Publisher asks county for $3,500 startup donation to relaunch local weekly paper

James Rosien, publisher of the nonprofit Anaconda Community Media Company, told the commission he formed the Anaconda Weekly Review after the Anaconda Leader closed and asked the county for a $3,500 donation to help with startup costs. Rosien said the group has incorporated as a nonprofit public benefit corporation, is lining up a location, and hopes to publish a website next month and return to print in September ahead of the election season. He said the publication will carry public notices and legal notices and provided incorporation paperwork to the county.

CEO Bill Everett recommended the commission support the request, saying the community "has kind of been in the dark for the last month and a half" and that a local outlet would help distribute accurate information. Rosien acknowledged that the publication cannot petition for "paper of record" status until it has been in continuous publication for a year but said the weekly model meets typical public-notice scheduling requirements. No formal vote was recorded during the work session.