We've Got The County Covered
The “Mountaineer” and the “Blaine County Journal” are now being printed at the “Havre Daily News” printing facility in Havre. Keith and Keri Hanson are co-publishers of the two local newspapers. Keith Hanson said, “We’ve been printing the two newspapers on our own press here at our facility in Chinook. Starting a week ago we’ve moved the printing of our newspapers to the Havre operation.” Hanson said the two papers had been printed in Chinook since the installation of a web press in 2004.
Hanson added, “The only reason we’ve moved the printing is because we can’t find workers to fill the positions we have open here in Chinook.” He said other business owners have told him of similar difficulties finding people to work. Hanson said he doesn’t foresee moving the printing back to Chinook any time soon.
Deadline changes now in effect
For both the “Blaine County Journal” and the “Mountaineer” the deadline to submit advertisements, legal notices and news articles will be 12:00 noon on the Friday before each paper comes out on Wednesday. Hanson explained, “For the “Daily News” to print our newspapers and have them back for mail delivery and newsstand availability by Wednesday at 6 am, we have to honor the new deadlines. Those deadlines will be stringent for a reason.”
An ad in the “Blaine County Journal” last week noted “Anything (ads or news stories) turned in after the deadline may be included on a first come, first serve basis depending on size and available space.” Hanson said after the Friday noon deadline there would be no guarantees that submitted materials would make the next paper. He added, “We’ll work with folks the best we can but we have certain deadlines when the completed paper, ready to put on the press, must be at the Havre plant.”
Technology will help
Both the “Mountaineer” and the “Blaine County Journal” will be laid out, prepared for the printing process, in their respective offices in Big Sandy and Chinook. Using computer programs already in place, personnel putting the newspapers together can e-mail the final product to the Havre printing location. Hanson said, “Having the capacity to e-mail the final newspaper all laid out and ready for the press is a big time saver. In years past we had to physically take the laid out papers to the printers.”
The Havre printing facility will complete the printing of both newspapers by 4 pm on each Tuesday. According to Hanson both newspapers will be printed on Tuesdays with the “Mountaineer” running at 9 a.m. The “Blaine County News” will have its A-section printed by 10 a.m and the B-section by 1 p.m. This will allow for delivery and having papers in the mail and at newsstands early Wednesday morning.
Readers or advertisers with questions about the new deadlines can call the “Blaine County Journal” at 357-3573 or the “Mountaineer” at 378-2176.