Welcome to my blog!

Having been born and raised right here in Beloit, I have a strong affinity for this community. When I was offered a job as a reporter with the Beloit Daily News, I was more than ecstatic to have the chance to write for my hometown newspaper. Before working here, I thought I knew all there was to know about Beloit. But I was wrong. Working here has given me the unique opportunity to learn even more about my community than I thought possible. The result? Beloit and its residents are even more wonderful than I thought.

Let me first point out that like any reporter, I cover my share of bad news: homicides, fires, thefts, etc. But that certainly isn’t all I cover nor is it the bulk of what I cover. My main “beat” is city government, so you’ll see me at all of the Beloit City Council meetings and you’ll read a lot of city-related stories. When I was told city government would be my beat, I admittedly was nervous about how city employees would react to me. They’ve been great sources. Not only are they always nice to me, they are also extremely helpful and always willing to answer any question I have.

That is the case with nearly everyone I meet while doing stories. When I’m not covering city government, I cover a whole variety of stories. No two days are ever the same, which always makes things more exciting. Some stories are sad and others are happy, but regardless I enjoy the chance to tell other people’s stories. I’ve met people from all walks of life, all of whom have an interesting story to tell. People here are truly some of the greatest people you’ll find anywhere.

One recent story of mine that has really touched my heart has been on “American Idol” contestant Danny Gokey. I’ve been a huge fan of Danny’s since I saw his audition on TV, so I was ecstatic when my editor told me Danny used to sing at Faith Builders in Beloit. Danny is from Milwaukee and also sang at the Faith Builders there. I was assigned this story and was able to talk to Danny’s pastor. Through him, I learned a lot about Danny.

But this story was far from over. When “American Idol” finals began, I went to Faith Builders on a Wednesday night to watch the results show and to do another story. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I walked through the door, but that night was probably the best time I’ve ever had working in the 10 months I’ve been here. The people were amazing and very accepting of me. That’s normally how it is everywhere I go, but for some reason, this night felt different. It’s hard to describe how I felt that night surrounded by such great people. I didn’t feel like an outsider looking in. Instead, I felt like one of them.

After I left that night, I again realized just how special this community is. In a time where everyone seems to be so down, it’s refreshing to meet such positive, uplifting people. That’s who we are in this community: optimistic, welcoming people who really want to make Beloit the best place it can be.

This is what I hope my blog will be: a place to talk about all of the positives in Beloit: the people, the places, the events. I don’t think enough people realize how wonderful Beloit is. Well, it’s my goal to show people all Beloit has to offer. Stay tuned.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 4:03 pm and is filed under My Kind of Town. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.