SIDNEY - Mike Motz, a longtime sports writer and reporter for the Sidney Sun-Telegraph, died Tuesday, June 10, following a heart attack.

Motz joined the Sun-Telegraph in December 2017 as a sports reporter, hired by then-publisher Don Ogle.

“Mike made such a good impression on me the first time I met him,” Ogle said. “For me, it was a lot of fun watching how good he got. It’s a shocking loss. I felt like he was a good friend. The world just lost a really good guy.”

Former publisher Forrest Hershberger also praised Motz’s commitment to local journalism and community.

“Mike had a way of being inquisitive and jovial, often at the same time,” Hershberger said. “His passion for sports and love of working with student-athletes was evident in his work. He will be missed.”

Outside the newsroom, Motz had a background in stand-up comedy on the East Coast. He traveled the country with Barbara Perez on “Project Highway,” a comedy tour that spotlighted life in small-town America. 

Perez, now the current editor and publisher of the Sun-Telegraph, shared her grief and memories in a heartfelt message on a GoFundMe page set up to assist with final expenses.

“Motz had a 'widowmaker' last year, and his medical bills bankrupted him, so there is nothing left behind for cremation or services,” she wrote. “He was a comedian, a traveler, a best friend, a sports writer and a man who loved political discussions. He was quite a man, our Motz. Motzie Magoo, The Juice. He had many nicknames over the years. But always he will be 'Motz.'”

Funeral arrangements are pending.