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2015
* After a series of meetings and consultations, we chose a not-for-profit and free reading digital newspaper named HSJ Online under the umbrella of Heritage of Hope. Bud Herron, team member with much newspaper expertise and many connections, recommended David McChesney's company in Kokomo, 1up!, to provide our website.

* John Clark, someone with journalism and tech expertise and who had assisted Larry Simpson, was willing to be our Content Coordinator while also being the newsman at a local radio station, a win-win.

* Stephanie Shoaf, former Hope Star-Journal employee, was willing to be our Business Coordinator.

* Tim Andrews presented a $10,000 matching HSJ grant community challenge, and we quickly matched it with the Hawcreek-Flatrock Area Endowment and Hope Town Council being major contributors.

* We met with Scott Mings, a Hauser graduate and Raymond James financial advisor, to construct our first Business Plan resulting in a $12,000 budget.

* Bud Herron wrote our opening column stating: “HSJ Online is to a great degree the direct-line descendant of The Hope Star-Journal and is a tribute to Larry Simpson and all the owners/editors/publishers who kept that newspaper serving the expanded Hope area for many years.” 

* We teamed up with Norman Funeral Home to receive and post local obits.

2016
* Our first community presentation was appropriately held at the Larry Simpson building.

*Ad sponsorships, at a very reasonable rate, started playing more of a role in our budget with Rhett Whittington, talented local artist, willing to be our graphic designer.

*Rhett also created our Clock Logo based on the clock on the Town Square.

2017
* A Kelley School Business Class, under the leadership of Hauser graduate and former FRHC Endowment student member, Haley Webster, partnered with the HSJ Team to form a marketing packet and Hauser intern packets. The Hauser writers have added greatly to HSJ off and on since.

* Our second community presentation was appropriately held at the Yellow Trail Museum.

2018
* Our website was eventually updated during the year to allow more pictures and videos.

* We had our first fundraiser at WILLow LeaVes which brought in over $4,000.

2019
* We incorporated a mobile app, and an electronic donation option was added.

* Terri Young, former Hope Star-Journal employee and HSJ team member, volunteered to do a very creative Community Calendar each month which many of our readers enjoy.

* Howard Zachariah, a HSJ team member and Cummins employee, established a link for other employees to contribute to HSJ through United Way, and several are doing so.

* We had our first mum fundraiser through Duck Creek Gardens during Heritage Days.

2020
* Jessica Brown was added to our advisory and writing team with the freedom to post town happenings immediately with the change being a tremendous positive.

* John Clark's radio position changed requiring a double shift; thus, he requested fewer hours for HSJ. We agreed while requesting more content from our freelance writers, in particular Jenn Willhite.

* Due to the coronavirus, we extended all ad sponsorships three months, and all six sponsors renewed.

* Our mum fundraiser through Duck Creek extended beyond Heritage Days and generated more money.

* The coronavirus put on hold our yearly fundraiser, but several people still kindly contributed.

2021
* With a HCFR Endowment Grant and expertise of Hauser graduate Daniel Anderson, a video was produced sharing our Google stat significant improvements from 2019-2020: Total Visits 63,167 to 100,018; Facebook Likes 1,484 to 1,586. Since 2015, we posted over 4,000 articles!

* With the leadership of Todd Grimes, avid runner and freelance writer for HSJ, and partnership with the Hope Town Council, FRHC Schools, Hope Police Department, and town businesses, we had our first HSJ Hope Run/Walk with 47 participants. (Several sponsors made it even more profitable.)

* Scott Strietelmeier a HSJ team member, expressed a desire to build upon our HSJ General Budget and volunteered to provide a Corn Dog Stand at Heritage Days, a hit for many hungry people and HSJ.

* WILLow LeaVes contacted us wishing to give proceeds from their new coffee spot to not-for profit organizations, and we were first to be a part of their generosity.

* The HSJ Benefit raised $9,000 for the HSJ General Budget. The HSJ Foundation was established through Scott Mings of Raymond James with the first $10,000 provided by the Heritage of Hope.

2022
* Due to John Clark's request, we needed to find a new Content Coordinator and felt extremely fortunate when long-time writer, Jenn Willhite, agreed to take that position in April while continuing to be our lead writer. Much appreciation was expressed to John for his years of service.

*We slowly started the process of changing from our original website provider, 1up!, to ePublishing.

2023
* Our new website company officially become ePublishing; however, the mobile app and electronic donation option ceased.

* A meeting at Raymond James resulted in some guidance for the next five years.

* Bartholomew County REMC helped to support HSJ Online through the Strietelmeier Corn Dog Stand at the Bartholomew County Fair.

* A new stand was introduced to also support HSJ Online, the Strietelmeier Pineapple Whip Stand.

* HSJ teamed up with Elizabeth Sexton, Hauser Yearbook Sponsor, to provide photos of important Hauser events.

2024
* The yearly meeting at Raymond James was highlighted with a special guest, Haley Webster Patrick, who took us back to meeting with an IU Kelley Business Class in 2017 and then into the future while sharing what she had learned in the marketing world with three different companies and how that might apply to the future of HSJ.

* For the first time, the HSJ General Budget was set just beyond $20,000.

* People enjoyed the Strietelmeier Corn Dog Stand and Strietelmeier Pineapple Whip Stand at the Solar Eclipse Celebration on the Town Square.

* A video of Hope produced during the Solar Eclipse Celebration by Gabrielle Riley Steenberger, a friend of Hauser graduate Abi Kidwell, received over 4,000 views.

* We sponsored a Hope Summer Playground T-ball team that looked very sharp in their red HSJ shirts.

* The 4 th HSJ Hope Run/Walk was the most successful.

* In conjunction with Duck Creek, the community helped us break our mum record selling 324 mums.

* We gained four additional ad sponsors, and due to the number of people tuning to our site, we had to switch from AdPlugg's free program to their Pro Plan to maximize our online presence and potential.

* Over 100 contributors have donated to the HSJ General Budget since 2015. The HSJ Foundation has increased substantially due to the generosity of Heritage of Hope and seven individuals.

* Our Facebook Likes are now beyond 1,900 with 2,000 in sight.

We are extremely grateful for the previous owners/editors/publishers, in particular Larry Simpson and Charlie and Carol Biggs who continued a local paper even when quite challenging, and we can't possibly thank the Hope Community enough for the never-ending support,

Michael Dean, Jessica Deckard, Bud Herron, President Don Hewitt, Pastor Warren Kirk, Scott Strietelmeier, Jennifer Villiger, David Webster, Terri Young, Howard Zachariah, Jenn Guthrie (Content Coordinator), & Stephanie Shoaf (Business Coordinator)