I’m starting a hyperlocal news blog about the Lower Heidelberg area

By Steve Reinbrecht

I’ve decided to neglect this blog, “Berks County needs better journalism.”

I’ve decided to start a new blog called “News in Southwestern Berks County.”

Please check it out if you live here or have an interest in watching a media startup project. If you like it, please recommend it.

I’ll try to report on Lower Heidelberg, South Heidelberg, Sinking Spring and Wernersville, which together have about 20,000 people.

I think the area deserves more media attention. It’s one place in Berks that bulldozers are scraping up topsoil to build new houses.

Sinking Spring has big plans – and has made progress – to rebuild its sclerotic road system. That will open up the western part of the Route 422 corridor to more businesses and make the borough more attractive to restaurants and shops – which we need out here.

Wilson School District has a great reputation but could always use more media scrutiny. Do you know the school board directors? I hope to get to know them through this project.

I won’t cover fundraisers or parades or festivals, even though I think such public events are great. I wish the organizers of such activities would send a few paragraphs and a couple of photos to me. I’d post them as “citizen journalism.”

I'll try to cover meetings but most importantly follow issues as they get resolved. And I'll try to maintain a police log and announce new businesses.

Hyperlocal news can be hyper-boring, and I’ll admit I have a rare, wonkish fascination with the most granular level of where government meets private life. I was trained in the importance of covering stuff that seems only important when it goes wrong -- municipal government, land development, traffic regulating, trash pickup, I believe that our public schools, roads, law enforcement, and land-use decisions depend on the quality of our elected officials, when just a handful of votes can matter.

Please check it out if you live here or have an interest in watching a media startup project. If you like it, please recommend it.