Drew Atkinson

(which may or may not stand for "son of boss") who started as a newspaper carrier and has swept the floors, worked in the mailroom, as a printer's devil and in the pressroom, sold ads, written obituaries and headlines, covered school boards, town councils, and state legislatures, and was once even shot at while covering a story.

Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA consists of three small publishing and media groups: Arizona, Delmarva, and Florida. Like the other two groups, INI Florida is made up of people who share a set of deeply felt values. We care deeply about journalistic service, high ethical standards, and each other. We work hard because what we do is so important. And we have a lot of fun celebrating our successes because we feel good about what we are doing. The company is owned by a unique nonprofit trust that is designed to preserve INI's independence and journalistic mission forever. There are no other stockholders and no outside investors. This company exists to serve, not to exploit or be exploited. We serve our communities by reporting the news with purposeful neutrality , promoting community participation, and honoring the accomplishments of volunteers. On the opinion pages, we facilitate the community's discussion of local issues instead of pushing our own agenda. We have an insatiable appetite for local content; we intend to be the main provider of local news and advertising in every one of our communities. INI Florida is a meritocracy. Its people run the company. They earn positions of leadership by working hard, producing results, and helping to build our culture of journalistic service, continuous improvement, and shared leadership. They rise through the ranks because of what they accomplish, not who they know. This is no place for inflated egos and stuffed shirts; our people take t

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CONTRIBUTION : By fulfilling our mission and living our values, we will elevate the level of citizenship in our communities. IDEAL : We will earn respect for our service to our communities, our ethical standards, our relationships with people, the value we offer our customers, our innovations and purposefulness, and our business success.

CONTRIBUTION : By fulfilling our mission and living our values, we will elevate the level of citizenship in our communities. EXCELLENCE : We will excel because our people share our values and are committed to achieving excellence for themselves and for the organization. VITALITY : We will maintain our basic values and purposes, while continuously changing everything else to meet changing needs. STABILITY : We will manage conservatively to ensure the company's continuity and preserve its independence. GROWTH : We will expand when our existing operations are sound and when the expansion makes sense for us and for the communities we serve. IDEAL : We will earn respect for our service to our communities, our ethical standards, our relationships with people, the value we offer our customers, our innovations and purposefulness, and our business success. In so doing, we will provide a worthy model for the industry and a source of inspiration to all whose paths we cross.

Posted Thursday, November 5, 2020 11:21 am YES 77% | 135939 votes NO 23% | 39477 votes Shall Judge Drew Atkinson of the 2nd District Court of Appeal be retained in office? Other items that may interest you

Posted Thursday, November 5, 2020 11:21 am YES 77% | 135939 votes NO 23% | 39477 votes Shall Judge Drew Atkinson of the 2nd District Court of Appeal be retained in office? Other items that may interest you

SERVICE : We strive to help our communities become better places in which to live and work through our dedication to conscientious journalism, and by providing a vigorous advertising marketplace. ETHICS : We intend to be a company of which we can all be proud, known for its integrity, fairness, and

SERVICE : We strive to help our communities become better places in which to live and work through our dedication to conscientious journalism, and by providing a vigorous advertising marketplace. ETHICS : We intend to be a company of which we can all be proud, known for its integrity, fairness, and respect for others. Our business relationships are built on honesty, service, quality products, and value. We seek all-win relationships. We believe we can be successful without victimizing anybody. VALUE : We strive to provide our customers with valued products and services at competitive prices. We are constantly in search of ways to improve the value and service that we provide, and to increase our effectiveness and efficiency. IMPROVEMENT : We set only one goal: continuous improvement. But we do lots of measuring of trends, so we also know how we are doing. CONSULTATIVE SALES : We reject manipulative sales approaches in favor of a consultative approach. RESOURCES : We make maximum use of our resources and capabilities to pursue our mission. We abhor waste. We continuously seek to improve quality and efficiency. We intend to continue to be environmentally responsible. EQUIPMENT : We take pride in getting optimum performance from our equipment through careful use and good maintenance. We stand ready to upgrade or replace our equipment whenever such an investment can be cost-justified. SUPPLIERS : We want our outside advisors and suppliers to be committed and valued partners in ou

View this issue Browse other issues Current Conditions Observed from: Okeechobee County Airport Partly Cloudy, 88 °F A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm.

View this issue Browse other issues Current Conditions Observed from: Okeechobee County Airport Partly Cloudy, 88 °F A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts … Get the full forecast lakeonews.com Okeechobee 313 NW 4th Avenue Okeechobee FL, 34972 (863) 763-3134 Circulation: (888) 665-3848 customerservice@iniusa.org Our Services Advertise with Us Contact Us Find Lake Okeechobee News Find Hendry County News Our History Privacy Policy Copyright Terms of Use Public Notices Work for Us Our Vision & Values About Us Start a Digital Subscription Lake Okeechobee News archives Our Communities Okeechobee Clewiston Glades County LaBelle Immokalee Belle Glade/Pahokee Indiantown © Copyright 2026 Independent Newsmedia Inc. Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions x

PEOPLE: We intend to excel by attracting and encouraging people who share our values and are committed to achieving excellence (for themselves and for the organization).

MISSION: We attempt to publish purposeful newspapers that encourage and support meaningful community involvement, and that provide citizens with the knowledge and participation they need to make rational decisions about public issues. SERVICE: We operate each of our newspapers as a public trust, in the public interest. We believe that our dedication to conscientious journalism is the best way we can help each of our communities become a better place to live and work. We achieve success by helping our readers, advertisers and communities become more successful. ETHICS: We are committed to upholding high ethical standards in all of our dealings. We attempt to treat every individual (inside the company and outside) with courtesy and respect. PEOPLE: We intend to excel by attracting and encouraging people who share our values and are committed to achieving excellence (for themselves and for the organization). STRENGTH : While our mission is our driving force, we recognize that we must earn sufficient profits to ensure the company's continuity, independence, and growth. Since no dividends are paid, the company is able to thrive on profit margins below industry standards. All after-tax surpluses are reinvested in Independent's mission of journalistic service, commitment to the ideals of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and support of the community's deliberation of public issues.