News-Review welcomes business reporter Tess Ware to staff
The Petoskey News-Review has a new member of its editorial staff as Tess Ware joined the newspaper just after the start of the new year.
Ware, 23, is a recent Central Michigan University graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
She served as the summer editor of Central Michigan Life most recently while at CMU and served as a reporter with the student newspaper where she worked as a features reporter, covering the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the College of Education and Human Services and the College of Science and Engineering. Ware also covered the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and clinics during her tenure at CM Life.
She will be a business reporter and also cover environment in her new position at the Petoskey News-Review.
“I’m just really excited to get started,” Ware said. “I’m looking forward to get in-depth into something and learn about the topic a lot.”
Ware already has familiarity with Petoskey News-Review executive editor Sarah Leach, whom she worked with closely while at Central Michigan Life when Leach served as an intern advisor.
“In September when I was applying for jobs I texted her (Leach) and asked if I could use her as a reference on my resume,” Ware said. “She said, ‘Sure, but just so you know I have a job opening in Petoskey,’ so I applied for it and interviewed and got it.”
Ware said she is looking forward to getting into her new roll covering businesses in the area.
“Something I know that is really going to be interesting is I know Petoskey has passed an ordinance to increase the number of marijuana businesses,” Ware said. “That’s something I was tackling at CM Life because there’s been a lot of issues with that going on in Mount Pleasant.
“I think that’ll be cool to cover all the new businesses that’ll be opening.”
Ware, who grew up in Milford in Oakland County, said she’s never been to Petoskey prior to landing her new position and is looking forward to getting to know the area.
“I’m from southeast Michigan so it’ll be interesting to be in an area that’s different,” Ware said.
Tess said one of her hobbies includes knitting and making her own sweaters and other clothing.
“My New Year’s resolution is I want to learn how to design my own patterns,” Ware said.
Ware also served as an editorial intern at Hour Detroit Magazine in 2020, where she fact checked stories and wrote restaurant listings as well as produced her own stories.
“We are very excited to welcome Tess to the News-Review team,” Leach said. “She will bring much-needed focus to the local and regional economy, how our local businesses are doing and what the financial outlook for Northern Michigan is.
“We look forward to providing this high interest news to our readers.”
Ware may be contacted at [email protected].