Fielder’s Choice

For as long as I remember, every newspaper staff I’ve been a part of has produced an annual special edition similar to what we call our Profile.

From Fulton, to Aberdeen and Amory, to Laurel, I’ve been a part of more than 30 special editions.

In Amory, the Railroad Festival edition was always huge.

Once, the staffs of The Aberdeen Examiner, Amory Advertiser and Itawamba County Times combined to produce a “life along the Tenn-Tom Waterway edition.” That group effort was one of the largest I’ve ever tackled. But it turned out great.

Each week The South Reporter staff produces a newspaper – that’s 52 weeks a year; this year it will be 53.

Special sections, such as the Profile, give us a chance to highlight even more the people, places and progress of a community.

Since 2002, the first Profile Edition of The South Reporter since the Burlesons moved to town, we’ve been able to add almost 350 features in 17 of the March publications.

Recently, my wife Pam compiled a list of our Profile features over the years.

The list, to name a few since 2002, include Elouise Nabors, Faye Sanders, Naylond Hayes, Hawks Feed Mill, Roura Iron Works, Barbara Anderson, Bobby Fant, Jimmie Collins, Van Rayford, Buford’s Furniture, Don Randolph, Don Wilson, Gene and Martha Leonard, Lincoln Martin, Terry Sawyer, Annie Spight, Parker Racor, Contract Fabricators, B&B Concrete, Stanley Payne, Frances Hathorne, Allene Teel, Artis Walton, Wall Doxey State Park, Phillips Grocery, Paul MacLeod (Graceland Too), Laws Hill Fish House, Donald Street, David Caldwell, David Person, Winborn United Methodist Church, Justin Hall, Lawrence White, Flick Ash, John West Turner, Charles Crain, Annie Moffitt, Bea Green, Claude Vinson, Jarvis DeBerry, Lucy Hubbard, Charles Eoff, Ken Ambrose, Janice Canerdy, Jesse Holland, Susie Hill, Copper Kettle, Hugh Hollowell, and the list of goes on and on.

For two in there (2007 and 2008), I was blessed to ride with good friend Ronnie Day on some photo expeditions. We produced “24 hours of photos in Marshall County.”

I will never forget the fun of combing Marshall County from early morning to late at night in search of photos.

I have many wonderful memories of all my times with Ronnie, who passed away a couple of years ago, but those adventures certainly stand out.

Personally, I’ve written tons of feature stories on individuals since I started working fulltime in this business in 1986. And those are the ones that stand out the most to me. That’s because I’ve gotten to know so many good folks and been able to tell their stories.

The other day I was looking through my desk, in search of something I never found, but it was very rewarding anyway. I found letters I’ve kept over the years from kind people, thanking me for a story or a photo.

Those type things keep me going in this business.

Your community newspaper is here to help keep the lifeblood of this county circulating. We care – about the people, about the places and about the progress. Thanks for keeping us going.

This year’s Profile Edition will publish March 5.