The journalism field is marked by comings and goings of all sorts, but none hit home about the reality of our craft as much as the departure of a beloved journalist, particularly one who went above and beyond for his community, his coworkers and his newspaper.

Will Whaley, who as this page is being read is en route to his new home for news writing at The Bowling Green Daily News in Kentucky, was just such a journalist – one who spent nights sleeping in his office to ensure that the work was done right; one who spent his weekends covering the news and designing magazines to ensure that those journalists who worked alongside him never endured a burden they could not bear; one who was tireless in his pursuit of the truth and committed to ensuring that this paper met all of the highest standards we were taught to hold in journalism school.

Though he will no longer be haunting the Queen City, Whaley’s contributions to this paper and this community cannot be overstated – winner of the Alabama Press Association’s (APA) 2018 Emerging Journalist Award, Whaley led this paper to a number of prestigious awards, including first place awards for Best Lifestyle/Family Page and Best Original/Creative Idea, as well as awards for Best Local Economic Coverage, Best Use of Photographs/Editorial Content, Best Local News Coverage and Best In-Depth News Coverage.

Under Whaley’s leadership, which he honed as a graduate of this year’s Leadership Selma-Dallas County class, this newspaper expanded its coverage and made bold decisions in relation to coverage, giving prominent placement to continuous coverage of court hearings, budget proposals, council conflicts, state-level politics and more.

Whaley undoubtedly leaves a void that cannot be easily filled, but he also leaves behind a legacy of being a determined journalist and a beloved friend and he undoubtedly carries with him the badge of honor worn by any reporter who has had the privilege of covering this historic city.

We wish our former editor well as he embarks on the next phase of his journey as a nomadic journalist and hope that Bowling Green, Kentucky appreciates what it’s getting in having him become a member of their local news team and community.