Our Story

The Valley Independent Sentinel (also known as The Valley Indy or ValleyIndy.org) is a nonprofit online newspaper covering Ansonia, Derby and Seymour.

It launched in 2009 with a two-year grant — yet turned 16 years old in April.

The Valley Indy uses The Great Give as its annual reader drive. It is the one time a year we ask the public to donate. 

The goal is to raise $10,000.

Each year The Valley Indy hosts a ‘Great Give Livestream’ to support other Valley nonprofits participating in The Great Give.

Go to The Valley Indy’s Facebook page to watch the stream.

The Valley Indy employs two reporters and a freelance writer. We cover Ansonia, Derby and Seymour on a daily basis, plus community announcements from Oxford and Shelton.

We’ve won 50 awards from the Connecticut Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists since 2009, including six wins in 2024.  

In 2024, the publication’s editor won the Stephen A. Collins Award from the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information for The Valley Indy’s efforts to fight for open government.

In 2017, it was awarded a Silver Medal Community Service Award from The Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The Valley Indy thanks The Valley Community Foundation, The Katharine Matthies Foundation, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, The Online Journalism Project and our neighbors for their unwavering support over the years.