Changes coming to your Kent Reporter – Editor’s Note

After more than three years of publishing a newspaper twice a week, the winds of destiny are blowing the Kent Reporter on a slightly different course.

Starting in March, we will begin publishing a weekly paper. This is actually the last Wednesday paper you will be seeing, as our new publishing schedule will have us in your driveways and mailboxes every Friday, starting March 5.

The biggest reason we’re doing this is to start putting more of our resources into our online publication. Yes, the future is calling us, as it has called to many publications out there these days. We’re planning to add more features to our online offerings – more video, more slide shows, and more stories that are breaking. And we are still planning to remain what we call “hyper-local,” meaning covering what matters here in Kent. (Although we will cover regional topics if they have an impact on Kent.)

But in our print edition (as well as in this online publication) you will continue to see that same local focus, with an even greater emphasis on community features, local columnists and, of course, solid reporting and photography.

I want to assure you that by no means are we going to put less emphasis on our print edition. Although it will come out one day a week rather than two, you’ll be getting plenty to read about. And some fun community features that we haven’t offered before, including some new local columnists, regular updates from Publisher Polly Shepherd, humor features that involve me, and even more photo features.

You must also know that on a personal level, print journalism has always been my first love, and will continue to be, even with all the nifty gadgetry of the Internet. So this dog is learning new tricks, but a newspaper that’s actually printed on paper will continue to be near to my heart in all of this.

So read on!

On another note, I’d like to call your attention to a big happening going on just down the street from us in Kent. Unfortunately I did not have enough time to get it into our news part of Wednesday’s print edition. Valley Medical Center, which serves the Kent area as well as a large portion of South King County, is about to go completely operational with its new, state-of-the-art emergency room. The ER is part of VMC’s Margarita Prentice Trauma Center, a seven-story, $115 million facility that was dedicated in January.

Starting 5:30 a.m. Thursday (Feb. 25), seekers of emergency medical treatment will now go to the new facility, although patients already in the old ER when the switchover occurs can remain where they are and still be treated. The new ER can be accessed off 43rd Street in Renton. For more information, visit the VMC Web site at www.valleymed.org.