AroundPtown.com was started in 2015 by Dan Eyrich, a Prophetstown native with a 20-year career as a TV photojournalist. He credits his son Josh for the idea of bringing news and information to a small town on a web platform. It is very unique for a small community to have such a resource. After beginning to cover local activities on Facebook, Dan decided to move his endeavor to the web and make it a full-time job.
In 2023, Dan and his wife, Sue, moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to be closer to their grandchildren as they look forward to retirement. The business was sold to Janel Stahr of Rock Falls, who also owns and operates Stahr Media, along with her husband, Nathan. While their business focuses on website user experience and development, print graphic design and marketing, they both have a rich history in and passion for the news business.
After meeting while both employed for the local newspaper, Janel went on to work for an agri-business magazine company and together they ran a weekly entertainment newspaper for two years. While getting started with Stahr Media, they also designed, edited and wrote for a local monthly newspaper. From 2010-2020, Nathan served as the IT director at PLT CUSD #3.
Janel and Nathan can almost always be found within 3 feet of each other – usually commenting on politics and the news, of course – and they wouldn’t have it any other way! They reside in Rock Falls with their son, Quinn; their dog, Emmy; and their cats, Ozzy and Pixel. Their daughter, Grace, and her husband, Miguel, are finishing school in Platteville, Wisconsin, and plan to move back to the Sauk Valley area after graduation.
The goal of AroundPtown.com is and always has been to serve the local area with the most accurate information available, allowing citizens to be well-informed on issues that affect them.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any comments, questions or concerns.
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