About MercerMe
MercerMe exists to inform, connect, and serve Hopewell Valley through independent, reliable reporting. In a time of shrinking local coverage, we’ve been the daily news source our community can count on — powered by supporters, not paywalls.
Over 20,000 readers turn to MercerMe every month. Are you one of them?
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Our Story
Recent Achievements
| 2025: | Welcomed Seth Siditsky as our first full-time editor, dramatically enhancing the depth, quality, and responsiveness of our local news coverage. Selected for the NJ Civic Information Consortium’s Growth Accelerator, unlocking new resources to amplify our mission and service. |
| 2024: | Participated in the NJ Civic Information Consortium’s Technology & Sustainability Accelerator, upgrading our digital presences and operational efficiency. Underwent a comprehensive LION Publishers audit, with strategic recommendations slated for implementation in 2025 to strengthen our operations and deepen community impact. |
Major Milestones
| 2023: | Marked a decade as Hopewell Valley’s trusted local news source, celebrating our community-driven journalism. |
| 2019: | Transitioned to a reader-supporter model, directly involving our community in sustaining local journalism. Expanded editorial leadership with Amie Rukenstein stepping in as volunteer editor, enabling focused growth and strategic partnerships. |
| 2014: | Secured a Grow & Strengthen grant from the Center for Cooperative Media, affirming our commitment to impactful journalism. |
| 2013: | MercerMe launched, driven by Mary’s vision to provide dedicated, hyperlocal news coverage to Hopewell Valley. |
This timeline reflects our commitment to keeping Hopewell Valley informed and engaged. With 10 years of trusted reporting, MercerMe remains at the heart of the community, fueled by its readers and supporters.
Our Mission
MercerMe is committed to delivering free, trusted, and comprehensive daily news for Hopewell Valley. As the region’s only consistent news source, we keep residents informed, engaged, and connected by telling the community’s stories and providing essential coverage of local government, community issues, and events. We champion community journalism as a cornerstone of an informed public and a healthy democracy.
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Colleen Murphy
Colleen Murphy is a legal journalist who covered Pennington and local business news for MercerMe before joining Law.com and the New Jersey Law Journal, where she reported on high-profile litigation, judicial appointments, and legal policy. Her work has earned six journalism awards for excellence in legal reporting. She now writes for NJ.com as part of NJ Advance Media and lives in Hopewell, New Jersey, with her family and their puppy.
Deborah Howlett
Deborah Howlett is the founder of New Jersey State House News Service, a nonprofit news organization that mentors and trains the next generation of journalists interested in covering government and politics. A lecturer in journalism and digital media at Rutgers University, she is a former journalist for USA Today, The (Newark) Star-Ledger and MercerMe. A native of Portland, Ore., she’s lived in Pennington, NJ, for 21 years and her children attended Hopewell Valley schools. She served as president of the Hopewell Valley Lacrosse youth league and spends her free time cooking, reading and stewing over several non-fiction writing projects.
Sarah Gross
Sarah is a student studying Journalism & Mass Communications and Environmental Studies at The George Washington University where she is a Staff Writer for The GW Hatchet newspaper and the Written Content Director for the GW Fashion and Business Association. Sarah is originally from Pennington, NJ and a graduate of Hopewell Valley Central High School. When she is not writing, you can find her petting any animal that comes her way or scouting out the best iced dirty chai lattes in town.
Madeline Ference
Madeline Ference started as an intern for MercerMe in 2018 and continued writing for the publication through mid-2019. She is currently the senior social media specialist at NJ Spotlight News, but her work can also be found in The Bergen Record/NorthJersey.com and Hearst Connecticut Media Group's network of publications.
Angela Jacobs
Angela Jacobs was a writer for MercerMe for two years (2016-2018). In that time, she covered many Hopewell and Lawrenceville Board of Education meetings, Hopewell Township meetings and community events for MercerMe. Whether she was writing about the Emerald Ash Borer, a store opening, or district budget, it was all time well spent and an honor to write for the publication! Though she no longer writes for MercerMe, due to health issues, she’s been an ardent supporter and reader, ever since. Angela has lived in Hopewell Township since 1998 with her partner of 25 years and has two adult children. She also has a guitar that makes her feel guilty every day when she doesn’t pick it up, a lonely cockatiel that yells when she leaves the room, and two of the best napping dogs in New Jersey.
Angela Fee-Maimon
Angela Fee-Maimon (she/her) lives in Hopewell Borough with her husband and children. She enjoys gardening, writing, daydreaming, exploring local trails, and researching her Appalachian roots. She works part-time at the circulation desk of the West Windsor branch library and is happiest when the library is buzzing with patrons.
