Local News Day: The Face of the Graphic

April 9, 2026

Good morning, on this inaugural Local News Day… 

This is Katherine, many of you have come to know me, over the years, as the face of the Graphic. The one out in the community - often seen taking photos at school and community events. 

But there’s more to what I do than just taking good photos that capture our community's celebrations.

I also sit quietly in on city council, school board, and other meetings. More often than not, the only one in the audience, besides those presenting – as I listen and take notes to form the articles that will inform the community of what their local government and elected officials are deciding. 

There are countless hours spent getting the stories written.  Stories that tell the everyday moments of our communities.  Stories, or articles, that had us all  celebrating, stories of loss and restoration, sports teams, articles on levy’s and fundraisers, fires and wind damage, businesses opening and closing, students achievements, and our community rallying around in support of its own. I’ve seen and written a lot over the years. 

When asked what my most memorable story is – I don’t hesitate to tell of the breaking news I witnessed first hand. 

I was at city hall on other news business when we not only heard, but felt the blast. Looking out the window, we saw the dark plume lifting to the sky where the Auto Electric Shop stood. I called my Editor, Kathy Valdez, and headed to  the scene, she headed down from the office.

That was the day Bob Koch’s shop went up in flames. Ironically, this week we published his obituary, expressing heartfelt condolences to his family. 

Bob was a friend, community and business leader, and an all around great guy. He will be grieved and missed by so many in our community. 

I’d say my second most memorable would be our top story of 2025. The closure of Lamb Weston. 

I received a news tip that morning stating only that I should be in the parking lot at this time. I was there to hear the news, right alongside the employees who were gathered. I captured their shock, their grief, and the tears as the Connell Plant was a family and they had lost their home. 

As your local news, I dug deeper to find more of the story - pushing the company for details. Your local news was the first to report the company's plans to demolish the building and retain the land, despite a brief glimmer of hope, when a for sale sign was posted, that plan never changed. 

The structures, along with the water pond will be removed this year. We recently posted the public notice for Fisher Construction Group who will be leading the demolition project, on behalf of Lamb Weston. 

Local news is many faceted - from photos to articles, news tips, to investigative journalism, interviews, to quiet notetaking, late nights of writing and editing, those in the public eye and those working in the office setting obituaries and public notices - Local News informs of the news most important to you - right here at home. 

Local News does something more than inform - by recording the everyday stories that create the history of our communities. We hear how much you are enjoying our snippets of history we print each week - this history wouldn’t be possible without the local news that was shared and written back 70 or 50 years ago. 

 While I may be known by most of you as the face of the Graphic, I like to think, we all, in our own way, are a part of the story… That’s what Local News is at its best  – the story of a community and its people.  

On this, first Local News Day - I hope you enjoyed learning more about the face behind the Graphic, and the stories that shaped not only me but our community, 

I also hope you would feel free to reach out with your questions on local news, the people behind the stories, share with us the stories that have impacted you the most, and take a moment to give in support.