 Daily Bee office in Sandpoint, Idaho | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | Hagadone Media Group |
| Publisher | Clint Schroeder |
| Editor | Caroline Lobsinger |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Sandpoint, Idaho |
| Sister newspapers | Bonners Ferry Herald |
| ISSN | 1047-6822 |
| OCLC number | 42853323 |
| Website | bonnercountydailybee |
The Bonner County Daily Bee is a local daily newspaper based in Sandpoint, Idaho. It is owned by Hagadone Media Group. [1]
In September 1924, Laurin E. Pietch and J.L. Stack founded a mimeographed daily newspaper in Sandpoint called the Daily Bulletin. [2] It was a freesheet, which other local publishers at the time treated as a joke. [3] At that time two other papers were published in Sandpoint. [4]
Both the Daily Bulletin's founders previously worked at the Spokane Daily Chronicle and borrowed $500 to launch their paper. [4] After four months Daily Bulletin began charging 25 cents a month for distribution. Pietch bought out Stack in February 1926 for $900, thus becoming the sole owner. [4] [3] Circulation averaged around 1,000. [4]
J.G. Parsons, publisher of the weekly Pend d'Oreille Review, started a forth daily paper in town. Pietch bought the two papers and consolidated the daily. The Bulletin expanded to a full-size four-page paper, complete with Associated Press wire service. [4] Due to finical constraints, Pietch discontinued the Review in 1936 so he could focus on the Bulletin. That year Charles E. Spoor bought a half-interest in the business, which he sold in December 1939 to S.O. Maxwell. [4]
In January 1940, the paper went from daily to weekly print production and was renamed to the Sandpoint Bulletin. [4] Pietch became a Navy recruiter in fall 1942. At that time S.V. Anderson took over as editor, assisted by Pietch's wife Jeanette. [4] In 1944, W.A. Chubb acquired the Northern Idaho News and sixty days made a deal to merge it with the Bulletin to form The Sandpoint News-Bulletin. [5] [4] Gary L. Pietch joined his father on the paper's staff in 1958 eventually took over as editor. [2]
In 1961, Ernest Gale "Pete" and Adell "Dellie" Thompson moved from North Dakota to Coeur d'Alene, lured by a job at the Kootenai County Leader. [6] Thompson moved to Sandpoint a short time later where he went to work for the News-Bulletin. He stayed until 1965 when he bought half interest in a local print shop. Thompson would soon buy the entire business, moved to a larger facility and renamed it to Pend Oreille Printers. [6]
In June 1966, [4] the Thompsons launched The Beehive in response to a move by the News-Bulletin for a key ad account held by Thompson's print shop. The paper's name from from a comment made by their typesetter, Jeannie Hottel. "Call it the Beehive," she said. "You sure stirred up a hornet's nest." [6] Initially,The Beehive was a freesheet with a circulation around 1,900. Thompson soon started charging two cents a copy to cover distribution. [7]
In 1967, the Beehive was renamed to the Sandpoint Daily Bee. [8] A year later the paper moved offices, added new equipment and contracted with United Press International. By March 1975, the Daily Bee had a circulation was around 2,500. [7]
Thompson acquired the News-Bulletin in July 1975, [9] Priest River Times in November 1976, [10] and the Bonners Ferry Herald in December 1977. [2] He sold his four papers in July 1984 to Duane Hagadone of Hagadone Media Group. [11] [12] The News-Bulletin was discontinued in October 1984 because its subscriptions numbers were in decline as the Daily Bee's numbers grew to over 5,000. [13] In 1988, the Sandpoint Daily Bee was renamed to the Bonner County Daily Bee. [8]