Do you have a community event you’d like to publicize in the newspaper? Tell us about it!

I’m always surprised when someone asks me, “Why wasn’t there any advance information about our event in the newspaper?” Nine times out of 10 it’s because we didn’t know about it. Many people seem to assume that those of us in the newspaper business are all-knowing, that we’re aware of everything before it happens. While that’s flattering, it’s also frustrating, because we want to help nonprofits, schools and community organizations promote their events. (Posting to social media is not enough: No matter how hard we try, we just can’t monitor everybody’s Facebook page.)

Getting your event in the paper is pretty simple. Just send us a press release at editor@bmeagle.com. It doesn’t need to be fancy — just include the basic details of your event, like time, place, admission charge (if any) and so forth. Also include your contact information in case we have questions. That’s enough for a listing in our “What’s Happening” events calendar, and sometimes it can become the basis for a bigger story. We’re a weekly publication, so try to give us at least two weeks’ notice so we can get the word out in plenty of time. That’s all there is to it!

In case you missed it, last week’s edition of the Blue Mountain Eagle featured a terrific story by Justin Davis on the special friendship that developed between two local veterans who share the same name, the same birthday and the same legacy of military service. We also had stories on Painted Sky Center for the Arts acquiring its own building, cutbacks at the local DMV office, a rare tornado near Canyon City and the Grant Union volleyball team’s postseason run, as well as a complete listing of upcoming Christmas bazaars around the county.

Coming up in this week’s paper, we’ll have coverage of local Veterans Day events plus stories about a hunter shooting a wolf in self-defense (already up on our website), the latest developments with Grant County Digital, the outcome of the county road district election, the Prairie City football team’s playoff game against North Lake and more.

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If you haven’t done so already, please take a moment to register your subscription for digital access to the Blue Mountain Eagle. Call 800-781-3214 to talk to one of our customer service staff, who will be happy to walk you through the process. It’s easy, takes just a few moments to get set up and allows you to take advantage of our e-edition, app and website delivery along with your print subscription.

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As always, if you have comments or questions about the Eagle, or want to pass along a story idea, send me an email at this address: editor@bmeagle.com.

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Finally, if you’d like to help support our independent local journalism, please consider subscribing to the newspaper. And if you’re already a subscriber, please accept our heartfelt thanks — we can’t do this work without you!

— Bennett Hall, Editor