A piece of local history is back in use in Salem, where a restored one room schoolhouse on the Salem Community High School campus has reopened to the public and students. The building, originally constructed in 1899 as the East Nation School, was recently cleaned and prepared for use.
Third and fourth graders from Iuka Grade School were the first to step inside this week, greeted by a traditional school bell. The restoration effort was led by Salem Historical Commission member Jim Koehler. Former teacher Penny Purdue will help operate the site, offering classes and tours aimed at showing what early education was like. Officials say the goal is to preserve history and create a new attraction for the community.
Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country.
Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country.
Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform.
Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.
