To MendoFever’s Esteemed Readers-
My name is Matt LaFever and I am the overworked, sole operator behind MendoFever. I got my start writing about the Emerald Triangle approximately two years ago when I started Cold Case Mendocino. Kym Kemp of Redheaded Blackbelt took a chance and started publishing my work, KMUD News brought me on board, and I have expanded my repertoire ever since.
I started MendoFever in July 2020. It was something I’d thought about: “Maybe I could run my own news site?” Doubt, imposter syndrome, intrusive negative thoughts would creep in and I’d move on. But, as they say, “Times make the man.” In the early morning of July 20, 2020 I received reports of the tragic and destructive Downtown Covelo fire. I wrote an article and that became MendoFever’s first breaking story. I’ve been working to cover important stories in Mendocino County since.
Where does MendoFever lie in the tapestry of local Mendocino County media? The Mendocino Voice has the environmental beat down pat. The Anderson Valley Advertiser works hard to bust our local leaders’ proverbial chops. Danilla Sands and her passion project Mendocino Action News reports on that scanner till the cows come home. Legacy periodicals like Willits News, Fort Bragg Advocate, and the Ukiah Daily Journal work hard to deliver their product on a lean staff and budget.
MendoFever is a skiff in the small harbor of Mendocino County. A single-man newsroom makes for a light and agile craft. I’ll turn on a dime moving freely between reporting on overdoses during COVID lockdowns, corruption in local law enforcement, to the missing and murdered peoples of Mendo.
At the heart of local journalism is relationships. My neighbors and friends are the subjects I cover. I drive around Mendocino County and I think about what I can write about that could lead to a better life for me, my family, and my neighbors.
If you have found MendoFever to be a useful local resource, please consider donating to the endeavor by using the PayPal link below or right sight of the page. If you are opposed to using PayPal, email me and other ways you can donate can definitely happen.
What are some other ways your can support MendoFever? Remember me when you’re driving around the county and see a newsworthy event. Snap a picture, take a video, send me an email/Facebook message
Other ways you can help? You can 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.
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
