Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1364218
"I realized I could write about all sorts of things and meet all sorts of people," Jenn explains. "For me, that was a perfect meld of my personality and skillset." "I'm just nosey and I like structure," she laughs. Jenn moved to Great Falls just over eight years ago and began working for the Great Falls Tribune. Two years later, she was let go during a round of cuts. "For a while, I felt like the news stuff was done. I did some odds and ends and freelance, and then I realized that no one was covering local government issues anymore," she recalls. "Finally, I was like, 'I can't stand this. I'm going to do it myself !'" Jenn runs her publication singlehandedly, except for the assistance of her two black Labrador retrievers. e community response has been phenomenal. Readers especially seem to appreciate her lack of political bias. "I report local news. Here's the facts. Do with this what you will. People seem to love that," Jenn says. "If everyone is willing to come to the same place to get their news, then I've done my job. And the more people understand what is happening or how it works, they are more able to participate and engage and to do something about it." If you have any questions or tips for Jenn – or if you would like to inquire about advertising or making a donation to "e Electric" – you can contact her at Jenn@theelectricgf.com. Check out the publication at www.theelectricgf.com, or on Facebook. TEXT BY HOLLY MATKIN WORKING LIFE URBAN AFFAIRS S MT PHOTOGRAPHER JENNY MATTHEWS SiG MT 18 no-nonsense journalist with a solid grounding in local government beat has been taking Great Falls by storm over the past several years with her independent news website, "e Electric." e online publication is dedicated to coverage of local and county happenings, as well as the latest goings-on related to Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana National Guard. Jenn Rowell launched e Electric in May of 2017, and has been off and running ever since. If the issue involves local government, you can safely bet she knows about it. "I can't escape it," she says of her affinity for the topics she covers. "I just really have always been a curious person." Both of Jenn's parents served in the military, which exposed her to many different areas of the country growing up. She considers Yorktown, Virginia to be her hometown. "Growing up, I had a hard time choosing what I wanted to be," she recalls. "I couldn't pick one thing that I wanted to do. en in high school, I joined the school newspaper." It was an eye-opening moment for the budding journalist. The Woman Behind Great Falls' Independent News Source A Jenn is always ready for the next headline! Keeping residents informed and engaged is at the heart of Jenn's work.