Just realized that we are officially adults now!

Today, the Freestone County Times has completed our 21st year as a hometown community newspaper.

The Times was first launched on February 27, 2002 by two of us:  Publisher Scott W. Marsters, Sr. and Editor Karen E. Leidy.

We had worked together previously with Scott’s sub-contracting company, Computer Floor Corporation.  Each week was spent reading the local newspapers, and declaring what we would do differently if we “were in charge.”

Eventually, Scott and I began to seriously consider the idea of starting a new publication.  We spent about nine months researching the feasibility of our plan; then, spent another nine months preparing for the official launch.

The Times was an innovative publication from the very beginning.

Our new publication was the first in Freestone County to:

–utilize digital cameras (this was before smart phones and selfies),

–go all-digital with publishing (most newspapers were still using rubber glue to physically cut & paste), and

–to print in full color (except for the big metros, local smalltown papers were still printed completely in black & white).

Freestone County Times has always included both our families.

Scott’s mother, the late Christine Watson Marsters, worked tirelessly for several years as our main proofreader.

My daughters helped out as well, helping take photographs of trick-or-treaters each year for Halloween.

My eldest, Megan Hempel, got ink in her blood, working in sales, reporting, and ad design before leveling up to Assistant Editor. She later took an editing position with the Corsicana Daily Sun.

Megan’s better half, Spencer Hancock, takes charge of Distribution, getting the current edition to newsstands each week.

And, Scott’s wife, Natalia, serves as our Office Manager and moonlights as a photographer when needed.

Of course, we could not keep the lights on if it wasn’t for our sales exec. extraordinaire, Sherry Fagan.

Plus, we would not be able cover the vitally important high school sports without the freelance assistance of Sportswriter Scott Batts, and Sports Photographers Jennifer Lansford, Payton Botelho, and Jessica Risken.

It truly takes a community to produce a successful community newspaper like The Times.

Freestone County Times is located in the county seat of Fairfield, Texas at 401 E. Commerce.

We may be reached at 903-389-NEWS (6397) or via email at news@freestonecountytimes.com 

Readers can find us online here, or on the newsstands all over Freestone County, and in the town of Mexia in neighboring Limestone County.