We've received a few nice comments via e-mail I'd like to share with you:

Congratulations on your one year anniversary!
- Julie

Liz. Congratulations on your 1year anniversary. I review the Patch every day to get the latest news in Forsyth County and the surrounding area. Wishing you continued success with the Patch for many years to come. Have a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years.
- God Bless. Natt

I have enjoyed seeing Forsyth centric news on my laptop everyday.
Thanks, Kirk

Nice job, compadre. Congrats!

Liz,
I am grateful for the opportunity the Patch offer the people of Forsyth County to voice their opinions. But I will ask you this. lets not spend so much time and space boasting about the sheriffs department. It is almost like you are campaigning for him. Level it with stories about other department like our Fire and EMS. I have yet to see a story questioning the extremely large budget our Sheriff enjoys compared to other jurisdictions. How the overall increase in his budget was far greater than any other department. How the Fire and EMS budget was actually cut at the same time. The obscene monies made on the amount of tickets written in this county. Try to be more investigative reporter and less cheerleader. Thank you

Greetings Marc,

Thank you for your comments in this string and on the Deputy of the Month story on the homepage. I will address what you have written in both articles here.

While it is your opinion that I am a "cheerleader" for the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office that is not my intent. But rather I believe in acknowledging the accomplishments the deputies do in our community by highlighting the 'Deputy of the Month' when the information is released from the FCSO. The other content published here has to do with the crimes that take place, traffic accidents, etc.

In regards to the sheriff's office budget I will be reaching out to Sheriff Paxton to discuss with us in our Q&A series as we move through this election season - stay tuned for that.

As for the Forsyth County Fire Department, they do not have a Firefighter of the Month, (perhaps you can suggest to Fire Chief Danny Bowman) but we have reported on stories where firefighters were acknowledged for their good deeds and other community efforts the department has been involved in - please do a search here on Cumming Patch for those stores.

Again thanks for your comments.

Liz Kennedy, Editor

Liz,
I do believe you are correct in that accomplishments should be acknowledged but a reporter should seek out stories not just wait for them to fall into their lap. I look forward to your grilling of the Sheriff on many topics. He has a lot of explaining to do,. As well as the commissioners who refused to put a leash on him, and set him free to run a muck with our tax monies.
Again I enjoy the format you give myself and other to vent. Well done on that part.

Marc and Liz - you both make excellent points and this is what I want to add. At one time a reporter and editor made their name and reputation by outing bad government and bad politicians to the public. It now seems like all media is on the side of government and protecting politicians. I'm not accusing the Patch of this and I recognize the economics of staffs of investigative reporters. I rarely read the Forsyth County News precisely because they are in the bag for the government, the Sheriff, Mayor Gravitt, and all the vestiges of the administrative state. This is why I read the Patch and Cumminghome.com.

While discussing the Sheriff's budget with the Sheriff might seem interesting, it would be far more useful to have an objective third party analyze it for your readers.

Hal,
I second that motion. And compare it to our neighboring counties. Compare it to crime verses monies spent