Things are changing at the Seward County Independent and The Milford Times.
     The two papers are undergoing a reorganization that will strengthen both publications. As of Monday, June 2, Nancy McGill, editor of the Times, will become the editor of both papers, while Stephanie Croston, editor of the Independent, will take the position of sports editor for both newspapers.
     McGill will be dividing her time between the two papers.
     "The two papers use a number of same resources and reporters and by making this change we will able to serve our readers even better. We have two quality people in Stephanie and Nancy who already know Seward County, and this will help us move forward in the future," Kevin Zadina, publisher of both newspapers, said.
     Both McGill and Croston are excited about the possibilities and challenges ahead.
     "It's time to move up and take on new challenges and that would be Seward County," McGill said. "The foundation has been laid for the Milford paper, and now I'm ready to build another for the county. It will take some time, but eventually, I will get to know the county and it will get to know me. I am ready to learn, as I always have, and welcome the opportunity to serve the county.
     "That's the newspaper's job-to inform and serve."
     Croston said she is thrilled to be working again with an area she enjoys.
     "I've been the overall editor here for about four years, and it's been a great opportunity and learning experience," she said. "But sports are my favorite thing to cover, so to be able to devote more time and energy to that section will help to strengthen it and will be a lot of fun."
     McGill has been in journalism for 10 years, getting her start at the Ashland Gazette while she was a non-traditional student at Bellevue University. She was one of two people in the office, and although her title was classified manager, she also typed legal notices, weddings, births, etc., as well as handling the classified advertising.
     After leaving Ashland, she did some freelance work for Star City Sports shortly after it was purchased by the Lincoln Journal-Star.
     "After stringing for a while, my former editor offered me the editor of Neighborhood Kids, another niche publication," McGill said. "I learned so much from him! He taught me how a newspaper works from bottom to top. When he was gone, I would fill in for him on Neighborhood Extra and Star City Sports. I started working for a fourth LJS niche publication-L Magazine."
     When she saw the ad for the editor's position in Milford four years ago, she wasn't sure if she was ready for a job like that. Her editor at the time encouraged her to apply.
     "Working on niche publications gave me a sense of what a community needs from its newspaper because those small papers were like covering small communities.
     "The first thing I did here was to recognize that what some may not call news is extremely important to those living in a small community," she said.
     She has enjoyed learning about the Milford community and said she likes the trust she's built with the people she's come in contact with.
     The SCI is Croston's second newspaper job, and she has been in Seward for 10 years. She started in Pawnee City with the Pawnee Republican and said she learned a lot about how to be a reporter from her editor there.
     When she came to Seward, she started the week before the Fourth of July.
     "Little did I know what I was getting myself into," she said.
     As a general assignment reporter, Croston covered city council, county commissioners, the Fourth, the fair and everything in between. Her favorite stories, however, have always been sports related, and she became the sports editor around 2000. She took over the editor's position in 2003.
     She received a print journalism degree from Bob Jones University in Greeneville, S.C., in 1993 and worked for the school for three years before moving back to Nebraska.
     In addition to sports, Croston will cover the Seward school district, including all the schools and the school board. She will also continue to write other stories that will appear elsewhere in the SCI.
     "I am looking forward to this," she said. "I think I've developed good relationships with the SHS coaches and with the teachers and staff throughout the district. As the sports editor, I will be able to get to know other coaches from our coverage area and have the opportunity to watch other schools, in addition to Seward, compete throughout the season.
     "We will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of our teams throughout the year, but this change will allow us to focus more on the student-athletes and perhaps introduce some of them to our readers throughout the year."