The Indiana Publisher

September 2019 Page 10 and down the streets." He cited the advent of shopping centers and Elwood's population decline as catalysts for the changes seen today. "I've always felt that we were here to record the history of the town, and I still feel the same way about it," Nash said. Nash said the newspaper will always have a place, whether it is in printed form or digital form. "I think people know the newspaper is trustworthy," Nash said and, unlike social media, newspapers do not dabble in rumors, and precautions are taken to ensure information printed is accurate. As for what comes next, Nash says he still has to figure it out. "I know I have to keep active," he said. "This has kind of been my whole life. It's been everything for 56 years. It's been about the most constant thing in my life." Nash is the father of four children. He also has seven grandchildren and four great- grandchildren. "I want to thank the Barnes family, especially Jack and Judy Barnes, for giving me the opportunity to have a 56-year career in the newspaper business, and to spend all 56 years in my own hometown," Nash said. "It is the Barnes family's commitment to the City of Elwood that made it possible." David Keller, General Manager of the Morgan County Herald in McConnelsville, Ohio will assume Nash's responsibili- ties. Nash Continued from Page 5 Congratulations to Christopher Stephens from the Herald-Bulletin (Anderson) on receiving the 2019 Nina Mason Pulliam Environmental Journalism Award for his series of stories. One judge wrote: "Stephens offers what might be the most comprehensive look at environmental issues in the state . . . well done." The award was created through a grant by the Pulliam Trust to the Hoosier State Press Association Foundation to recog- nize Indiana journalists for outstanding reporting on environ- mental issues. The award was part of the HSPA Better Newspaper Contest for the first time in 2018 and will be presented anually at the awards luncheon where Indiana newspaper journalists are honored each year. Entries for the 2020 award will be accepted next spring. Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust $1,000 Environmental Journalism Award reads that the county provid- ing notice of the committee meeting is "irrelevant because the council is required to post public notice of its meetings 48 hours in advance." "A council cannot simply gavel in to a committee meeting and slip an ordinance through without notice. The access laws do not exist so that governing bodies can find loopholes to subvert their purpose in the name of 'convenience' and 'efficien- cy,'" Britt wrote. "Further- more, votes on ordinances are not a 'formality' as the council suggests. They go through a rigid reading process and should be promulgated in the full light of day, and not thrown off as a casual missive in a jail basement." Bolander told the Daily Re- porter on Tuesday that he still believes the council did not violate the Open Door Law. He said the council and the public access counselor have "differing opinions." Shortly after the council redid the vote on the tax increase on July 10, it also changed its committee meeting notice. Now, those meetings are advertised as "The Hancock County Budget, Efficiency and Revenue Committee and Council Meeting." And instead of the meetings being held in the basement of the jail, the committee will meet in the Hancock County Commission- ers' Courtroom. Violation Continued from Page 4

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