Always Last... To Breaking News!
Columns and essays from the publisher and staff of The Farmington Mercury
Patch and The Farmington Mercury covered the same arrest log last week. The difference is the difference between the two outlets: a business built on programmatic ads and reader tracking, and one…
Peter Cellino·Jun 16, 2026
Federal shutdown enters day 24. Connecticut faces $14.3B in federal funding risk. State prepares emergency backfill as SNAP deadline looms. November 1 brings a crisis point. Surplus may not survive.
Jack Beckett·Oct 26, 2025
Federal policy changes and what they mean for Farmington and Connecticut residents.
Jack Beckett·Oct 19, 2025
Dinesh D’Souza’s 2000 Mules fed election conspiracy theories with debunked data. Why memes, not facts, convinced millions. 🐴
Jack Beckett·Dec 5, 2024
Learn why The Farmington Mercury rejects Google Ads and what Canada’s battle against Big Tech reveals about monopolies crushing local journalism. #WeAreFarmington
Jack Beckett·Dec 3, 2024
“Brain rot” is 2024’s Oxford Word of the Year, a fitting roast of our obsession with endless scrolling 📱. Dive into the digital decay 🍿 and what it says about us. 👀
Jack Beckett·Dec 3, 2024
Only 25% of Americans love their local news, and we aim to fix that. Thank you, Farmington Storage (the only place in Connecticut with museum air), for making good journalism breathable!
Jack Beckett·Nov 18, 2024
Florida banned 700+ books in schools this year, erasing critical voices. Censorship stifles democracy and empathy. Fight for the freedom to read! 📖❌ Learn more.
Jack Beckett·Nov 17, 2024
Local news has a future—and it’s more than clickbait. Discover how The Farmington Mercury, with inspiration from Don Lemon, is pioneering meaningful journalism in Farmington, CT. #LocalNews
Jack Beckett·Nov 9, 2024
Local News Can Survive: Here’s How We’re Making It Happen Why Hyper-Local Journalism and Community Engagement Are Our Answers to the Media Crisis Hello Mercury readers, This past week, Charlotte…
Peter Cellino·Nov 7, 2024
Breaking news burnout? 📉 See why The Farmington Mercury is choosing depth over speed and redefining local journalism. Sometimes last place is exactly where you want to be.
Peter Cellino·Nov 1, 2024
SCOTUS backs Virginia’s purge of nearly 1,800 voters days before Election Day, despite NVRA’s 90-day rule. Here’s what this means for voting rights nationwide.
Peter Cellino·Oct 31, 2024
The 1984 Indiana Bloody Eighth recount changed American politics, inspiring Newt Gingrich’s combative GOP tactics and shaping election battles today.
Peter Cellino·Oct 26, 2024
Read a Damn Book, America—Before It’s Too Late By Jack Beckett Farmington Mercury Alright, America. Let’s talk. In a country that’s managed to invent fast food delivery, binge-watch entire seasons in…
Jack Beckett·Oct 7, 2024
Americans aren’t reading enough, and it’s wrecking our democracy. Reading more is essential for informed voting. Special thanks to Farmington Storage, where your unread books stay fresh!
Jack Beckett·Oct 6, 2024
Forget being fake nice or bluntly awful. Radical Candor teaches leaders how to lead better. Thanks, Farmington Storage, for being the only facility with museum air, which our writer may need. 🏛️
Jack Beckett·Oct 5, 2024
Struggling to tell Bob he’s terrible at his job? We’ve got you covered! Learn how to give feedback without crying. Thanks to Farmington Storage for holding all your emotional baggage 📦…
Henry Whitfield·Oct 4, 2024
Tired of your general election options? That’s because you missed the primaries, where the real choices are made. Voting in primaries is how we get better candidates (and museum-quality air at…
Jack Beckett·Oct 1, 2024
Americans aren’t reading enough, and it’s damaging democracy. Here’s why reading more is essential for informed voting and why primaries matter.
Jack Beckett·Oct 1, 2024
Tired of clickbait? So are we. Discover why The Farmington Mercury is “Always Last… to Breaking News” and how we’re giving slow journalism a caffeine-fueled makeover ☕️.
Peter Cellino·Sep 23, 2024
Banned Books Week 2024: What’s worse than book burning? Book banning. Stand with Farmington as we defend our right to read. Thanks to Farmington Storage (museum air included!)
Jack Beckett·Sep 22, 2024
📚 Cutting classics into bite-sized pieces? Our schools are starving students of the full story. Let’s end the shortcut culture and get back to real reading—books and brains deserve better!
Peter Cellino·Sep 17, 2024
Farmington’s identity is under threat with another bland faux colonial home on the market. Discover why this trend is diluting our town’s charm. 🏠➡️💤
Jack Beckett·Jul 18, 2024
Coffee shops struggle with low margins, prompting some to consider subscription models to boost revenue. Explore this emerging trend and its financial implications.
Jack Beckett·Jun 9, 2024
