The CJ was one of the few publications to cover this historic meeting. But he insisted it was “a very important story.” I wasn’t crazy about driving to Frankfort for the day. Joplin assigned me a meeting of the Kentucky Board of Education during its push for stronger Title IX regulations in high school sports. I had the incredible honor of working with two journalism giants – George Joplin III and Bill Mardis. Through it all I have tried to remember lessons some great people taught me. I’ve moved from sports to news and have been news editor, managing editor and editor. I watched from courtside at Rupp Arena as Shannon Fraley hit a twisting layup as time expired to give Pulaski County a victory over Pleasure Ridge Park and the Sweet 16 title.Īnd I and my entire staff were saddened that fateful Saturday night in April 2002 when Pulaski County Sheriff Sam Catron was gunned down. Unfortunately, that is the balance that goes along with being a community journalist. Through the years I’ve been able to see a lot of great accomplishments. Granted, some of those interviews didn’t go as smoothly as that initial one with coach Johns. Since then, there have been thousands and thousands of interviews with all kinds of interesting people.

Who would have thought some three decades interview, the program Jerry started would win a Class 5A state title?

I still remember that interview like it was yesterday – I remember how good coach Johns was to a nervous new sportswriter. My first interview as “Sunday Sports Editor” of the Commonwealth Journal was with the late, great Jerry Johns, who was the head coach for Pulaski County High’s fledgling football program in 1984. I will be retiring from the newspaper business at the end of the month with a lifetime of wonderful memories and proud of the accomplishments the CJ has racked up during that time. Now it’s time to move on to other opportunities and other challenges. I’ve spent my entire adult life at the Commonwealth Journal. I’ve been fortunate enough to help record a lot of history here in Pulaski County over that period. The subjects covered are: decentralisation and local governance in Nigeria, the tailored support that councillors in Australia need to play their vital role in community democracy the implications of municipal re-demarcations for service delivery in two local municipalities in South Africa an examination of the motivation and leadership styles of six women campaigning for election in 2017 to neighbouring all male councils in regional New South Wales and many more important topics.A whole lot happens in nearly four decades. the place of local government in broader national and federal systems.All offer important insights into two central issues concerning the future of local governance: This edition includes six research papers, six country perspectives on one of those papers, two other commentaries and a policy and practice note. With an editorial from Graham Sansom, Associate Editor and Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Public Policy and Governance, at the University of Technology Sydney Australia, he explains how this edition exemplifies the founding goal of the Journal, in facilitating a conversation between researchers and practitioners that will inform the work of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, as well as policy-making by governments across the Commonwealth and elsewhere. CLGF is delighted to announce the publication of Issue 27 of the Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance.

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