Welcome to the Rhea County Informer!
Some people will say, "Hey, Rhea County already has a newspaper called the Herald-News". Well to
those, we can't argue that point. One thing we can argue though is how a certain alternative online newspaper called "RheaCountyNewspaper.com" grew from just over 50 site hits per month to an average monthly readership of almost 7,000 readers in just over 1 year!!! Some people said that website wasn't needed too but it made a tremendous impact.
As many of you know and many more will learn, this website has dedicated itself to picking up the journalistic torch where the long remembered and vastly effective RheaCountyNewspaper.com left off. As many of you may remember, the RheaCountyNewspaper website published stories and reports that many in “select power positions” apparently didn’t want YOU the reader to read, or to even know. Several of us involved with this NEW website have contributed one way or the other to the RheaCountyNewspaper.com mission statement and its impact to the point that people in power positions abused that power to shut down that website. Well, once again we are not going to resurrect the old website but reformat a new website designed to report honest, true and sourced information. If the powers that be want to try (emphasis on try) to shut this one down, by all means go for it.
Cowards and evil doers prefer the dark shadows and detest a spotlight cast upon them and their devious, questionable actions that they desire to keep hush-hush. Perhaps the Herald-News with its ever shrinking size, massive reliance upon paid advertisers as well as local government “BIDS” for local government advertising and may want to publish those things that “need publishing” but do not, perhaps due to an apparent “fear” of losing something like, money perhaps. Makes sense, right?
Clearly, IF the Herlad-News used it's freedom of the press and did their duty in informing us citizens as to what was going on and stopped giving an impression that they are the gatekeepers for any person in public office, persons that apparently can do no wrong, then it is time for a NEW source. And here we are except this time we are changing a few things so that by keep everything FREE (even business ads) we needed administrators to help. We also needed sources and contributors to help us find those sources. In other words, we are responding to the many emails recieved yearning for an outlet of frustration, or reliable information and take the lead on telling it how it is.
Well, RheaCountyInformer.com has picked up the advocacy journalism torch and reorganized to protect itself this time. Unlike the Rhea County Newspaper, this time around it will be much, much harder to silence the truth. This time we are watching and waiting. This time we will make it our mission to bankrupt any person that misuses an authority under color of office or law to abridge this website.
This online project is a not-for-profit endeavor designed to give everyone on the world wide web, with specific interest in Rhea County, Tennessee and it’s surrounding counties a realistic, unbiased advocacy styled reporting of area events. Everything is FREE. It is mutually agreed among the various administrators that contribute marginally and/or offer or maintain FREE advertising or any other service or benefit to Rhea County are separate from Rhea County Informer as this website acts and is managed as a “cooperative coalition of supportive contributors” which is overseen and 100% governed, created and ultimately maintained by a single source who stands solely responsible for any legal claims, challenges, grips or any other concern. In other words, the ultimate "webmaster" of this endeavor can be found at this page or in the alternative, contact the Editor at RheaCountyInformer@gmail.com.
Rhea County Informer shall hold no affiliation with any of the contributors to this website, inclusive of administrators, staff the webmaster and any and all other persons that may contribute to this website. We feel that this is the safest and most logical approach to provide information where lead administrators and contributors range in locations of several states, even as far west as Colorado. You would be surprised at how many former Rhea Countians live abroad.
Rhea County Informer maintains a policy to publish any well articulated comments, be they considered popular or unpopular. However, everything published on this website will be construed as TRUE. If any person, specifically a “public figure” deems it necessessary to challenge certain facts or that certain exceptions are made to any reports, stories or commentaries, then such “person” or “public figure” may easily request the article, report, story, comment or other material deemed to be scandalous, defamatory or libelous for consideration for removal. However, such official will be required to show cause as to "why" such commentary should be considered for removal. Simply do not gripe and grumble about things that you may not like reading join in on the conversation and be heard. May as well because bottom line is the Rhea County Informer has a goal to maintain 10,000 hit visits per month as well as give every business in Rhea County the chance to have a FREE full web page hosted here for them FREE!!!
Why would we donate so much time, expense and energy to give information and even free ads to businesses? One thing is we need to support our area businesses and help them flourish. If they flourish, we all are the better for it. We hope that we can attain positive impacts on local elected leaders and sway public opinion to learn to be proud once again of our county.
It is the policy of the Rhea County Informer to not infringe upon any free speech comments, submitted stories, reports or the host of any and all opinions so long as they are considered to be non-threatening, absurd or unreasonably poor taste. This website will always search the Internet looking for interesting articles and commentary consistent with disseminating of information for the benifit of Rhea County, Tennessee. We feel that the world is a big place and it doesn't end at the county line. With that said, if we are given comments posted on other websites, or we should happen to find interesting comments, so long as they are "anonymous" in nature, we may copy those comments to this website and provide a proper source and credit. If such comments are written under an assumed "real" name then we refer readers to our fair use disclaimers whereas in any event, such information will be deemed to be in the public domain or excepted from copyright provisions. Again, any concerns should be emailed to RheaCountyInformer@gmail.com.
Rhea County Informer openly invites anyone to email comments, tips, stories, letter, grips or pretty much anything that YOU as an individual may think is to the benefit of the Rhea County reader, as well as others interested in this area. Additionally, it is the STRICT policy that Rhea County Informer shall accept NO PAID ADVERTISING. Such policy allows this website to maintain complete control of what is published without fear or favor of “making or losing a few bucks”.
Lastly, these conditions and rules that we, as a collective cooperative effort to create a true news source specific to Rhea County, we shall withhold the identities of every person making any first amendment expression. We find that this nation was founded on anonymous free speech and such speech is just as protected by law as any other styled speech. So here is your forum, use it or not.
Again, this website will act as a “host” website for your commentary. Commentary that is sourced and/or assumed or verified as true and any usage of this website is the agreement that EVERYTHING published or posted herein shall be considered to be submitted in good faith, submitted as true and submitted as a First Amendment expressive opinion. Furthermore, ALL submissions shall be submitted under a pseudonymous name so that no person in this collective cooperation of various sources, various postings as “advocacy styled free speech” and all submissions will be held and considered to be “pseudonymous”.
We as a collective source of various administrators, along with the webmaster understand the need for “anonymous free speech” and will protect it. We will never ask for nor require any membership, any real name or any other information. In fact, we will NEVER send any person other than established contributors that isn't solicited. We feel we do not need to resort to spam emailing where a simple Google search is all we need. Inquistive minds will do the rest.
Please enjoy this website and thanks for reading these little “disclaimers” you will find peppered around throughout this website. We encourage your participation and want to publish your thoughts, so send them to us.
You can send any submissions, tips, comments or just about anything to become involved in this collective effort to the editor at:
Attn. Editor
