Shelley newspaper closing its doors after 112 years
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SHELLEY — The Shelley Pioneer has been a trusted news source for northern Bingham County for more than a century.
Now, after 112 years of service, the paper will be discontinued, with their last edition to be delivered to newsstands on Dec. 27.
In an article published by the Pioneer Wednesday, the paper announced “the demand for the Pioneer has diminished to the point it is no longer sustainable as a stand-alone publication. The (Idaho Falls) Post Register will extend its coverage of Shelley after the Pioneer has closed.”
The closure comes two years after Minnesota-based Adams Publishing Group bought the Pioneer, along with the Post Register. Earlier this year, Adams also acquired several other local newspapers as part of a larger acquisition of Seattle-based Pioneer News Group properties.
Roger Plothow is president of APG Signature Events, and the former publisher of the Post Register and Shelley Pioneer. He said the decision has been discussed multiple times over the years, but was finally implemented due to changes in the marketplace. He says there will be no layoffs associated with the paper’s demise.
“We had a combined staff that had been working at the Jefferson Star and the Pioneer. They will continue to work (at the Jefferson Star),” Plothow said.
Adams Publishing owns seven newspapers in the region, including the Post Register, Idaho State Journal, Jefferson Star, Rexburg Standard Journal, Teton Valley News, Challis Messenger and Preston Citizen.
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