I’m the editor of We-Ha.com – West Hartford’s new hyperlocal online site that focuses on news about West Hartford places, people, events, sports, and more.

By Ronni Newton

Hello again!

We’ve slowly and quietly been building up to this day all summer. The “Beta” sticker is off the site.

I’ve reappeared at most of the events that I used to attend religiously, like the convocation for West Hartford Public Schools teachers, and immediately felt like I had never taken a break from covering West Hartford.

Yes, I’m back as a community journalist. And as the managing editor of We-Ha.com, I plan to dedicate myself once again to bringing this awesome community the news it wants and needs. (We’ve got others working for We-Ha.com, too, a team that includes former Patch Sales Manager Kaushik Makati, Tom Hickey and Joy Taylor from West Hartford Magazine, and Bob Carr.)

The We-Ha.com gang. From left: Bob Carr, Ronni Newton, Tom Hickey, Kaushik Makati, Joy Taylor.

Here’s our mission: We-Ha.com is the place to go for the latest information about West Hartford – a town that “has it all”! We-Ha.com is part of and proud of our community, and we bring a hyperlocal focus to news and features about the people, schools, businesses, real estate, sports, restaurants, charitable events, arts, and more. 

I’ve lived in West Hartford for more than 16 years, but until I took the job as editor of West Hartford Patch back in 2011, I don’t think I really “knew” this town.

I was there when West Hartford endured the October 2011 freak snowstorm, keeping people informed while working side-by-side with the town leaders and officials who poured their hearts and souls into keeping this community safe and operational during nearly two weeks without power. That was the time, I believe, when West Hartford residents first realized how valuable it was to have a 24/7 news source that was easily accessible – even without power.

I’ve reported on the “highs” of life in West Hartford – like the town being named one of the “10 Best Towns for Families” by Family Circle Magazine and accolades for the schools too numerous to count, and also the “lows” like the tragic loss of an entire local family in a plane crash in Nigeria or the passing of Richard Patrissi. I’ve attended countless sporting events, every parade, and many charitable events. I’ve written about the openings and closings of businesses, and profiled many of the fascinating residents who currently live in West Hartford or have their roots here. I even covered Pres. Barack Obama’s visit in 2013.

I felt a void when I stopped covering West Hartford last summer, and although I have still been involved, I’ve missed being on the forefront of everything that is happening in town – the go-to person for information, the woman with the ever-ready camera.

I said “Aloha,” not “Goodbye,” and now I say, “Hello again!”

And while I hope it doesn’t mean chasing down CL&P trucks during a 10-day power outage or trudging through thigh-high snow to get to a main road so I can survey the effects of a blizzard with Dir. of Public Works John Phillips to once again prove the value of hyperlocal news, I’m ready to cover whatever is important to this town.

Please welcome We-Ha.com into your lives! Please subscribe to our newsletter (which is currently biweekly but will soon be daily), follow us on Facebook and Twitter, send press releases and news tips to [email protected].

Hello again, West Hartford! Please don’t be a stranger!

~Ronni