Ak Chin O'odham Runner

Notable work and positions

Ak-Chin Indian Community - Tribal community newspaper

Biography

The Ak-Chin O'odham Runner is the tribal newspaper of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, located in the Santa Cruz Valley of southern Arizona, about 35 miles south of Phoenix in Pinal County. First published in March 1987, it began as a newsletter-style tabloid and was edited by Ruth Ann Simmons; the publication moved to a broadsheet newsprint format in November 2014. The Runner is issued on the first and third Friday of each month and covers community events, education, sports, profiles of community leaders and residents, and news about the community's enterprises, with copies distributed to community residents, tribal departments and surrounding businesses and subscribers. In December 2017, the newspaper marked its 30th anniversary with a private community event featuring a short documentary film on its history. As of the anniversary observance, the newspaper's staff included editor Raychel Peters, three photojournalists, two graphic artists and a news assistant.