Along the creek, into the future from the new editor of The Leland Progress

As I step into the role of editor and general manager of The Leland Progress, I want to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to those who came before me.

Keri Baldwin has guided the paper with dedication since October, and I’m thankful for her steady hand during this latest chapter. I also want to extend deep appreciation to both Stephanie Patton and Gaila Oliver, who served as editors for many years with tenacity and heart. Their work has kept The Leland Progress not just alive, but essential. The footsteps we follow run deeper still, layered like the alluvial soil beneath us, infused into the land like the quiet persistence of the aquifer below. I strive to preserve that heritage and to help recharge our collective soul.

The Leland Progress is the second-oldest newspaper in Mississippi. That fact alone is remarkable. But what makes this paper endure isn’t just its age. It’s the people who support it. It belongs to the community, and its strength depends on all of us. I’m grateful to Clay Mansell for recognizing the worth of our small-town paper and stepping in to keep it alive. I also want to thank Stephanie Tracy and all the staff for their patience and support as I learn the ropes of this new medium.

I moved to Leland last year after years of life and work in Chicago and New Orleans. My husband works in Stoneville, and together we’re raising our children here along the creek, homeschooling them with a mix of arts, science and curiosity. I come from a background in business, manufacturing, education, and the arts; and, while I’m not a traditional journalist, I am a storyteller, a maker and someone who believes in the power of local voices.

There’s something unique about Leland, a place where Christmas on Deer Creek feels like a Hallmark movie. Yet just across the water, researchers at the lab are solving problems that ripple far beyond the Delta. It’s a fascinating mix of small-town charm and quiet innovation.

That’s why I see The Leland Progress as more than a paper. It’s a bridge, not unlike the Rainbow Connection, between past and future, between Leland and Stoneville, between neighbors and new ideas.

Let’s grow together – the town, the paper and the connections that bind us.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting The Leland Progress.

Lora Ann Klaviter Delhom