Allow me to introduce myself

Hello, devoted reader. I am Brandon Cline, the new managing editor at the Ritzville Adams County Journal. I never really know what to say when I write these articles introducing myself, but here goes nothing.

I was born and raised in Goldendale, Washington, a town that is roughly an hour south of Yakima along the Washington-Oregon border with a population of about 3,500 people. There are no traffic lights in Goldendale, the Goldendale Observatory State Park hosts one of the largest public observatories in the United States and the closest WalMart is an hour’s drive away.

It’s important for me that you know where I come from, a town similar to Ritzville in many ways. Like Ritzville, Goldendale is a small town that is the seat of a county whose population is about 20,000 people. And also like Ritzville, Goldendale is a town whose economy relies heavily on agriculture. I know there are people who are uncertain about whether they are cut out for living in a small town, but it’s a non-issue for myself.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism at Eastern Washington University in Cheney. I was heavily involved with The Easterner, EWU’s independent and student-run newspaper, for each of the four years I attended EWU. At The Easterner I served as a sports reporter, sports editor and ultimately as the editor in chief during my senior year.

Besides my work in college, I have also worked as a news reporter at the Goldendale Sentinel, where I covered local crime, business, health, safety, government and education. There is virtually no topic that I’m afraid to cover, whether it be reporting on a city council meeting or featuring a new business in town.

I hope to get to meet with as many people in this community as possible over the next few days, weeks and months. Not only because of how genuinely delightful everyone that I have met has been, but to also gain a better understanding of what the community cares deeply about so our news coverage can reflect the interests of our readers.

I grew up in a family that revered athletics, and I myself played baseball (nine years), football (seven years), basketball (four years) and tennis (four years). I understand just how important and meaningful local sports can be to a small community, and how it can bring us all together in times of difficulty. I hope and plan to continue to provide stories of our local athletes and the impact they have both on and off the field.

I also understand how important it is to provide transparency in what goes on in local government, whether it be Ritzville, Lind or Adams County as a whole. I fiercely believe that the people have a right to know what their elected officials are doing in government office, whether that be at the local, county, state or federal level. My hope is to be able to include regular content from all levels of government that keeps the readers of the Ritzville Journal informed about laws and policies that affect them.

Outside of journalism—like many other millennials, I presume—I can’t get enough of Netflix. Some of my favorite television shows include The Office, Parks & Recreation, The Good Place and The Newsroom. I am also a sports nut, and a devout fan of the Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders and Eagles. Feel free to stop by if you ever just want to talk shop about what’s going on in the world of athletics.

So that’s it. That’s who I am and what I hope to achieve at the Ritzville Journal. Katelin left big shoes to fill, and I can only hope to earn a sliver of the respect and trust she’s earned from the community over the past several years.

And as a disclaimer, please note that original content these first few weeks might be lagging in comparison to what you’ve been used to expect. I’m still learning the ropes and trying to understand all of the various aspects of the job, and at the moment we are still in the midst of trying to hire a new reporter. I hope you can be understanding of any early missteps I might make.