www.rutlandherald.com
New website coming for the Rutland Herald
Rutland Herald | January 11, 2017
By PATRICK MCARDLE
STAFF WRITER
Changes to the websites of the Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times- Argus are almost here and seeing what they have to offer will be free.
On Thursday, online readers of both papers should see the results of months of behind-the-scenes work designed to make the newspapers more attractive and reflect the way readers expect their news to be delivered.
Rob Mitchell, editor-in-chief of the Herald and Times-Argus, said the website will be easy to read for people who prefer to look at the newspapers using a smartphone or other mobile device.
“The number one thing is the main Rutland Herald and Times-Argus websites will be mobile-friendly,” Mitchell said. “When you look at it on your phone, there won’t be any more pinching and squinting and zooming to see the text. It will automatically bring you the stories and photos optimized for your phone.”
One advantage of the new website is it will be more flexible, which will allow reporters to get stories out to readers more quickly. The goal is to get news out to readers more often than the daily newspaper schedule allows, Mitchell said, and readers might want to check the website more frequently than every morning to get breaking news.
Mitchell said some things would remain the same. The web address is not changing and readers who subscribe to the newspaper for delivery to their homes will still have access to the e- edition of the paper included with their subscription.
Readers will still be able to read an online version of the Herald and Times- Argus on their computer, but Mitchell said the company is using a new platform for the e-editions which is more stable than the current platform and better for subscribers.
The newspapers’ websites will be using WordPress, which is used by news outlets like the New York Times, CNN and Reuters.
“It will give us a lot more flexibility to meet the needs of a modern newsroom. It’s essentially step one toward bringing the sites into the modern world,” he said.
One immediate change will be a temporary removal of the paywall for both websites so readers can check out the content. Mitchell said the paywall will be down for about a month to “let people take a test drive and refamiliarize themselves with the Rutland Herald and Times-Argus online.”
Even after the paywall is up again, readers will be able to read a few stories a month before they are required to pay for access to further content. Some content will be added to the website. Readers will now be able to read the comics and look at the crossword through the website.
The newspapers are also planning to allow reader comments on the stories. Anonymous comments will not be allowed, but once a reader submits registration information and receives approval, comments will be posted.
Mitchell said those remarks will be monitored to ensure that they comply with the standards of the news organization, meaning that obscene, threatening, racist or vulgar language will not be allowed. Comments may be reviewed directly by those running the website or because they are reported by other readers. However, readers should be aware that those posting may have strong views which may not reflect the views of the newspapers or staff.
The archives for the newspapers are also being switched over to the new platform. Mitchell said that process may take some time to complete because “it’s a lot of data.”
Success stories sought
Rutland Herald | January 12, 2017
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
STAFF WRITER
SPRINGFIELD
SPRINGFIELD — Project ACTION has an anonymous survey for people recovering from alcohol or drug abuse.
A project subcommittee dealing with the drug problem plaguing Springfield has registered its online questionnaire with surveymonkey.com, according to Claudia Marieb, a member of Project ACTION and a substance abuse and prevention consultant with the Vermont Department of Health.
She said the Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Subcommittee had been struggling with its role in Project ACTION’s overall plan, and it was decided the committee members would focus on treatment and recovery.
“We were trying to figure out where to start,” she said.
The Springfield Prevention Coalition has been rejuvenated, she said, and the organization is focusing on that issue.
Project ACTION was started two years ago and was largely patterned after Project VISION in Rutland, a local grass-roots effort to address the issues surrounding drug crime.
Marieb said the group decided to do an assessment on how the services for people with drug problems were working or not working.
The survey includes basic background questions, such as gender and age, and asks if the person is in treatment, how well it is helping, and whether the person has any suggestions.
“Is transportation a barrier?” she asked, citing an example.
Marieb said the survey was designed to get the point of view of people in recovery. The committee plans to post a notice of the survey, with tear-off slips bearing the online address.
The committee has set a deadline of Feb. 3 for people to complete the survey, which contains 23 questions.
Marieb said the survey asks people if they are willing to talk to group members later, one-on-one, or participate in a focus group as the subcommittee tries to gather more information about what’s needed to help people with addictions in Springfield.
The subcommittee will meet next at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Turning Point in Springfield.
The survey can be viewed at www.surveymonkey.com/r/Q7CDV3S. susan.smallheer @rutlandherald.com
"The only way you'll get off drugs is if you live long enough to get sick of them."- Joe Walsh (Eagles guitarist)
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to quit, I have quit a thousand times. Mark Twain.
DeleteAddicts in treatment ALWAYS say it's helping, because that's what they've been conditioned to say. "Treatment works, the program saved my life," followed by relapse. Ask them 5 or 10 years down the road, if you want to measure success. If they're still clean, you can claim a measure of success. Most won't make it that far.
ReplyDelete