We are officially taking our annual three-week publishing pause to give our staff some much needed rest, and an opportunity to reset before hitting the ground running in 2026. We will return on Monday, January 26.
By the grace of Betty White, Doug and Alek return to their respective mics to look back at the year that was on Keep Your Voice Down. The duo also touch on Watershed Voice's year-end fundraising efforts, emphasizing the importance of community support and monthly recurring donations in sustaining local, independent news. The conversation concludes with discussion about supporting others, the value of listening more, and reconnecting with the outside world post pandemic.
Executive Editor Alek Haak-Frost shares a poem he wrote titled "The Truth Giving Tree," in honor of Watershed Voice's 2025 NewsMatch campaign.
Watershed Voice Executive Editor Alek Haak-Frost writes, "I, for one, would love to see Pogs make a comeback. My stepmother took my Pogs away one day as punishment for something lost to the sands of time, and I never saw them again. Like, ever. "So what does any of this have to do with rural newsrooms? Watershed Voice, much like my beloved Pogs, could be taken away, never to be seen or heard from again. Not because my stepmom forgot to give it back but because support for local journalism has dwindled, and rural newsrooms are almost as endangered as Blockbuster Video or Hot 'n Now (good looking out, Sturgis)."
Watershed Voice has no owners, is free to all, and we intend to keep it that way. Our biggest fundraiser of the year, NewsMatch, is officially underway and we need your support to continue this valuable work.
Executive Editor Alek Haak-Frost reflects on the lives and legacies of three childhood heroes who, each in their own way, practiced radical kindness.
Bowersox Floor Center said the ad was “misinterpreted” and not meant as racist after readers condemned it on social media.
Co-organizer Dan Moyle said the challenge now is to translate a two-hour rally into sustained civic habits such as checking in on neighbors, showing up at meetings, supporting local service organizations, and making time for conversations across differences. “I can’t fix Washington, D.C., but I can help in my community,” he said. “Love thy neighbor — it’s pretty simple.”
GT Independence CEO John Carmichael will continue to lead the Sturgis-based financial management service company, and the Carmichael family will remain "a significant stakeholder."
Watershed Voice Staff Writer Maxwell Knauer joins Keep Your Voice Down hosts Doug Sears Jr. and Alek Haak-Frost for what might just be the most chaotic conversation in KYVD history.
A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR
Become a monthly donor today
A monthly donation of $5 or more can make a difference.
