Casper Star-Tribune

Last updated

Casper Star-Tribune
Type Daily newspaper
Format Broadsheet
Owner Lee Enterprises
FounderJ. Enos Waite
Editor-in-chiefJohn Mangalonzo
Founded1891 (as The Natrona Tribune)
LanguageEnglish
Headquarters100 N. Ash St.
Casper, WY 82604
United States
Circulation 7,213 Daily
9,149 Sunday(as of 2023) [1]
OCLC number 9611324
Website trib.com

The Casper Star-Tribune is a newspaper published in Casper, Wyoming. It is owned by Lee Enterprises. It is Wyoming's largest print newspaper, with a daily circulation of 23,760. The paper offers print editions on Tuesday's, Thursday's, and Saturday's. [2] The Star-Tribune covers local and state news. Its website, Trib.com, includes articles from the print paper, online updates, video and other multimedia content.

Contents

History

On June 1, 1891, the weekly Natrona Tribune began publishing under the ownership of 20 men organized as the Republican Publishing Co. [3] It was edited by J. Enos Waite, [4] [5] who moved the printing plant of the Bessemer Journal to Casper in order to launch the new publication. [6] Waite left after nine months and was replaced by Marion P. Wheeler. In June 1893, Wheeler retired and was succeed by a series of editors who each lasted a year or less: Alex T. Butler, W.E. Ellsworth, Ben L. Green, O.A. Hamilton, Fred E. Seeley, Frank H. Barrow and George P. Devenport. [6] [7]

In June 1897, Alfred J. Mokler, formerly with the Platte Centre Signal, bought the paper from Devenport. By then the paper was called the Natrona County Tribune. [8] After eight years, in October 1914, Mokler sold the Tribune to J. Edwin Hanway. [9] Two years later Hanway expanded the paper into a daily and renamed it to the Casper Daily Tribune on October 9, 1916. [10] Business grew and Hanway commissioned a standalone building for the Tribune in downtown Casper called "Tribune Building", which was completed in 1920. [11] A few years later, Max Levand sold the Casper Herald to Hanway in December 1925, who then merged it with his paper to form the Casper Tribune-Herald. [12] In 1946, J.E. Hanway died, [13] and was succeeded by his son Earl. E. Hanway. [14]

On September 29, 1949, Alan Drey founded the Casper Morning Star. [15] The 25-year-old editor and publisher was taken to the hospital a few months later after suffering a heart attack caused by extreme fatigue. [16] In December 1950, Drey relinquished his post to Frank R. Wadell, [17] and Drey left the business that March. [18] Wadell was replaced by Earl J. Mason in February 1951. [19] The companies that published the Morning Star and Tribune-Herald merged in September 1953, but each paper remained separate. [20] In August 1954, E.E. Haway and his wife Sunshine Hanway sold their controlling interest in the business to Earl P. Hanway, Jack W. Perry, and Clark F. Perry. [14]

In October 1961, Robert S. Howard bought the Tribune-Herald and MorningStar. [21] In 1965, both papers were fully merged in June 1965 to form the Casper Star-Tribune. [22] In 1985, the Star-Tribune was the runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize in excellence in public service journalism for its investigation of Northern Utilities Inc. [23] The investigation found that the company was significantly overcharging natural gas customers in Wyoming due to an unfavorable agreement that Northern Utilities had entered into years earlier with its corporate parent. [24]

In 2002, Howard Publications and its 16 newspapers were acquired by Lee Enterprises for $694 million. [25] In 2004, the company acquired The Casper Journal. [26] In 2011, Star-Tribune added a metered paywall to its website. [27] In 2018, the newsroom staff voted to unionize under the umbrella of The News Guild, becoming the first in Wyoming to do so. [28] The Star-Tribune was the first newspaper owned by Lee Enterprises to have unionized while owned by the company. [29] In August 2022, The Journal ceased. [30] In June 2023, the newspaper reduced its print schedule to three days a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Also, the paper switched from carrier to postal delivery. [31]

Awards

The Casper Star-Tribune regularly wins the Wyoming Press Association's "Deming Cup for General Excellence", awarded to the best large newspaper in the state, as well as other regional awards. [32] [33]

References

  1. Lee Enterprises. "Form 10-K". investors.lee.net. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. Rossi, Andrew (May 16, 2023). "Wyoming's Only Statewide Newspaper Ends its Sunday Edition". Big Horn Basin Media. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
  3. Rogers, Alan (August 11, 2016). "Star-Tribune celebrates 125 years in Casper". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  4. "Notice". Chadron Record. Chadron, Nebraska. June 26, 1891. p. 1.
  5. "Notice". The Friday Journal. Geneva, Nebraska. July 8, 1891. p. 1.
  6. 1 2 "The Tribune's Eighteenth Year". Natrona County Tribune. Casper, Wyoming. May 5, 1909. p. 12.
  7. Mokler, A.J. (October 15, 1944). "A Shrine of Labor and Devotion: the Live Story of a Home Town Newspaper by Natrona County Historian". Casper Star-Tribune. p. 1.
  8. "Notice". Madison Chronicle. Madison, Nebraska. June 10, 1897. p. 4.
  9. "Good-Bye". Natrona County Tribune. Casper, Wyoming. October 15, 1914. p. 4.
  10. "Casper Will Have New Daily Paper Next Week". Natrona County Tribune. Casper, Wyoming. October 15, 1916. p. 1.
  11. "Tribune Bldg, Finest In West Writes Editor". Casper Star-Tribune. October 13, 1920. p. 5.
  12. "Announcement To The Public". Casper Star-Tribune. December 1, 1925. p. 1.
  13. "J.E. Hanway, Publisher of Tribune-Herald, Dies Here Sunday Night After Brief Illness". Casper Star-Tribune. January 28, 1946. p. 1.
  14. 1 2 "The E.E. Hanways Sell Control of Tribune-Herald". Casper Star-Tribune. August 1, 1954. p. 1.
  15. "New Tabloid Out In Casper, Wyo". The Daily Herald. Provo, Utah. September 23, 1949. p. 8.
  16. "Publisher of Star Is Released from Hospital". Casper Star-Tribune. December 23, 1949. p. 2.
  17. "Takes Post at Casper". Star-Herald. Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Associated Press. January 8, 1950. p. 8.
  18. "Drey Severs Connection With Morning Tabloid". Casper Star-Tribune. March 5, 1950. p. 8.
  19. "Mason Named Publisher". Casper Star-Tribune. February 1, 1951. p. 4.
  20. "Wyoming Newspapers Cut Costs by Merger". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Associated Press. September 26, 1953. p. 3.
  21. "Wyoming Press Sold". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. October 2, 1961. p. 12.
  22. "Some Changes Coming In Daily Newspapers". Casper Star-Tribune. June 27, 1965. p. 1.
  23. "Finalist: Staff of Casper (WY) Star-Tribune". www.pulitzer.org. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  24. Drake, Kerry (December 19, 2016). "Battling Monopoly: Northern Utilities and the Casper Star-Tribune". WyoHistory.org. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  25. "Lee Enterprises acquires 16 daily newspapers". The Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. February 12, 2002. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  26. Mast, Tom (October 30, 2004). "Star-Tribune acquires Casper Journal". Casper Star-Tribune. p. 1.
  27. Baldwin, Chad (July 31, 2011). "Turning on meter for online news". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  28. Lunzer, Bernie (February 28, 2018). "Journalists of Casper Star-Tribune Make History; Continue 'Inspiring National Trend'". The News Guild. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  29. Lee, Jacquie (February 28, 2018). "Union Fever Spreads to News Outlet in Wyoming". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  30. Byrd, Klark (August 27, 2022). "The Casper Journal prints final edition". Oil City News. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  31. Wolfson, Joshua (May 14, 2023). "Your expanded Casper Star-Tribune coming soon". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  32. "Star-Tribune wins 10 awards at Top of the Rockies competition". Casper Star-Tribune. May 19, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  33. "WPA Major Award Winners for 2017". WyoPress.org. January 23, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.