Three weeks ago, the lights nearly went out on a tradition that has tied Wyoming communities together for generations. With the sudden closure of nine local, community newspapers, readers were left without a trusted source of news, advertisers without a platform to reach their neighbors, staff without jobs and civic life without its most reliable record-keeper.
Today, we begin anew.
We are honored to take up the stewardship of these publications. We have long ties to Wyoming communities. Our first act was simple but urgent: rehire the staff members and put the papers back in print. These are the same editors, reporters, advertising reps and designers you know and trust — the people who have kept your schools, city councils, courts and Friday night games in the public eye. They did remarkable work with far too few resources. They deserve better and so do you. With your support, we intend to reinvigorate these legacy, community papers. Newspapers rely on readers and advertisers if they are to thrive. We hope you will give us this chance.
We also need to be clear about something. We are not the old owners. The previous operators were not rooted in these communities. Decisions were made from afar — revenues swept away to another state, insurance and services purchased elsewhere, local bills left unpaid. That is not who we are. We live here. We work here. We are raising families here. Our commitment is to Wyoming communities and to Wyoming businesses.
We cannot erase the missteps of the past. What we can do is work to earn your trust anew. In the beginning, survival alone is an achievement — keeping these newspapers alive when they were days away from vanishing. But we aspire to more than survival. With readers who subscribe, advertisers who place their faith in local papers, and public officials who recognize the importance of legal notices and the value of open civic discourse, we can grow. Growth means adding reporters, strengthening coverage, and becoming more complete partners in the civic and economic life of these counties.
A newspaper is not a relic; it is a working part of a community. It amplifies voices, asks questions, records history, and yes, sometimes makes mistakes. But it belongs to the people it serves. If we succeed, it will be because you continue to believe that reliable, local journalism matters.
We are grateful to everyone who urged us forward in these uncertain times, and we promise this: we will do the work faithfully, and we will do it here, in Wyoming, for Wyoming.
– Rob Mortimore and
Jen and Robb Hicks
