This week, we at Syndicate Publishing are celebrating our 5th anniversary. It is hard to believe five years have already gone by since we set out on this journey and launched a brand-new newspaper in Gothenburg!

I have worked in media for more than 20 years, but the Leader was my first experience in building something from the ground up. A team of four full-time employees started out with laptops, a printer, a whiteboard, a couple of cameras, and a whole lot of ideas. We knew we wanted something fresh and different; we didn’t want to look like any other newspaper you pick up off the stand. We also knew we wanted the content of our paper to be strictly local, and we understood that meant some late nights and long hours.

As I look back on the past 208 issues we have put out, I am filled with a sense of accomplishment. (I try hard to stay away from the five-letter “P” word). We have experienced lots of changes and growing pains in our infancy. We didn’t even dare dream that within just three short years we would add three more newspapers to our fold!

In October 2021, Syndicate Publishing purchased the Callaway Courier. Seven months later - May of 2022 we launched the brand new Cozad LOCAL. That same month we acquired ownership of the Minden Courier. I will admit that much growth in such a short period of time made me just a little nervous, but the team has pulled together and made it work.

It’s no secret I love to write. It is my passion…my happy place. But there are lots of avenues I could take to satisfy that writing bug. What I truly love is sharing stories - YOUR stories. Getting to relate the story of a local family's 100+year history on the ranch, recount the experiences of local veterans - and share the story of future ones - and relive your business dreams that have come to fruition are just a few of the highlights that make me love what I do.

This week is Nebraska Newspaper Week, designated such by Gov. Jim Pillen at the 150th Nebraska Press Association convention in April. Without your community newspaper, these stories would not get told. Decisions made by your village board and school board that affect your tax dollars and your children would not be shared. What is happening in Callaway at this moment in time would not be preserved for future generations. What we do is SO important, and I will never take that lightly.

So today, as you read through your paper, I cannot guarantee that you won’t find an error or two. I cannot promise that someone won’t be misidentified in a photo. But what I can promise is that we are doing our absolute best to keep you informed on the things that matter to you and your community. I ask for your grace on behalf of our staff, and above all, for your appreciation for what you are holding.

Cheers to Syndicate Publishing for five years! May there be many, many more to come.