Hi everyone! My name is Quentin Blais, and I am the new community reporter serving northern Franklin County for the Rangeley Highlander. After a three-day car ride from Illinois, I am finally living here in Rangeley.

I was immediately struck by its beauty.

I will be covering the towns of Rangeley, Carrabassett Valley, Strong, Kingfield, New Vineyard and other nearby communities. I will also be taking over the weekly Rangeley Now newsletter, highlighting the top stories in the region.

I am a recent graduate from DePaul University in Chicago, where I studied journalism with a minor in photography. Through college, I worked as the photo editor of our campus publication, The DePaulia. I photographed stories ranging from Division 1 basketball to the Iowa Republican Caucus.

My favorite stories to cover bring me outdoors. Even when I was living in the heart of Chicago, I always found a way to bring the outdoors to my previous publication through text and photos. In the past, I’ve spent a full day on a boat covering invasive carp on the Illinois River, a morning following bird conservationists through the woods of northern Illinois.

The outdoors scene here in Rangeley is spectacular. I can already tell that there will be no shortage of stories that will get me out of the office. I’m looking forward to spending my off days in the woods. And I will say, I’m a sucker for a fishing story.

I grew up in a small town in northern Illinois. My parents owned and operated the town paper, The Marengo-Union Times, so I understand the importance of community reporting. While national headlines get the most eyes, local stories make a world of difference in keeping people connected. I am hoping to be an active presence in the community.

In my free time, you may find me out fishing (horribly) or hiking. I am a trained photojournalist, so photography means a lot to me. I’ve worked as a darkroom attendant and portrait photographer along with my news photography roles, so you’ll almost always see me with a camera on my shoulder. I still process and develop film as a hobby, but I’m sad to say I left my darkroom setup back home in the Prairie State.

In just my first few days here in Rangeley, I was blessed with a uniquely Maine experience: having the front end of my parked car torn off by a snowmobiler. Even while I am dealing with figuring out how to get around carless while its repaired, I can confidently say that this is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever had the fortune to live in, and I can’t wait to connect with the people who make it a destination to write home about. I’m so excited to join your community!

If you see me out and about in Rangeley, I invite you to stop me for a chat. I want my coverage to reflect the interests of the community, so if you have any topics you think need attention, a correction to a published work or if you just want to gab, I’m all ears. You can reach me by email at: [email protected].