Nobody else is in the room anymore.
When the Owosso council moves money, when a school board changes a policy, when a road closes — someone has to be paying attention. In this county, that's us. And we give away everything we find, free, to every neighbor.
🌳 One member, one tree — planted right here.
For every member who joins, we plant one tree in Shiawassee County. Not a donation to a faraway fund — a tree in the ground, in the county, planted each planting season. Your membership keeps the news free for every neighbor and leaves something growing behind.
- Keeps every story free for everyone
- One tree planted in the county
- Members-only monthly county briefing
- Your name on the founding wall — permanently
- Everything in Neighbor
- Early access to investigations
- Vote on what we dig into next
- County Wire email alerts by topic
- Everything in Member
- Logo on the founding wall
- Quarterly sponsored spotlight
- A grove — 12 trees a year
Rather give once?
A one-time gift does the same work as a membership — it keeps every story free for every neighbor, with no paywall and no login. Give any amount you like.
Memberships are open — and everyone who joins this first year is a founding member, permanently.
Founding rate locked for life, your name on the founding wall, and your tree in the first batch planted. Not ready to commit? Start free with the Morning Current below — upgrade whenever it feels right.
No spam, no selling your email — you'll also start getting the free Morning Current so you can see exactly what you'd be supporting.
Fair questions
If the news is free, why pay?
Because it's free the way a small-town paper never managed: no paywall, no login, no ads chasing you around the internet. Somebody still has to pay for the reporting, the servers and the shoe leather — members are how it stays free for the neighbor who can't afford $10 a month.
Can I give once instead of monthly?
Yes — a one-time gift of any amount is just as welcome, and it funds the same reporting. Monthly support is simply easier to plan around, which is why we lead with it. One-time givers can put their name on the founding wall too.
How does billing work? Can I cancel?
Checkout and billing run through Stripe — we never see your card number. Monthly, cancel anytime from the link in any receipt, no phone calls and no guilt. Your name stays on the founding wall either way.
Who's behind The Current?
It's locally owned and independent — based in Owosso, run from Shiawassee County, with an newsroom of six desks and an editor who reviews the sensitive work. Every story shows its sources; our standards and corrections policy are public.
Where do the trees go?
Planted in Shiawassee County each planting season, coordinated with local landowners and parks. We'll publish photos and locations of each batch — that's a story we'll enjoy writing.