Introducing Boise Patch: Trusted, Speedy, Daily, Free News

BOISE, ID— In response to the need for independent news coverage, free of charge, the Boise edition of Patch is here.

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Boise has experienced tremendous growth. With growth comes the need for knowledge of your community. Is the park in the north end receiving new playground equipment? Is the family business on the bench truly calling it quits? Are those new apartments off Broadway just for BSU students or can anyone apply?

A fresh option to local and community news is needed in Boise. Patch is the answer to finding the date for your neighborhood association meeting. Why is your commute to work snarled by sewer repair? Patch knows.

Boise Patch joins more than 1,200 Patch communities across the United States, in all 50 states. Like Boise, communities found stories were being missed due to media budget cuts and layoffs. Boise Patch is here to report on community events: the junior high student receiving a national award for volunteer efforts, the neighborhood association raising money for new playground equipment.

Patch is growing. We can continue that growth through the consistent individual support of members and buy-in from the local businesses in Boise. Like any journalistic endeavor, support from the community ensures success.

We will never require you to pay for our content. Nothing is more irritating than clicking on a story only to find you have already used your three free stories for the month. We hope you view Boise Patch as worthy of a small financial support.

For as little as $5 a month — roughly the cost of a soft drink at a Bronco game — you can have an immediate impact in boosting this exciting new institution. Our options for support are accessible through Stripe, and are specifically designed to promote easy, small donations, with monthly gifts of $5 or $10 and annual gifts of $50 or $100.

We are also actively seeking local businesses to invest in our concept as sponsors, with the promise of providing top-notch local advertising not only to a wide, high-caliber audience in Boise, but across our national network of Patch communities. Our largest sponsorship packages are also simple and cost-efficient, while offering more bells and whistles than you will be able to find anywhere else in Boise. For business owners who may not see a need or market for advertising, donations are also an effective way to improve your local business climate and show good faith that you are invested in the community you serve.

For those who would rather not invest financially, we also offer the option to simply sign up for our free email newsletters and breaking news alerts. No cost, no gimmicks. For those who like their news delivered directly to their mobile device or smartphone, the Patch mobile app — available for free download in the Apple and Android app stores — is a cutting-edge platform that will allow you to search news in other Patch communities, while receiving daily push notifications for our breaking news products as they are published in Boise. You can also follow us on Facebook for the latest.

I have over 15 years in journalism working on daily newspapers and weeklies. This form of community news is the future. The simple act of notifying people of a community picnic is the past of traditional newspapers, but the future of Boise Patch.

It's my hope you will find some way to invest in Boise Patch and help us grow to become a pillar of community service as we continue our mission to inform those we serve at no cost.

John L. Braese is the community publisher for Boise Patch. A graduate of Borah High School many years ago, Braese went on to the University of Idaho. Braese has garnered numerous state and national awards in journalism. To contact Braese with news tips or advertising inquires, email john.braese@patch.com.