Belinda Thurston joins City Pulse as editor

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By happy coincidence, our cover this week features a photo (of model Nkiru Nnawulezi) from a joint project between photographer Jena McShane and the Just B yoga studio in REO Town). It and other photos in an exhibit called Lansing Loves Yoga were displayed at the City Market last Christmas.

The coincidence is that the owner of Just B Yoga, Belinda Thurston, has just signed on as the editor of City Pulse. She will replace me starting Monday. I’ll remain as publisher.

It’s exciting news for City Pulse. Belinda is one of those lucky finds: a talented, experienced journalist in Lansing who is also available. And just as important: She’s very attuned to the community.

As editor, she will carry on City Pulse’s local mission, looking at stories in depth, examining social issues and finding progressive voices to help us understand how best to enhance our community.

Belinda, 46, comes to City Pulse with 20 years’ experience in journalism. She arrived in Lansing in 2004 as assistant managing editor of the State Journal, then served as digital news director until she left in 2012. She coordinated the outstanding coverage of the wrongful murder conviction of Claude McCollum.

A native of Washington, D.C., she spent five years as a reporter at papers in the Pittsburgh area, where she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor´s degree in English. She was assistant city editor of the Poughkeepsie Journal and assistant metro editor at the Dallas Morning News.

Belinda started Just B Yoga in 2010. (She’ll continue its operation.) Two years later, she founded the Free Being Yoga Network. Her passion comes through in her description on her resume of the latter: a “nonprofit providing yoga services to the homeless, victims of trauma and violence, special needs children, at-risk youth and other underserved communities.”

It’s such passion that earned her a Michigan Hometown Health Hero Award from the state in 2012 and the Tribute to Women Award last year from the Women’s Center for Greater Lansing.

It’s the same passion we know she will bring to City Pulse. Welcome aboard, Belinda.

One other happy note: Michael Brenton, who writes our monthly wine column, has been named to the board of the state’s Grape and Wine Industry Council The 12-member council provides research on grapes and wine and offers marketing programs for Michigan’s wine industry. As Gov. Rick Snyder said in the news release announcing his appointment, “Michael has a wealth of experience and knowledge about the grape and wine industry and I look forward to his contributions to the council.”

I realize that’s coming from the man City Pulse voted “worst politician” in our annual Top of the Town contest — but, hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day. 

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