: Emerson for investigative reporting; Lindquist for feature story; Erickson for local sports column; Reiland for sports photo; and the photo staff of Reiland, Kinderman, Elena Dawson and Spencer Nickel for all-around newspaper photography.

For The Country Today, eastern Wisconsin regional editor Benjamin Wideman won first place for feature story, second for portrait or artistic photo and honorable mention for best headlines, and editor Heidi Clausen placed third in the best headlines category and received an honorable mention for editorials.

THE COUNTRY TODAY EDITOR EARNS NATIONAL AWARD The Country Today Editor Heidi Clausen has earned third place in the editorials category of the 2018 North American Agricultural Journalists contest.

Clausen’s award-winning editorials were entitled “New dairy task force must prove skeptics wrong,” “It’s time to bring rural America up to speed” and “Wisconsin leadership program in need of revival.”

Jerry Perkins, freelance contributor to “Successful Farming and “Grain Journal” and retired farm editor for the Des Moines Register, who judged the entries, commented: “This writer knows her subject matter and her audience.

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Clausen’s readers are well-served by her insights.”

In this category, writers must build arguments on fact and logic to address a certain issue. An editorial should state a position and convince the reader of the need for action.

Three editorials are submitted as a single entry.

Clausen, of Clayton, Wis., has worked at The Country Today for more than 25 years and covers agriculture and rural news throughout northwestern Wisconsin. She became editor of the publication in January 2018.

Awards were presented April 7-9 during the NAAJ 66th annual meeting at The Cosmo Club in Washington, D.C.

THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE

Age Reporter Jeanne Schram retires after 24 years with the paper and nearly 50 years in the field of journalism.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up and I still don’t know what I want to be,” said Jeanne Schram, retiring reporter and former co-editor of the Aitkin Independent Age. “I never set out to be a reporter.”

Jeanne was born in Duluth to parents Bill and Janet Sjoselius in 1948. A 1966 Columbia Heights High School graduate, Jeanne went on to attend college at St. Cloud State. She married in 1967, cutting her education short, dropping out to become a dental assistant to put her first husband through college. Years later, they had two daughters, Mandy and Monica.

FIRST JOB IN JOURNALISM It was by chance that Jeanne fell into a job at the Blackduck American, a small-town newspaper owned and edited by Bob and Judy Tuff. “The owner overheard me say I wanted to write something and asked me to come to work,” Jeanne recalled. She began reporting in 1970 by making $1.65 an hour.

In Blackduck, Jeanne felt at home right away. She describes the people there as friendly and welcoming, and remains good friends with many from the area to this day.

“Most people in the news realm are quirky as heck, or at least that seems to be the case. Everyone I have worked with has been kind of quirky, fun, game and adventurous.”

There were also many “hangers about” in the news room, Jeanne recalled, including a man named Slim Nichols. Slim Nichols was a bush pilot, a bank robber, fur trader and restaurant owner.

“He was just a crazy character. We had a lot of those,” Jeanne said. “We talked him into writing a column for the paper about his adventures as a bush pilot in Alaska living off the land, and some of the crazy things that happened to him. He downed his plane in a lake near Blackduck one time.”

students because I was already working for a weekly. Some graduates from the university said they learned more in the cram course than they did in four years of journalism,” Jeanne said. “I came back to Blackduck to use what i had learned, and they let me.”

During the six-week course, Jeanne was trained to operate a 35 millimeter camera and develop film in a darkroom.

Upon returning to her job, the Blackduck American converted a closet into a darkroom and began developing film to make prints.

LESSONS LEARNED No amount of training can teach the lessons that firsthand trial and error provides to a new journalist, Jeanne explained.

“I’ve probably been to 200 fires through the years. Once in Blackduck there was a barn fire that killed all the cows. I took a photo of the barn with all the dead cows and ran the photo in the paper. Needless to say, I was taken to task by readers for publishing such a tasteless photo!”

She recalled another instance that taught her to be extremely cautious.

“I’ll never forget in the early years when I was covering city council, Bob let one of my stories go through that he knew had errors because he wanted me to learn a lesson. And it was a lesson. People came in and they were not happy,” Jeanne said.

BECOMING EDITOR Eventually, Jeanne would work under four different owners in Blackduck. After having her first child, Mandy, Jeanne was a stay-at-home mother from 1976-1980. During that time she did freelance work for the paper.

department?’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’ So he said, ‘Well, you’re in the news department!’”

Norlander commented, “By then Jeanne had already been with the Age for a while and was settled into the Aitkin community after having learned her editing, writing and people skills as editor of the Blackduck American.

“Over the years Jeanne covered and reported on virtually all of Aitkin County’s many council and board meetings and annual meetings and special events and pulled more than her share of weekend event coverages. I don’t remember any story she reported on where anyone came in the office or wrote to us that she had misrepresented the facts or did not report things fairly and accurately. She was a ‘pro’s pro’ in all she wrote, covered, researched, and her sources trusted her.”

During the recession, Jeanne and Kathleen Pakarinen partnered as co-editors of the Aitkin Independent Age for five years. She eventually resumed as a part-time reporter.

“The community has been really nice, cooperative and willing to share stories. There are a lot of nice people,” Jeanne said. “It is always interesting and there’s a lot of variety. No day is the same.”

Over the years Jeanne covered many stories, from the governor’s fishing opener in McGregor to a story of a pilot who was acquainted with Charles Lindbergh.

“I went to my first newspaper convention in 1974 and got to meet Hubert Humphrey,” she recalled.

Among her favorite topics to cover were the veterans’ stories. “They just run the gamut. These guys did what they had to do, and need to be appreciated. That’s the highlight of all the years,” Jeanne said.

THE ‘OLD WAY’

In the ’80s, the name of the paper changed to The American, and Jeanne became editor.

Norlander added, “Jeanne’s favorite special section was always our annual Veteran’s Day tab. She especially loved talking to and writing about our area’s veterans and she always took ownership of the section.”

In the ’70s and ’80s, it took a lot of manpower and hours to generate a newspaper, Jeanne explained. At the time she entered the journalism field, type was set on a typewriter and pasted up on sheets.

“It was hopping; there were a lot of things going on. Being an editor for a town of 450 people, I was the editor, the classified advertisement person, the phone answerer and toilet cleaner. In other words –everything,” Jeanne said.

She was especially thrilled when The American’s 1987 Veterans Section won a first place in the Minnesota Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest in 1988.

“Doing it the old way was really time consuming. It was really hard to get the columns straight on a typewriter, I can tell you that much,” Jeanne said. “Nowadays it is so much easier with the flexibility and design capabilities of the computers. You cannot compare. We used to have to use border tape laid on sheets of paper, and you couldn’t get them straight. Everything is straight now.”

CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY

“A good journalist needs strong ethics, integrity and great communication skills. Jeanne was not only a good journalist but a great one and I think she is leaving the Aitkin County area a better place because she was here and made a difference in peoples’ lives,” Norlander said.

Polaroid photographs were sent to the printer, and holes were cut in the pages for placement. When the pages were ready, sheets were laid out in a box and delivered to the printer in Bemidji.

One time after an 18-hour production day Jeanne left work around 1 a.m. in the morning. Halfway on her 12-mile trip home, she fell asleep and found herself in the ditch.

“I walked to a farmer’s house and he got his tractor to pull me out,” she recalled.

FROM POLAROID TO THE DARKROOM In 1973, the Tuffs sent Jeanne to an intensive six-week newspaper skills course in Anoka. Much like working for a weekly newspaper, the course required assignments.

Students were required to find their own feature stories in the community and turn articles in by the deadline.

“I probably had an advantage over some of the other

“It was a shock after working full-time for so long,” she said.

It wasn’t until 1993 that Jeanne began working with her first computer –a small Mac Plus. Working on a computer made the job easier, Jeanne said. However, it didn’t have page design capabilities. The first computer-generated newspapers began in 1996.

CRUISING INTO RETIREMENT

“I was lucky to write a story on it. Before that we had a Compugraphic. Paper went into a black box and we had to develop it in the darkroom,” she said.

Jeanne retired from the Aitkin Independent Age after 24 years with the paper and nearly 50 years in the field of journalism.

Over the last 10 years at Blackduck, staffing at the newspaper was down to three people – an office manager and ad sales manager, in addition to the editor. When she left the paper after moving to Aitkin, she was making $6.50 an hour.

Following retirement, Jeanne plans to compile all of her veterans’ stories dating back to 1970 to self-publish a book.

JOINING THE AGE

For the past 15 years, Jeanne and her second husband, auto-mechanic Mark Johnson, have been working to restore a 1923 Model T touring car. Once complete, they plan to cruise for fun.

After inquiring with manager, Andy Skaj, Jeanne landed a job at the Aitkin Independent Age in the graphics department. While she learned a lot in the position, Jeanne admitted graphics was not her long suit as she lacked the artistic flair.

As for journalism, Jeanne said it’s time for someone younger with a fresh perspective and better internet capabilities to take the reins.

“I’d say I’m fairly good at photography, and I can write a story,” she said. “When Dick Norlander bought the paper in 1995, he asked, ‘What are you doing in the graphics

Even so, at 70 years young Jeanne still hasn’t figured out what she wants to do when she grows up.

“I have enjoyed it so much. I have learned so much. It is hard to leave. Really hard,” Jeanne said.

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APG WEST

GNI DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS LAB IDAHO PRESS-TRIBUNE

The GNI Digital Subscriptions Lab, announced last week in partnership with Local Media Association and FTI Consulting, is an ambitious six-month program that will be laser-focused on finding a path forward for reader revenue strategies.

Today, LMA announced the ten newspapers that were selected to participate in the Lab. They are: El Nuevo Día (GFR Media), The Baltimore Sun (Tribune), The Buffalo News (Berkshire Hathaway), The Columbus Dispatch (GateHouse Media), The Houston Chronicle (Hearst), The Idaho Press (Adams Publishing Group), The Portland Press Herald (Portland, ME), The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC), The Southeast Missourian (Rust Communications) and The Toronto Star (Torstar).

“We invited 21 newspapers that were having success with digital subscriptions to apply for this unique opportunity,” said LMA President Nancy Lane. “We were impressed by the letters from their CEOs and the work going on at these companies.

In the end, the judges chose ten that came with a willingness to experiment and a commitment from the highest levels in their company. We’re excited to work with this cohort on strategies that can change the trajectory of the newspaper industry.”

The group consists of small, medium and large publishers. Diverse selection is important to figuring out models that work across all markets, from large metros to smaller communities, and everything in between. Judges looked for newspapers that were growing their digital subscription business and were ready to fast track it to the next level.

The resources of Google, FTI Consulting, and LMA will help them do that. FTI will spend significant time on-site to perform a full diagnostics evaluation of each participating publisher across multiple dimensions - people, process, technology, marketing, and content. They will benchmark current performance, identify short-term optimization opportunities, and recommend longer-term transformation roadmaps. This includes providing a detailed scorecard to show how each publisher sizes up, and a dashboard for measuring ongoing progress.

The publishers will also have robust support from Google teams that bring expertise in data, strategy, technology, product, and marketing.

LMA will lead the cohort community building with the participating publishers, helping them benchmark their progress

and share key learnings and best practices.

These insights will then be shared with the industry at large. A three-hour workshop on September 18 at Elevate, a joint LMA/LMC event, will feature the top recommendations and lessons learned.

“The GNI Subscriptions Lab opportunity paves the way for us to work with Google, FTI Consulting, and LMA in advancing our expertise in applying data, content, technology, and marketing strategies to optimize our digital subscription path,” said GateHouse Media CEO Kirk Davis.

“Developing a thriving digital model to showcase the amazing work being done by our journalists across the United States is vital to preserving the vitality and viability of our local journalism.”

“In the last year, we saw our circulation revenue eclipse ad revenue and digital subscriptions outpace single copy sales,” said Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram CEO Lisa DeSisto. “We love our print subscribers and will continue to deliver an incredible product to them while at the same time get smarter, faster and more strategic in attaining and retaining digital subscribers. We are eager to learn and implement the best practices we’ll gain in the Lab. Let’s go!”

BEAT REPORTER WINS AWARD Nicole Foy, the Hispanic affairs and Canyon County reporter at the Idaho Press, won first place in beat reporting at the 2018 Utah, Idaho, Spokane Associated Press Association contest.

This award recognizes depth of coverage on a single topic or the level of enterprise in a beat area.

The Idaho Press falls under Division 18

II, which includes newspapers with a weekly circulation of 75,000 to 199,999. The contest featured news, sports stories and photo entries from 2018.

Nicole started with the Idaho Press in October 2017 and writes about local government, immigration, agriculture and all things Latino.

Nicole previously worked in

international aid in Chicago and for the Orange County Register in Santa Ana, California. A native of California’s Central Valley, she attended Biola University outside Los Angeles and loves to hike, read, train in Krav Maga and visit her family. Someday she would like to travel the world, but right now she spends her money on tacos.

APG WEST INSTANT POT COOKING SCHOOL A GREAT SUCCESS! IDAHO PRESS-TRIBUNE

In January, the Idaho Press leadership team was brainstorming new revenue initiatives that could be launched quickly and produce a profit without causing too much disruption to the existing sales efforts. It was during this meeting when Michelle Robinson, the Idaho Press Advertising Director, came up with the idea of a cooking show related to Instant Pots. Her idea was sparked after learning that Instant Pots were the number one item sold on Amazon during the holidays. That meant that hundreds of people in the area likely now own one, but don’t really know how to use it. Many buyers reported that they never even took theirs out of the box. Hence, the Instant Pot Cooking School was born.

success. Advertising Manager, Angela Sammons, took on the coordination of this new event with support from Cori Buck and within just a few weeks we had hired new stage talent, secured a venue and launched a marketing campaign.

The results were overwhelmingly positive.

All 640 tickets available sold out in just a few weeks with an average ticket price of just under $20. This event proved so popular that we will be adding several new Cooking Shows to our revenue strategy for 2019.

For many years the Idaho Press team has engaged in community events such as Wedding Shows, Award Shows, BBQ Competitions, etc. so we have the expertise on staff to ensure this new event was a

SEMINAR SUCCESS SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON

Over 20 people attended a 45-minute seminar titled, “Amazing Advertising and Masterful Marketing” on Wednesday, January 30th in Klamath Falls, OR. The presentation was created and delivered

by Herald & News Director of Revenue, Steve Rosen.We held 4 sessions with each session offering the same information. 8:30, 10:00, 2:30 and 4:00.The focus of these meetings was not to sell our products or services but rather: • Educate prospects and advertisers on how to develop and design their advertising budgets and plans • How to work with sales reps from every media • What to expect as it relates to return on investment • Cost per person reach and analysis of current state of different media • Understanding that advertisers are buying value, not rates.

A post seminar survey was offered asking 8 questions with a score of 40 possible points (5 for Extremely Agree). Of the 20 people who filled out the survey we averaged a score of 35.35. Additionally, over $1500 in digital was booked and a request was made to present a similar presentation with more focus on customer service, sales and marketing to a full staff of one of our advertisers.

The PPT was comb bound with a clear plastic front cover and black plastic back cover.

Beverages and snacks were provided by sponsors (A local coffee house and a local grocer). Attached are a few photos. The presentation is available to all APG markets and would take just a bit of customizing to make it local.

DIGITAL TRAINING SEMINAR As a follow-up to our January 31st Marketing/Advertising Seminar – Making the Most of Your Advertising Dollars, The Herald and News held a follow up seminar, on Wednesday, April 4th. A total of 12 prospects/advertisers attended and included marketing/PR folks from the local hospital, a local hospice, a realtor, the fairgrounds, the theater, a pizza shop, and retirement community/assisted living facility to name a few.

Presented, were all of the products that Affinity X is now supporting for us.

Excellent questions were asked, and all were answered by Steve Rosen (Director of Revenue) and Levi Durighello (MultiMedia Sales Executive). Between the two presenters, specific scenarios were shared to match the needs of the individuals in the room. The most popular new service was Geo-Fencing around competitor’s locations and keyword targeting. In fact, one of our current digital/Affinity X advertisers who was at the seminar, shared the story of her looking at her competitor’s website and seeing ads for her own company on that website. She thought that was really cool.

Overall, we had requests for 13 proposals, all of which are in process now. Sky Lakes Hospital requested 3 different proposals.

Two unique educational seminars and one for recruitment of Physical Therapists.

•Current value of the proposals - $25,000.00 •Cost of seminars - $150.00 (comb-bound presentation hand-out, snacks, and beverages)

19

HUMAN

CHECK OUT THE APG HR PORTAL HR.ADAMSPG.COM HR STAFF | BENEFITS CONTACTS | JOB OPENINGS | NEWSLETTERS To help simplify your employment at APG, we have built this Associate portal as a resource for you. Inside, you will find quick links and easy access to: human resources staff, benefits contacts, job openings, newsletters and more…

This is a great place to start when you are searching for HR information. Of course, if you can’t find what you are looking for or need additional help, our HR team is always available to assist you. You can find their contact info at hr.adamspg.com/contact or you can send them a quick message to AskHR@adamspg.com.

LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT POSITION WITHIN APG? CHECK OUT AVAILABLE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES ON THE HR PORTAL.

AskHR!

Have a question, but don’t know whom to ask? The Human Resources staff is listening! You can always send an email to Ask HR if you have questions or concerns. Emails will be kept confidential and, if we print your question in the APG newsletter, we will not use your name.

Questions may be emailed to AskHR@adamspg.com or sent interoffice to your regional HR representative.

DON’T KNOW WHOM TO CALL? CONTACT HUMAN RESOURCES. JO ANN HOPSON, PHR, SHRM-CP, CEBS

DEB BROOKS

APG Vice President of Human Resources All states, Wyoming, particularly TN/NC/VA joann.hopson@adamspg.com 423.620.8771

HR Manager – APG Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho dbrooks@skagitpublishing.com 360.416.2187

TOM CLOUTIER

HR Manager – APG Central, Minnesota, Wisconsin 763.712.2412

Talent Acquisition Director for APG HR Manager – APG Maryland/Ohio tcloutier@adamspg.com 410.770.4159

MARY SKAGGS

HR Manager – Venice, Port Charlotte, FL mskaggs@scmginc.com 941.456.3778

20

CHARLENE VOLD GWEN DAVIS

HR Manager - Greenville, Rocky Mount, Elizabeth City, Key West, FL gdavis@apgenc.com 252.366.8139

RESOURCES

SUBMIT TO YOUR REGIONAL HR REP.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ASSOCIATES WHO HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE APG REFERRAL BONUS FOR NEW HIRES! * Holly Kryter referred Cara Ford for an account executive position at the News Herald (APG East).

21

MOVIE NIGHT

MOVIE NIGHT NOW PLAYING: THE GOONIES

For your chance to be the lucky winner of an APG Swag and Movie Bag, answer the trivia question below correctly:

IN “THE GOONIES,” WHAT FOOD DO SLOTH AND CHUNK SHARE A COMMON LOVE FOR? All answers should be submitted to AskHR@adamspg.com.

The winner will be drawn on Friday, May 31, 2019.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR APRIL WINNER – DIANNA SCHMIDT, APG OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA The Question Was: In “Beverly Hills cop,” Axel Foley isn’t actually a Beverly Hills cop making the movie misleading. Where is he from? *Contents of winner’s prize pack may vary.

The Answer Was: Detroit

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