This is the first issue of the year for your award-winning weekly newspaper Looking back briefly at 2016, it was a tough year for our staff.

It was some year! Reporter Bob Burns battled an illness that began with a cough, which turned into bronchitis and then pneumonia. He was in the hospital for over three weeks.

Now this is a guy that had previously not taken many sick days in his 30 years with the company.

Special Publications Editor Linda McThrall took a tumble on our front steps resulting in a wrist that required surgery and a cracked pelvis. She was out of work from July 19 through the end of August.

Then we had the most unusual day in our company’s 44-year history. The entire staff except Linda were out with the flu.

And then there was me. I feel as if the Mayo Clinic has become my second home. I had pneumonia and the flu requiring four days of treatment in the hospital.

The most recent trip to the hospital was when I had internal bleeding in December. When my son, Brent, and my wife, Diane, took me to the hospital. my hemoglobin count was 4.3. It was 14.5 when I went for my annual physical some three months earlier. My general practitioner said if I had not gone in when I did, I probably would have been dead by Monday.

As for the newspaper contests, we received a fourth place in the General Excellence category from the National Newspaper Association and a first place from the Arizona Newspaper Association in the best Classified Section for all non-dailies in the state.

Duke Kirkendoll received a third place award in the Best Color Ad Series.

At our company Christmas luncheon I asked everyone to give Ryan Winslett a big hand for the fine job he is doing as editor since he was promoted a year ago.

I then told all of our staff members that I was going to make a major announcement.

I’m going to semi-retire in 2017. You would think I have already done this, because I have missed so many days at the office because of travel to see the grandkids and health concerns.

I’ve been lucky because I’ve never done damage to my Deep Brain Stimulator or any circuitry due to a fall. I came close on our most recent trip to Las Vegas. On Christmas Day, we took grandson Camden to a playground. I turned my ankle when I stepped on the edge of the raised rubberized walkway. I took a tumble and on the way down I hit the side of my head on a 4x4 inch wooden post.

My battery pack in my chest took a direct hit. I went to the doctor when I got home to get everything checked out. I didn’t think anything was wrong but I wanted to be sure.

So who’s going to run the company? At the outset, you probably won’t see many differences. I plan to operate remotely when I am out of the office.

I have appointed my son, Brent, as assistant publisher. Kip Kirkendoll will remain as general manager. They will be making the day-to-day decisions. I will still have final say on anything major.

Brent has been working at the newspaper since 1996. He originally handled the dark room duties. He was in the first graduating class of Fountain HiIls High School in 1994. He studied photography for one year in New York City.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from the University of Phoenix in 2014.

Brent has been selling advertising for the company’s various publications for 19 years. With his new position, he will continue in sales and he will be developing our social media presence and new marketing programs.

I will continue my column at least two times each month. And I plan to be in the office at least one week per month.

After 44 years of running this publication and being involved in the community, I just couldn’t stop working altogether.