Hello West Baton Rouge,

It's been an interesting first year.

From helping save a veteran's home, to raising awareness about a local historic chapel, to covering community stories, government meetings, and accountability journalism. And growing to more than 6,000 followers on Facebook. We've hit some significant milestones for a small, one-person publication.

To think, this started when I began sharing news on Facebook. I didn't foresee myself becoming the media. I started all of this because I wanted to know what was going on in our parish. I started this paper after seeing how the press has a duty to the people, not the government. It is the press that exposes wrongs and brings attention to things that need to be known. The purpose of the press is not to be popular with anyone. It's to be the voice of the forgotten, the oppressed, the watchdog of the people, and to inform the public.

"With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it don't seem like such a bad thing to me to want to put a little bit of it back together." Those are the words of Medal of Honor recipient Desmond Doss. When I was in the military, I learned in pain and blood to do the hard right instead of the easy wrong. I knew people who gave everything to protect what this country was built on. The Constitution and the laws that came from it exist because people sacrificed for them. Those people still matter.

And I will fight for the principles they died to protect. I can't put the world together, but I can work to make a path forward for all our lives. And I haven't been perfect. No one is without imperfections. Even my wife can attest to that.

Before I get lost in the weeds, I want to thank everyone who supports and reads this paper. To the ones who support us in ways that don't show up on a screen. To the hard-working rank and file. To everyone who publicly supports us. This publication would not exist without you. Your support carries me through the constant meetings, the hours of research, the learning and growing as a writer, and the late nights building a website, reviewing recordings, writing articles, and editing photos, among many other things. The words of encouragement and the criticism push me forward. Thank you for being there.

Now to the important stuff.

New Website

We've moved to a new platform at wbrindependent.com. It's cleaner, it's faster, and it's built to grow with us. If you were just an email subscriber, no work is needed. If you were only following us with a WordPress account on our old site, you'll need to sign up again. It only takes a few seconds. Every story delivered straight to your inbox. No algorithm deciding what you see. Free to sign up.

How to Support Us

There's no corporation behind this paper. No investors. No board of directors. Just me, a laptop, and a commitment to covering this parish the way it deserves to be covered. If you believe in what we're doing, here are the ways you can help keep it going:

• Subscribe — Sign up for free at wbrindependent.com. Paid memberships are also available for those who want to go further.
• Donate — One-time or recurring support through Ko-fi. Every dollar goes directly to keeping this publication running.
• Tax-Deductible Donations — We're finalizing a partnership with the Tiny News Collective that will allow tax-deductible contributions. More details coming soon.
• Facebook Supporters — Subscribe on our Facebook page for $4.99/month.

Advertising

If you're a local business and want to reach your neighbors, we now offer sponsored posts, website ads, and newsletter sponsorships. Rates and details are on our Support Us page.

What's Ahead

More coverage. More meetings. More accountability. And more of the good stuff — the community stories, the local businesses, the people doing things right in this parish. Accountability journalism matters, but so does celebrating what makes West Baton Rouge worth living in.

I also owe you an honest update on YouTube. I have a backlog of content that hasn't been uploaded, and I know some of you prefer watching over reading. I've also got hundreds of photos from meetings and events that have never seen the light of day. It's all on my list, and I'm working on getting caught up. Bear with me.

And to the small business owners in this parish: I get it now. Starting this publication taught me something I didn't fully understand before. The amount of time it takes to build something from nothing is staggering. Time is the most valuable thing any of us have, and you're pouring yours into this community every day. I see you, and we're going to do a better job of telling your stories too.

Year One was about proving this could work. Year Two is about doing both, breaking even, and making it last.

Thank you again, West Baton Rouge. Let's get to work.

And thank you to my wife and our seven cats, who this takes time away from more than I'd like to admit. She's behind me on this. Working on stories with me, reading comments, giving suggestions and story ideas. Even the discussions and disagreements make the work better. I spent years in the military learning to compartmentalize, to set emotions aside and focus on the mission. That's useful in a lot of ways, but it's not always what a story needs. She's the one who reminds me that behind every public record and every meeting agenda, there are real people being affected. She brings the human element that I sometimes miss. This paper is mine, but it wouldn't be what it is without her.

— John Summers Editor, WBR Independent Principle, not politics.