IN REMEMBRANCE OF ANNE PERSHING

HON. DEAN HELLER

OF NEVADA

IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE

May 19, 2016

Mr. Heller: Mr. President, today, we honor the life and legacy of Anne Pershing, whose passing signifies a great loss to Nevada. I send my condolences and prayers to her family and friends during this time of difficulty. Ms. Pershing was an upstanding Nevadan, committed to bringing journalistic excellence to the Fallon community. She will be sorely missed by the entire Nevada family.

Ms. Pershing was raised in Bushnell, Illinois, and moved to the Silver State over 30 years ago. She received her bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications, in addition to studying Journalism, at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). In 1983, she started her professional career working for the Lahontan Valley News as a general assignment reporter. By 1987, she had successfully climbed the ladder and was chosen to serve as editor of the newspaper, and later, as general manager. During her tenure, Ms. Pershing went above and beyond in her role to become acquainted with the City of Fallon and its residents, embodying what it means to be a true community journalist. Throughout the late 1990s, Ms. Pershing and her team covered the child leukemia cluster that greatly affected the local community, gaining national attention for her work on the breaking story. Ms. Pershing and her team were later recognized for their efforts by being nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Public Service and were honored in 2002 with an Associated Press Public Service Award. Ms. Pershing stands as a role model to the Nevada journalism community with her commendable and reliable reporting. We will always remember her resilient spirit in shining light on issues important to our State. 

In 2004, Ms. Pershing moved on to work for the Star Press, a small weekly newspaper in Fallon, and after this newspaper ceased publication, she continued writing as a contributing columnist for the publication at the School of Medicine at UNR. In 2008, she was inducted into the Nevada Press Association Hall of Fame for all of her efforts. Ms. Pershing spent her final journalistic years writing in her weekly newspaper column about the most important issues affecting Nevada’s senior population. Throughout her decades of service to Nevada journalism, Ms. Pershing demonstrated unwavering dedication to bringing Nevadans truthful and insightful news coverage. She was truly one of a kind in her endeavors to support her local community.  Her legacy of kindness, loyalty, and drive will echo on for years to come.

For over 30 years, Ms. Pershing served as a tremendous contributor to Nevada journalism. Her commitment to the Silver State will never be forgotten. Today, I join the Fallon community and citizens of the Silver State to celebrate the life of an honorable Nevadan, Ms. Anne Pershing.