Each September I celebrate more years than I want to admit in the newspaper business.
I celebrated that milestone again last week when this paper hit the street.
I guess you could say it started in West Point with a paper route. It went on to Mississippi State University and my first job at the Starkville Daily News in 1986.
There was a move to Tennessee and Texas, and Sara and I have lived and I have worked at four newspapers in Mississippi, with the Clarksdale Press Register the latest stop.
I once estimated I wrote at least four stories a day when I was strictly a reporter. I don’t know how many pages I have designed.
I’m always amazed at the amount of news produced by a small town.
As I have said before, in a town where people say nothing ever happens, we sure have a lot going on in Clarksdale.
And I’m the lucky one who gets to report on it all.
Today’s news
Please thumb back through today’s Clarksdale Press Register. You might be surprised how packed it is.
Old fines are once gain the big story this week and we have details of why we can’t seem to get those who have been found guilty to pay their debt to society. I’ve always said what use are police if you are not going to enforce the tickets they write?
The Mighty Roots Music Festival was a big hit this past week in spite of the rain. If you are going to live in Mississippi, you better like rain. I understand we had tourist from California who were stunned by Saturday morning’s deluge and the fact it rains in the fall.
Our schools are wisely preparing to spend federal stimulus dollars and they are having to teach some school board members the finer details of high finance and making plans for a better future.
And that is just on Page One.
Page 2 has the names of some of our best and brightest young people getting scholarships and good grades.
Page 3 has obits and the weekly crime report. It’s not good news, but it’s our job to report the good, the bad, the happy and sad.
Page 4 has this column, an Editorial about how the un-immunized are flirting with death and hurting our community by allowing COVID to spread.
We also have news on Friars Point and Jonestown.
I am also proud of our sports section this week and we hope you are, too.
Did you know Clarksdale is ranked No. 5 in the state in 4A and is first in its district? Lee Academy Girls Softball took fifth place at the MAIS State Tournament!
There are a lot of faces and names on our sports pages of kids who need a little encouragement.
We also have a Church Page every week and Classified Pages where you sell your house, your car and look for a better job.
Your Press Register
I use that phrase often. I don’t own this paper and I take my direction from managers, advertisers and people who have been reading the Press Register for longer than I have been alive.
It is your hometown newspaper and we run it as such.
We have standards and don’t let you buy space to run offensive ads. We work hard to spell names right and humbly admit our mistake when grandmother calls and says we didn’t. We also spend time at city, county and school board meetings so you understand how to move your community in the direction you want it to go.
Yes, I’m one of the lucky ones in life who has found his calling and takes his job very serious.
We’ll publish another edition of your Clarksdale Press Register next week. I can’t wait to see what it says.
Floyd Ingram is the Editor of the paper you hold in your hand. You can find him at the next board meeting, community event or football game. Please tell him what you want to see in your Clarksdale Press Register.
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