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.
SCHOOLS
FR to expand use of devices
FORT RECOVERY — The class that began Fort Recovery High School’s one-to-one computer program graduated Sunday. The school system is planning to expand its use of technology in the classroom next year.
SCHOOLS
FR to honor career-bound grads
FORT RECOVERY — The teachers and staff at Fort Recovery set a goal of preparing students for life after high school, no matter where it may take them.
NEWS
Retirement incentive offered
BERNE — South Adams is hoping to reduce staff by way of retirement before it makes any other cuts.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Breaking: SA offers incentive
BERNE — As part of its plan to reduce spending, South Adams School Board approved a retirement incentive package Tuesday.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
FR board hires superintendent
FORT RECOVERY — Justin Firks spent the spring of 2000 as a volunteer coach for the Fort Recovery High School baseball team. Fifteen years later, he’s been chosen to lead the entire school system.
SCHOOLS
Breaking: Firks hired to lead FR
FORT RECOVERY — Justin Firks will be the new superintendent of Fort Recovery Local Schools.
NEWS
Thanking heroes
Andrew Whitacre. Nick Taylor. David Fribley. They are three young men, all with ties to the local community, who have died serving their country.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Jay finishes winless in ACAC
The Patriots have posted more wins this year than in either of their back-to-back sectional title campaigns.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Lawmakers review session
Several issues cast a shadow over Indiana’s legislative session that ended last week, and lawmakers who represent Jay County don’t expect them to go away.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Breaking: Geesaman, Miller dominate
Incumbent Democrat Randy Geesaman and Republican Milo Miller Jr. cruised to victories Monday in their respective primary races for mayor of Portland.
NEWS
Bicycle ordinance will be drafted
After taking some time to review the idea, Portland City Council took a step toward creating a bicycle safety ordinance.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Mayor races top primary
Local voters will head to the polls Tuesday with just four contested races on the ballot. Two of them will help decide the future leader of Portland.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Electronic election
Voters in Portland and Redkey will have a new experience when they head to the polls Tuesday.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Revamping façade
For downtown Portland property owners, the window to get help paying for building improvements will now be open year-round.
NEWS
Elementary, high schools earn Four Star honor
BERNE — South Adams took its nickname to heart.
NEWS
SA could cut eight teachers
BERNE — With a budget overrun of nearly $800,000 projected for the 2015-16 school year, South Adams Schools must make some cuts. It’s likely those will result in a reduction of personnel.
RAYS OF INSIGHT
Hopes high for IU hoops
Expectations color our experiences in all aspects of life. That’s especially true in sports.
NEWS
Jay's rate is 5.4
There have been ups and downs in between, but the local unemployment rate in March ended up the same as it was a year earlier.
SCHOOLS
FR finances are in good shape
FORT RECOVERY — School board members took a look at their five-year financial forecast. But they’ll wait until May to vote on it because of continued uncertainty with the state budget.
FORT RECOVERY
FR double trouble for Parkway
FORT RECOVERY — Double plays helped keep the Indians off the board through the first four innings. But a pair of doubles sparked their offense in the fifth, and Chase Bruns and Mitch Stammen proved to be double trouble on the base paths.
ELECTION
Early voting begins on Wednesday
Portland will play host to three of the four contested races in the primary election, for which voting begins Wednesday.
NEWS
Abatement approved for FCC
FCC (Indiana) will get tax abatements on more than $15 million in local investments.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Geesaman to face off vs. Harker
Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman will face a primary challenge from one of his former employees.
ELECTION
Two seek GOP bid
The Republican primary for mayor of Portland will pit a long-time city employee against a veteran of county government.
NEWS
Airport fuel sales increase
Activity at Portland Municipal Airport has picked up as the weather has improved, and with that added traffic has come more fuel sales.
RAYS OF INSIGHT
Baseball, softball squads get quality wins Monday
Monday was a big night on the diamond for the Patriots.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Author's adventure
Imari Douthit was having one of those nights. There was just nothing to do. But there was a binder full of notebook paper. So she made use of it.
JAY COUNTY
Bryan mows down Patriots
Every time Mackenzie Bryan got in a little bit of trouble, she struck her way out of it.
NEWS
Fundraising effort passes $1.18 million
Donations pledged for Portland Water Park have risen past the initial goal.
NEWS
JCDC hoping to start program
More education generally leads to better jobs, and a local group is hoping to start a program to make paying for higher learning easier.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Jay Co. going micro, macro
Elasticity. Supply and demand. Product equilibrium.
NEWS
State delays Stellar grant announcement
Local officials were hoping today they would be celebrating Dunkirk’s status as a finalist for Stellar Communities grant funding. They’ll have to wait a few more days to find out if it made the list.
NEWS
Rate drops to 5.7
The unemployment rate spiked in January before dipping back below 6 percent last month.
NEWS
River adventure
The Wabash River runs just a few miles south of John and LaNae Abnet’s southeastern Adams County home.
HOMEPAGE ROTATING ARTICLES
Board plans to extend contract
Jay County Solid Waste Management District’s board plans to continue its contract with Waste Management for providing weekly recycling trailers, but will wait a month before making it official.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
FR approves annexation, zoning
FORT RECOVERY — The path has been cleared for a new business to come to the village.
SPORTS
March is prime time for Spartans
College basketball fans will act irrationally about the coaches of their favorite teams.
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.