Who is this new person in town that is associated with the Middlesboro Daily News? And what’s with her accent that is definitely different from the local townspeople?

Well, I’ve recently been named publisher of the newspaper and I am both thankful and excited to be here. My initial reaction in the community is that people are extremely friendly. That’s a good thing given that I’m the new girl in town.

A little about me … I was born and raised in southeastern Pennsylvania, which is where I get my accent. I’m a country girl at heart but did a 12-year stint in Philadelphia just to get a feel for metro living. Definitely not my favorite place to live but I did become an expert at parallel parking. I was married for 32 years when my husband passed away suddenly in 2016. Together we have two children and three grandchildren with the fourth expected next month.

I started my newspaper career in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, which is where I fell in love with the beauty of being surrounded by mountains. Being here in Kentucky is a welcomed change from the flatlands of Louisiana and Texas where I have spent the last 19 years working at various newspapers. Reacquainting myself with the cold and the snow is another matter entirely. Brrrrr!

I definitely wear a lot of hats and have a lot of titles. I am a mother, grandmother, widow, executive, Harley enthusiast, worship leader and the list goes on. However, it is no secret that being a grandmother is my favorite role. The old adage is true that being a grandparent is much more fun than actually raising your own. I try and tell my kids, enjoy every moment because you are going to wake up tomorrow and your little ones are going to be adults with children of their own. My, how time flies when you are having fun.

Enough about me. What I really want you to know is that I am truly looking forward to getting to know you and becoming involved in this community that I now serve. My readers and advertisers are what get me up every day ready and willing to produce products that people want to read. Whether that be in print or in a digital format, my goal is to be the No. 1 source of local news and information as well as a platform where advertisers know they will get results from their investment.

It’s going to take me a little time to get acclimated to the market and I’m excited to learn about what makes each community unique and where there are similarities.

New house, new job, new employees, new friends … 2018 is going to be a great year!