Dear Grice Connect readers,
It has been just over two years since I joined Grice Connect, first as a writer and then as an editor, and I wanted to take a moment as the year ends to check in with you all.
In many ways, it feels like I have been with GC for more like ten years! That's because of the massive amount of growth we have experienced and all of the things we have accomplished in those two short years.
When I joined DeWayne midyear in 2022, I was his first regular employee at Grice Connect. Prior to that, he really was a one-man show, with the support of his wonderful family, and it was up to him to source and post the news each day. After I began working as his editor, we started strategizing and quickly began hiring freelance writers and administrative employees.
We have since grown to a staff of more than 20 amazing people, publishing -- on average -- 8 to 10 stories per day, 365 days a year. WOW! To say that our operation quickly snowballed would be a seasonally apropos understatement.
This year, as a team, we have published more than 4,000 news stories, 750 obituaries, and 4,000 event listings. Daily, we are making sure to cover not only breaking news like fires and accidents but also municipal happenings, events, business developments, hurricanes, and so much more.
As your editor, it is my goal to bring you a variety of useful, well written news in a timely fashion, combined with plenty of stories that highlight all the wonderful people, places, and things that make Statesboro and Bulloch County a great place to live. (Those are, of course, my favorites!) Above all, we want to keep our community informed and connected.
Our site usually sees about 150,000 different visitors each month, and I am truly thankful for each and every one of you! That's because you make what we do matter. Each time one of you reaches out to say that you look forward to our email every morning because it keeps you connected or that the only reason you knew about something was because of Grice Connect, you TRULY make our day! This can be a relentless profession, but your kind words and support mean the world to us and keep us going.
I'm sending an extra thank you to those of you who support us financially, whether through individual giving or your businesses. It means so much to us that you believe enough in what we are doing to share your hard-earned dollars with us. We could not be more grateful!
Of course none of this would be possible without our wonderful team of writers and our leadership, and I am so appreciative of you all, too! Thank you for your tireless work in 2024.
As we end another year of news, I want to wish you and your families the happiest holiday season and a wonderful new year. Thank you for your continued support of Grice Connect. We can't wait to see what the new year brings!
Sincerely,
Whitney Lavoie
Managing Editor
