Dear followers,

I can’t believe today marks one year to the day of my career changing in such an unexpected way.

At the time, I was terrified that I would no longer be able to do the work I love so much. I launched this Substack on a wing and a prayer, hoping I would be able to continue covering Ottawa County — at the very least to see through the commitment I made in January 2023 to hold that 2-year board accountable.

The response has been nothing short of amazing. I am humbled by your unwavering support as I navigated the wild world of freelance for the majority of 2024 and with the launch of the Ottawa News Network in December and the “Two J’s in a Pod” podcast in January.

Now, the future is brighter than ever. ONN recently surpassed the 1,000 subscriber threshold and “Two J’s in a Pod” is averaging close to 3,000 listeners per episode, and both projects continue to grow!

With ONN, we are actively pursuing the creation of a documenters program, which will help us place professionally trained notetakers to attend countywide municipal meetings. We are also aggressively pursuing any and all grant opportunities that will allow us to expand our newsroom to fund the local journalism that every community in Ottawa County deserves.

If you aren’t currently subscribed to ONN, please consider signing up for our free newsletter! All our content is free, but it costs money to produce, so please consider becoming a monthly donor today in order to help us achieve our mission. Learn more at ottawanewsnetwork.org.

We also are hard at work creating a studio space for “Two J’s in a Pod” to allow us to grow. Once we’re up and running (anticipated in June), we will be uploading a video version to YouTube and will be exploring other platforms so downloads are more accessible for all.

Meanwhile, I’m exploring various side projects that include two possible books, a documentary and working with other independent media groups in the state to promote more robust local journalism.

All of this is to say that what looked like a bleak picture for me one year ago has now turned into a future of endless possibilities where I hope to continue making a difference in my community and beyond.

I believe in this mission. An informed citizenry is an empowered citizenry, where we can be critical thinkers. It’s not just about government accountability — although that’s one of the obvious benefits — but it is also about community connection, being armed with knowledge to navigate unexpected personal or financial situations, or to just have the confidence of understanding what’s going on in the world without fear of the unknown.

Together, we can ensure that we are informed, empowered and served!

Onward,

Sarah

P.S.: If you have suggestions on projects you would like to see as the Substack evolves, please drop me a line. :)