Dear Readers of MendoFever and Mendocino County residents:
My name is Matt LaFever and I am the sole reporter behind MendoFever.
A little about me: I have lived in Mendocino County for eight years and the Emerald Triangle for 15. I graduated from Humboldt State University with an English Education degree. I teach full time at Ukiah High School. I am a member of Mendocino County Search and Rescue. At root, I work to live a life of service.
I began my writing career researching cold cases and missing people in Mendocino County. I created a page called Cold Case Mendocino where I set out to tell the stories of the county’s missing and murdered people.
This endeavor led me to collaborate and being mentored by Kym Kemp, the reporter behind Redheaded Blackbelt. Reporters run in small circles and soon I collaborated with Paul McCartney of MendocinoSportsPlus, Lauren Schmitt and Tanya Horlick of KMUD, and other local journalists.
I have come to realize that in a place like Mendocino County where our nearest neighbor can be miles away, I want to help in keeping our county connected.
Across the board, I have been humbled by the trust and support so many readers and community members have shown me as I have experimented, explored, and engaged with the community.
I started MendoFever on July 18, 2020 breaking the story of the Downtown Covelo Fires (which remain unresolved to this day). Since then, I try to publish at least once per day information that could be valuable to the residents of Mendocino County.
Fundamentally, I believe this information should be available to all. Readers will never experience a paywall nor intrusive paid subscription requests. That being said, I have been asked by some readers to provide an opportunity for them to financially contribute to my labors.
MendoFever readers will start to notice a PayPal donate button on the site (like the one below). If my reporting has provided a broader perspective on our county, been a help to you, or ever been of value to you in some way. please consider donating.
If you are unable to financially support MendoFever but would like to help, follow my website by pressing the “Follow” button, following or liking MendoFever’s Facebook page, and leaving a review are other ways you can support my endeavor.
Again, thank you, readers, for your support and trust. MendoFever strives to keep the community informed across the vast vistas that make up our home.
Reach out if you know a story that needs to be told.
-Matt LaFever, Editor and Sole Reporter behind MendoFever, matthewplafever@gmail.com
