Ten years ago today (January 8), we had a theory — that local news could be delivered with integrity and timeliness — and free of charge to the reader.

And so on January 8, 2009, The Ticker was born, first as an offshoot of the Traverse City Business News, as a once-a-week email to just over 1,000 locals. Our very first email showcased Lil Bo’s then new owner Nancy Freund. Then in 2010, encouraged by brisk advertising sales, we expanded to twice per week. Then by 2011 it became apparent The Ticker was here to stay, so we expanded to our current daily email format backed by The Ticker web site.

Today more than 33,000 individuals subscribe to and see our news emails from everywhere from Grawn to Afghanistan, from the British Virgin Islands to Mackinac Island, though most of our most loyal readers hail from right in and around Traverse City. Thank you to our trusted advertisers, staff, and readers who continue to make it all happen a decade later.