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Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

It’s the last week in January, and that means many things to me. It means we’re one week closer to spring, and for us here at the Tribune, it also means we’re in the winding down stages of our annual Progress edition. At the same time, we’re also putting another issue of Albert Lea Magazine to bed!

It’s one of the busiest weeks of the year as we juggle our day-to-day responsibilities, the extra duties that come with the Progress section and the magazine — and on top of that, it’s the week of the annual Minnesota Newspapers Association convention.

Though it’s a stressful season, it is a rewarding time to meet new people and find out even more about things happening in the community.

I’ve been surprised to learn about things that I had no idea were happening in the community and to learn of growth in different sectors.

I’m excited to showcase the things I’ve learned and to give you, our readers, many more reasons to love this community.

Albert Lea and the surrounding area really do have a lot going for them if you just take a little time to look around and step out of your comfort zone a little. Sure, it’s not all roses, but we have a lot of people who are doing great things and who are passionate about trying to lift up the community around them. And that is inspirational — at least to me.

On Thursday I will travel up to the MNA convention for the day, attend a few sessions and take part in the annual Better Newspaper Contest banquet. We find out what awards we receive at that convention, which is always exciting.

The newspaper convention is a fun place to meet with people who each day are doing the same thing we’re doing and who are cut from the same cloth, so to speak.

We learn new ideas about what they’re doing with their newspapers and on their websites, and we get motivated to be better at our craft.

I look forward to sharing with you some of the insights and happenings from that conference when I return.

In the meantime, say a prayer that all will go smoothly. There’s a busy week ahead!

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Wednesday.