Nearly 10 years ago, David Dupont took a chance on Bowling Green.
Being in the news business for his adult life, he believed local residents, businesses and organizations valued good journalism and deserved to know what was going on in their community.
He was right.
(As he nears retirement, the community is invited to bid farewell to Dupont on Sunday, June 29, from 2 to 5 p.m., at Sunset Bistro in Bowling Green.)
Dupont, alongside fellow journalist and friend Jan McLaughlin, began covering the town they love. With the help of Elizabeth and John Roberts-Zibbel, they created Bowling Green Independent News. The team expanded a few years ago with the addition of writer and friend Julie Carle.
Since January of 2016, Dupont has been telling readers about news that affects many, like budget cuts for the Wood County District Public Library and state policies that impact Bowling Green State University.
But most of all, he treated readers to front row seats to many music, theater and dance performances. His storytelling abilities allowed readers to feel the humor, sadness, anger expressed on stage. That’s not a skill that many journalists have – and it’s something we in Bowling Green have been the benefactors of for years.
In journalism school, reporters are taught to show the readers, rather than tell them. Dupont did just that.
Recently, Dupont remarked that creating and writing for BG Indy has been the most satisfying work he’s done in almost 50 years of professional writing. That’s saying a lot.
But David, and his wife, Linda Brown, have a beautiful and adventurous granddaughter, Lua, waiting for them in Maine, where they will be moving later this summer.
The party on June 29 will feature food from Sunset Bistro, some local musicians, new BG Indy merchandise, and an opportunity to meet new writers. Some people who have worked closely with Dupont over the years will speak around 3 p.m.
At the same time that we are saying farewell to Dupont, those of us remaining at BG Independent News want to assure the community that we will do our best to continue covering news that readers care about.
The long-term crew remains, with some shifting of duties. Elizabeth Roberts-Zibbel is taking on the role of publisher. In addition to continuing to handle advertising, she will also be taking over the financial management of BG Indy. John Roberts-Zibbel is continuing as our IT expert.
In the news department, Jan McLaughlin will become sole owner of BG Indy and will keep up with covering city, school, and community stories. And Julie Carle will continue covering community organizations and write features about the people who make up Bowling Green.
While there is no real replacement for Dupont, BG Independent has brought on five new part-time journalists, all who share a love of writing and an appreciation for community. They are:
Lindsay-Jo Douglas
Lindsay-Jo Douglas works as a copy editor for BG Independent News and would eventually like to write articles. She was raised in Napoleon and moved to Bowling Green to go to college in 2010, earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
In 2020, Douglas was one of the founding members of BRAVE (Black Rights, Activism, Visibility, and Equity), which kick-started her community involvement.
Since then, she has also been involved with the BGOPride Association, the League of Women Voters of Bowling Green, Wood County Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board, BG Arts Council, BG Community Foundation, BG Traffic Commission, and is currently chairperson of the BG Human Relations Commission.
Douglas (nee Durham) recently married her partner of 10 years, Chris Douglas.
Robin Stanton Gerrow
Currently a communications consultant and freelance writer, Robin Stanton Gerrow previously served as the chief communications officer at Bowling Green State University and The University Texas at El Paso.
Before working in higher education, her career was primarily in health care communications, working for several hospitals and health care organizations in Texas and Louisiana. She holds a bachelor’s degree in news editorial journalism from Marshall University and a master’s in communications management from Syracuse University.
Since returning to Bowling Green in 2017, she has been active with volunteer organizations including the Bowling Green Arts Council, Porchfest and Brown Bag Food Project.
Kaylin Pickett
Kaylin Pickett is a recent graduate from Ohio University with a degree in journalism. Her writing primarily focuses on local features on businesses or standout members of the community. She started her journey in journalism in the sixth grade when she started a school newspaper with a group of her friends.
Pickett has written for Ohio University’s The Post and for three publications from Adams Street Publishing Co. When she isn’t writing, Pickett can be found reading, painting or spending time outside. She also helps at her family’s business, Homeslice Pizza. Her number one bucket list item is to travel to as many places as she can.
Stepha Poulin
Stepha Poulin first wrote for BG Independent Media as an undergraduate at Bowling Green State University. Since then, she’s earned a master’s degree in strategic communication from BGSU and spent some time as a preschool teacher. Poulin now works for an audiobook publisher, where she proofreads and assists with editorial operations.
In her free time, Poulin enjoys reading science fiction and diving into internet rabbit holes. Journalism, she feels, keeps her grounded in the real world. She thinks of herself as a local historian, documenting the stories and events that shape the community.
Jules Shinkle
Jules Shinkle is a library technician, musician, and improv comedian living in Bowling Green. She graduated from Bowling Green State University, with her master’s in trombone performance. She loves writing about the arts, people and communities.
