Paula Grubbs

A familiar face changed roles at the Butler Eagle earlier this month as senior reporter Paula Grubbs has accepted the position of community editor following the retirement of Eric Freehling.

“I definitely have some big shoes to fill, following Freehling in this position,” Grubbs said. “He innovated a lot of new stuff in the community department. It will be a tough act to follow.”

She said the transition from news to community involves a lot more planning ahead compared to what she became used to on the news side of production.

“News is more ‘do it now,’” Grubbs said. “Whereas this is more planning ahead. You have to plan stories weeks in advance.”

Grubbs is a Butler County native who grew up in Center Township. She graduated from Butler High School in 1979 and from Geneva College in 1994 with a degree in human resource management.

Since 1999, Grubbs has been a resident of Penn Township. She began her career at the Eagle on June 12, 2000, at the Cranberry Eagle as a staff writer, and was eventually promoted to senior reporter status.

“I was born at Butler hospital and graduated from Butler High School,” Grubbs said. “My family are all from Butler County. My dad’s side settled part of what is now Franklin Township in the late 1700s. So Butler County is in my blood.”

After working in the Cranberry Eagle office for 17 years, Grubbs moved to the Butler Eagle office, still under the title of senior reporter.

Throughout her nearly 27 years as a reporter, Grubbs has received numerous awards for her work in journalism, including Golden Quill, Society of Professional Journalist and Keystone awards.

Grubbs explained she was interested in the community editor position because it will let her explore her passion for storytelling.

“I love to write feature stories,” Grubbs said.