When you have a group that accepts you from Day One, that’s pretty special.
However, when you have a group that accepts you before they even get to know you personally, that shows you how special the group at the Scioto Voice is.
My name is Kevin Colley. You may recognize it from the sports articles that I wrote at the Portsmouth Daily Times, and if you are wondering if it is the same person, that is, indeed, the case.
Don’t get me wrong — I absolutely loved what I did, and I’m proud to say that I will be continuing to cover sports here at the Scioto Voice. However, I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be joining such a great group of people here.
It’s a staff that may be small in numbers, but it’s a staff that I truly feel is dedicated to serving the local communities around Scioto County and is dedicated to representing the local communities around here with the utmost class and respect. Even better yet, the paper is locally owned. How can you not get behind a paper like that?
See, my parents were born and raised in Scioto County. My Mom, Karen, graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1973 and my Dad, Barry, graduated from Portsmouth West High School in 1974. Both carved out successful stints at Big Bear in Rosemount and FCI Summit in Ashland, respectively, and adopted me in 1992.
But those 50-minute drives, one way, from Portsmouth to FCI Summit, five days a week, over an 11-year period, were beginning to get old for my father, and understandably so. In 1997, we moved to Ashland, Ky. – a mere 10 minutes from our house.
My parents, however, never forgot where they came from. And they’ve tried to instill that same quality in me. So we’ve always come back, whether it’s to visit with family, friends, or, heck, eat at the local restaurant chains that are so good in Scioto County, such as Fred’s, The Scioto Ribber, and Hickie’s Hamburgers.
Through those times, I feel like I have learned a lot about the special traditions and qualities that have made people proud of this county. And much of the pride that I see comes across in the special young boys and girls, or men and women, that participate in the various athletic arenas across this county or represent the best that this county has to offer in additional avenues.
Over the last year and five months, I’ve been very fortunate and blessed to get to know quite a few of those special athletes and coaches that represent the communities across Scioto County, and I will continue to cover each of the 12 high schools and Shawnee State University – because this county has a lot of pride and a lot of fight when it comes to the athletic sector that I, and a lot of others, personally admire.
As we go forward, I hope to represent the best that these young student-athletes and coaches have to offer, and can’t wait to see what they do as the days, weeks, and months pass by. And for me personally, I’m blessed to have a wonderful wife and family, excellent friends, and an excellent staff backing me every step of the way as I begin my new journey.
