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Yes, MageeNews.com turned nine years old this week…can ya’ll believe nine years I’ve been doing this! Sometimes, it seems like yesterday…but what is so great…I have loved all nine years of it and hope to be pecking away at least nine more years!
The very first “home” page on MageeNews.com featured Michael, David and Donna Dunn. Michael had been chosen “The Spirit of Magee” by the Chamber of Commerce.
As most of you know, I began MageeNews.com as a hobby. The original site was just a “scroll down”…no pages just one big long page. (sometimes I miss the old way) With the growth and increased coverage a new design was required. February of 2015, I launched the 4th update of the site. In the digital world, frequent change is required. Often, I don’t like change…but once I’ve made the changes I’m usually happy. Websites need to be updated every two to three years…and ya’ll, time flies.
As I reminisce, I remember how people would say “we always know where you’ve been” …because I made pictures no mater where I went (doctor, grocery store, shopping, ballgames….my camera was as important as my purse!
One of the goals I had for the site was to make advertising affordable. My family retailed for 65 years and I knew the cost and importance of advertising. As MageeNews.com grew, so did the need for additional personnel. I’m scared to name names…because I will miss someone…but I believe Charlie White and Brandon Johnston have been with me since the beginning and are still here. Jonathan Blackwell designed the first site and was instrumental in guiding me with posting.
I’m probably repeating and not staying “in order” …but memories flash through my mind and I just go with it…
I received my first computer in 2001 following the death of my son Larkin. The computer was a gift from Gail and Arnold Hederman very good friends of Larkin…Big A and Gail had no idea they were setting in motion an outlet that would carry me forward for years. When I got the computer, I did not know one thing…I stayed so frustrated that I threatened to shoot the “thing.”
I had written a newsletter to my BYW group (Baptist Young Women…and we are still that) beginning when I was in my twenties. Included in the letter was information about people in Magee, family members, of course who had died, and prayer request. (My boys called it the gossip letter…but I’m just saying…we needed to know that stuff!)
The newsletter soon became “Message from the Prez” emails. Within a short period of time, I had over 500 people on the email list and the size of the list caused some computers to classify the email as spam…people started fussing when they didn’t get their “Message from the Prez.” (You would not believe the phone calls I received…crazy)
Ty Meador, Tawesia and Tommy’s son, told me I needed to launch a website…I was like Ty…I just can send an email how do you think I could ever do something like that. Ty said “we will build it and teach you” …and that is what he did…so I include Ty Meador as a founding father.
As MageeNews.com continued to grow so did the need for additional help. I had a revolving door of people who helped doing big and small things…the success took everyone! I still pretty much operate the same way… Patrice Boykin is the anchor…Jason Ratcliffe is the rudder…Diane McPhail the guide…Charlie White the IT person…Lawana Thompson proof reader and Christmas parade golf cart rider…Micahel Allan does whatever and whenever..brilliant Sarah Berry who knows how to spell and stay on course…Christy Wilson contributor…Peyton Varner summer intern, Matthew Harrison (checks up on me)…the list goes on and on. Caring excellent people have been associated with MageeNews. MageeNews.com would not have continued if we had not had the dedication of each of the helpers who assisted along the way. 
Live streaming is an area MageeNews.com continues to develop. The technical side of live streaming is tough…so many variables have to be just right for live stream to work…but we continue to go forward and strive to offer the best live stream possible.
Stepping into “hard” news was and is not easy for me. I would rather everything be rosy! But, people want the info about our city, county, and state…
We reached as many as twenty million hits one month!!! I almost fainted. Our coverage is world wide. We average 16,000 page views per day. MageeNews.com was one of the first 10 websites allowed into China. (My son Dickey had a friend Andy living in China and Andy kept trying to get on MageeNews…which in turn got MageeNews tagged as a terrorist site…is that not crazy…Of course, once the Chinese did a little digging…they realized we were far from terrorist.)
MageeNews.com has evolved into a “stopping off place” for state wide candidates who want to do interviews ….and local and county candidates know of the website’s power.
As I reflect on these nine years, what means the most to me are you the people who have been so supportive and encouraging. I was one scared woman when I jumped on this train! Misspelled words…errors in verb usage…and just plain old mixed up is how the news is sometimes posted. Almost everyone has been understanding and helpful in getting things corrected! I am grateful to the many people who are willing to share the “happenings of their life.”
Here’s to nine wonderful years…and more!
Happy Birthday, MageeNews.com!!! 
