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Gage County board keeps Beatrice Daily Sun as official newspaper after bid to add two weeklies fails
Summary
The Gage County Board of Supervisors voted to designate the Beatrice Daily Sun as the county's official newspaper on Jan. 8, 2025, after rejecting a motion to add the Fairbury Journal News and Hickman Voice News; board members cited cost and coverage concerns.
Gage County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, voted to designate the Beatrice Daily Sun as the county's official newspaper for notices and hearings after rejecting an effort to add two smaller weeklies.
The motion to add the Fairbury Journal News and the Hickman Voice News failed, with two supervisors voting in favor and five opposed. After that vote, a motion by Supervisor Lytle, seconded by Supervisor Dorn, to designate the Beatrice Daily Sun as the county's official paper carried; county staff announced the motion passed and the chair declared the motion carried.
The dispute centered on whether adding two weeklies would improve countywide coverage versus the added publication expense. Supervisor Schueller argued that the two weeklies together likely provide broader subscription coverage than the Daily Sun. Opponents, including Supervisor Lytle, said printing and posting every legal notice in three papers would increase costs and that notices are already available on the county website. County staff noted the expense incurred so far this fiscal year for newspaper notices was roughly $10,000 at the halfway point of the year, which opponents said suggested adding more official papers would raise costs further.
The board discussed practical effects of the designation: if a paper is on the official list, the county must publish every notice there; otherwise staff may publish in other local papers as appropriate for geographic relevance. County staff said notices already go to other local papers when matters pertain to those areas, but the official designation requires broader publication.
Supervisor Schueller moved to add the Fairbury Journal News and Hickman Voice News; he and Supervisor Swavely voted in favor and five supervisors opposed. After that failed motion, the board approved the Beatrice Daily Sun as the official county newspaper.
The board did not set any immediate change to the county's online notice practices. County staff said they will continue to post notices on the county website in addition to publishing in the designated official paper.
