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Did you know that Grant County’s Chapter of the American Red Cross needs volunteers?

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Did you know that Horse Heritage Days had nearly as many teams as the Kentucky State Fair?

Did you know who died in our community last week or who was arrested for breaking the law this week?

Did you know which students were named star students and who got married or celebrated an anniversary or the birth of a new baby?

If you picked up a copy or receive the Grant County News delievered to your home, then you were able to discover all those things and so much more inside the pages of your community newspaper.

This week, Oct. 4 – Oct. 10, is National Newspaper Week. That won’t mean much to most folks, but for me it’s a time to pause and reflect about why I do the work I do.

Being a community newspaper editor means I won’t get rich, I won’t make everyone happy, I won’t keep regular hours and I won’t always handle a story the way the subjects think I should.

Despite those things, for me, putting out a newspaper each week is a labor of love. Some days, just like some people, are easier to love than others. I know it’s clichéd and corny but I still enjoy my job as editor here at the Grant County News.

I guess the best part is all the wonderful people I’ve met and the stories they allow me to share with our readers. I’ve met some of the nicest, sweetest people. I’ve also had the opportunity to stand on the sidelines of some of the biggest stories that had an impact to this community.

I’ve been offered jobs elsewhere at larger newspapers and in other fields, but I’ve never thought about being anything other than the “newspaper lady.”

I’m not going to lie to you. This year has been a tough one, professionally with the economy and personally with my stepfather being diagnosed with lung cancer. It’s been a long, winding road, but I’ve continued to learn a lot and hopefully continued to grow as a newspaper editor and a human being.

We hear the doom and gloom everywhere; in newspapers, on the radio and TV. It can be pretty depressing.

I’ve heard it said that the death of newspapers is coming, but I don’t believe that. I believe that the printed form of newspapers may change, but I don’t believe that the information they provide will ever be irrelevant, outdated and unwanted by people who live in this community.

In last week’s Grant County News, we published a story about the local Red Cross chapter needing more volunteers to assist local families in times of disaster.

Diana Morgan, a Red Cross volunteer/coordinator, sent me an e-mail today saying that after the story appeared in the paper, 25 people called in and inquired about the volunteer training that will be offered next week.

That’s awesome.

I know there are many more sources than there used to be for people to get news. There are Web sites, cable TV, Facebook, Twitter and Google even. The ever-changing technology that we all have available to us is what prompted even small newspapers like the Grant County News to have a Web site. In order to offer even more news, especially breaking news, we even have a newsletter alert. To sign up, go to the Newsletter area at www.grantky.com and sign up for these free updates.

I know we’ve got to go even farther to bring our readers news, not just through our printed product and on our Web site. We’re in the process of exploring other options and determining which will work for us.

It’s not an easy or cheap process, but bear with us.

I’m an optimist. I believe the economy will eventually turn around. I also believe that as long as most of us still care about our children and how they’re doing in school, the local sports scene and how the fiscal court and city councils are spending our tax dollars, then they’ll be a market for local news and the Grant County News will be there.

Thank you Grant County for keeping us in business since 1906 and inviting us into your homes and businesses each week. We’ll keep striving to bring you the news you want and need to know.

(Jamie Baker-Nantz is editor of the Grant County News. She can be reached at jbakernantz@grantky.com.)