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06/20/2003 Archived Entry: "ELLSWORTH COUNTY INDEPENDENT REPORTER"

ELLSWORTH COUNTY INDEPENDENT/REPORTER

Our local newspaper "made the headlines" tonight on "On the Record", a KPTS interview program hosted by Dale Goter. Tom Eblen, a well-known newspaper evaluator/historian in Kansas was the guest on the program. He’s a retired professor of journalism from K.U. and a retired journalist. Recently, he's been evaluating the quality of the state's newspapers and making state-wide presentations on his findings for the Kansas Humanities Council.

When asked about daily newspapers in the state and which were the most outstanding, he talked about how they go all over the board in quality, but that the Lawrence Journal World was an excellent newspaper. Wichita and Kansas City papers were mentioned. As far as small daily papers, Newton and Emporia were tops on the list.

Now comes the good news. When Tom was asked to name the top three weekly papers that showed a degree of excellence superior to others, without hesitation he stated they were the Miami County Republican (Paola), the Marysville Advocate and the Ellsworth County Independent/Reporter. He then cited Linda Mowery-Denning as being an outstanding journalist who is recognized throughout the state.

Way to go, Linda. But we all knew that. She brought her outstanding reputation as a writer for the Salina Journal with her when she came to Ellsworth to start the newspaper here. We're very fortunate to have a Kansas Press Association award-winning newspaper of this caliber in our community.

And, always being pressed for time, as they are at the INDY, guess who took the tab for next week’s paper to the Hays Daily News for printing today? Congressman Jerry Moran was in town today and was headed westward and offered to deliver it. He’d been in to talk with Linda, John Thaemert, Mark Roehrman and others and ...well, one thing led to another….

Jerry always has my vote. He's a good man.