diff --git a/NHC.py b/NHC.py
index 12fa3c3..c6f1598 100644
--- a/NHC.py
+++ b/NHC.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import re
 from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
 
-from util import get_translator_func,load_parsed_data , save_parsed_data,contains_area
+from util import Translator,load_parsed_data, save_parsed_data,contains_area
 from jinja2 import Template
 
 import logging
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def clean_str(str):
 def get_tropical_bulletin(bulletin):
     PARSED_ID_FILE = 'NHCdata.json'
 
-    translate = get_translator_func()
+    translate = Translator()
 
     parsed_ids = load_parsed_data(PARSED_ID_FILE)
     separatorpattern = r"\.\s+"
diff --git a/NWS.py b/NWS.py
index 8e58d31..db80a7f 100644
--- a/NWS.py
+++ b/NWS.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import json 
-from util import load_parsed_data, save_parsed_data, contains_area, get_translator_func
+from util import load_parsed_data, save_parsed_data, contains_area, Translator
 from jinja2 import Template
 from datetime import datetime
 import requests
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def fetch_nws_data():
 
 def get_weather_bulletin(bulletin):
     PARSED_ID_FILE = 'NWSdata.json'
-    translate = get_translator_func()
+    translate = Translator()
 
     data = []
     areas = ["puerto rico", "vieques","culebra" , "pr"]
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 0b8235a..38ccb28 100755
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -70,10 +70,10 @@ def main_nws(testfile=None, actually_post_articles=False):
 
     # TODO: pass JSON instead of file
     generated = generate_nws_stories(filelocation)
-
-    with open("nws_generated.json", 'w') as f: # temporary
-        json.dump(generated, f, indent=2)
-        logger.debug("wrote nws_generated.json")
+    if generated:
+        with open("nws_generated.json", 'w') as f: # temporary
+            json.dump(generated, f, indent=2)
+            logger.debug("wrote nws_generated.json")
 
     for story in generated:
         post_story(story["headline"], story["content"] , story.get('image_code'), actually_post_articles=actually_post_articles)
diff --git a/util.py b/util.py
index 55a863b..b16fb5c 100644
--- a/util.py
+++ b/util.py
@@ -71,29 +71,35 @@ def save_parsed_data(parsed_data: dict, filepath: str):
     with open(filepath, "w") as file:
         json.dump(parsed_data, file)
 
-def get_translator_func():
-    """Making this a factory function lets us see that the key isn't set without logging something
-    every single time translate is called. Before we did it when this file was compiled, which led to
-    log messages being lost because logging hadn't been configured yet."""
-    try:
-        TRANSLATOR = deepl.Translator(os.environ['DEEPL_API_KEY'])
-        def translate(lines):
-            result = TRANSLATOR.translate_text(
-                lines,
-                source_lang="EN",
-                target_lang="ES",
-                formality="prefer_more",
-                split_sentences="nonewlines",
-                preserve_formatting=True ) # Corrected to a boolean value
-            
-            return result.text
-        return translate
-    except KeyError:
-        logger.warning("Missing DEEPL_API_KEY env variable. Translations will be a no-op")
-        def noop_translate(lines):
-            return lines
-        return noop_translate
-
+class Translator(object):
+    """A callable which manages translation with DeepL, if its configured, or just passes text through otherwise"""
+    auth_ok = False
+    translator = None
+    logger = logging.getLogger('Translator')
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        api_key = os.environ.get('DEEPL_API_KEY')
+        if api_key:
+            self.translator = deepl.Translator(api_key)
+            self.auth_ok = True
+        else:
+            self.logger.warning("Missing DEEPL_API_KEY env variable. Translations will be a no-op")
+
+    def __call__(self, lines: str) -> str:
+        if self.translator and self.auth_ok:
+            try:
+                result = self.translator.translate_text(
+                    lines,
+                    source_lang="EN",
+                    target_lang="ES",
+                    formality="prefer_more",
+                    split_sentences="nonewlines",
+                    preserve_formatting=True ) # Corrected to a boolean value
+                return result.text
+            except Exception as e:
+                self.logger.error(f"Error using translation: {e}")
+                # TODO maybe send email?
+                self.auth_ok = False
+        return lines
 
 def walk_storms (dir) : 
     for file in dir.glob("*.txt"):