News is now relying on telecommuters

HARTINGTON — The Cedar County News began relying on telecommuters a few months ago to help produce the weekly newspaper.

With the coronavirus keeping many people at home these days, the News is relying even more on employees who are telecommuting to get their work done.

Alan Dale began writing for the Cedar County News at the start of the 2019-20 school year. He interviews coaches and writes feature stories for the News from his home in suburban Houston. 

Dale has been involved in the newspaper business for over 20 years, working at several newspapers across the region over the years.

Another long-time reporter, Deanna Anderson, has also begun to telecommute for the News.

Anderson worked full time for the Northeast Nebraska News Company from 2000-2017, but retired to move closer to her daughter and her family in Minnesota.

Even though she had planned on slowing down, Anderson can’t seem to get writing and reporting out of her system.

Shortly after moving to Minnesota, she began writing some articles for the Mountain Lake newspaper.

Former Randolph Times Managing Editor Angie Steffen is also doing some reporting work for the News and the other Northeast Nebraska News Company newspapers from her home in Wayne. She works full-time in Media Relations at Wayne State College, but enjoys writing about area residents in her spare time.

Besides utilizing out-of-town reporters, the News is now relying on a few other people to work out-of-town, as well.

Graphic designer Raelynn Schmit is currently putting in the majority of her time in the Hartington office. She plans to telecommute from her home in Osmond for awhile this summer, and possibly sooner if the coronavirus dictates that she stay in her home.

News publishers, Rob Dump and Peggy Year, said they will continue their work in downtown Hartington, unless they, too, are ordered to stay home. If that’s the case, they plan to utilize their home offices to put the paper out each week.