"The 52627" comes to Pen City Current

HOEMMEN

INCREDIBLE THINGS

There are so many individuals and organizations doing incredible things here, and I believe more people should know about them. Whether it’s a passion project, a career path, a community effort, or simply someone chasing their dream, these moments matter and deserve to be seen and celebrated.”

Stephanie Hoemmen, creator of 'The 52627'

FORT MADISON – The make up of Pen City Current is undergoing a change as we enter the final half of our ninth year in business.
A local social media effort called “The 52627” was launched a year ago as a mechanism to take a deeper and genuine look at the people of Fort Madison. The people that aren’t necessarily headline-makers, but are part of our fabric. Those are the people in our community living their lives here in unique ways and making contributions that don’t always get recognized.
Stephanie Hoemmen started the outlet on Facebook to bring positive news stories to Fort Madison. And now Pen City Current will be bringing that effort under the brand of the news outlet and help get Hoemmen’s efforts get out to more local readers.
“There are so many individuals and organizations doing incredible things here, and I believe more people should know about them. Whether it’s a passion project, a career path, a community effort, or simply someone chasing their dream, these moments matter and deserve to be seen and celebrated,” Hoemmen said.
“I hope to highlight the people, businesses, and stories that are behind the scenes, capturing them through a different lens.”
Pen City Current Editor Chuck Vandenberg said he was immediately taken with Hoemmen’s passion to tell the stories that seem to always slip through the cracks.
“Stephanie will bring something to the brand, that, to be totally honest, we just haven’t had the staff to tackle,” Vandenberg said.
“From the moment she called and we sat down, I was floored with her zeal to build The 52627 and was happy to help her get that accomplished. She’s right, there are so many good stories to tell and sometimes news outlets get caught in the news.”
There will be a new link on Pen City Current’s website, plus additional social media traffic specifically showcasing the The 52627 stories, photos, and videos. Readers may also see a weekly page dedicated to Hoemmen’s efforts to capture Fort Madison at a more granular level.
Hoemmen said the stories don’t have to be breaking news to have value to readers.
“The stories shared don’t have to be groundbreaking to make an impact on someone’s day. If you ever have an idea for a feature, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to email me at steph.hoemmen@gmail.com. My vision for The 52627 is to build a platform full of genuine moments that capture the spirit and energy of this town. I hope to keep growing the project with even more photos and videos along the way.”
Vandenberg said there will be support opportunities in the future with The 52627 for local businesses who want to come along for the ride.
“We’re hoping to add video commercials and logos to Stephanie’s work to allow our 52627 businesses to help build this program,” he said.
“We don’t charge subscriptions for our product, as we believe local advertisers have a vested interest in local readership. Their customers need information on a daily basis, and helping the effort to bring these features to life is an essential function of that.
“The new program should start this month, so keep an eye on Pen City Current and our social media outlets for these worthwhile stories told by an up and-coming writer in our community.”