We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
After April 2, Keith and Keri Hanson, Editors and Owners of the Blaine County Journal-News-Opinion, will be acquiring the mailing list of subscribers for the Havre Weekly Chronicle-formerly the Havre Daily News-as that newspaper will cease operations. Mullen Newspaper Company owner, Jesse Mullen announced that he would be informing his staff about the decision by the end of March.
Founder of the Mullen Newspaper Company in 2018, Mullen has worked with publications across the U.S. in various executive, editorial, production, and advertising roles. Raised in Newcastle, Wyoming, Mullen studied Journalism at the University of Wyoming and began his career as a sports reporter at the weekly Saratoga Sun in his home state before moving to Montana in 2004. In January 2025, he acquired the Havre Daily News, rebranding it the Havre Weekly Chronicle and making it a member of Mullen's Ponderosa Publishing group. That affiliate also publishes newspapers in Browning, Chester, Conrad, Cut Bank, Seeley Lake, Shelby, and Valier, Montana.
"In January of 2025, when I took over the Havre Daily, the current owners were planning to close down operations because of declining revenue. I am proud of having been able to bring the Havre community 64 issues since then. However, I am not in a position financially to prop up a newspaper that is losing money. Try as we have, we were not able to stem the bleeding and still maintain a viable product," Mullen explained.
Given the direness of the situation, Mullen stated that rather than have the community go without a newspaper, he reached out to the Hansons. The group reached on a solution: Current Chronicle subscribers will begin to receive the Blaine County Journal-News-Opinion (BCJ) once the shutdown happens. The last issue of the Havre Weekly Chronicle will go out on April 2.
BCJ owners explain: "One of the reasons for taking over the paper is to help Havre keep its identity. Havre needs a place to keep up on what is happening, giving the community a place to get news and sports. It's going to take some time, but we hope to get all of that back again.
"For now we are going to call the new paper Havre Weekly Record to keep it separate from the Havre Daily News and the Havre Weekly Chronicle. We're excited to expand readers' access to local news while maintaining the identity and voice of each publication."
During the transition period, the Hansons are requesting patience from their readers as they make these changes and overcome any obstacles. "Please give us some time for adjustment as we will be incorporating Havre readers and Havre news into what has previously been a Blaine County newspaper," Keri Hanson remarked.
The editorial team doesn't plan to co-mingle the community news but instead to feature two newspapers. That way readers can focus on the aspect of the publication that aligns with their needs and interests.
"Each publication will remain independently produced. Essentially, we'll have two sections, one newspapers, and one delivery. Both papers will be individual, but subscribers will not have an option as to which one they receive as the two papers will be mailed together as one package. We will have a wrapper-sometimes called a belly band or an outer wrap-on the outside indicating both papers are included," Hanson related.
Additionally, the Hansons encourage readers to provide input about any stories they would like to see or events needing coverage. "We strive to keep our community informed, but we know we can't be everywhere or catch every great story happening around us. That's where you come in. If you have a story idea, event, or even a written article you'd like to share, we encourage you to send it our way. Your input helps us better represent the voices, people, and moments that make our community special. Please email your submissions to us-we'd love to hear from you."
Subscribers can call the Journal at (406) 357-3573 or email bcjnews@itstriangle.com with news ideas and tips. Those same two contact sources can be used by individuals who might wish to work on the news project as it unfolds.
"We are looking to add a couple of people to the team as soon as possible. We will need an ad sales person and someone that would like to cover local events and write stories," Hanson concluded.
