Ray Cooney
Ray Cooney was elected president of The Graphic Printing Company in December 2023. He became publisher of The Commercial Review on July 1, 2020, while retaining the title of editor he has held since Dec. 1, 2014. He served managing editor from July 2013 through November 2014, assistant managing editor from November 2005 through July 2013 and sports editor from March 2001 through July 2013.
He earned the most awards of any journalist in Division III in the Hoosier State Press Association Better Newspaper Contest for four consecutive years from 2013 through 2016. His first-place honors this year were for in-depth feature, sports feature, general news photo and video.
In his career he has also won HSPA awards for sports commentary, editorial writing, use of graphics, community service, news writing under deadline pressure, sports action photo, sports feature photo, headline writing, editorial page, profile feature and multiple picture group. He had picked up nine Indiana Associated Press Media Editors awards earlier in the year, including first place for business writing, non-deadline sports story and headline writing.
Cooney was honored with the Indiana High School Athletic Association Distinguished Media Service Award in 2012, and also received the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Outstanding Baseball Media Award in 2009.
A native of Avon, Ohio, Cooney graduated from St. Edward High School (Lakewood, Ohio) in 1996 and Cleveland State University in 2000. He was the inaugural editor of The Cleveland Stater at CSU, and also worked for The Morning Journal (Lorain, Ohio) and The Chronicle-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) before moving to Jay County.
Cooney lives in Portland with his dog, Scooter.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
'Super' spiker
FAIRBORN, Ohio — They call Abby Barcus their super freshman. And that’s not just because she’s already been on campus for eight months.
NEWS
Council OKs maintenance funds
Jay County Jail’s expansion isn’t new anymore. With that age has come ever-increasing maintenance costs.
NEWS
Board awards project contract
BERNE — With the 2017 portion of the high school renovation project mostly complete, South Adams took the next step toward completing the remainder of the work next summer.
SPORTS
Indians rally past SA
BERNE — It was a hazardous day to be connected to the South Adams and Fort Recovery high school volleyball teams. By the end, the Indians were the last ones standing.
NEWS
Showing the way
Friendlier than the closest ally. More generous than any benefactor. Able attract large donations with a single wave. It’s Captain J!
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Council OKs plan for raises
Employees will get raises, but cash balances may not reach the target council set two months ago.
NEWS
Water park attendance drops
Numbers dropped during Portland Water Park’s second season, but that seems to have been more because of the weather than to lack of novelty.
RAYS OF INSIGHT
Super Bowl choice is simple: Patriots
The New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl.
NEWS
Beyond halfway
After more than 10 years of planning and waiting, Jay County residents are about two months away from seeing wind turbines spinning.
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Ronald, Weaver enter 'Circle"
Jack Ronald wondered if Greg Beumer was going to declare his next run for office. Rob Weaver was hoping to hear about a grant award for John Jay Center for Learning.
JAY COUNTY
Patriots secure third title
The Patriots’ run through the Allen County Athletic Conference has mostly been a breeze over the course of the last three seasons.
SPORTS
Kenney gets another shot
Casey Kenney is still a contender. The 2009 Jay County High School graduate fought in Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series six weeks ago. He won, but did not receive a contract.
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Hospital plans to integrate with IU Health
If all goes as planned, Jay County Hospital will become part of the IU Health network by early 2018.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Council OKs bonds, grant application
One city project will be funded via bonds. Local officials hope to get a grant for another.
NEWS
Show supporters
Don and Donna Bickel haven’t always been part of the largest annual event in Jay County.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
WJMS part of pilot program
The state is launching a new program in an effort to get students thinking about careers even before they reach high school. West Jay Middle School eighth graders will be among the first involved.
SPORTS
Proud Patriots
Aaron Daniels, Clint Muhlenkamp and Tim Millspaugh sat together on the tailgate on the back of a truck, their season over after a muddy slog.
NEWS
Raises are still undecided
Will Jay County employees get raises? If so, how large will they be? Those questions remain unanswered.
NEWS
Village interested, but at a lower price
FORT RECOVERY — The village would be interested in purchasing Fort Recovery High School’s baseball field, just not if it’s being appraised as such.
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Third at the fair
INDIANAPOLIS — With an inexperienced squad, the Eagles were just hoping to get through the preliminaries to the top five. They did it. And then climbed another spot. And then another.
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Hollowell wins horse at fair
Since showing the grand champion halter at the 2015 Jay County Fair, Cash Hollowell had not had the best luck with horses.
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In the spotlight
Jay County High School’s cheerleaders have a long tradition of excellence at the Indiana State Fair. This year, however, the spotlight is shifting.
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Head Start is back in Dunkirk
Six years after Dunkirk Head Start was moved to Portland, the preschool program is returning to West Jay Community Center.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Council approves payment for upgrades
With a bill finally in hand, Jay County Council agreed Wednesday to pay for work on emergency management radios.
NEWS
SA advertising $16.5 million budget
BERNE — The South Adams Schools budget will increase again. And for the second consecutive year, the bulk of the jump is in spending is in the rainy day fund.
SCHOOLS
Patriots take 3rd
INDIANAPOLIS — The Marching Patriots put together the performance they had dreamed of all summer long. It just didn’t earn them the result for which they had hoped.
NEWS
Jay winery is offering Tipsy trivia
What syrup is made from pomegranate juice? How long does it take the average human to fall asleep? What country would you reach first if you headed due east from New York? Think you know the answers?
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Show depicts iconic painting
Is it possible to convey one of the world’s most famous paintings in the form of music and marching? The Jay County High School Marching Patriots’ staff wasn’t sure. But they wanted to find out.
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A chance to win
The Marching Patriots have a chance to win. Of course, that’s technically true of all the 50 bands that will take the track. But the smaller contests leading up to the state fair are typically effective at shining a spotlight on the favorites.
NEWS
Planning process continuing
Jay County Development Corporation will continue its strategic planning process through the end of the year.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Board gets project updates
Portland Park Board members got a brief update on city park projects for the rest of the year during their meeting Tuesday.
NEWS
Room in the middle
Healthcare has been a heavily partisan issue. That was the case when the Affordable Care Act passed in 2009, and it continued to be throughout the rest of President Barack Obama’s tenure that included repeated GOP votes to repeal.
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Program growing
The White House spent July 17 through 21 celebrating “Made in America” week.
NEWS
Indiana Grown seeks to expand reach
The White House spent July 17 through 21 celebrating “Made in America” week. “Made in the U.S.A.” labels have been placed on products for decades, and more recently states got into the “home-grown” promotion game by starting their own initiatives. Indiana joined in two years ago when it launched “Indiana Grown,” an effort to highlight products grown, produced and processed in the Hoosier State.
NEWS
Unemployment comes in at 3.2 percent
The local unemployment rate climbed above the 3 percent mark after hitting historic lows in April and May.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
District OKs 2018 budget
Jay County Solid Waste Management District’s budget will go up by more than $45,000 next year.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Raises may depend on classification
Jay County Council members want to give raises.
SPORTS
Kenney gets his shot at UFC tonight
Ever since moving to Arizona to pursue a mixed martial arts career, Casey Kenney has been waiting for his shot to become part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Tonight, he gets it.
NEWS
Project remains on track
BERNE — South Adams High School will be ready for students to return Aug. 14.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Court thankful for fun, educational week
Hog wrestling and straw racing. Lots of 4-H shows. And plenty of food.
NEWS
FR ‘index’ increased in 2016-17
FORT RECOVERY — The message on test scores remains the same. They are strong, but there is always room for more improvement.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Inaugural alpaca
Wayne Hemmelgarn’s grin just kept growing bigger and bigger.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Future is bright despite hurdles
Much has been accomplished and future is bright, but there are challenges that need to be met.
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