Pardon our dust

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

I’m conflicted. I should start out by saying I’ve got some good news and some bad news, but that’s so cliché. Still, it’s pretty close to the truth. The good news is that there are changes coming to your favorite alternative newsweekly. The bad news is … there are changes coming to your favorite alternative newsweekly.

First, two of our columnists are leaving after this week. Cory Farley is going back to the Reno Gazette-Journal. I have the highest respect for Cory, and I appreciated having his voice in the paper. But that change creates an opportunity to really mix up the voices in the opinion section, and I’ve given Amanda Williams notice, too. I can also truly say I’ve enjoyed having her aboard and her contributions to our efforts. Suffice it to say, this paper requires a mix of voices, and yin without yang isn’t what this newspaper is about.

I don’t know exactly how that section is going to change, and my staff and I are going to take some time to decide. In the meantime, though, if you think you are the next great liberal or conservative voice for the Reno News & Review, you should send me three 600-word columns on local topics. Again, I’m not certain what we’re going to do with those pages, but I want to see what our options are.

The bottom line is that the entire country is in flux, and it’s important to see that reflected in the pages of this newspaper. There are many rising voices and new ideas in Northern Nevada—thoughts on everything from the environment to the economy to politics to agriculture to science and health—and those are the voices we must have to ensure that we don’t venture down the wrong path that so many newspapers have merrily skipped down.

Anyway, please pardon our dust while we’re under construction. It’ll take a minute, but I think these changes will only improve your Reno News & Review.