Welcome to JohnstonPatch 101, series of articles on how to use the site. In this article, I'll show you how to promote your event on our Calendar — and get it mentioned in our daily coverage of what's happening around Johnston. We welcome event listings for organizations and businesses for our readers in Johnston and the surrounding area. Events should be within a 20-minute drive of Johnston, or involve groups or organziations from Johnston — a JHS reunion taking place in Newport, for example. The first thing you'll need is a profile so you can sign in — here's how to create a Patch profile. …

  In my travels around Johnston, I get to meet a lot of folks who have strong opinions on a great many topics — from the coffee house pundits at Brewed Awakenings, to the local business people who attend North Central Chamber of Commerce events, to the regular folks who live and work in our town. If you're one of these folks — or know one — why not try blogging for JohnstonPatch and sharing your views with our readers? You don't have to be a wordsmith, nor do you have to write extremely thought-provoking essays every day. If you are frustrated with town government, it's an opportunity to vent…

  Would you like to post events, announcements and blogs to JohnstonPatch? Keep this article handy each time there is something you'd like to share with our community. 1. Post events to the site for FREE: navigate to the Events page and click “Add an Event” on the right side of the page. Tell us all the details about your upcoming event, then click “post my event” at the bottom of the page. That puts the event directly on our calendar. The end result is the same as if a Patch staffer had posted it for you. The only difference is, when you post it, it goes up right away. If you send it to us, …

  The school year is here, and JohnstonPatch will be there to cover all the big news for all of the town's schools — but we can’t do it without your help! To make sure you get the most out of Patch this school year, we invite you to get active in the news-gathering process. Here are five things you can do to make sure your school and its students get all the coverage they deserve from JohnstonPatch: Let us know about big events and accomplishments — If you have a school-related story idea you’d like us to cover, let us know about it! Just e-mail Patch Editor Joe Hutnak (joseph.hutnak@patch.…

  No matter what story it is that drew you to JohnstonPatch in the first place — maybe it was this morning's Johnston school bus schedules — you can stay on top of the local news and information by signing up for our email newsletter. All you need is an email address, one click of the mouse — here's the link, to save even more time — and you're ready to get our updates straight to your Inbox. That was easy, right? And if you have any questions or news tips, drop an email to Local Editor Joe Hutnak at joseph.hutnak@patch.com Thanks for reading!

  Do you have something to say about Johnston — or any other topic? We make it easy to get involved in JohnstonPatch's Local Voices. How easy is it? At Patch, we're devoted to finding ways to make your life as ridiculously easy as possible. So we've changed the way blogging works to make it easier for you to start blogging right away. All you have to do to get started is use your Patch profile to sign in — or create a profile. [Look for the "Sign Up" link at the top-right of any page.] Then, look for the "Start a Blog" link on the front page, under the top news stories. From there, let your …

When JohnstonPatch launched in 2010, editors and freelancers ventured to local businesses to collect information for our directory. Now, the JohnstonPatch Directory page is a spot where users can find descriptions, hours, accepted payment methods and much more for spots around town. All users can add events taking place at local spots, can rate the business on a scale of one to five stars, and can add a review. But owners of local businesses get extra bonuses when they claim a listing. Owners or managers should search for their business listing and select "claim you listing" in order to make …

You may have already noticed a few changes to the JohnstonPatch front page — don't panic! We're still looking for your submissions of your photos, videos, comments, and calendar events — plus offering our readers a chance to blog for us. Here's a quick run-down of where to find those features on our newly-refreshed front page — check out the graphic attached for reference. Photos And Videos: Previously named the Neighborhood Gallery, our new Pics and Clips page is where you can upload your artistic views of Johnston, or post pics from community events. You can also use the "Post Pics & Clips…

Here at JohnstonPatch, we're constantly getting new readers — folks who like our focus on local news and events in town, and want to know how to use the site to connect with their neighbors. Over the past few months, we've been posting "JohnstonPatch101" articles to instruct our readers — both new and experienced — on creating a profile, uploading photos and video, and adding events to our calendar. If you're looking to learn more about JohnstonPatch, we've listed all of the help topics below. Just click on the link and follow the instructions in each slideshow — and before you know it, you'…

Welcome to JohnstonPatch101, a series of articles on how to use the site. In this article, I'll show you how to upload photos and videos to JohnstonPatch, whether it's to take part in a contest like our recent Little Pumpkin Costume Challenge; show local kids playing in a big game, like the Junior Little League World Series; or contribute a photo with your own news story. Just follow the instructions that accompany each photo in the slideshow. The first thing you'll need is a profile so you can sign in — here's how to create a Patch profile. We also strongly suggest that you read our Terms of…

Welcome to JohnstonPatch101, a series of articles on how to use the site. In this article, I'll show you how to post comments on JohnstonPatch, either to reply to an article or blog post, or to write something on the home page. Future articles in this series will focus on how to get your event listed; upload photos and videos; and write your own announcement. If you need information about how to set up a Patch profile — which allows you to add your voice to the site — check out this article. Commenting on JohnstonPatch: We've already received lots of comments about a wide variety of topics, …

Welcome to JohnstonPatch101, a series of articles on how to use the site. In this article, I'll show you how to Log In to JohnstonPatch — or how to create a profile or use your Facebook account to sign in. Future articles will focus on how to post comments; get your event listed; upload photos and videos; and write your own announcement. Just follow the instructions that accompany each photo in the slideshow. And if you have any questions, please email me at: joseph.hutnak@patch.com Thanks for reading JohnstonPatch!