As Frankfort correspondent for Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. from 2005 to 2018, Ronnie Ellis played a unique role in Kentucky journalism, covering the state capital for largely Appalachian communities, where he often went for stories. He often scooped larger news outlets and withstood attacks from a governor. He was a skilled TV commentator and wrote insightful, incisive and authoritative columns offering a perspective that differed from those typically found at larger news outlets, a useful service in an era of polarized politics. His time with CNHI followed stints as a reporter in Henderson and his native Glasgow, interrupted by a career with the United Way. He retired in 2018 but continued to write a political column. He died in 2020, soon after his election to the Hall of Fame. He was a graduate of Western Kentucky University.