So much has happened since our last update just a few weeks ago! 

We are thrilled to announce the hiring of our initial team of reporters, the opening of our nonprofit newsroom, our launch in February, and the release of our new branding! These achievements mark a significant milestone in our journey to provide comprehensive, nonpartisan, objective, and high-quality news coverage to our readers. 

First, we are proud to introduce our inaugural team of seasoned reporters, each bringing a wealth of experience from various fields of journalism. Their diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives will enable us to cover a broad spectrum of news, from politics and business to culture and sports. Their reporting on our community will begin with our launch in February. 

Our new team includes Joey LoMonaco, a veteran and award-winning reporter we all know as a fantastic sports reporter with the Free Lance-Star, but who also has a breadth of news reporting and team management experience at the Washington Post, the Dominion Post, and other publications. Also joining us is Taft Coghill, a 20-year award-winning journalist with deep ties to the community and a wealth of experience reporting on topics that are important to us all. In addition, we are thrilled to welcome Kathy  Knotts to our team and our community. Kathy is a 15-year veteran journalist from the Maryland Chesapeake Bay area where she has covered an array of topics of community interest, and is well-versed in the world of digital news reporting. Each of our team members has a unique skill set and passion that complement the others extremely well. We look forward to their contributions to our community as important members of the Fredericksburg Free Press Team. 

Second, our new newsroom, located in the iconic Janney-Marshall building in downtown Fredericksburg, is designed to foster a collaborative environment where our team of dedicated reporters can work together to produce impactful stories. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, it will serve as a hub for our journalists to investigate, analyze, and report on a wide range of topics. We are eternally grateful to Mr. John A. Janney for his generous donation of our beautiful new home! John has also donated all of the workstations our journalists need, while Goodwill Industries has supplied us with other essential office furniture and supplies. Fredericksburg Technology is providing our newsroom, at cost, with the connectivity and technology that will help the newsroom thrive. 

Finally, to add to the excitement, we are thrilled to soon share our brand new logo and branding, expertly crafted by the talented Byron Glaser of Higashi Glaser Design. We can't wait for you to see it very soon. 

We are amazed at the support of our wonderful community partners who have been part of this journey. To celebrate these achievements, we will be hosting a ribbon-cutting and launch event in February. We would be honored to have you join us for this momentous occasion. Stay tuned for more details. 

As we embark on this exhilarating journey, our goal remains to serve our readers and become a trusted source of news in our community. We invite you to follow our coverage on our website, www.fredericksburgfreepress.com, and stay connected through our social media channels. Thank you for your continued support!