An Introduction

Dubuque Patch is a hub of local news and information for and about Dubuque — and we're launching soon! We're a new business in town and you'll be seeing a lot of us: our editor and contributors will be all over Dubuque with their laptops, cell phones and cameras, listening to people and covering what they care about. Our mission is simple: to make people's lives better by providing quick and easy access to the local news and information that is most relevant to them. Once we're open you'll be able to find us right here at dubuque.patch.com. Here's a taste of what you'll find on the site:

News

Dubuque Patch's approach to news is professional, passionate, energetic and totally local. Our reporters, stringers and columnists will not only cover local government and school-board issues, but also Little League games, events around town and, of course, breaking news. And our stories, photos and videos will go online in minutes—not days.

Information

Dubuque Patch is much more than a news site. It will also include a comprehensive events calendar, restaurant reviews, and a rich directory of all of Dubuque's important places. We want to be the place you go to find a dentist, a mechanic, an activity for the kids, or the name of the official to call for a building permit or to make a noise complaint. And our listings won't be skimpy Yellow-Pages stuff—we'll provide detailed information like maps, products sold and even photos of every business. (If you're a business who wants to be listed, let us know.)

You

We're hopeful that our site will make the Dubuque community stronger, but we can't do it without you. We're building Dubuque Patch so you'll have plenty of opportunities to comment on stories, share your opinions, post photos and announcements and even add events to our community calendar.

Community

You can't truly serve a community unless you're giving it the help it needs most. Giving back to Dubuque is hugely important to us. We'll do it both as part of our coverage —in a dedicated area on the site that lets local charities and willing volunteers find each other—and also with a program we call "Give 5", through which we'll provide free advertising space to charitable organizations and donate our own time as volunteers in the Dubuque community.

Who's running this thing?

Every Patch site is staffed with a full-time, professional journalist who acts as reporter, editor and all-around manager. In addition, we use a small army of contributors. If you are a journalist who lives in the area and has significant experience with community reporting and online news, send us an email with your resume.

When can I start using the site?

We're getting set to open our doors in a few weeks. If you want to be alerted when our site goes live, send us your email using the form below. (We won't use it for anything else, we promise—see our privacy policy)

See you soon!