This Is Not Goodbye

To say that I’ve enjoyed my time here at the News-Leader would be an incredible understatement. Having this position in such a great community has allowed me to meet so many new, interesting and wonderful people. And, while the newspaper office on Dettloff Drive will be closing this week, I assure you, this is not goodbye. Those who have seen my byline in the News-Leader will continue to see it, as I have accepted a position with the Trempealeau County Times as a reporter and staff writer.

In addition to my basic writing and reporting duties, I have also claimed real estate on the opinion pages of the new paper. Ergo, if you choose to do so, you can continue to follow my topical rants and hear my viewpoints on local, state or national issues, as “According to Jennie” will appear in the new publication. I will continue to cover the Arcadia City Council, Arcadia School Board and other items of interest in the community. I would love to tell you that Arcadia will be receiving the same amount of coverage as it is now, but that would be misleading.

Regardless, every week when we have our Trempealeau County Times staff meetings, I will be going to bat for the community to make sure that the most important issues are included in that paper. But, I will not be able to do it without you, the readers. While I don’t yet have any official contact information for the company, please share your story ideas with me via e-mail (jennie.oemig@gmail.com) in the meantime. And be on the lookout for additional staff contact information in the first issue of the Trempealeau County Times.

While I really had no idea what to expect when I first came to Arcadia, over the past year or so, I have learned that it is one of the most amazing communities I have ever lived in or visited. Though there are several reasons why I made the decision to stay on board as the News-Leader changed ownership, that was, by far, the biggest draw. In addition, Charles Gauger has managed to retain some familiar, and very capable, faces from the News-Leader, Galesville Republican and the Whitehall Times, thus, configuring a very knowledgable and talented staff, which I am certainly looking forward to working with at the new publication. Though there may be some rough waters as we leave the dock, I have no doubt that, once we get the first couple of issues out, there will be smooth sailing ahead.

And, last but certainly not least, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Chuck Blaschko and the rest of the Blaschko Enterprises family for giving me the opportunity to serve as the editor at the Arcadia News-Leader for the past 14 months. Having been down on my luck for a year prior to sending in my resume – on a whim, mind you – I never anticipated this result. While I knew I was more than capable of taking on the responsibility of writing, reporting, editing and putting together a newspaper, I appreciate the fact that they afforded me the chance to prove it.

Not only will I be able to cross that achievement off my bucket list, but it will come in extremely useful as I continue moving forward in my journalistic career. Though it may not be sufficient enough to acknowledge my true feelings, I just want to say THANK YOU … from the bottom of my heart. As for the rest of you, I hope you’ve enjoyed the News-Leader over the years; we have really appreciated your readership. I’ll see you on the flip side!

Jennie Oemig
Editor
Arcadia News-Leader