After working four months as interim newsman for the Smithville Review during my ill-advised campaign for elected office, management has put a ring on my finger and made it official – I’m now editor.

For those who don’t know my back story, I worked at the paper in McMinnville for 28 years until I came up with the idea of seeking elected office. I figured “hey, I’m well known; people will vote for me." Yeah, right. Unfortunately, my run for office meant I had to leave the only significant job I’ve had since college.

“What’s your back up plan if you don’t win?” folks would ask me on the campaign trail.

Frankly, all I could do is smile and give them the old “I plan on winning” response since, truth be told, I had no back up plan. There was no Plan-B.
Yeah, I know that’s irresponsible but sometimes you've got to take a chance and step outside your safe zone. I did that for once in my life, leaving my job in an attempt to gain elected office. Of course, the problem in running for office is there can only be one winner and I wasn’t it.

That’s where my move up the road comes in. I was approached and asked to work here under contract until something permanent was decided. I agreed, since even during the campaign, I had to keep funding my habits like eating, making my car payments and keeping the lights on.

So, about a month and a half ago, the people of Warren County decided, emphatically, that they didn’t want me to be their circuit court clerk, ending my political career scarcely before it began. I licked my wounds and continued working, the trips to Smithville becoming an escape from the humiliation of political crushing. It was during that time, even as I recovered from my thrashing at the ballot box, that I decided I really like it here and requested I be considered for the permanent position.

I have to admit, I had considered getting out of the news business after the election and trying my hand at something else. But then I got to thinking, why would I want to do that. I’ve forgotten more about the news business than most folks will learn in a life-time and I’m fairly efficient at doing it. The specter of deadlines and the constantly blank page are nightmares to some but challenges to me.

So, Sherrill? What’s all this mean to me? It means that I like writing content and I’ve got a life-time of experience doing it. Plus, my goal for the coming year is to make the Review’s editorial department (which consists of me) an award-winning publication. I’ve won a few Tennessee Press Awards in my career and I think it’d be really cool to win a few for Smithville. If nothing else, hearing the Review’s name called at the awards dinner would help soothe my ego after my defeat. I may not win at politics but at the end of the day, I’m not a bad writer.

Contact Duane Sherrill at          
news@smithvillereview.com