Patch is Growing!

In the past year, Patch has grown by leaps and bounds when it comes to delivering local news.

Avon Patch was one of the two very first Patch sites in Ohio when we launched on Dec. 13. With more than 800 Patch sites in 18 states and the District of Columbia, we're catching on.

Now, with the acquisition of Huffington Post to create AOL Huffington Post Media Group, Patch is expanding again. Patch is launching 33 new sites in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina.

And, we've launched our first-ever military Patch, Camp Pendleton Patch.

New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina weren't chosen randomly. These are key early primary states in the 2012 presidential election. With Patch's professional editors in the community, along with tools such as , Patch will be able to provide an alternative to sound-bite driven national news.

“Since our launch in 2009, Patch’s mission has been to offer the most trusted local news and information via our platform, our team of professional journalists in each town, and active participation in the communities we serve,” said Warren Webster, President of Patch Media.  “These new sites perfectly align with that mission. Primary state Patches will empower citizens to consume and share election information in some of the most politically engaged areas of the country."

The Camp Pendleton Patch, which is not sponsored by the base or the U.S. military, will cover both the base and neighboring Oceanside, Calif. Editor Jared Morgan is a former Marine.

"Patch Military is a particularly satisfying new offering, in keeping with our efforts to ensure that America’s military families have the support they have earned," said Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief of AOL Huffington Post Media Group. "The average military family moves every 2.9 years, so it’s vital that they have a way to easily keep up with what is going on in their communities and have a platform for directly sharing news and information with their neighbors.”

Later this year, Patch will expand into the Latino market with three sites covering local news in Latino communities, all in Spanish.