The Aroostook County news team is bringing readers a new, larger product, fusing its four weekly newspapers into a single edition.
The combined paper, The County, will roll out on Wednesday, Jan. 15, as the new home of the Houlton Pioneer Times, The Star-Herald, the Aroostook Republican & News and the St. John Valley Times.
While the package will change, the news staff and mission will not. The County will continue covering events, municipal government, business and features from the northernmost tip of The County to below Houlton.
“As a family-owned newspaper, we’re committed to providing the best possible local journalism while adapting to meet the evolving needs of our readers,” Vice President of Print Operations Todd Johnston said. “By uniting these publications, we can streamline our operations, focus more resources on quality reporting, and deliver a larger, more comprehensive publication that keeps you informed and connected to our community.”
The new, larger newspaper will also have familiar reader favorites, like From Our Files, pet news, local columns and regular features.
The County name was inspired by our Aroostook news website, TheCounty.me. Established a few years ago, the site underwent a major update last summer, evolving into a more reader-friendly format that’s easier to navigate and search.
A recent subscriber letter and advertisements in the weeklies detailed the newspaper changes, but here are some key points we want readers to know, based on subscriber questions.
We are not shutting down. We’re changing the package, not the news. We will operate just the same.
You can still talk to local people. Call 207-768-5431 for The County’s Presque Isle office, 207-532-2281 for Houlton or 207-728-3336 for Madawaska.
The staff are the same. Familiar reporters, sales representatives and customer service employees will still serve our local communities and readers.
Your subscription will continue. If your subscription is active, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll automatically start receiving The County.
We are not changing our press release policy. We welcome press releases from any business, organization, school or service group, along with calendar announcements, community contributions and letters to the editor. If you’re unsure how to submit something, just call us and we’ll help.
We are still part of the Bangor Daily News family. The County weeklies have been part of Bangor Publishing Co. for decades. About nine years ago we entered a deeper partnership with the Bangor Daily News. Together we share stories that matter to our communities statewide.
There’s still more online. Visit us on TheCounty.me to find even more local news and community contributions. Everything we publish is available online. Our audience extends throughout Maine and beyond.
