By Petaluma Voice

Our launch party on Saturday, Sept. 19, celebrated our first five months as an independent, nonprofit, paywall-free newsroom for Petaluma. And it came one day after President Donald Trump took the unprecedented step of barring three national news outlets whose coverage he found unfavorable from entering the White House grounds.

The three outlets – CNN, MS NOW, and Politico – responded on Monday by filing a lawsuit alleging that the president's decree violates the First Amendment, which enshrines the freedom of the press in the U.S. Constitution. At the same time, four major TV news networks – ABC, CBS, Fox News, and NBC – announced they were suspending their shared coverage of White House events in response to the ban.

Petaluma Voice stands with the three affected outlets and the four additional networks in defense of press freedom. We believe public-service journalism is essential to a functioning democracy, and call for the three outlets' access to be reinstated – not in spite of their perceived threat to those in power, but because of it.

This week's stories

Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers have drawn scrutiny across the country in recent weeks. Read about how local leaders and residents have engaged with the technology, which is used throughout Petaluma and Sonoma County.

In election news, we've got a report on the Tuesday night debate between District 2 supervisor candidates Sylvia Lemus and Joanna Paun.

5Qs features an interview with an inspiring and multi-talented longtime Petaluman and teacher, Sensei Henry Kaku.

In Talk of P-Town, we've got news about the Hendrix of the Sahara's visit to Petaluma, a pause on cuts to alternative education programs, a Halloween art show, and more.

And in Scene & Herd, another double-feature: Dancers from Ballet Folklorico of Petaluma celebrate a special anniversary, and local artists turn trash to treasure.

This just in: Kenilworth Junior High School staffer Annie Nagel will keep her job following a recent Petaluma City Schools board decision. “I love my Petaluma community," Nagel said afterward. "It was worth the fight.”

Finally, we share details and lessons from Petaluma Voice's official launch party on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Burdell Building in midtown Petaluma.

In case you missed it: Government coverage

Since our April 15 launch we've covered city and county government more than just about any other subject. Here's a taste – and you can always find all of our government coverage right here.

• April: "Candidates for District 2 share views at forum"
• May: "'Major change in policy': New ordinance protects trees on private land"
• June: "A city asleep at the wheel"
• July: "Public safety facility approved"
• August: "Mayor facing two election challengers: Moreda and Hanania"
• September: "Mayoral candidate Moreda faced temporary restraining order in 2025"