PRESS EDITORIAL: Community news in a community crisis

Whether last week’s run on stores for the basics of life was considered amusing, as it was to those who joked about the shelf-clearing assault on toilet paper, or disconcerting, as it was to those who saw it as hoarding that denied others in the community their share of essential products, it was understandable.

Americans, including our fellow residents of our small-town communities, are facing a dire threat, and the universal instinct is to do something—anything—that might protect our loved ones and ourselves, even if that means excessive stocking up on common supplies.

One crucial essential of life during the coronavirus pandemic is reliable information. Unreliable information, especially the trivialization of the Covid-19 threat and false assurances that it is under control, have clouded the nation’s response to the disease at a time whenA clarity is needed.

Fortunately, national news organizations, not to be confused with cable “news” programs that contaminate fact with opinion, are providing valuable service by accurately reporting science-based information.

That information is clear: This health threat cannot be compared to swine flu, SARS or ordinary seasonal flu. It is many times deadlier than those sicknesses and the dramatic, life-altering steps this nation and others are taking to mitigate it are justified.        

Here at home, Ozaukee Press is committed to comprehensive, factual coverage of coronavirus-related news in the communities we serve in Ozaukee County and the surrounding area.

In addition to our printed newspaper, which will be available weekly as usual on Wednesdays in stores and on Thursdays though the mail, the Press is reporting on developments in the crisis on a daily basis on our website at ozaukeepress.com.

This includes latest information on school, government and business closings, steps being taken by schools (such as drive-through lunches for students) nursing homes, hospitals, daycare providers, churches and other organizations and a great deal more.

Ozaukee Press has lifted the website paywall on our coverage of this fast developing story to provide critical information to our communities.

We are making all of the information related to the coronavirus on the Ozaukee Press website available free of charge to subscribers and non-subscribers alike.

The Press will, of course, continue to publish the news stories, feature stories and photographs that reflect life as we know it in our cities, villages and towns as well.

As community newspaper journalists, we take seriously the fact that the coronavirus threat is a community crisis.

There will be no cavalry riding in from the federal or state governments. It with be up to our community institutions, our health care providers, first responders, men and women working at their jobs to provide essential products and services and public-spirited citizens in many roles to meet whatever challenges may be coming.

We at Ozaukee Press pledge to support that effort in every way we can.