We were very fortunate to be able to print a full issue of the paper during this pandemic. Thank you to all of our readers, writers and advertisers for your support. A special thanks to MGE for sponsoring this issue to ensure that we were able to go to press.

As many media outlets have noted, the need for information sharing and reporting has only increased during the pandemic. There are local updates about COVID-19 to share, but other topics have also required renewed attention. 

COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting people of color in Wisconsin and across the country because of the impacts of systemic racism. Northside News content sharing partner, Madison365, has been publishing regular updates breaking down the data, including demographic information, on their website (madison365.com) and Facebook page (@madison365.org). Addressing these disparities will require systemic change. As governments and organizations respond to COVID-19, their decisions have the potential to either begin to repair or deepen existing inequities. And those decisions are being made every day. 

When we cover issues like the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan and public transportation, PFAS and F-35s, opportunities for caregivers to connect at Parent Cafés, support for diverse small businesses, the Census, mutual aid and restorative justice, upcoming elections and collaborations to feed people, although we may not mention COVID-19, we are talking about issues intimately connected to the health and wellbeing of our communities. 

We will continue to do what we can to print each issue. We will continue to cover COVID-19 and other local topics, both in the paper and in our recently launched digital edition on our website and via email newsletter. You can sign up for that at northsidenews.org. 

If you would like to submit an article or photograph, or have a story idea, please get in touch. Our coverage is only as complete as the perspectives we share.