A Special Announcement From Whisper Networks LLC

I have a special announcement for the next three months.

I am not backing off our mission. However, over the next three months, I am going to be revitalizing some of the core aspects of what we do. Unless something truly significant comes along between now and sometime this fall, I am going to concentrate on building other facets of our reporting.

There will be fewer investigations during this period, and you can expect more history, special interest stories, business profiles, ideas, and solutions.

Often, you get to read reactionary and sometimes sensational reporting from us. To be honest, there are so many rabbit holes in this town that once you fall into one, you just keep finding more.

When I first moved to Falmouth, and throughout the nine years I lived there, I found myself looking for the bottom of those rabbit holes. If there is one thing I have learned over the last year, it is that most of them do not have a bottom.

Often, there is not a nefarious plot. More often, there are accidental and sometimes chaotic situations that arise when passionate people with different viewpoints live in a small town. Does corruption, cronyism, and nepotism exist? Sure, it does. Do cover-ups happen? Yes, at times.

The lesson I have learned is that more than anything, you have passionate people with a myriad of viewpoints, and just because they do not agree does not always mean there is a conspiracy behind it.

This town and county are full of people who care but rarely communicate well with one another. I do believe too much care and trust are often placed in official channels, traditional methods, and people who simply appear trustworthy. Not necessarily because they are dishonest, but because each of us should take an active role not only in our community, but also in its governance.

There are reasons to pay attention. There are reasons to ask questions. There are reasons people need to stay involved.

When town halls, council meetings, and community gatherings take place, participation matters. It helps shape the future of the communities we live in. We should not blindly trust that everything will simply go according to plan because not everyone shares the same plan.

I will admit that I get deeply involved in some of the whispers that are shared with me, the impact they may have, and the process of uncovering facts that have not come to light. Over time, however, I have noticed that it can make you look for problems everywhere and in everything.

Along the way, I have received valuable advice from supporters and critics alike. I have become a little too focused on finding what is wrong and have not given myself enough opportunity to focus on what is right.

My health over the last six months has taken a hit. Between COVID, a stomach virus that lasted far too long, sinus issues, and being susceptible to every little bug that came along, it has been a challenge. Much of that has been amplified by stress and a pace that has honestly been difficult to maintain.

For the next few months, our focus will shift toward history, solutions, community reporting, and platform development. Investigations will continue when warranted, but they will not be the primary focus of our reporting during this period.

Unless something critical happens, I am going to spend the next few months introducing a side of our reporting that I have only hinted at in the past.

My entire professional career has revolved around solving problems.

I spent the first few years of my career in hospitality before moving into a corporate trainer role. That position allowed me to travel extensively and see many great things our country has to offer. Because I was traveling roughly 95% of the time, I eventually left that position and moved into technology.

I spent three years in technical support and help desk work before moving into Windows and Linux systems administration. Around that same time, I began supplementing my income through article writing. Later, I specialized in reverse engineering custom systems for clients and worked heavily with ERP and CRM platforms. Some of that work continued even after I transitioned into web development nearly fourteen years ago.

The one common thread throughout all of it is that I have always been a problem solver.

I became so focused on what was wrong that I did not spend enough time reporting on solutions. Solutions others have created. Solutions that are currently working. Ideas that can improve our communities and our quality of life.

I will also be reviving our weekly history posts beginning this weekend.

I am not much of a sports fan, but I would also like to open our platform to anyone interested in covering local sports. Likewise, if you have an issue, idea, story, or perspective you would like people to hear, I would love to talk with you.

We have developed a strong audience of nearly 3,700 followers and have generated more than 4.1 million views since we started.

We are not finished. We are simply going to strengthen the business model.

Not everything begins with uncovering something. In many cases, important stories simply go untold.

I am open to collaborations and to anyone who would like to begin building a content portfolio of their own.

Several months ago, I announced the Civic View App.

Development on a project of this size can be unpredictable, and honestly, my health issues have caused me to slow down intentionally while working through the process.

The local development of both the web dashboard and mobile applications is complete. Over the next week, I will be moving everything to our VPS environment. After that, I expect roughly a month of intensive testing before a public release.

For those of you in Pendleton County, you will receive early access before the app enters beta testing for other communities.

You have experienced this adventure’s growth, both the good and the bad. It is only fair that you get the first look at a product that I believe will help people become more involved in their communities and local governments.

The app removes much of the guesswork from publicly available records and information. When we launch, every town and county in Northern Kentucky, along with several surrounding communities, will be searchable, viewable, and AI interpretable.

Think of it as Google on steroids for council records, fiscal court records, ordinances, and other publicly available government documents.

When I go quiet for periods of time, it is usually because all of this is a lot to maintain while also working a full-time job.

I appreciate every person who has supported us along the way.

I also appreciate those who would rather criticize. Sometimes criticism teaches us things support never will.

It is time to show all of you that there is much more to Whisper Networks LLC than you have seen so far.

As always, please send your whispers.

I hope each of you has a great weekend.

Whisper One Out.