By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — First off, I’m going to be fine.
I don’t want to bury the lede on this column for those concerned after seeing pictures of me in my neck brace and a wheelchair after breaking my neck in a snowboarding crash in Colorado one week ago.
All my extremities work. I walk and move — albeit with some limited mobility — and aside from a numbness that envelops my lower left arm and occasionally other parts of my left side, all of my body has feeling.
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That being said, I cannot do everything I could pre-injury. At least not yet. For a least a couple months I can’t drive, or lift a camera, or bend much of my torso or turn my head.
That’s why I felt it was important to address my injury with all of you who read the Rock River Current. We’ll do our best to keep churning out the local news you want to see, but we’ll need patience before we can deliver all you deserve.
A few months ago we quietly launched a supporters plan, where people could throw a little monetary support our way to support our mission of bringing more local news to the Rockford region. I hand-delivered much of the thank-you merchandise that supporters receive, and told many of them that I’d do my best not to let them down. Now, I fear I have.
People who donated to our mission did so because they want to see more local news, and for at least a few months they’ll get decidedly less. Right now, I can’t scramble from story to story around town like I often have.
However, we have a plan in place to keep bringing you stories that are enjoyable to read.
You may have already noticed more bylines from Chelsea Meyer, who has a familiar voice in Rockford as a co-host on B103’s Morning Routine. Meyer also studied journalism at Rock Valley College, and for the past few days she has been doing double duty between the radio and kicking out stories about community events in the region. A big thanks goes out to Chelsea for keeping us going while I was down.
You’ll also see some new bylines as we add a few more freelance journalists to the mix. One story today comes from Helen Karakoudas, who locals may recognize as the co-chairperson of Veterans Memorial Circle. She also has a journalism background as the former managing editor of a group of community weeklies based in Oak Park and she’s a freelance editor for Midwest Living.
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While I’m homebound, we’ll utilize freelance photographers as much as possible to be our eyes on the street. Thank you to talented photographers like Albert Riley Jr., Susan Moran, Mindy Joy Nutter Young and Neil Bloom who reached out to offer their support shortly after my injury.
I will also be conducting interviews by phone and writing, editing and publishing stories in between my rest and recovery.
I also owe a big thanks to the many people — too many to name — who offered to help while I can’t do a lot of things for myself.
Writing about our community is something that comes natural for me. Writing about myself, not so much. Especially when I’m forced to strike a serious tone. It was with great restraint that the headline for this column wasn’t “Stupid editor breaks his dumb neck.”
To that end, I will eventually tell this story with jokes. For the past decade, stand-up comedy has been somewhere between a hobby and side career. I hope to put on a show soon to raise money to pay off my medical bills, which are currently competing with the national debt for the title of “least likely thing to be paid off in my lifetime.” More details on that when I can deliver them.
People have encouraged me to take it easy, but honestly I enjoy telling your stories. So I’ll continue to do that as much as I can until I can do even more.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas