National Newspaper Week offers chance to reflect on Butler Eagle’s impact
A municipal meeting in Forward Township looked much different in October 2025 than it did in October 2026.
Last year, the rooms were quiet, near empty; but now, people are flocking to Forward Township. The municipal garage was overflowing with attendees at a recent zoning meeting, forcing people to find a seat outside and listen to it unfold via loud speakers.
A proposed data center could be built in the township — news the Butler Eagle broke ahead of the meeting, after hearing of it in a county planning commission meeting — even less likely for the public to attend.
I’ll keep it real: Considering conversation about data centers has reached a national level, chances are news of that data center would have likely gotten out eventually.
But as this past week marked the 86th celebration of National Newspaper Week, I wanted to tell you how the conversation changed after the Butler Eagle first reported the news last month.
People were surprised in the comment section. They were upset to know this potential development was considering a former Butler County farm as its site. They showed up at the rarely attended Forward Township meetings — not just the township’s meeting, but the township’s planning commission meeting, too.
Our job at the Butler Eagle is to keep people informed of what’s happening in their community. After more than 150 years, I’m proud that our local newspaper is still around to do that. We are deeply rooted in Butler County and committed to providing quality journalism well into the future.
Word would have got out about the data center, but what are the chances elected officials responsible for raising taxes in an area township or on an area school board this past year were going to broadcast their plans for a tax increase?
I’d venture to guess you might only have realized your township’s taxes went up when you went to pay your property taxes.
Many of us are engaged in our communities: Working parents juggling sports practices; busy adults balancing our own responsibilities — work, appointments, friends. Few of us can say they have time to make it to municipal and school board meetings regularly.
Without news reporters keeping tabs on municipal meetings, your local taxes might go up without your knowledge and information on how your local tax dollars are being spent won’t be easy to access.
Without news reporters keeping a watchful eye toward charges filed locally, it’d be easier for crime committed by people with connections to go under the radar.
We have an intentional process and resources dedicated to parse through charges filed daily and to learn about crashes, fires and crime in your neighborhood.
And when information isn’t given willingly — and it hasn’t always been — we fight for it.
But that’s just the smallest view into the newsroom. The local newspaper digs into the “why” and “how” when we uncover issues going unresolved; shares information quickly in emergencies; helps the community remember its history; spotlights local events offering suggestions of what to do this weekend; gives young sports players a chance to be highlighted and interviewed, and more.
The Butler Eagle is here for Butler County. We hope you’ll continue to support our local journalism today and for years to come. Thanks for reading.
Tracy Leturgey is the interim managing editor of the Butler Eagle.
