The Groundhog Launches New Website

Newspaper’s new home on the internet offers readers greater access, searchability

Your “neighborly news from the heart of Lookout Mountain” has a new home on the internet, giving readers more ways to engage with their favorite community newspaper.

The Groundhog can now be found online at www.readthegroundhog.com.

Previously, this address forwarded to the MERF website, where recent copies of the newspaper appeared in full PDF form. The new expanded website offers visitors a more enjoyable and accessible reading experience, presenting articles from the newspaper as standalone posts that are easily searchable and shareable.

Across the top of the page are categories to help visitors explore various subjects. At the end of each article is a set of links that take readers to other articles by the same contributor, in the same category, or from the same issue.

Sure to be a popular feature, the “Community Events” link at the top of the page provides a quick listing of all upcoming events submitted to The Groundhog.

As new issues are added, the website will become an increasingly valuable community resource. In the months ahead, more content from past issues will be added, creating an archive of information about Mentone and the surrounding communities.

The website will also offer businesses that advertise in The Groundhog an additional way to reach the public with their message.

“Residents and visitors alike depend on The Groundhog to keep up with news, along with the activities of the many organizations that contribute to our quality of life in this region,” says Kathryn Norris, president of the MERF board of directors. MERF became the publisher of the newspaper last year, ensuring the 42-year-old publication could continue serving the community. “The new online presence for The Groundhog expands the publication’s reach and helps us serve an even broader audience. This helps readers, advertisers, and the greater Lookout Mountain area,” Norris adds.