diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index e3dbcf519..396d0c3a1 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ Type: Package
 Package: EpiNow2
 Title: Estimate Real-Time Case Counts and Time-Varying
     Epidemiological Parameters
-Version: 1.6.1
+Version: 1.6.1.9000
 Authors@R: 
     c(person(given = "Sam",
              family = "Abbott",
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 88ad2fa83..6549cfb0c 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# EpiNow2 (development version)
+
 # EpiNow2 1.6.1
 
 ## Model changes