Celebrating 4 Years - Thank you Grain Valley!

We're four years old today! Thank you, Grain Valley, for your continued support and readership. As we look back on four years of serving our community, we'd like to share our introductory message from our first issue four years ago.

Much has changed in four years, but our mission remains the same - building community and shining a light on the stories that matter to our readers.

From our first edition - June 18, 2018
by Cory Unrein, Co-Owner and Publisher

“Are you crazy, or just plain stupid?”

That famous line from the movie Forrest Gump kept coming to mind as we prepared to take on the challenge of starting a newspaper. As you can imagine, when you begin telling folks you plan to start a newspaper, you are met with a mix of reactions. Thankfully, most people we have met are excited about the prospect, given the lack of a community newspaper and the rumor based (and often unkind) noise on social media.

But along with the kind words of support, we are regularly met with a mix of quiet concern and pity. I’ve worked in the nonprofit field for 20 years and my husband is an educator, so we are no strangers to seemingly hopeless causes. But the fact is, that while large metropolitan print media is struggling, community-based media is doing quite well.

Our mission is simple: to affirm a sense of community through our publication, sharing news of interest to Grain Valley citizens and helping each of us learn more about our neighbors. In a time that often feels as though there is more that separates us than unites us, we invite you to join with us in sharing information with your neighbors and join in the conversation.

Grain Valley – this is your paper. Talk to us, send us your news. We want to hear about your businesses, volunteer work, celebrations, and milestones. We are excited to start this venture and thank you for reading and for supporting our local advertisers.