Jackson Free Press

In an organization the size of the Jackson Free Press, an employee leaving can feel like losing a family member. That is no more true than with Adam Lynch, the JFP's senior reporter. After seven years, Adam has left the JFP for personal reasons. We appreciate Adam's hard work and wish him luck in whatever he decides to pursue next. He did award-winning stories during his tenure, including breaking a certain story about a certain mayor and a certain duplex. His unique way of saying things will live long in all of our memories.

Earlier this month, we said goodbye to assistant to the editor ShaWanda Jacome. ShaWanda worked with the JFP for two and a half years and had an efficient, no-nonsense approach to keeping everything around the JFP running smoothly. She is about to begin teaching in Jackson Public Schools, and we know that she will turn young lives around. We will also miss her son, Mateo, and her husband, Mike, also a JPS teacher, who did much to help the JFP. (ShaWanda promises she'll be back to work on Chick Ball again next year, though.)

We have not given a proper send-off, either, to reporter Ward Schaefer, who started years ago interning (he was a JPS teacher, too) and then worked for us for more than two years as a reporter, including covering the infamous Frank Melton trial. Ward left earlier this year for graduate school at Ole Miss, and contributes occasional stories from that direction to the JFP and BOOM Jackson.

As sad as departures are, they open the door for new voices. Assistant editor Valerie Wells, with a long career in newspapers (including at The Hattiesburg American), as well as the U.S. Army, joined us earlier this summer. She has already won a national and a southeastern award for the cover story about trying kids as adults that she co-wrote with editor Donna Ladd.

We recently welcomed Jackson State graduate LaShanda Phillips as our new editorial assistant. The Jackson native is both an organizational whiz—taking on many of ShaWanda's duties without blinking an eye—and a great copy editor and writer. Watch for her byline and her smiling face at events.

We have opened a local and national search for the reporter position Adam vacated. In the interim, we have asked Clinton resident and intern Elizabeth Waibel to step up and become our interim cub reporter. Elizabeth graduated in May from Union University in Tennessee with a degree in journalism and has impressive experience. Her first reporter assignment here was covering the gubernatorial debate, and she nailed it. Watch out for her (and help her out!)

Finally, Briana Robinson is stepping up from intern to become our new deputy editor. The Millsaps student first came to the JFP when she was still in high school at St. Andrew's. She moved here from New Orleans after losing her home during Katrina. She came to the JFP to help with the Youth Media Project during the summer and has shown up every summer since. Her diligence and love of journalism has prompted us to create a position for her.