The Middlesboro News welcomes its newest reporter, Elizabeth Manning.

Raised in Tazewell, Tennessee, Manning has visited Middlesboro her whole life. She has a bachelors degree in Media Communication from Lincoln Memorial University.

Manning is a former employee of WVLT Channel 8 out of Knoxville, Tennessee.

“Living in Tazewell with a commute to Knoxville five days a week just wasn’t worth it. I needed to work closer to home,” Manning said. She said the open reporter position at the newspaper was a sign that it was time to her to be closer to home.

“It feels good to be working for a small-town newspaper, it’s definitely a lot calmer than a city like Knoxville,” said Manning. “I am very excited and a little nervous to be starting at Middlesboro News, but I’m very thankful to be given this opportunity.”

Middlesboro News Regional Editor Jeff Moreland said Manning will be a good fit for the community.

“We are excited to have Elizabeth join our staff. She’s very familiar with the area, and her education from LMU make her a perfect fit for our paper. I know she will serve our readers and the community well and provide them with valuable information and entertaining feature stories,” Moreland said.