Dear Friends,

During last year's Spoonbread Festival, The Edge Advisory Board and myself surveyed people about what they look for in local news. People overwhelmingly wanted to know more about why traffic was getting so bad. They also wanted to know about development, both industrial and residential. They also wanted to know what sorts of recreational and entertainment options there are in our region. These are all land use topics, even if it doesn't seem like it at the outset. Traffic is a land use issue, because zoning for what and where things are built impacts the flow of people in and out of these structures. Recreation is a land use issue because so often what happens on our land is regulated, such as hunting and fishing licenses.

When I started The Edge in October 2024, a year before I knew that these were the topics on people's minds, I specifically intended to cover land use. It was the potential for the Big Hill Line to disrupt the view shed from the Pinnacles and other disruptions that I was astounded to learn had been told to people would happen, not asked first. I knew the situation would need routine coverage. And on that front, I believe The Edge has delivered, and will continue to do so.

A lot of survey respondents said they watch Lexington television stations but had a hard time naming any news outlet they looked to for news on local traffic, land use issues, or even just what options might be available for weekend entertainment. The most consistently named "news" source respondents said filled the local news gap was Facebook.

Facebook is great for amplifying a message, and of course The Edge has its own Facebook page. But Facebook news is not journalism. That fact is emphasized by what survey takers also said they are looking for in local news: truth, lack of bias, and relevance. A lack of hype is also on demand.

These survey responses align with the vision I had for The Edge, namely a way to provide Berea and the region with reliable reporting on things locals care about, and without nonsense or bias. But there is one thing I believe The Edge has not done enough of, and that is to interact more directly with you, the reader. We could do a better job of letting you know The Edge is your community news outlet, and that we are available and listening to you.

Because tomorrow, April 9, is the inaugural Local News Day, I am having a Q & A with the Publisher zoom meeting for paid subscribers. And to aid with that, I am running a reduced annual subscription rate through tax day, April 15. If you sign up for an annual subscription, the Zoom link will automatically be sent to you.

There are more events I am planning in the future so that The Edge is that much more accessible to all of you who read it.

Above all, thank you for your loyal readership and for depending on The Edge for news that matters to you.

Feel free to send me your thoughts:

Thank you!

Whitney McKnight,
Publisher, The Edge