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Mid Valley Times

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Mid Valley Times
Front page for August 1, 2024
TypeWeekly newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
Owner(s)Mineral King Publishing, Inc.
Founder(s)E. P. Dewey (Sanger Herald)
A.S. Jones (Reedley Exponent)
PublisherReggie Ellis
EditorPaul Myers
Founded1889; 137 years ago (1889) (as the Sanger Herald)
1891; 135 years ago (1891) (as the Reedley Exponent)
LanguageEnglish
Headquarters1059 G Street, Reedley, CA 93654 United States
Circulation3,300 (as of 2023)[1]
Sister newspapers
 The Exeter Sun-Gazette
OCLC number38869692
Websitemidvalleytimes.com

The Mid Valley Times is a weekly newspaper, published on Thursdays, serving Reedley, Dinuba, Sanger, and surrounding communities in Fresno County and Tulare County, California. It was formed when the Dinuba Sentinel, Reedley Exponent and Sanger Herald were consolidated into a single publication. The paper is owned by Mineral King Publishing, publisher of The Sun-Gazette.

History

[edit]

Sanger Herald

[edit]

On May 11, 1889, E. P. Dewey published the first edition of the Sanger Herald.[2][3]John Thomas Walton was the paper's first subscriber.[3] Dewey published the paper for 25 years.[3]

The Herald was acquired by C.F. Quinn in 1915,[4] followed by Orvel "Royal" Le Blanc in 1918,[5] who died about 10 months later from Spanish flu.[6] In 1919, his widow sold the paper to Roy L. Graham.[7] In 1920, Graham acquired the rival Sanger News from Howard W. Russell and absorbed it into the Herald.[8]

Roy A. Brown was a co-owner for about a year until buying out Graham in 1921.[9] The paper was then was acquired by Seymour C. Sterling in 1943,[10] and Glenn Hage and Gordon Olsen in 1968.[11][12]

Reedley Exponent

[edit]

On March 26, 1891, A.S. Jones, formerly of Mandan, North Dakota, published the first edition of the Reedley Exponent.[13][14] The first edition of the paper was printed in a room at the Knauer home and post office building. It moved to G Street the following year; that office burned down and was later rebuilt.[15] The paper was acquired by W.W. Holland in September 1892,[16] followed by John Fairweather in June 1896.[17] He was an active public political figure.[18]

In 1914, Willie O. Besaw, a local photographer, experimented with self-cancelling stamp designs in the Exponent office.[19] Besaw later applied for a U.S. patent for his design.[20] In 1915, John Fairweather handed control of the Exponent over to his son John Henry Fairweather,[21] who in 1920 saved two women and a man from drowning at Ward's Oak Park.[22]

In 1929, John Fairweather died at age 84.[23] In 1933, J.H. Fairweather was elected local postmaster,[24] and was succeeded as publisher by his daughter Helen Fairweather-Stondall.[21] She was soon joined at the paper by her brother, John Henry Fairweather, Jr.[21] After the attack on Pearl Harbor, J.H. Fairweather, Jr. enlisted in the United States Navy and left the Exponent entirely to his brother, James W. Fairweather.[21] In 1945, J.H. Fairweather died at age 71,[25][26] and his wife Theodocia V. Fairweather died in 1969 at age 93.[27]

Shared ownership

[edit]

After publishing the paper for 79 years, the Fairweather family sold the Reedley Exponent in July 1970 to husband-and-wife Norma and Glenn Hage, co-owners of the Sanger Herald.[21][28] In April 1974, the Hages bought out Gordon Olson from the Herald and assumed full control of the paper.[29]

In December 1976, John P. McGoff, president of Panax Corp. and owner of The Sacramento Union, purchased the Exponent and the Herald from the Hages. The papers would be operated by his business, Sierra Publishing Company.[30][31] In 1982, Foothill Communications Corporations, owner of The Folsom Telegraph and Orangeville News, acquired the Exponent, Herald and five other papers from Sierra Publishing.[32]

In 1983, a group of seven investors led by Edward R. Padilla acquired six papers from the company for $1.5 million including the Herald, Exponent and Telegraph. The new venture was named Natomas Publishing Co., Inc.[33] Co-owner Rosemary Kallio then served as Herald and Exponent publisher,[34] and fellow co-owner Kenneth L. Just joined her in operating the papers.[35]

The ownership group reestablished the Parlier Post and established the Orange Cove & Mountain Times.[36] In March 1989, the Telegraph was sold to Lesher Communications, Inc. for $1.6 million.[37] In June 1993, the Fowler Ensign was acquired.[36] In July 1993, Paul Wahl was named group publisher, succeeding Kallio.[38] In April 1995, Fred Hall replaced Wahl. By then the firm was named Mid-Valley Publications.[39] In December 1993, Just died.[35] In February 2000, Kallio died.[34]

In June 2010, the 101-year-old Dinuba Sentinel was acquired.[40] In November 2014, Mid-Valley closed the Times and Ensign, and announced it was looking to sell its remaining publications.[41]

Mid Valley Times

[edit]

On July 4, 2019, the Reedley Exponent, Dinuba Sentinel and Sanger Herald were merged into a single publication called the Mid Valley Times. In May 2023, Mineral King Publishing, owner of the Exeter Sun-Gazette, acquired the Times.[42][43]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Reedley Exponent newspaper - MondoTimes.com". www.mondotimes.com. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  2. ↑ "The Sanger Herald". The Selma Enterprise. May 18, 1889. p. 1.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Sanger Herald; an 'inky infant' makes 100 years". Sanger Herald. October 5, 1989. p. 6.
  4. ↑ "Pioneer Sanger Newspaper Sold | E.P. Dewy Disposes of Paper Established by Him in 1899". The Selma Enterprise. May 12, 1915. p. 1.
  5. ↑ "Sanger Herald Changes Owners". The Fresno Morning Republican. March 15, 1918. p. 12.
  6. ↑ "Sanger Editor Is Influenza Victim". The Fresno Morning Republican. January 12, 1919. p. 26.
  7. ↑ "News of The San Joaquin Valley". Fresno Herald. August 8, 1919. p. 4.
  8. ↑ "Sanger Papers To Consolidate | Sanger Herald Absorbs News; Howard Russell Will Retire". The Fresno Morning Republican. January 14, 1920. p. 11.
  9. ↑ "SANGER, July 7". San Francisco Bulletin. July 8, 1922. p. 8.
  10. ↑ "Sanger Herald Sold For Fifth Time in 54-Year History". Sanger Herald. July 16, 1943. p. 1.
  11. ↑ "Newspaper At Sanger Sold". Porterville Recorder. United Press International. March 8, 1968. p. 5.
  12. ↑ "Area Couples Buy Newspaper in California". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. March 11, 1968. p. 23. Retrieved 2026-10-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Reedley Items. | Interesting News From a Progressive Town". The Expositor. Fresno, California. March 25, 1891.
  14. ↑ Williams, Amy (July 15, 1992). "First Newspapers | Brief history of Fresno County Pre-1891 News Journalism". www.ClovisNews.com. Clovis Free Press. Archived from the original on August 23, 2000. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
  15. ↑ Zech, Kenneth (2015). Reedley. Arcadia Publishing. p. 77. ISBN 9781467132671.
  16. ↑ "Local Brevities". The Fresno Morning Republican. September 24, 1892. p. 3.
  17. ↑ "Notice". The San Francisco Call Bulletin. June 22, 1896. p. 6. Retrieved 2026-10-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ The Forester. 1902. pp. 207–208.
  19. ↑ Bulls, Jim (April 2, 2011). "A Snapshot In Time: Reedley Photographer George Besaw, An Early Pioneer of the Postcard". Kings River Life Magazine. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  20. ↑ US 1131464A, Willie O Besaw, "Postage-stamp.", issued 1914-09-21
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "After Seventy-nine Years: Exponent Sold". The Reedley Exponent. July 30, 1970. p. 1.
  22. ↑ "Jumps Into River to Rescue Woman". Madera Mercury. June 22, 1920. p. 2 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  23. ↑ "John Fairweather Called To His Reward Sunday Night". The Reedley Exponent. March 19, 1929. p. 1.
  24. ↑ "Fairweather Is Given Postmaster Job At Reedley". The Reedley Exponent. November 23, 1933. p. 1.
  25. ↑ "J.H. Fairweather, Sr., Postmaster of Reedley, Dies". The Reedley Exponent. January 11, 1945. p. 1.
  26. ↑ "Reedley Editor, Postmaster Dies". The San Francisco Examiner. Associated Press. January 12, 1945. p. 11. Retrieved 2026-10-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Former Reedley Exponent Owner and Publisher Theodica V. Fairweather, Dead at 93 Years of Age". The Reedley Exponent. July 9, 1969. p. 1.
  28. ↑ "Fairweathers sell Exponent After 79 Years". The Fresno Bee. August 1, 1970. p. 15. Retrieved 2018-11-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "Hages Buy Herald Interest". The Reedley Exponent. April 25, 1974. p. 1.
  30. ↑ "Sale of Sanger Herald, Reedley Exponent Revealed". Sanger Herald. December 23, 1976. p. 1.
  31. ↑ "Media Briefs". The Los Angeles Times. December 26, 1976. p. 115. Retrieved 2026-10-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ "Sale agreement reached between Sierra, Foothill". The Orangevale News. Folsom, California. February 3, 1982. p. 1. Retrieved 2018-11-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Four valley papers get new owners". The Fresno Bee. November 29, 1983. p. 12.
  34. 1 2 "Herald mourns the death of former publisher Kallio". Sanger Herald. February 10, 2000. p. 1.
  35. 1 2 "Herald, Exponent co-owner, Kenneth Just dead at age 63". Sanger Herald. December 23, 1993. p. 1.
  36. 1 2 "Fowler Ensign joins The Sanger Herald Inc. stable". Sanger Herald. June 24, 1993. p. 1.
  37. ↑ Martin, Patricia (March 4, 1989). "Lesher Purchases Folsom Telegraph". The Sacramento Union. p. 62.
  38. ↑ "Wahl takes reins of Sanger Herald". Sanger Herald. July 29, 1993. p. 1.
  39. ↑ "Hall replaces Wahl as Exponent's publisher". Sanger Herald. April 27, 1995. p. 1.
  40. ↑ Sheehan, Tim (June 10, 2010). "Reedly co. buys Dinuba Sentinel | Weekly paper sold after 96 years under family ownership". The Fresno Bee. pp. A8.
  41. ↑ Sheehan, Tim (November 2, 2014). "Two Fresno County weeklies stop printing | Fowler, Orange papers for sale". The Fresno Bee. pp. A8.
  42. ↑ "Sun-Gazette adds owners, buys Fresno County paper". The Sun-Gazette Newspaper. May 2, 2023. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
  43. ↑ Acevedo, Jon (February 24, 2026). "Reedley ready to recognize community greatness". Mid Valley Times. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
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