Community news: Bringing all we can bear to the fore

Community news: Bringing all we can bear to the fore

Rarely do I miss a chance to talk about The Palm Beach Post's community reporting. Arguably, it is the most important news that we cover.

Yes, we get accolades for our government watchdog, criminal justice and investigative reporting. (That Pulitzer recognition earlier this year for our "Black Snow" project, for example.) But we know, when push comes to shove, there is no news more important to our subscribers than what's happening right in their own neighborhood. And the closer to their doorstep, the better.

That means you want to know what your city council is doing; when your favorite restaurant didn't pass a state health inspection; or where is your home in proximity to that young black bear callously shot to death by Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies.

Yep... in a week that saw continued seismic news coverage from the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to reverse the landmark Roe v. Wade decision and a Florida judge holding hearings on our own state's new 15-week abortion law, there were also the repercussions of a black bear killing in Royal Palm Beach.

It may not sound like much of a comparison; unless, of course, you live in Royal Palm or Loxahatchee or Wellington. The Post's new West County reporter Valentina Palm summed up the significance of the tragedy this way:

"ROYAL PALM BEACH — Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies shouldn't have shot and killed a juvenile Florida black bear last week, hours after it was seen roaming through the backyards of a residential neighborhood, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

The state agency released a report late Friday citing its disappointment over PBSO’s handling of the situation that resulted in the killing of a species protected under Florida law.

"Killing bears is generally the last course of action and is typically due to concerns over public safety,” stated FWC’s report. It also advised deputies should receive training on how to respond when bears are found near homes. ... "

And thanks to your continued support, we are beefing up our community coverage. In addition to Palm joining veteran reporters Wayne Washington and Jorge Milian, Liana Norman will soon be replacing Katherine Kokal in North County and Jasmine Fernandez will soon fill a gaping hole in our South County coverage.

Thanks for hanging in there with us. We truly couldn't do our jobs without our subscribers.

Check out more of our subscriber-only content from the past week below.

I hope you enjoy and continue to support local journalism.

And please, tell a friend.

Rick Christie

Executive Editor

And you can always reach out to me at rchristie@pbpost.com and find me on Twitter at @rchristiepbp. Or send in a news tip to breakingnews@pbpost.com. Subscribe to independent reporting that supports democracy via subscribe.palmbeachpost.com.