Last week, J.W. Oliver bid farewell to the faithful readers of this newspaper. He will be missed and his departure leaves a big hole to fill, but the news will carry on.
J.W. was the ninth editor of the newspaper since the Erskine-Roberts family took over ownership on Dec. 9, 1920. He worked long hours and put a lot of care into reporting, editing, and preserving the history of Lincoln County. He worked as part of a great team, all committed to the people of this community.
Like many other essential employees, the staff at Lincoln County Publishing Co. has worked hard through this pandemic. Through their selfless devotion, they made sure the paper hit the newsstands on time. These fine individuals pulled together as a team to continue telling the stories from Lincoln County. Enough cannot be said about their dedication and perseverance. Finding another editor is just one more hurdle which we will accomplish together.
Throughout the pandemic, many of the people working at the company have taken on extra roles and responsibilities. With no editor yet in place, this practice has expanded considerably.
We share this information to let you all know that we are doing our best to operate as close to normal as possible, but something will have to give. We ask for your patience as we navigate this process, and for your understanding that while we work hard to ensure that all press releases and information gets in the paper each week, we will have less time to follow up. Every person at the paper is doing their best to ensure accuracy and timely information is published, that advertising is correct, and that the paper is printed and delivered.
For the first time in over 100 years, we will be conducting an external search for a new editor. Every editor before this point has either been a family member or was promoted from within. When J.W. gave his notice, the position was discussed with Deputy Editor Maia Zewert. After consideration, Maia said she would be happier to remain as deputy editor, where she can oversee special publications and student engagement projects. We fully support her decision and have started the process of finding the next editor. There are several promising candidates, and we are sure that we will find someone who can lead the newsroom and dutifully serve the community with fairness.
Please be mindful that everyone is feeling extra stress, and we ask for your patience as we all work diligently to do the best job we can during this transition. We look forward to announcing the 10th editor and introducing them to the community when the time comes.
