[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 103 (Tuesday, June 18, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING THE BEREA CITIZEN

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
Berea Citizen, a long-standing community institution and one of only a 
few locally owned, operated, and printed newspapers in the entire 
Commonwealth. This year, I am proud to join my home State in 
celebrating this native Kentucky newspaper as it marks 125 years of 
journalistic success.
  Founded in 1899, the Berea Citizen came into existence on the campus 
of Berea College, nestled between the foothills of the Cumberland 
Mountains and the Bluegrass plains. The late Berea College president 
William G. Frost, a renowned abolitionist and scholar, led the charge 
in creating the school newspaper with the mission of providing this 
burgeoning region with informative, balanced local news. Service soon 
began along the dirt road of Chestnut Street in Berea's town center, 
where it continued for nearly a century. The Berea Citizen maintained 
its ties to the college up until 1984, by then transitioning into a 
private, locally owned newspaper.
  Since the turn of the 20th century, the Berea Citizen has remained a 
fixture within the Madison County community. It has continued to 
provide local news without interruption through some of our Nation's 
most turbulent times, surviving the Great Depression, two World Wars, 
and, most recently, a global pandemic. Through the years, the newspaper 
and its team have adapted to the ever-evolving landscape of news, 
expanding print operations to include online coverage while always 
remaining faithful to its Kentucky focus. Today, the Berea Citizen 
boasts a readership of over 10,000 Kentuckians and remains a leading 
voice for local news in Madison County.
  As the Berea Citizen marks this impressive milestone, I would like to 
extend my best wishes to the reporters, editors, and staff who have 
made the newspaper a vital resource to Central Kentuckians. It is a 
privilege to congratulate the Berea Citizen on 125 years of quality 
journalism. I hope my Senate colleagues join me in recognizing this 
longstanding fixture of Madison County and its many accomplishments.

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