Your new editor

Hello, Kewaunee County. My name is Kat Halfman and I am taking over as editor of the Kewaunee County Star-News. I am pleased to join this newspaper after working with other Northeast Wisconsin news publications such as The Press Times, The Business News and the Peshtigo Times. I grew up in Seymour, where many of my peers lived on family farms, and I’m honored to work in a similar community. There’s something special about a place where your neighbors grow the food you eat and someone is always happy to help shovel your driveway.

I pursued a degree in writing at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where I had the opportunity to intern with The Press Times. It was there that I discovered my passion for local journalism. My worldview expanded as I was pushed to meet new people and learn about their different ventures and life stories, and I had the opportunity to write about each of them. I attended city council and school board meetings where I got to see the inner workings of different communities, the good and the bad, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to present those facts to the public.

I took another internship as an editor with the Teaching Press, a UW-Green Bay publishing house where authors collaborate with students. My classmates and I helped archivist Sandra Shackelford compile the life stories of Hmong refugees she had interviewed in the 90s, which she would publish as A Portrait of Grief and Courage. While I’d encountered stories of heartbreak working in journalism, the lives of the refugees Shackelford spoke with were uniquely painful. And yet, in spite of the hardships they had endured, many were able to rebuild their lives and start families here in Wisconsin. The men and women she had interviewed brought their children and grandchildren to the book launch, and again I saw what simply sharing your neighbor’s story could do.

In an era of internet misinformation and divisive rhetoric, local newspapers are more important than ever. I am honored to serve the people of Kewaunee County with news that matters to you.

Please feel free to reach out to me via email at khalfman@mmclocal.com. We are always open to story ideas from the community.