Welcome to the newest weekly newspaper from Reminder Publishing – a newspaper just covering West Springfield and Agawam.

Our company is not new to the area. In 2001, we started the MetroWest edition of our weekly community newspaper. Back then, it went to West Springfield, Springfield, Agawam, Westfield and Southwick.

Several years ago we combined a number of towns together for one large weekly, but now we believe the best approach to giving both readers and advertisers what they need and want are editions that focus on communities with economic and historical links.

This newspaper is being delivered to all of the homes in Agawam and West Springfield. If you subscribe to The Republican – our parent company – you will receive it as an insert. If you don’t, you’ll see it delivered to your home.

There will also be some copies in key public locations for you to pickup.

What’s going to be the editorial thrust of the ‘paper? Local, local, local. Our goal is to tell you what’s happening in your hometown.

Our reputation is one of accurately reporting news that other outlets may miss. Being a weekly, we know we have to give more to our readers than what they get in daily publications or from TV.

We believe in advancing stories – telling you about upcoming events so you could participate – reporting stories at the length the event warrants and following up on stories.

Our news team is Jordan Houston (Jordan@thereminder.com) and Stephanie Trombley (Stephanie@thereminder.com). Both are talented and enthusiastic journalists who want to hear from you. If there is something going on in your school, business or church, let them know. Email is probably the most efficient way of reaching them.

You’ll see my byline as well for the opinion column, stories on our Dining & Entertainment page and regional stories.

We also want your calendar listings and you can send them to me at news@thereminder.com. Please send them two weeks before the event takes place.

Our long-time sports photographer George Skovera will be covering high school athletics as he has been for the better part of 20 years.

If you have a business and want to take advantage of the market coverage we are offering with this new free publication, contact Scott Greene at sgreene@thereminder.com for information on the options for advertising we offer.

The irony today is that while national news is almost instantly released through social media and the Internet, the local news is not as easy to find. Yet, it’s the local news that hits you the hardest and the quickest because it is affecting quite literally “where you live.”

We’re here to both celebrate the two communities as well as question what is going on in them.

If I can be of service to you, please contact me at news@thereminder.com.

We all hope you enjoy your free local newspaper!