Community newspaper publishing requires us to thoroughly chronicle the Heart of Virginia region, warts and all.

On any given day, chances are good in a region this size that someone committed a newsworthy crime, that an elected official cast a vote or a bureaucrat made a decision that was controversial, or that someone was seriously hurt in an accident. We report the news in our community, good, bad or neutral.

It’s true, though, that a fundamental truth can get lost in the fog of weekly news reporting. That truth is this: We are privileged to serve fine communities, full of people and institutions who daily do good deeds.

Stepping back from the grind of twice-weekly publishing to put a spotlight on all the things that are right about this region — the things that are working, instead of what’s broken — is the primary motivation for our debut Progress edition, scheduled for distribution next month. We plan to make it an annual tradition.

Progress 2016 will publish on Friday, Feb. 26, with a theme of “25 Reasons We Love the Heart of Virginia.”

It’s an outstanding list that will be showcased in a high-quality, all-color publication with glossy cover, then inserted in The Herald, as well as The Charlotte Gazette and The Kenbridge-Victoria Dispatch.

If you own a business in the region, there are several affordable ways to ensure that you are featured in what we expect to be our biggest edition of the year, read by more than 20,000 residents of five counties, as well as visitors and prospective newcomers.

Our advertising staff will put together a great-looking ad that spotlights your employees and  your service to the community. Email us at advertising@farmvilleherald.com or call 392-4151 and we’ll schedule a custom consultation.

STEVE STEWART is publisher of The Farmville Herald. His email address is steve.stewart@farmvilleherald.com.