When I decided to run for mayor this past August, I knew my relationship with the Statesboro Herald would change and it did. For almost 10 years, I had written an "Inside Bulloch Business" column each week as well as a business news story.

Once the election cycle began, I just wrote the column each week and Al Hackle took over the production of the business news story.

Let me say that I think Al has done a wonderful job. In fact, I have been congratulated numerous times over the last several months for the work he has been doing, because my readers just assumed it was mine.

When complimented, I would laugh and say, "Didn't you notice that the stories have been better lately?" The response I usually got was, "Yeah, isn't that something considering how busy you must be." Sorry, Al, I tried.

Anyway, I would like to thank Al for stepping in and doing a wonderful job, and I am excited to announce that he is going to continue in that role.

As far as the weekly column that I write, I am going to continue to write it every other week on a freelance basis. As I said in a letter to the editor in this past Sunday's paper, I will no longer be an employee of the Statesboro Herald and will not be its business editor.

I will miss it, because serving as business editor has been one of the most gratifying jobs I have ever held. I had the absolute pleasure of getting to know our business community from the inside out and was afforded great access to it.

I have laughed over the years about how much I have been told "off the record" that I could not report — so much so that publisher Jim Healy said if I were to report everything that I had been told, it would be the greatest selling paper of all time, and also the last.

Thank you for your support of the business section, and I promise it only has better days to come.

So, until next Tuesday, I bid you au revoir.

Got a scoop for Jan? Email her at: jmoore@statesboroherald.com