Clovis Independent

Last updated
Clovis Independent
Type Weekly newspaper
Owner(s) The McClatchy Company
Founder(s)May Case
Spurgeon S. Case
EditorPatti J. Lippert
Founded1919;106 years ago (1919)
LanguageEnglish
Ceased publication2008;17 years ago (2008)
Headquarters Clovis, California
CountryUnited States
ISSN 1068-5944
OCLC number 528728711
Website clovisindependent.co

The Clovis Independent was an American newspaper founded in 1919 [1] that ceased its publication in 2008, [2] under its last editor, Patti J. Lippertt. [3] It served Clovis, California and Fresno County.The end of the paper was part of a larger cost-cutting effort by The McClatchy Company, which resulted in layoffs across many McClatchy papers, including the Fresno Bee and Sacramento Bee. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

History

The Clovis Independent was established in 1919 [1] by Spurgeon S. Case and May Case. [7] [8] Mrs. Chase had built a reputation as a reporter in Purcell, Oklahoma at the Register. [1] Though the couple sold the paper to Myron A. Hinkley in 1939, [9] May Chase continued to work for the paper until her death at the age of 93, in 1967. At that time she was known as the "oldest working newspaperwoman in the United States." [10]

In 1964, at age 90, May Case won the award of "Newspaper Girl of the Year" at the California Press Women's annual meeting. [11] She also received a citation from the U.S. Treasury Department for purchasing U.S. Treasury bonds and for inspiring others to purchase these bonds. [12] May Case bought the first bonds made available to the public, but never cashed them. October 8 was designated as May Case Day in Clovis. [13]

An explosion and resulting fire destroyed the Clovis Independent's building and printing machinery in 1930. Subsequently, Clovis Independent merged with the Tribune in 1944, [14] [15] which was further sold by Mr. and Mrs. Myron Hinkley to Anthony Turano in 1959. [16] In 1968, Russ Mazzei, owner and operator of the Clovis Free Press, purchased the Clovis Independent and merged the two papers under the Clovis Independent name. [17]

In 1968, Clovis Independent was the paper of record for the city of Clovis, and the lengthy legal battle between the Independent's owner and the Free Press' owner over the designation status in the city of Clovis resulted in the merging of the two papers. Mazzei later sued the Fresno County District Attorney and a police officer for an alleged violation of his civil rights. [18] Russ Mazei accused the District Attorney of using the power of his office against Clovis Free Press, aiming to start a competing newspaper. Mazzei was sued for a libel by the police officer in 1983, and lost. [19] [20] Mazzei was also the founder of the Clovis Hall of Fame, honor “the old timers of Clovis,” which he founded in 1975. [21]

The Clovis Independent was acquired by McClatchy in 1979. [22] [23] In 1996, the paper's publisher, Earl Wright Jr., arranged for the football team of the town of Clovis, California to play the football team from the town of Clovis, New Mexico. [24] The demise of the Clovis Independent in 2008 was cited as the reason for the creation of the Clovis Roundup. [25]

Awards

The newspaper placed second in in-depth reporting category in the California Newspaper Publishers Association's annual Better Newspapers Contest in 1987. [26] It won first place for sports coverage and first-place sports story in 2005. [27]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rehart, Catherine Morison (1996). The Valley's Legends & Legacies. Quill Driver Books. ISBN   9781884995125.
  2. "Clovis Independent newspaper". MondoTimes.com. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  3. Lippert, Patti (June 27, 2008). "Thanks for the memories". The Clovis Independent. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  4. "'Fresno Bee' Reveals Its Share of McClatchy Cuts". Editor & Publisher. Retrieved 2018-10-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "UPDATE: McClatchy Cutbacks Deeper at Some Papers". Editor & Publisher. Retrieved 2018-10-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. Kasler, Dale; Hightower, Eve (June 17, 2008). "McClatchy cuts workforce 10 percent". Fresno Bee. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  7. "New Paper Starts". The Selma Enterprise. May 1, 1919. p. 8.
  8. "About The Clovis independent". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  9. Bos, Peg (2018-09-18). "Let's Talk Clovis: The Clovis Independent; May 7, 1953". Clovis Roundup. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  10. "Obituary | May Case". Daily News. New York City, New York. United Press International. September 23, 1967. p. 400. Retrieved 2018-10-24 via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Newspaper Girl of The Year". Austin Daily Herald. Austin, Minnesota. May 22, 1964. p. 1 via NewspaperArchive.com.
  12. Shepard, Bernard A. (November 23, 1959). "May Case is Oldest U.S. Active Newspaperwoman". The Crowley Post-Signal. Crowley, Louisiana. p. 13. Retrieved 2018-10-24 via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Newswoman Honored In Clovis". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Associated Press. October 8, 1959. p. 18.
  14. "The Clovis Independent and Tribune (Clovis, Calif.) 1944-1946". The Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2025-07-06. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  15. Wright, John; Fennacy, Patti Lippert (2011). Clovis. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9780738576138.
  16. "Clovis Newspaper Sold By Owners". Eureka Humboldt Standard. United Press International. July 28, 1959. p. 23. Retrieved 2018-10-24 via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Sale of Clovis Independent is Disclosed". The Fresno Bee. October 7, 1968. p. 17. Retrieved 2018-10-24 via Newspapers.com.
  18. "News In Brief | The State". The Los Angeles Times. May 10, 1978. p. 2. Retrieved 2018-10-24 via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Newspaper began when town had about 500 people". Gale Business Insights. June 27, 2008. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  20. "Policeman wins libel award". Santa Maria Times. United Press International. January 13, 1983. p. 3. Retrieved 2018-10-24 via Newspapers.com.
  21. Bos, Peg (January 13, 2016). ""Let's Talk Clovis" 1975 Clovis Citizens' Hall of Fame". Clovis Roundup. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  22. "McClatchy buys Clovis Paper". The Fresno Bee. October 3, 197. p. 21.
  23. Pederson, Jay P. (2016). "The McClatchy Company." International Directory of Company Histories. Farmington Hills, MI: St. James Press.
  24. "Towns share name, love of prep football - Newspapers.com". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. October 4, 1996. p. 24. Retrieved 2018-10-24 via Newspaper.com.
  25. "About Us". Clovis Roundup. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  26. "Leader honored by CNPA". Oakdale Leader. February 18, 1987. p. 1. Retrieved 2018-10-24 via Newspapers.com.
  27. "Bee wins awards in eight categories". The Fresno Bee. July 16, 2006. pp. B1.

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