By Bryant Thigpen
Riverbend News
Thank you for picking up the very first copy of the Riverbend News! We are excited you have joined us for the journey as we set sail in Suwannee, Hamilton and Lafayette counties to bring you the best local reporting in the region. What you'll find in each edition of Riverbend News is excellent coverage of local government, school and sports updates, church happenings, community events, editorials and much more.
The publisher of Riverbend News is Emerald Greene, who is no stranger to the newspaper industry. Emerald was raised in the newspaper business as her parents, Tommy and Mary Ellen Greene, launched the Madison County Carrier in 1964. Tommy and Emerald later purchased the historic Madison Enterprise-Recorder in October of 1993. Today, the Madison County Carrier publishes every Wednesday and the Madison Enterprise-Recorder publishes every Friday and has been a staple for news coverage in Madison County for decades.
In 1999, Emerald took over the reins of the company and has continued to maintain a high standard of excellence. Under her leadership, the staff continues to produce award-winning news articles that is unmatched in local coverage, raising the bar high in the field of reporting.
Emerald continued her success story in 2007, when she purchased the historic Monticello News in Jefferson County. In addition to improving the existing newspaper, she also launched the Jefferson County Journal, providing even more coverage of local news and events.
The Florida Press Association has recognized Emerald's outstanding coverage throughout the years with awards for things such as “Community Service,” “On the Spot Photo,” “Best Portfolio,” “Best Most Serious Column,” “Best Editorial,” “Best Sport Photograph” and many others.
Emerald has been awarded with “News Person of the Year” twice from the Florida Farm Bureau, “Weekly Account Representative of the Year” from the National Newspaper Placement Service, and “Community Media Excellence Award” from the ARC/Florida.
Aside from the news industry, Emerald has served as the director of the Jefferson County Watermelon Pageant for the last seven years and the director and co-director of the Miss Madison County Pageant for 17 years total. She is currently also serving as the Madison County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director and serves on the Florida Press Association's Board of Directors.
While her list of accomplishments is quite impressive, what's even more amazing is her warming personality and her love for people. When a person meets Emerald, they meet a friend because she is very personable and caring. The old expression is true for her, “Emerald never meets a stranger.” What keeps her waking up each day and her drive to provide the best services is simply her love for the people and the communities she serves.
Today, she continues her journey of success as she launches the Riverbend News, along with her daughter, Cheltsie Holbrook. Like Emerald, Cheltsie was raised in the newspaper business and continues the legacy of excellence in the newspaper industry. She serves as the general manager of the Madison County Carrier, the Madison Enterprise-Recorder, the Monticello News and the Jefferson County Journal. She has been awarded numerous awards through the Florida Press Association editorial contest, including, “Best Portfolio,” “Best Headline,” “Best Front-Page Layout,” “Best Page Design,” “Best Informational Graphic,” “Best Sports Page” and “Best Sports Photograph.”
Cheltsie obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, with a Minor in Human Resources form Saint Leo University. In addition to her responsibilities as general manager, Cheltsie has also served as the director for the Jefferson County Watermelon Pageant for six years and has been the director of the Miss Madison County Pageant for the last six years.
Joining Emerald and Cheltsie on the staff of Riverbend News is Monja Slater, Bryant Thigpen, Jennifer Newham, Dee Freeman and Laura Brookshire, all former employees of Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc., publishers of the Suwannee Democrat, Mayo Free Press and Jasper News.
Together, Emerald, Cheltsie and the Riverbend News staff are dedicated to bringing this same level of excellence to Suwannee, Hamilton and Lafayette counties and to provide a source of news that is fair, balanced and trustworthy. With their level of honesty, integrity and dedication, there's no doubt Riverbend News will be your go-to source for news.
Readers may subscribe to the Riverbend News and receive an online subscription for $25 per year. The weekly printed newspaper may be sent to your mailbox for only $35 per year, or one may choose to receive the weekly printed newspaper and online edition for only $50 yearly.
To subscribe or submit a news tip, please call us at (386) 364-4141. If you wish to reach us by mail, our mailing address is P.O. Box 6034, Live Oak, Fla., 32064, or stop by and see us at our physical location, 130 West Howard Street in Live Oak.