Consolidation of Northwest Kansas newspapers announced

In a significant shift for the region's media landscape, six newspapers in northwest Kansas have recently merged into a single weekly publication. This consolidation is part of a strategic move under Lloyd Mullen's ownership and within the High Plains News umbrella.

The newspapers involved in this transition include: Goodland Star News, Colby Free Press, St. Francis Herald, Norton Telegram, Oberlin Herald, and Rawlins County Square Deal.

High Plains News, which operates a total of nine publications, will retain the additional newspapers based in Holyoke, Colorado, and in Grant and Imperial, Nebraska.

The decision to consolidate the newspapers, while not directly linked to an ownership transition, does connect back to changes made last February when Lloyd Mullen acquired High Plains News after buying out his brother, Jesse. Since then, Julie Thayer, based in Nebraska, has taken on the role of publisher, effective last September.

Thayer believes that the consolidation will yield positive outcomes, stating, 'It's a necessary change.' She assured that all staff from the six publications will remain in place, enabling advertisers to reach a broader audience. “Each community still has their pages,' she emphasized. “So each community will still see all their local news in their pages. It'll just be one print publication versus six print publications.' The newspaper will have 32 pages with aspirations to grow in the future.