Prairie Star

[W. Gray]

I dont seem to have read anything about this on the forum.

The Flint Hills Express and the Sedan Times Star are combining into one newspaper and will be a larger Prairie Star beginning September 3.

The Times Star has been around since 1894, or so.

[Rudy Taylor]

Prairie Star is a continuation of both newspapers which we will publish under one name.

We printed histories of both newspapers in last week's edition. We hope everyone enjoys the way we have re-packaged the newspaper to make it larger and the coverage a bit wider. We'll also add color photos to most editions.

Obviously, this was a business decision based upon the need to control expenses. Approximately one-third of the Flint Hills Express and Sedan Times-Star editions were composed of the same stories and/or ads.

Nobody needs to do anything as this transition is made --- you'll receive your Prairie Star in the mail on the same day that you normally received your Flint Hills Express. It will also hit the convenience stores and other news rack locations at the normal times. And, remember, this is a Monday-holiday week, so the Prairie Star will not printed until Thursday. That's something we can't control --- the printing company makes that decision for us.

We're still here.  You're still here.  That's all that matters to us. Together, we make a pretty good team.

[Tobina+1]

Rudy should have considered... Flintaqua Times Star Express.  Surely that would fit across the top of the paper??  

[Rudy Taylor]

We recall only a few years ago when the newspaper had three names on its front page.

No, we tried ever so hard not to choose an obvious name, or a contrived one. Hopefully, Prairie Star will become more than a newspaper in future years. This name should fit not only on a newspaper, but on websites, cell phones, podcasts and anything else that might come along to enhance communication across the southern Flint Hills.

The times, they are a'changing.

Rudy

[W. Gray]

Thanks,

I will probably get my last week's Flint Hills Express in the mail today announcing the change.

I was surprised that none of the local forum folks had not mentioned it.

I stopped my Times Star last year, so now I will be able to get some Sedan news also.

Since the Kansas Press Association has listed the Flint Hills Express as a Howard, Kansas, newspaper, it looks as thought Howard has officially had its last newspaper.

[Diane Amberg]

Waldo, it's on the front of the forum home page, after Heather's announcement. 

[Rudy Taylor]

Oh, come on!

The Kansas Press Association has nothing to do with our publishing a newspaper in Elk County. They couldn't care less.

We do.  That's why we're here. It's why we were in Severy on Saturday and went to Elk Valley and West Elk Schools this morning, and why we met with the Elk Valley School and Community Foundation on Friday to help raise funds for AED defibrilators. It's why we have a photo of a wonderful young artist who painted the pool house in Howard, and why we have a couple dozen other stories in this week's edition about the goings-on in Elk County, Kansas.

It's also why we whole-heartedly support Elk Konnected.

To sum it up as "Howard has officially had its last newspaper" is old news. There hasn't been a newspaper in downtown Howard for many years. Even the name "Flint Hills Express" was the result of a contest held by the previous owners to name a newspaper that already had been merged, combined and restarted about 25 times.

We can't run a business based upon nostalgia. We must be thinkers for today's world, and our towns don't even resemble the days when each town had its own newspaper.

We need to reach out, share programs and ideas, and stop looking inwardly anytime someone suggests a change.

[Ole Granny]

Bravo!  Very well stated, Rudy.  Your last sentence (We need to reach out, share programs and ideas, and stop looking inwardly anytime someone suggests a change.) should be the words Elk County as a whole should live by.  It is the only way to progress.  Thank you, Rudy.

[Roma Jean Turner]

I love the name and wish it the best possibe success.

[W. Gray]

Rudy,

Don't get me wrong. You have to make business decisions as you see fit.

If I were to be nostalgic, I would root for Howard Courant.

One of the things I was driving at was that when I now make a bibliographical reference to an article in the Prairie Star, it will have to be to Sedan, Kansas, whereas before when referencing the Flint Hills Express, it was to Howard, Kansas.

I do not think I said anything that was incorrect. The KPA apparently identifies the Flint Hills Express to Howard because it is/was mailed at Howard, Kansas and the newspaper did say it was mailed from Howard.

I do not have a problem with what you are doing with the newspaper.