About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 2025)
A4 | THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2025 The Eatonton Aessenger www.msgrnews.com 00 Opinions All letters to the editor must be signed and include a phone number for verification purposes. Send letters to editor@msgrnews.com by noon Monday. Presidential thoughts from the coffee club When I saw the phone jump off the cradle, I knew immediately who it was. Skeeter Skates, owner of Skeeter Skates Tree Stump Removal and Plow Repair in Ryo, Georgia. Skeeter has that effect on people — and on telephones. In addition to being a leader in the stump removal and plow repair industry, Skeeter also serves as chair of the Ryo Morning Coffee Club, a collection of Great Amer icans which includes Walleye, who runs the bait shop over in Red Bud; Booger Bledsoe, who operates a local roadside Dick Yarbrough Columnist vegetable stand on State Route 136 near Sugar Valley; and Uncle Coot, recently retired from the porta-potty transporta tion industry. Skeeter gets straight to the point. I guess that’s the nature of those in his profession. “Hoss, me and the boys were talking about you this morning at our meeting of the coffee club. That is, me and Booger and Walleye. Uncle Coot was a good bit downwind from us, given he still shows the residual effects of a career spent trans porting porta-potties,” Skeeter began. “Frankly, I ain’t got much use for folks that make their living writing fancy words and don’t know a John Deere left- hand shin from a rolling landside wheel scraper. But me and the boys wanted to talk a little about politics and we immediately thought of you, ‘cause you know as little about politics as anybody I can think of. Heh! Heh!” Skeeter never gets tired of that line. “We don’t get a lot of news here in Ryo. None of us know how to use Twerp or Click Clack or any of that other social ized medium, so that’s the reason for our calling you. You are all we got left,” Skeeter continued. And in case you’re wondering, I believe he was referring to Twitter and Tik Tok and other social media, but really, it’s best not to correct him. “You may not know how to replace the clutch on a Powerhorse 7-horse stump grinder, but me and the hoys know you are close with all the big-shot poli ticians, including that old boy that’s running things in Washington,” Skeeter said. I don’t know where he got that idea but, again, correcting Skeeter isn’t wise. “Next time you see him, tell him things are just fine in Ryo. No need to worry about sending in the U.S. Army. Unlike Washington and those hippies out in California, there’s nobody stirring up trouble in Ryo. Let him know that.” I told Skeeter I would certainly do that. I know Donald Trump has a lot on his plate these days and not having to worry about Ryo will no doubt be a relief. Walleye next got on the phone and asked me to express his appreciation to the president for keeping China and India from flooding the bait market with red wigglers. He is proud that his worms are »Show up, speak up!« Public meeting schedule for Eatonton and Putnam County PUTNAM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 1 p.m. - 2 nd Tuesday 706-485-1884 PUTNAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION 6 p.m. - 2 nd & 3 rd Monday 706-485-5381 EATONTON PUTNAM WATER SEWER AUTHORITY 4:30 p.m. - 3 rd Wednesday 706-485-5252 EATONTON CITY COUNCIL 7 p.m. - 1 st Tuesday & 3 rd Monday 706-485-3311 PUTNAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 6 p.m. - 3 rd Tuesday • 10 a.m. - 1st Friday 706-485-5826 PUTNAM PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION 6:30 p.m. - 1 st Thursday 706-485-2776 PUTNAM BD. OF ELECTIONS & REGISTRATION 4:30 p.m. - 1 st Tuesday 706-485-8683 * These dates and times are based on regular government meeting schedules. For any called or special meetings, please see our legal page. The Eatonton Messenger MORE THOUGHTS » AS MAYBE WE SHOULD OUST INVEST IN INSTEAD OF FUNDING DEW/ NEWSROOMS... LOCAL* INEWS: A. Mark Smith President/Publisher amsmith@msgrnews.com Matt Smith General Manager matt@msgrnews.com Ian Tocher Editor ian@msgrnews.com Local newspapers worthy of support ESTABLISHED 1861 Vice President Michael Smith Vice President JoAnn Smith Managing Editor Josh Lurie Reporter T. Michael Stone Reporter Bailey Ballard Sports Reporter Lance McCurley Advertising Manager Heather Harris Advertising Representative Dianne Phillips Advertising Representative Amy Manville Classified Representative Haley Fowler Graphic Artist Victoria Anadenko Legal Advertising/Circulation Becky Meyer Business Manager Cassandra Fowler Lakelife Editor Lynn Hobbs Dedication Battle B. Smith, Editor and Publisher, 1956-1988 Micky Smith, Editor and Publisher, 1989-2003 Mark Smith Jr., Executive Editor, 2004-2019 Courtesy of America's Newspapers The data is in, and it’s hard to ignore. According to the recently released Local Journalist Index, the number of local reporters serving American communities has declined by more than 75% since 2002. One in three counties now has fewer than one full-time local journalist. Hundreds of communities have no local reporter at all. This is not just a media story. It’s a real problem for the communities without local news. When no one is covering school boards, city councils, public budgets or commu nity health decisions, the public is left uninformed — and unrepresented. That’s why the latest announcement from Press Forward — the nation’s largest philan thropic funder of local news — was met with equal parts optimism and concern. Their new Infra structure 2025 initiative will inject millions into local news, focusing on technology, training, and support for emerging digital and nonprofit models. But notably missing from the list of priorities? Local newspapers. And that’s a serious oversight. Despite being the most visible and established local news presence in most communities, newspapers are typically left out of major funding efforts. The focus, instead, is on digital startups, new platforms, and tool kits designed to support emerging models. The problem? You can’t rebuild local journalism at scale while sidelining the orga nizations still doing the work. Trust isn’t the issue — local newspapers have it. According to the 2024 Trust in Media Study conducted by America’s Newspapers and Coda Ventures, local news papers are the most trusted news source in the country. Readers rank them highest for transpar ency, ethical standards, and connection to their communities — qualities that are critical in an environment saturated with misinformation and national polarization. This kind of trust can’t be manufactured with a grant or a platform. It’s earned — and in the case of newspapers, it’s already built. That gives newspa pers a unique advantage: they aren’t trying to break into communities. They’re already there. Local newspapers also have infrastructure that works. Unlike startups still searching for business models, newspapers have real systems in place: multichannel distribution, audience reach, brand equity, sales operations, and varied revenue streams. Their capacity to deliver isn’t theoretical. It’s operational. And in many cases, it’s the only infra structure left that can serve entire local markets — especially in mid-sized and rural areas. That doesn’t mean the model is perfect. News papers have been under pressure for years. But they’ve also adapted — investing in digital platforms, building new revenue streams, testing partnerships, and exploring new ownership models. Philanthropy doesn’t need to choose sides — but it does need to broaden its scope. The future of local journalism depends upon collaboration across models. Nonprofits, startups, collaborations, MORE NEWS » A5 The Eatonton Messenger (USPS 166-520) is published every Thursday by Smith Communications Inc., 100 N. Jefferson Ave., Eatonton, GA 31024-4027. It is the official organ of the County of Putnam and the City of Eatonton and is a member of the Georgia Press Association and the National Newspaper Association. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of The Eatonton Messenger and individual writers only. Eatonton City Council Members John Chip Mylle James A. Michael Janie B. Marie Teresa Reid Walker Mangum Gorley Smith Reid Rainey Doster Mayor Mayor Pro Tem Ward 1 Ward 2 Wards 2 & 3 Ward 3 Wards 1 & 4 Ward 4 706- 706- 706- 706- 706- 706- 478- 706- 485-3311 485-7804 485-7195 485-8984 485-0306 816-6800 288-3846 484-0693 Subscription Rates One Year Two Years Putnam, Morgan, Greene counties $37 $70 Other Georgia counties $50 $90 Out of Georgia $55 $99 Putnam County Commissioners POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Eatonton Messenger, P.O. Box 4027, Eatonton, GA 31024 Periodicals Postage Paid at Eatonton, GA 31024 Advertising, news and information: 706-485-3501 Fax: 706-485-4166 Advertising email: sales@msgrnews.com News email: editor@msgrnews.com Member, Georgia Press Association National Newspaper Association outhern Newspaper Publisher Association A prize-winning newspaper in Better Newspaper contests 1999-2016 ner of 23 top GPA awards in 2016 PLACE for GENERAL EXCELLENCE 2013, 2014 and 2015 B.W. “Bill” Sharp Tom McElhenney Chairman District! 706-752-8431 762-205-4731 Richard Garrett District 2 706-749-5573 Steve Hersey District 3 706-485-0935 Jeff Wooten District 4 706-752-8432 Putnam County Board of Education Members Doris Clemons District 1 706-485-1142 Simone Jones District 2, Vice Chairman 706-473-0738 Steve Weiner District 3, Chairman 706-485-5087 Charles Trumbo District 4 478-216-7149 Carol Ann Guthrie District 5 706-766-6012 Georgia Legislators snpa / MEMBER SOUTHERN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Senate Dist. 25 Sen. Rick Williams (R) 327-B Coverdell LOB Atlanta, GA 30334 (404) 656-0082 rick.williams@senate.ga.gov House Dist. 124 Rep. Trey Rhodes (R) 228-A State Capitol Atlanta, GA 30334 404-656-5099 trey.rhodes@house.ga.gov House Dist. 144 Rep. Dale Washburn (R) 401-H Coverdell LOB Atlanta, GA 30334 Office: (404) 656-0152 dale.washburn@house.ga.gov
