We are not affiliated with Laura Chesner in any way

A former employee of the Robertson County News, Laura Chesner, has suggested that the Robertson County News is affiliated with her blog or website. We want to clarify that we are not connected to anything she is currently working on, nor will we have any affiliation with her projects in the future.

Chesner left the Robertson County News on February 1, the same day I returned to the newspaper. She informed me that her goal was to start a newspaper; however, it is actually just a subscription-based website, not a traditional newspaper.

A newspaper includes a USPS permit number for second-class periodical mail related to subscriptions. A newspaper is a printed product published on a daily, semi-weekly, or weekly schedule. In contrast, a magazine is typically published on a monthly schedule. While you might have a blog or a website—either one or both—these do not qualify as newspapers. Chesner has consistently misled people by making this distinction unclear, including during a public address to the City of Calvert at a council meeting where she stated she had a newspaper while looking for office space to lease from the city.

I have received inquiries from several business owners in Robertson County asking why I am associated with Chesner’s website. The answer is simple: we are not affiliated in any way. However, Chesner continues to mislead business owners, hoping to leverage the reputation of this newspaper to benefit herself, sell advertising, or raise revenue.

She continues to “hound” as one business owner stated for money in the form of sponsorships, subscriptions and advertising sales.

First, to my valued customers and readers, I want to express my gratitude for bringing this matter to my attention, and I encourage you to continue doing so. The reputation of the Robertson County News is something I hold dear, and it has been earned and maintained with care. Unfortunately, I have now decided to classify the recent situation as a scam, where someone is soliciting money inappropriately while invoking the name of the newspaper as well as my name.

A few years ago, Chesner, while working for the newspaper, stole three checks from the newspaper business checkbook. Owner at the time, Jim Moser instructed me to terminate her employment and file criminal charges but I did not have the heart to do it, so I settled for termination while her mother repaid what was stolen. Chesner cashed one of the three checks at a local convenience store.

Her attempt to cash the second check is when I became informed of the situation. A Bryan clerk at a check cashing store contacted me with video footage as well as Chesner’s ID that she left behind in her haste once she had been discovered by the store’s employee for attempting to pass a forged check. The third check was uncashed and I recovered that from Chesner herself later that afternoon.

Local police Chief Thomas Williams who I had contacted followed up with me that day to make sure I did not want to prosecute, and even now, I would like to think that I would make the same decision that I made back then.

In 2020, when I purchased the paper, Teresa and I decided to give Chesner another chance. I believe in forgiveness and second chances, as I have had a few myself. So, Chesner resumed her duties as a freelance writer, and everything was going well—until now.

Business owners have approached me to say that they “heard” I was going out of business, and that information seems to have originated from Chesner, who is misrepresenting herself as my employee. After all, she has been with us for years. I trained her and gave her a second chance. As I write this, I feel somewhat foolish, but I still believe I made the right decision.

When Chesner decided to branch off and pursue her own endeavors, I advised her to be honest with the public. Unfortunately, this advice seems to have been ignored, as confirmed by several business owners who, on two occasions, have fallen for the deception and either given money or purchased ads, believing they were working with the Robertson County News. Other business owners have reached out to me to “double-check” before making a decision, only to find out the truth.

I want to be clear, I really don’t care if she has a website, does her own thing, whatever. What I do care about is this newspaper and my readers and my customers, enough is enough.