New Owners Take Over Sauk Rapids Herald

SAUK RAPIDS - The Sauk Rapids Herald has a new owner. Star Publication took over the paper on Wednesday. They also own the papers in Albany, Melrose, and Sauk Centre.

Co-owner and General Manager Mark Klaphake says the paper is a good fit for them.

The biggest thing is the community. It's just an increasingly growing community with a lot of wonderful people that has a lot of rural following as well. Kind of what we have in Albany, and Melrose, and Sauk Centre. They're strong communities with a good rural base, and we thought that was just terrific.

They've been helping to put together the publication since previous owner Rollie Doroff died last month. Klaphake says they want to continue the long tradition of the local newspaper.

We want to journal what's happening in Sauk Rapids-Rice right now, and while we own the paper. Whether that's covering the local school board, the city council, the River Days that's coming-up, any of that. We just want to be the journal of the community. And obviously we're excited about that.

Klaphake says they've been busy getting to know the community leaders and business owners.

He says while they bought the paper, they're just leasing the building, but they will always have an office in Sauk Rapids. The location of the printing of the paper is changing from the previous Princeton location, to now being printed in Lowry.

The Herald bills itself as the state's oldest weekly newspaper, which was first published in April 1854. Previous owner Doroff owned it since 1970.