Bonner County Daily Bee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Daily Bee office in Sandpoint, Idaho | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | Hagadone Media Group |
| Publisher | Clint Schroeder |
| Editor | Caroline Lobsinger |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Sandpoint, Idaho |
| Sister newspapers | Bonners Ferry Herald |
| ISSN | 1047-6822 |
| OCLC number | 42853323 |
| Website | bonnercountydailybee |
The Bonner County Daily Bee is a local daily newspaper based in Sandpoint, Idaho. It is owned by Hagadone Media Group.[1]
The News-Bulletin
In September 1924, Laurin E. Pietch and J.L. Stack founded a mimeographed daily newspaper in Sandpoint called the Daily Bulletin.[2] It was a freesheet, which other local publishers at the time treated as a joke.[3] At that time two other papers were published in Sandpoint.[4]
Both the Daily Bulletin's founders previously worked at the Spokane Daily Chronicle and borrowed $500 to launch their paper.[4] After four months, the Daily Bulletin began charging 25 cents a month for distribution. Pietch bought out Stack in February 1926 for $900, thus becoming the sole owner.[4][3] Circulation averaged around 1,000.[4]
J.G. Parsons, publisher of the weekly Pend d'Oreille Review, started a fourth daily paper in town. Pietch bought the two papers and consolidated the daily. The Bulletin expanded to a full-size four-page paper, complete with Associated Press wire service.[4] Due to financial constraints, Pietch discontinued the Review in 1936 so he could focus on the Bulletin. That year, Charles E. Spoor bought a half-interest in the business, which he sold in December 1939 to S.O. Maxwell.[4]
In January 1940, the paper went from daily to weekly print production and was renamed to the Sandpoint Bulletin.[4] Pietch became a Navy recruiter in fall 1942. At that time S.V. Anderson took over as editor, assisted by Pietch's wife Jeanette.[4] In 1944, W.A. Chubb acquired the Northern Idaho News and sixty days made a deal to merge it with the Bulletin to form The Sandpoint News-Bulletin.[5][4] Gary L. Pietch joined his father on the paper's staff in 1958 and eventually took over as editor.[2]
The Daily Bee
In 1961, Ernest Gale "Pete" and Adell "Dellie" Thompson moved from North Dakota to Coeur d'Alene, lured by a job at the Kootenai County Leader.[6] Thompson moved to Sandpoint a short time later where he went to work for the News-Bulletin. He stayed until 1965 when he bought half interest in a local print shop. Thompson would soon buy the entire business, moved to a larger facility and renamed it to Pend Oreille Printers.[6]
In June 1966,[4] the Thompsons launched The Beehive in response to a move by the News-Bulletin for a key ad account held by Thompson's print shop. The paper's name from a comment made by their typesetter, Jeannie Hottel. "Call it the Beehive," she said. "You sure stirred up a hornet's nest."[6] Initially,The Beehive was a freesheet with a circulation around 1,900. Thompson soon started charging two cents a copy to cover distribution.[7]
In 1967, the Beehive was renamed to the Sandpoint Daily Bee.[8] A year later the paper moved offices, added new equipment and contracted with United Press International. By March 1975, the Daily Bee had a circulation was around 2,500.[7]
Thompson acquired the News-Bulletin in July 1975,[9] Priest River Times in November 1976,[10] and the Bonners Ferry Herald in December 1977.[2] He sold his four papers in July 1984 to Duane Hagadone of Hagadone Media Group.[11][12] The News-Bulletin was discontinued in October 1984 because its subscriptions numbers were in decline as the Daily Bee's numbers grew to over 5,000.[13] In 1988, the Sandpoint Daily Bee was renamed to the Bonner County Daily Bee.[8] In 2021, Hagadone died.[14]
References
- ↑ "Bonner County Daily Bee: About Us". Bonner County Daily Bee. 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved August 18, 2007.
- 1 2 3 "Bonners Ferry Herald Will Be Sold Next Week To Pend Oreille Printers". Bonners Ferry Herald. December 29, 1977. p. 1.
- 1 2 Pietsch, Gary. "Bonner County Historical Society & Museum: "Sandpoint's Newspapers"" (PDF). Bonner County Historical Society & Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 1, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Nelson, Susan (October 3, 1984). "Newspaper survived many battles". Sandpoint News-Bulletin. p. 1.
- ↑ "Papers Merge At Sandpoint". Spokane Chronicle. September 1, 1944. p. 13.
- 1 2 3 Beautiful Bonner: The History of Bonner County. Walsworth Publishing Co. ISBN 0-88107-189-7.
- 1 2 Dawkins, Young (March 27, 1975). "Bonner County media: the story always gets across". Sandpoint News-Bulletin. p. 56.
- 1 2 "Papers dedicated to serving community". Bonner County Daily Bee. May 31, 2014. p. 5.
- ↑ "News-Bulletin Sold". Bonner County Daily Bee. July 2, 1975. p. July 2, 1975.
- ↑ "Priest River Times Purchased". Bonner County Daily Bee. November 10, 1976. p. 1.
- ↑ "Hagadone Corp. buys Sandpoint papers". Bonner County Daily Bee. July 25, 1984. p. 1.
- ↑ "Hagadone outlines North Idaho market plans". Bonners Ferry Herald. August 9, 1984. p. 1.
- ↑ "The final News-Bulletin | Bulletin ceases publication today". Sandpoint News-Bulletin. October 3, 1984. p. 1.
- ↑ Quinlan, Maggie (April 24, 2021). "Coeur d'Alene megamillionaire Duane Hagadone dies at age 88". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved December 15, 2025.