I'm a Peoria native. The Journal Star is your best source for Peoria news

The Journal Star has been a part of the Peoria landscape for 166 years.

Let that sink in for a moment.

It’s an institution that’s seen monumental change over the past 16-plus decades — through name changes, buildings, presses and ownership.

And this newspaper is still here today, striving to deliver readers the news that affects their lives, each and every day, whether in print or digital form. And it employs a team of people in various roles from reporters and editors to mailroom operators and delivery workers.

There are a number of people whose names you’ll never see attached to a story or photo online, but they’re vitally important in getting you the news you expect. Many of them work long hours — nights, weekends and holidays included. News is a 365-day operation that never stops.

Homegrown journalist

I am one of those names you may not recognize, so let me introduce myself

I’m a Peoria native and grew up on the East Bluff, attending Glen Oak Primary and White Middle schools before graduating from Woodruff High School. All of those schools are now closed, as Peorians will surely recognize, but the lessons I learned at each certainly shaped who I am as a journalist.

I’m also a Bradley University grad who chose to stay in Peoria to live and work. It’s where I purchased a home, not far from the neighborhood where I was raised. I've spent most of my career as a page designer and editor, but I've also worked in the sports department.

I believe in this city and in the Journal Star’s value.

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Over the past year, the Journal Star has also experienced huge changes as the COVID-19 pandemic upended livelihoods and lives. The newsroom went remote in March, with editors and reporters working from home. Teams of press, mailroom and delivery employees have soldiered on at our Peoria offices, doing their best to make sure the news readers deserve is delivered each morning. I salute their hard work during a challenging time.

The Journal Star has aimed to bring the community the most comprehensive coverage of the pandemic and its impact on central Illinois. That includes the breaking news of the Illinois lockdown in March to the recent lifting of some restrictions just weeks ago.

It’s also meant exploring the challenges for schools and hardships on local businesses struggling to survive, as well as providing analysis on why some counties have seen higher virus death rates and how COVID-19 deaths are calculated.

And there are the stories that brought home the devastation we’ve felt, from the young Morton mom who her lost her life to COVID-19 and, more personal to me, an appreciation of a beloved former Peoria Public Schools orchestra director who died shortly after contracting the virus.

Q&A: Peoria County coroner explains how COVID-19 deaths are determined

The print edition might not be the best fit for everyone. Most of us are rarely far from our cellphones, and that’s where we do most of our reading, watching and keeping up with news. The Journal Star’s current introductory offer for digital access is six months at $1 per. After that, the regular price is $11.99 a month for everything the newspaper has to offer on our app and website.

Local news matters, and we are working hard to continue that Peoria tradition.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Journal Star is your best source for Peoria news