Help us tell great stories from the South Side

Happy June, Mobile Newsroomies!

We've officially begun our time on the South Side this month, and we can't wait to get started.

The South Side is a sprawling and diverse swath of Columbus, a collection of neighborhoods that make up a community steeped in pride. (And that pride runs deep! At the first Columbus Storyteller's Project in March, two of our tellers call the South Side home. One mention of the South High School Bulldogs had the crowd erupting with applause.)

Dispatch reporters Mark Ferenchik, Monroe Trombly, Megan Henry and yours truly, along with USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau reporter Haley BeMiller will be at the Parsons Avenue library branch throughout over the next few weeks.

I asked some my colleagues what they're most looking forward to covering on the South Side.

Megan, who is usually covering K-12 education, is most looking forward to getting to know more about Marion-Franklin and finding locally owned businesses in the area. She's heading to the South Side Drive-In later this week for a feature. Stay tuned for more on that later!

Monroe told me he is interested in getting to know the people and institutions that make up some of the lesser-known neighborhoods of the South Side – those that don't get near as much attention or investment as does German Village, Merion Village or Schumacher Place. He is also interested in giving readers updates on planned or proposed developments for the South Side.

With midterm elections on the horizon, Haley is interested in knowing what issues are most important to South Side voters and whether they feel their elected officials are serving their best interests. She's also available to folks to help explain the complexities of things happening at the state level like redistricting. (Lord knows I could use some help understanding what's going on there, too.)

You might remember Mark's Mobile Newsroom work from his time in Driving Park. This time around, Mark is looking to do some reporting about local industry: who has left, who remains, and who is planning to call the South Side home. He's always interested in hearing from folks about gentrification and other issues facing your neighborhood.

Y'all already know I love anything to do with local history and oddities, but as a higher education reporter, I'd also love to hear more from how high schoolers are thinking about college and whether or not its something they want to, or think they need to, pursue.

Does anything on that list ring a bell to you? Drop me or one of the other reporters a line with your ideas!

Checking in: Our friends over in Northland are seeing a boom of new construction projects. Mark talked to developers and residents about the need for more senior living in Northland, how local leaders are easing concerns about crime, and other developments putting down roots.

Coming up: Speaking of the Columbus Storytellers Project, its next show is June 15 from 7-9 p.m. at the Columbus Atheneum! Storytellers Project is a nationwide series of live storytelling events featuring neighbors and notables sharing personal stories.

This event's theme is Neighbors – you'll feel heartened, uplifted, and more connected to the world and people around you. Tickets are available at this link.

What's happening: The creatives at 700 Bryden in Old Towne East are kicking off the first OTE Art Walk this Sunday. The event will stretch along Parsons Avenue from Bryden Road to Broad Street and feature the local galleries and artists that reside in the neighborhood. More than 60 local vendors and artists will be set up outside 700 Bryden for a market.

The free event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit 700 Bryden's website.

And as always, thank you for reading! If you aren't already, please consider subscribing to the Dispatch. And if someone sent you this email, make sure you subscribe to this newsletter to never miss an issue.

Until next week,

Sheridan Hendrix

Email: shendrix@dispatch.com

Twitter: @sheridan120

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mobile Newsroom: Help us tell great stories from the South Side