I have received some letters criticizing the Journal’s lack of coverage of Barack Obama and the Democratic National Convention. One letter writer today indicated this was because of our biased Republican leaning.

Another letter writer, Carol Wallgren, said she too was disappointed by our lack of coverage of this historic Democratic convention.

It’s true, we have not published much on Obama and the Democrats. We plan a Word on the Street for Sunday about local reaction from those who watched the convention on television. And we did a story on local delegates attending.

Our emphasis has been on hyper-local news. There are myriad news sources for national political coverage, but very few places to read about the eradication of the swallows at the Placer County Courthouse.

We get accused of being too liberal from some in the far right of the Placer County Republican Party. We get accused of being too conservative by some on the far left of the local Democratic Party.

When I forwarded a letter critical of our leaning too far to the right to our publisher Tony Hazarian earlier today, his reply cracked me up.

“I like it - we’re despised by both sides,” he wrote in an e-mail.

I believe most of our readers, and most Americans, are not on the far left nor the far right, but somewhere in the middle.

And the news about the fate of our feathered friends who nest in the courthouse eaves was, well, hard to swallow.

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I met with sports editors from all Gold Country Media newspapers today. We are planning our fall high school sports coverage and the upcoming prep football season. We will feature all Friday night games from local high schools online by midnight on game nights. Readers can comment and upload their own photos and videos as well.

We are also going to feature a male and female athlete of the month for each Gold Country Media newspaper. Readers can vote online for their favorite student athletes.

Like leaning toward one political side or the other, the Journal has often been accused of giving too much coverage to Del Oro or Colfax high schools.

It’s not the Loomis Journal, Deric, it’s the Auburn Journal,” I remember former chamber president Kent Suemnicht forcefully telling me one day.

Colfax, Loomis, Lake of the Pines, El Dorado County and Foresthill residents I am sure think we favor Placer High School too much.

I am personally a Placer High Hillmen fan and will attend some games on Friday nights at Le Febvre Stadium. But I believe we need a balanced coverage that reflects our readers’ interests.

Since Placer has endured some losing season that were, well, hard to swallow, I am looking forward to seeing some wins at home this year.