Ex-Reporter starts online newspaper in Worth County
By RILEY DRURY
The Worth County Word
June 17, 2026
This will not be the format of the other articles I intend to publish on this website, but being the first edition, I figured that called for you, whoever you are, to hear from me directly. My name is Riley Drury, and until February of 2026, I was a reporter for the Times Tribune, Worth County’s local newspaper.
The paper, which at the time was owned by and printed in conjunction with the Maryville Forum, has since gone out of business, leaving me without a job and Grant City without a paper specifically catered to them. I intend to change that. Hence, ‘The Worth County Word’!
Please don’t misunderstand me. I have no intentions of disrespecting the publications that are already in existence in the area. We all had no issue co-existing when the Times Tribune was still in print, and it is my hope that we will have no such problems now. What this truly comes down to is this; selfishly, I miss being a part of my community. I miss knowing what was going on in the town and the county, I miss writing articles and shedding light on events and people that deserve to be recognized!
I missed having the opportunity to inform you, the people of Worth County, of what is happening in your community. You, and anyone else who might be interested! *Cough* *Cough* I’m looking at you, Papaw.
So, if you’re reading this, you may be wondering, ‘what is this newspaper going to be’? Well, I’ll tell you. The long answer is that the Worth County Word is going to be an online-only newspaper covering the events and situations that were previously covered by the Times Tribune. The short answer…whatever you want it to be! The purpose of this newspaper is to bring the community together, inform friends and family on what’s going on, and to connect us to each other, and the things happening in our streets! So do you have a story that you think someone might find interesting? Did you take an absolutely adorable photo during the Elementary Christmas concert that other parents might want to see? Send it to me!
You may be wondering where the catch comes in. The last newspaper was available on a subscription basis, so when do I pull out my credit card and shell out forty bucks a month? Well…you don’t.
My intention, at least at this point in time, is not to sell subscriptions, but to sell ads. I want to give local businesses a chance to purchase advertisements, created by me, to be featured on the Worth County Word website and social media pages. And since its online only, and I have no printing costs, mailing costs, other employees, or overhead of any kind, you can visit the website at no cost to you!
Articles will be posted on an as-written basis. As soon as an event happens, and I have time to write up the article and process the photos, the article will then be uploaded to this website, and and some of them will be shared to social media. Please go follow ‘The Worth County Word’ on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok! Did you miss the day it was uploaded? No worries! Every upload will be saved under the date it was published on the archives page!
I hope this website, and the news we share, is as helpful, uplifting, and enlightening to you as it will be to me, and I hope you will all continue to help me ‘spread the word’, even if I am operating in a less official capacity. I can’t wait to see what Worth County has to offer. Until next time!