People of Question Mark,

Never before have I seen this town—this country—so divided by uncertainty and purposeful misinformation. And although our beloved local newspaper, The Question Mark Sentinel, ceased publication in September 2022, I believe citizens have a right to know and access the many events that have shaped this town.

The Sentinel began publishing in 1932 under the editorial eye of Samuel Lindholm Sr. in order to hold local government accountable and to shed a light on the critical challenges facing this community. Through war, economic challenges, local elections, and cultural turning points, The Sentinel helped this town better understand itself and its relationship to the rest of the world.

And then, in September of 2022, the challenges that shuttered many newspapers across this country finally came for The Sentinel. It was a loss, for the region, for Question Mark, for all of us. The Sentinel shone a light in the darkness of this town more than once and, as its final Editor-in-Chief, I worry what darkness grows here since The Sentinel's end.

I believe that understanding the past is a key element of charting a course forward and so, as we continue to struggle with questions about this town’s past and future, I am very pleased to announce that a broad selection of stories from The Question Mark Sentinel’s 90 year history is now searchable through a recently-updated archive. Thank you to Ms. Gabby Peters for all her help and expertise with this important civic project.

I hope that our new archive aids you in better understanding this moment in time that Question Mark finds itself in, and that, to paraphrase the words our founder Samuel Lindholm Sr. wrote so many years ago, from out of our current darkness will come the light.