Official notices, budgets and other legal publications from the Chautauqua County Courthouse are now being printed in a newspaper published in Winfield, rather than in the Prairie Star which has been the official Chautauqua County newspaper since the newspaper’s founding as the Sedan Times-Star in 1879.
Prairie Star publisher Rudy Taylor and editor Jenny Diveley said they were shocked to read in the Jan. 13 meeting minutes that county commissioners Jack Carpenter, Danny Williams and Verne Sweaney had appointed the Cedar Vale Lookout to be the official county newspaper.
“We didn’t even know there was going to be a discussion about it,” said editor Diveley.
Taylor said he called commission chairman Sweaney at home who gave him the reason for the switch: “You have stopped printing our minutes.”
Sweaney also told Taylor the Winfield Daily Courier and Cedar Vale Lookout “shot us a better deal.”
Taylor and Diveley met with the commissioners the very next day after receiving the meet minutes which revealed the switch in designations.
Taylor and Diveley said they certainly do print the commission’s meeting minutes and Diveley presented copies of those printed in the past year.
Taylor objected to not being informed about shopping for price on legal publications, and using what he termed “newspaper gripes” for the rationale to switch the public notices to the Winfield-based newspaper.
“The county commission does not control a newspaper’s content or its policies about the news we choose to publish,” Taylor told the commissioners. “We print meeting minutes as a free service to our readers,” said Taylor. “We do the same for all local school boards and city councils.”
Diveley said the official county newspaper designation is totally about the publication of legal notices. “We believe our record is above criticism,” she said. “We print such notices as submitted to us, then provide next-day service on affidavits of publication and billing.”
Diveley said she personally works with courthouse officials in the preparation and follow-up of printing legal notices. “We’re located right up the street from the courthouse so it’s a good and efficient connection.”
Taylor said the Prairie Star has a paid circulation of 2,548 compared to the 400 circulation newspaper distributed in Cedar Vale by the Winfield Daily Courier.
Taylor said there is no newspaper office or publishing office in Cedar Vale. All business affairs, production, legal publication placement and billing for newspaper services take place in Winfield.
Taylor and Diveley also contend that the newspaper appointed by the commissioners is not mailed within Chautauqua County, a stipulation they believe is required by state law.
“I challenge you to show us that the Cedar Vale Lookout pays taxes in this county or operates a business office in Chautauqua County,” said Taylor.
Meanwhile, he pointed out that the Prairie Star has made a considerable investment in Sedan, remodeling the newspaper office and maintaining its base of operations at 226 E. Main.
He pointed out that Diveley returned after graduation from college in 2005 to work full-time managing and editing the Prairie Star. Veda Siebuhr and Margie McKenna of Sedan handle day-to-day office activities and John Conger of Sedan also works part-time for the newspaper.
Taylor himself stays involved with local organizations and writing editorials and columns for Prairie Star, and Andy Taylor writes all sports in the newspaper. Taylor’s wife, Kathy, is co-publisher and serves as payroll clerk and business manager.
Tammy Guinn handles billing and circulation for the newspaper.
“I think our commitment to both Chautauqua and Elk counties is considerable,” said Taylor.
“But everyone needs to know that we are based in Sedan, published in Sedan and our newspapers are mailed at the Sedan Post Office,” he said.
“Last year we spent more than $20,000 in postage alone with the Sedan Post Office,” Taylor said. “We borrowed our money to buy the newspaper at the First National Bank in Sedan. We buy as many supplies as we can locally. And last year we paid more than $1,500 in property and real estate taxes to Chautauqua.”
Diveley said it was disappointing to learn that her newspaper had been the subject of discussion at a meeting, and that a publishing company from Cowley County had been engaged in those talks, especially since competitive pricing was allegedly discussed without Prairie Star knowing about it.
“We have kept this information quiet since learning about it,” said Taylor. “We thought that by pointing out what we consider to be an illegal decision by the commission, it would be quickly reversed. But that has not been the case, so we are letting our Chautauqua County readers know about it.”
Taylor and Diveley have employed an attorney to work with the commission’s counselor to attempt a resolution to the issue.
“We have nothing but praise for the Cedar Vale Lookout newspaper,” said Taylor. “Our good friends at the Winfield Daily Courier are providing a much needed service to Cedar Vale by publishing a newspaper that serves the town and its residents.
Taylor also complimented Susan Shaff who is the local correspondent for the Cedar Vale Lookout. “Susan does an excellent job of coveirng the news bases in Cedar Vale and is quite well known and accepted,” Taylor said.
“But we are convinced that the commission erred in naming the Outlook as the official county newspaper for Chautauqua County when there is only one newspaper actually published in this county.
“That newspaper is the Prairie Star.
