New faces at the Blaine County Journal~News Opinion

Readers and customers may not be familiar with the newest members of the "Blaine County Journal" team. Over the past few months three new people have begun reporting, handling ad sales and greeting customers in the front office. This brief introduction begins with the most recently hired staff member.

Elizabeth Doney, Reporter

Elizabeth Doney is a reporter who started in March and covers news events on the east side of the county, including Harlem, Fort Belknap, Lodge Pole and Hays. She'll be doing general reporting as well as features and sports.

She grew up in Fort Belknap and old Hays, spending early years with her maternal and paternal grandparents. She attended Harlem High School for three years and graduated from Chemewa Indian School, in Salem, Oregon, where she was a member of the honor society and salutatorian of her graduating high school class. Doney earned an Associate Degree in Business Technology from Aaniiih Nakoda College. This fall she plans to begin an on-line bachelor's degree from MSU-Northern or the University of Montana.

Doney held several prior newspaper-related jobs before joining the "Journal." She completed an internship last summer with the "Great Falls Tribune" she described as a great learning experience. She was former editor of the "Fort Belknap News" and was a reporter/page designer with the "Havre Daily News." She credited two former teachers, in Harlem, with helping her discover her passion for writing-Joe Shupe, in junior high, and the late Janet Boisvert during high school.

Asked how she views her role in helping readers understand local events, she wrote, "I hope to present stories that are accurate and informative in a way readers will find intriguing and a worthwhile read." Doney has five children and lives at the Rodeo Grounds in Fort Belknap.

Rob Everingham, Advertising Consultant

Everingham joined the "Journal" and "Mountaineer" as an advertising consultant in early March after the untimely death of ad sales representative, Paula Reynolds. He works with individuals and businesses that advertise in the two county newspapers, the "Weekender," travel guides and on custom printing projects. He added, "I enjoy the design and layout part of getting out a weekly paper."

His family moved around during his school years, following his father's career with the Veterans Administration. Everingham graduated from high school in Canaan, New Hampshire. His father was from Montana and his mother was a native of New Hampshire.

Everingham's no stranger to newspapers and news outlets. After moving to the Havre area in 1997 to attend MSU-Northern, he was a part time sportswriter and managed the student newspaper on campus. Prior to his move to Havre, while a student at Montana State University, he was a sportswriter and student editor for the campus newspaper, the "Exponent." From 2004-2009 he served as the area correspondent for the Beartooth NBC affiliate, filing stories along the Hi-Line for the Helena-based TV station.

He also has business experience, holding several positions in retail operations. He held positions in management with IGA, Big R and Verizon, all in Havre. Everingham said, "I'm glad to be back with a newspaper." During his time with the "Havre Daily News" he worked with "Journal" co-owner Keith Hanson and the late Paula Reynolds.

Everingham lives in Havre and has three children. Commenting on how he sees his role with the newspapers and related advertising work, he said, "I want to stay with the newspapers and continue the great work Paula (Reynolds) started, working with local advertisers to get their message to the public."

Kodi Brown, the "do all person"

Kodi Brown started work in the "Journal" front office in October, 2015. While in high school she worked at the "Journal." Moving with her family to various ranches while in lower grades of school, she completed her junior and senior years at Chinook High and graduated in 2013. Brown has done varied work, in the Chinook area, since and during high school. She still helps on the ranch where her family lives.

Keri Hanson, co-owner of the "Journal" and "Mountaineer," gave the "do all person" title to the position that Brown holds. Her duties include building ads for the "Journal," posting new stories to the "Journal's" recently created website and greeting customers at the front counter or on the phone. Shortly after joining the newspaper she began writing the weekly "In the Kitchen" column that appears in the "Journal." She's also written some opinion columns and feature stories, often about life on a ranch.

Of her job at the "Journal," she said, "I like the work because I'm learning new computer technology and how to use it. I enjoy meeting customers who come in to the office to place ads, to leave news stories or need help with a special printing job." She added, "I plan to stay around for quite a while."

Brown said someday she would like to go back to school for "some sort of veterinary tech" program. She said she always has liked working with animals on the ranch and gets a lot of fulfillment from that type of work. Brown worked, for a time, at a local veterinary office and said that was very enjoyable.