by Michael Gale

The goal of The Floyd Beacon newspaper was “Shining Light on Community and Government.” Our website will remain up. After August 1st, the website will begin to change. The format will change, and our coverage will change. They will expand. We want to take advantage of the opportunities that being on a website offers that we could not do when it reflected a printed newspaper. As we adopt an internet-centric presentation, we will also adapt to the new media.

Articles may be short and spontaneous. Some of the articles on the website will be longer to provide more in-depth coverage of the topic. There can be more pictures of events instead of one or two when we were constrained by printed space. Videos! We will learn to use videos to capture what our shining Light reflects. 

We will continue to be a place where the community can contribute. If someone wants to write about time spent on The Little River, canoeing, fishing, and environmental cleanup, we will welcome the submission. Did you travel to a historical location or see a show that you want to share? Did you attend a meeting or forum that you want to share? Send an email to editor@thefloydbeacon.com.

We are going to continue to provide a place for a calendar of events. We are not going to be tied to a two-week production schedule. The Editor is changing. I will be the “Editor in Chief” as of July 2nd. The subscription model is going to change to a Patron system. The details are still being worked out, as are advertising opportunities. All current subscriptions to the website will end on August 1st. Our website manager told me that we have to end current subscriptions because we are disabling some of our old software and cannot transfer the billing information to the new system.

Like a spotlight on the summit of Buffalo Mountain, our Light will shine farther. We will see farther and be able to be seen farther away. What happens in Carroll County, Richmond, and Washington DC affects us here. Anyone who has talked to the visitors who have traveled far and wide to come to Floyd County knows that what we do here and how we treat people has an effect far beyond our county borders. The website will reflect that. 

Like the homes our telephone coop has connected our community to the world, The Floyd Beacon will have a new high-speed home. Welcome to your and our new home.