Yellowstone County News

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Yellowstone County News
Yellowstone County News Headquarters.jpg
Main office of Yellowstone County News, located at 130 Northern Avenue in Huntley, Montana. Pictured in August 2022.
Type Weekly newspaper
Owner(s)Jonathan and Tana McNiven
Founder(s)Dave and Jan Willms
EditorJonathan McNiven
Deputy editorNorma McNiven
Staff writersMichael J. Marino, Evelyn Pyburn, Justin Choriki, David Crisp, Krayton Kerns
FoundedOctober 20, 1977
Website yellowstonecountynews.com

Yellowstone County News (YCN) is a weekly newspaper based in Huntley, Montana which provides hyperlocal news coverage to the Yellowstone County, Montana area, which includes Billings, Laurel, Shepherd, Huntley, Worden, Ballantine, and Pompey's Pillar. [1] It is currently owned and operated by Jonathan and Tana McNiven. [2]

Contents

History

1977-1988

The first edition of YCN was published Thursday, October 20, 1977 [3] by Dave and Jan Willms, who ran the paper out of their home in Ballantine, Montana for eleven years before selling it to Dale and Beccy Oberly in 1988. [4]

1988-1994

YCN was reportedly on the brink of extinction in 1988. After advertising the publication for sale for several weeks, it announced the final edition would be coming soon.

At the same time, a couple described as “veterans of Montana media,” Dale and Rebecca (Beccy) Oberly of the Big Timber Pioneer, [5] was searching for a place to start their second newspaper. Beccy said in a 2023 interview, “When YCN announced the next week's edition would be their last, I said to Dale, 'Let's buy this one.'”

Dale and Rebecca Oberly are pictured here as they take a look at the Yellowstone County News in September 1988, shortly after finalizing their purchase of the publication from its founders. Dale and Beccy Oberly September 1988.jpg
Dale and Rebecca Oberly are pictured here as they take a look at the Yellowstone County News in September 1988, shortly after finalizing their purchase of the publication from its founders.

On September 21, 1988, the front page headline of Yellowstone County News indicated the sale was finalized. The Oberlies immediately hired a manager and an editor, and moved the operation into an office in the Heights section of Billings, Montana. They operated the weekly newspaper for five years. [6]

During these years, the newspaper regularly employed up to seven correspondents who wrote news stories from their respective areas of the county. [7] The cost of a subscription was $18 per year for customers who resided in the county, $26 from other areas of Montana, and $30 for any other part of the United States. [8]

1994-2014

In June 1994, Pete and Rebecca Tescher-Robison purchased the Yellowstone County News from the Oberlies and moved the office back to the Worden, Montana area. [9]

The paper won the bid for the Yellowstone County legal publications in the late 1990s.

YCN also set up agreements with Shepherd, Huntley Project and Custer Schools to have their respective yearbook class produce a weekly newspaper while under Robison’s ownership.

2014-current

In October 2014, former Republican lawmaker, Jonathan McNiven and his wife Tana purchased the Yellowstone County News. Jonathan announced in November 2014, after being re-elected to his third term in the Montana House of Representatives, that he would be finishing the rest of his term that year but would be stepping down from his position to take over the newspaper. [10] McNiven and his wife became the fourth owners of the paper.

Since 2014, the paper has retained two reporters on its staff. Evelyn Pyburn, a long-time journalist who also owns the Big Sky Business Journal, has simultaneously worked at YCN since around 1993. In April 2022, Michael Marino joined the team as a reporter, mainly covering the Huntley, Shepherd, Worden and Ballantine areas. [11]

In May 2017, YCN was awarded the contract for legal advertising from the City of Billings, and the publication was recognized as the Publication of Record for Yellowstone County. [12]

Amid the COVID pandemic, in October 2020, staff members worked from home and YCN moved into its current office location on the corner of Nahmis and Northern Ave. in Huntley.

The McNivens have introduced several features into the paper during their ownership, including a reader photo contest in 2018, the Best of Yellowstone County Awards in 2019, and in 2022, a section dedicated to new business listings and civil legal matters called "On the Record -- Civil Action Report."

The McNivens also have added many auxiliary functions to coincide with the newspaper, like Dig It Days, an annual non-profit event held at MetraPark during the fair to support young adults entering into the local construction industry. [13] In September 2019, Jonathan and his son, Anderson aired the first-ever YCN Sports broadcast of a Huntley Project v. Shepherd High School football game.

Recognition

Yellowstone County News has received awards from the Montana Newspaper Association's annual "Better Newspaper Contest" for both its news content and its advertising work. In 2023, Jonathan McNiven and Elisa Schlosser won Best Marketing Campaign; Schlosser won the Best Ad to Sell or Promote Merchandise Black and White award; McNiven won the Best Breaking News Photo, Best Digital Presentation and Best Video. [14]

Schlosser won second place for the Best Graphic and the Best Ad to Sell or Promote Services Black and White award. McNiven won second place for Best Website. Evelyn Pyburn won second place for Best Headline Writing and third for Best Editorial. Michael Marino won third place for Best Headline Writing. David Crisp took third place for Best Column Writing. And, the Yellowstone County News Staff won second place for the Best Niche Publication. [15]

Lawsuit

In January 2021, Yellowstone County News filed suit against Roundup High School for allegedly denying the publication access to a sporting event while allowing other media outlets to attend and cover the event, which the newspaper claimed violated their First Amendment rights. [16]

Judge Randal Spaulding ruled that same month that the school did not violate the First Amendment rights of YCN. The judge further denied the newspaper's motion for a preliminary injunction. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowstone County, Montana</span> County in Montana, United States

Yellowstone County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 164,731. Its county seat is Billings, the state's most populous city. Like the nearby park, Yellowstone County is named after the Yellowstone River which roughly bisects the county, flowing southwest to northeast. The river, in turn, was named for the yellow sandstone cliffs in what is now Yellowstone County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballantine, Montana</span> CDP in Montana, United States

Ballantine is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States. It lies approximately nine miles (14 km) northeast of Billings on Interstate 94. The population was 346 at the 2000 census. Ballantine, along with the communities of Pompey's Pillar, Worden, and Huntley, is part of the Huntley Project, an irrigation district created by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The majority of Ballantine's population lives on scattered farms and ranches surrounding the actual townsite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billings, Montana</span> Largest city in Montana, U.S.

Billings is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, which had a population of 184,167 in the 2020 census. With one of the largest trade areas in the United States, Billings is the trade and distribution center for much of Montana east of the Continental Divide. Billings is also the largest retail destination for much of the same area. The Billings Chamber of Commerce claims the area of commerce covers more than 125,000 square miles (320,000 km2). In 2009, it was estimated to serve over 500,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntley, Montana</span> CDP in Montana, United States

Huntley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States. The population was 411 at the 2000 census. Huntley lent its name to the Huntley Project, a federal irrigation project that began delivering water to the arid district in 1907. Today, Huntley is an eastern suburb of Billings and is located east of Shepherd and west of Worden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worden, Montana</span> CDP in Montana, United States

Worden is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States. The population was 506 at the 2000 census. Worden, along with Ballantine, Huntley, and Pompey's Pillar, is part of the Huntley Project, an irrigation district established by the United States Bureau of Reclamation in 1907.

The Billings Gazette is a daily newspaper based in Billings, Montana that primarily covers issues in southeast Montana and parts of northern Wyoming. Historically it has been known as the largest newspaper in Montana and is geographically one of the most widely distributed newspapers in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montana Rail Link</span> Freight railroad in Idaho, Montana, and Washington

Montana Rail Link is a privately held Class II railroad in the United States. It operates on trackage originally built by the Northern Pacific Railway and leased from its successor BNSF Railway. MRL is a unit of The Washington Companies and is headquartered in Missoula, Montana.

The Billings Metropolitan Area is served by two major news television stations, four major non-news television stations, one community television station, 25 commercial radio stations and one major daily newspaper. Note: Community 7 is only available through cable or satellite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billings Metropolitan Statistical Area</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 94 in Montana</span>

Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway, which links Billings, Montana, to the Canada–US border in Port Huron, Michigan. The portion in the US state of Montana is 250 miles (400 km) long, linking seven counties through the central part of the state.

Huntley Project High School is a high school in Worden, Montana. Home of the Red Devils, the Huntley Project School District serves students living in four small Montana communities: Worden, Ballantine, Huntley, and Pompey's Pillar, with total population nearing 3,000 people. It is located 20 miles (32 km) east of Montana's largest city, Billings, in the southeastern part of Montana.

KFHW-LP is a radio station at 101.1 FM in Billings, Montana. It was originally licensed in 2001 by Best of Billings Schools Association. In March 2022, control of the station was transferred to Tana McNiven and Jonathan McNiven, and changed the station's main brand/market name to "YCN Radio."

The Northern Plains Resource Council (NPRC) is an American grassroots conservation and family agriculture group. The organization was established in 1972 by ranchers in Montana who united in opposition to coal industry efforts to strip mine in the Powder River Basin.

Margaret "Margie" MacDonald is an American politician who served as a member of the Montana Senate for the 26th district from 2017 to 2021. She previously served four terms in the Montana House of Representatives, representing the 54th and 51st district. She also served as Democratic minority whip in both chambers of the legislature.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Billings, Montana, USA.

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References

  1. ↑ "About | Yellowstone County News". May 28, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Masthead/Staff/Contributors". Yellowstone County News. May 28, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Front Page". Yellowstone County News. October 20, 1977. p. 1.
  4. ↑ "Heights news office opens". Yellowstone County News. September 21, 1988. p. 1.
  5. ↑ "Meet Dale and Beccy Oberly". Yellowstone County News. September 21, 1988. p. 1.
  6. ↑ "YCN has new owners". Yellowstone County News. September 21, 1988. p. 1.
  7. ↑ "YCN Correspondents". Yellowstone County News. January 7, 1990. p. 4.
  8. ↑ "Masthead". Yellowstone County News. January 7, 1990. p. 2.
  9. ↑ Staff (June 3, 1994). "Robisons purchase Yellowstone County News". Yellowstone County News. p. 1.
  10. ↑ Lutey, Tom (November 20, 2014). "Lawmaker McNiven resigns 2 weeks after being re-elected to run newspaper". Billings Gazette.
  11. ↑ Staff, YCN (April 15, 2022). "Michael Marino Joins YCN Reporting Team". Yellowstone County News. p. 3.
  12. ↑ "Yellowstone County News wins City legal ad contract". Yellowstone County News. May 12, 2017. pp. 1, 11.
  13. ↑ "Families invited to inaugural Yellowstone Dig It Days". Billings Gazette. August 6, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Better Newspaper Contest | Montana Newspaper Association". Montana Newspaper Association. August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  15. ↑ "YCN Takes 13 Awards in Newspaper Contest". Big Sky Business Journal. July 26, 2023.
  16. ↑ Ehrlick, Darrell (January 6, 2021). "Small media group challenges getting booted from covering rival's sports events". Daily Montanan. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  17. ↑ Ehrlick, Darrell (January 6, 2021). "Judge tosses newspaper lawsuit, rules school district didn't violate First Amendment". Daily Montanan.
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