Please allow me to introduce both myself and Scope News Kernersville in this somewhat self-indulgent editor’s note.

I started my career in journalism as a beat reporter for local daily newspapers in communities from Virginia to Texas. It helped me get to know my neighbors, create connections, and foster friendships — all while reporting from the very towns and cities I called home.

But you don’t have to be in the newspaper business to recognize that the industry has changed a lot in the past decade or so, with local outlets often forced to make tough decisions in an effort to simply remain in business. Fortunately, I was able to transition into online national news coverage, serving as senior and managing editor at several successful sites along the way.

Nevertheless, I always nurtured a desire to report on the decisions, events, and interactions that matter most: those that occur closest to home.

That brings us to Kernersville.

My wife and I moved to Phoenix in 2013 when I was offered a position at a growing news outlet. Our son was born the next year. My parents soon made the trip and ended up in a nearby suburb. After living our lives on the East Coast, we enjoyed exploring out west and visited the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, San Diego, Sedona, and so many other great locations across the region.

Although we created lasting memories during our time in the desert, there was a nagging homesickness for the hospitality, cuisine, and landscapes to which we had grown accustomed. After significant research, discussion, and prayer, we decided to relocate to Kernersville for a variety of compelling reasons. Last month, we made our journey from Arizona to North Carolina, and this place immediately felt like home.

As something of an afterthought, I realized that this might provide me with the freedom to explore my new community on my own terms — serving in effect as a beat reporter (and editor, photographer, publisher, marketer, etc.) for my own local online news outlet. For now, the details remain a bit murky. But I know there’s an idea worth exploring in there.

I won’t be doing this for clicks or to wade into the treacherous waters of yellow journalism. Instead, I merely want to once again do what I feel most comfortable doing: reporting as an unbiased witness to provide the first rough draft of local history.

It is with great excitement that I prepare to begin the next chapter of life in Kernersville and I look forward to many lasting connections on both a professional and personal level.

Chris Agee