The Chesterton Town Council passed the 2021 salary ordinance, and with it, created a new position at its meeting last night. The position: Public Affairs Liaison.

The Council then voted unanimously to appoint local news legend Kevin Nevers, who has reported for the Chesterton Tribune for over 20 years, to the new position.

“I love the Town of Chesterton and I love the people who work for the Town of Chesterton,” Nevers told the Tribune. “They’re absolutely dedicated and professional, they’re great team players, and it will be an honor and a joy to work with them and alongside them.”

The Chesterton Tribune announced on Dec. 16 that it would cease print publication on Dec. 30 after 136 years of continuous publication under independent owners. The Tribune is the longest continuously publishing newspaper in the Region. The future of an online version is still under discussion.

“The loss of the Chesterton Tribune is a grievous one, but I’m delighted by the Town Council and Town Manager’s desire to keep residents in the know, and thrilled to be able to continue delivering news to folks,” Nevers added.

Nevers reported he hopes to make the Town’s Facebook page an information hub for the same kind of news residents have been getting from the Tribune for the past 136 years--meeting coverage, breaking news, notifications/bulletins, and community event updates--though not in as much detail.

Going forward, the Town’s public affairs liaison will: respond to media inquiries and update the Town’s social media accounts with important information such as road closures, power outages, water main breaks, weather emergencies, and vital actions taken by the Town.

The public affairs liaison will also serve as the first point of contact for the Town Manager, promote events being held in municipal venues, engage in public outreach, liaise with various local agencies, write the occasional blog about the Town’s history or another topic of interest, and take on special projects as directed by the Council or Town Manager, according to the job description.

Council member Jim Ton took a moment at the end of the meeting to remember the Tribune. “There’s not much I can say about the paper leaving us. They’ve been good to this Town for a long, long time,” Ton said. “Kevin has reported excellently. We’re gonna miss it, I don’t know what to say other than that fact.”