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Hatchie Press Recognized for Commitment to Reporting Local News

The publishers of Hatchie Press pictured with Senator Page Walley.

Hatchie Press was presented with a proclamation from Senator Page Walley on Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Bolivar, recognizing it as a media outlet that serves its community through a commitment to reporting local news and events with thoroughness and veracity. The online news source is coined as “Your Online Source for All Things Hardeman County, Tennessee” and has served Hardeman County residents for a little over one year since its inception in May 2022.

Senator Page Walley presented Hatchie Press representatives with the proclamation, which read in part:

WHEREAS, [the Publishers] each had the idea to create a local, online news source independently, and in coming together, they realized they had the same vision; and

WHEREAS, the duo wanted to offer easily accessible news for people who call Hardeman County their home; knowing that the county is made up of so many small towns and a lot of big ideas, they wanted to tell the stories of the people and the places while connecting readers to each other and keeping them informed about the issues that affect them; and

WHEREAS, in the year since the inception of the online news site, [the Publishers] have seen Hatchie Press come to fruition as a dependable resource for the community, providing, unbiased, informative, and accurate news for those in Hardeman County and beyond.

WHEREAS, It is most fitting that we recognize this burgeoning news outlet and its devoted stewards at this time now therefore,

Senator Page Walley continued reading from the proclamation that concluded as follows:

“’I, Randy McNally, Speaker of the Senate of the One Hundred Thirteenth General Assembly of the State of Tennessee in conjunction with the undersigned [Senator Page Walley], do hereby proclaim that we recognize and commend [the Publishers of Hatchie Press] for their contributions to their community through Hatchie Press, extending our best wishes for much continued success.’ Signed by Randy McNally, Speaker of the Senate, and Page Walley, Senator of the 26th Senate District.”

Senator Walley shared a recent experience that encompassed the spirit of the day.

“I gave some remarks on the senate floor last year about we, Hardeman County, all of the counties that comprise this senate district. We are our stories and as we get more familiar with one another and our stories and our histories our backgrounds, we come together. We find a unity that is so difficult to discover in this time when people want to tear us apart, but when we come together we are extraordinarily strong and we can achieve almost anything with that kind of care and compassion, and love for one another and God’s good grace. Thank you all again so much.”

The publishers of Hatchie Press and Senator Page Walley were joined by former and current elected officials pictured (l to r): Former City of Bolivar Mayor Barrett Stevens, Hardeman County Commissioners Brad Grantham, Bethany Miller, and David Bell, and Hardeman County Mayor Todd Pulse.

The Publishers of Hatchie Press shared similar sentiments about the occasion.

“We appreciate the support we’ve had since we began Hatchie Press. It is a lot of work, but it is the commitment we have to the community. It is something that has given us the opportunity to meet a lot of people in the community and share their stories. We would appreciate you to continue to support us, continue to read Hatchie Press, and continue to share about the service we offer, thank you,” said Ms. Smeltser.

Hatchie Press may be read online daily and you may subscribe for free to have Hardeman County news delivered to your e-mail box.


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