Students rescue town's newspaper

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. -- A group of college students took over a weekly Southwest Missouri newspaper when its publisher was called to military duty and its chief staffer fell ill.

The Jasper County Citizen in Carl Junction was left short-handed when owner and publisher Michael Myers was told to report to his unit of the Kansas Army National Guard in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Things got worse when Tracie Skaggs, who serves as reporter, assistant editor and advertising sales representative, learned that she needed abdominal surgery.

"We couldn't go without a paper," Skaggs said. "I was in a panic, and I didn't know what to do."

The paper had only begun publishing in June, and Skaggs didn't want to lose any of its 800 readers.

Myers, who had been overseeing layout of the newspaper, had hired someone to cover his duties before he left in December. But Skaggs was solely responsible for content.

Six weeks of help

Skaggs went to Chad Stebbins' community journalism class at Missouri Southern State College in nearby Joplin in hopes of hiring a couple of students to cover for her while she was off.

Stebbins did her one better. He volunteered his 14 students as interns.

With guidance from Stebbins, students took over the weekly paper Jan. 24. They wrote all the stories and took all the photographs for the next six weeks, until Skaggs returned.

"It's been a fabulous experience. Some of the students write for the college's newspaper," Stebbins said. "Writing for the Jasper County Citizen is a real world experience."

Students did everything from covering the board of aldermen and school board to police and fire. They got a taste of covering "breaking news" with the sale of golf course and country club to a Joplin businessman.

Skaggs said there's no question Carl Junction -- population 5,500 -- wouldn't have had a paper every Thursday without the students' help.

"I'm out trying to sell more advertising now," she said. "I would like to be able to keep a couple of them on part-time."