The Daily Courier - Western News&Info, Inc. ®

The Daily Courier is a proud publication of Western News&Info, Inc. ®, covering the greater Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Chino Valley, Arizona areas.

The Daily Courier

1958 Commerce Center Circle
Prescott, Arizona 86301
(928) 445-3333

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KIT ATWELL
Publisher/CEO of Prescott Newspapers, Inc.
Executive Vice President, Western News&Info, Inc.

Kit has been in the newspaper business and with Western News & Info (parent company of Prescott Newspapers) for more than 30 years. Coming from employment with the government in Washington, D.C., she started with Western in 1972 in the Production Department of the Yuma Daily Sun, Yuma, Ariz., where she worked until being promoted to publisher of Western's Bullhead City, Ariz., newspaper - the Mohave Valley News - in 1987. In 1988, she was named publisher of the Kingman Daily Miner in Kingman, Ariz., and in 1999 publisher/CEO of Prescott Newspapers - publisher of The Daily Courier, Prescott Valley Tribune, Chino Valley Review, Big Bug News, Tri-City Business News, and Western's phone book company, Community Directory. She was promoted to Western News&Info, Inc., (WNI) executive vice president in June 2002.

Community Affairs and Organizations:

Former vice president of Arizona Newspapers Association

Past director Kingman Chamber of Commerce

Past director Kingman Town Hall Committee

Past chairman Kingman Leadership Committee

Past member Soroptimist International, Kingman

Past board member Mohave Education Festival committee

1999-current - Frontier Rotary, Prescott

2004 - President of the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce

2000-2003 - Prescott Valley Chamber Board Director

2001-2002 - Served as a Prescott Downtown Partnership board member

2001-2002 - Prescott Chamber Economic Development Committee member

KELLY SOLDWEDEL
Associate Vice President of Western News&Info, Inc.
Vice President of Desert Foothills Newspapers, Inc.
General Manager of Prescott Newspapers, Inc.

Kelly was born and raised in Yuma, Ariz., then moved on to Tucson for high school and college. After attending Catalina Foothills High School, she went to the University of Arizona and graduated in May 2003 with a bachelor's degree in fine arts with an emphasis in photography. Kelly then moved to Orange County, Calif., and used her photographic skills during an internship at the Bower's Museum in Santa Ana. While working there, she had some photographs published in the Los Angeles Times.

Kelly came onboard with the family business to become the fourth generation to work for newspapers throughout the state of Arizona. She moved to Prescott and began working for Prescott Newspapers, Inc., in the Editorial Department. After four years of working with PNI, Kelly has experienced many facets of the operational side of the newspaper business and has now become Associate Vice President of Western News&Info, Inc., and General Manager of Prescott Newspapers, Inc. She also is Vice President of Desert Foothills Newspapers, Inc.

BEN HANSEN
Executive Editor

Ben, executive editor of Prescott Newspapers, Inc., is in charge of The Daily Courier, Prescott Valley Tribune, Chino Valley Review, Big Bug News and Tri-City Business News, and the web versions of those publications.

He began his journalism career in 1963 as an office boy and darkroom technician at his hometown newspaper, The Independent Record, in Helena, Mont.

He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Montana where he was the outstanding male graduate in journalism in 1968. He earned a master's degree in business administration from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, in August 2000. He also has earned a certificate in firearms engraving from Yavapai College.

He worked at newspapers in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Texas before taking his current position in the fall of 1997. He and his wife, Barbara, who works in human resources for WNI, have two grown sons, Joshua, who is a deputy constable in Montgomery County on the northwest edge of Houston, Texas; and Tyler, who is attending the University of Houston and works in the restaurant business.

TIM WIEDERAENDERS
Managing Editor

Tim started working for Western Newspapers, Inc., in 1991 as a reporter, sports editor and photographer at the Lake Havasu City Herald. Since then he has worked as editor of the Herald, the Kingman Daily Miner and Golden Valley Enterprise; and copy editor, news editor and city editor of The Daily Courier. In July 2005, he received a promotion to managing editor of The Daily Courier.

Tim has been chairman (1996-2000) and co-chairman (2001-08) of WNI's Editorial Committee. He has earned various writing, editing and design awards from WNI, the Arizona Associated Press Managing Editors and the Arizona Newspapers Association.

In addition to speaking engagements, he serves the community as president of the Yavapai County Education Foundation Board of Directors and chairman of the SAVE-Prescott Board of Trustees (Students Against Violence Everyday). He previously has volunteered as marketing chairman with Prescott Frontier Days, the "World's Oldest Rodeo"; has been the adviser of The Rough Writer, Yavapai College's student newspaper; and worked as an adjunct faculty member in journalism at the college.

Tim is a 1989 Colorado State University graduate with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and a 2002 Northern Arizona University graduate with a master's degree in education. Tim moved to Prescott in 1996 with his wife, Tracy, and daughter, Heather. He spends his free time working on the family's horse property, doing photography and enjoying the outdoors.

STEVE STOCKMAR
City Editor

Steve started with The Daily Courier in 1996 as a sports reporter. Before that he worked as a staff assistant in the Sports Department of The Arizona Republic in 1991, and became a staff writer for The Devil's Tale in Tempe (1991-92) covering Arizona State University athletics. He worked in both sports newsrooms while simultaneously attending Northern Arizona University, from which he earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism with a minor
in English (1994). He became sports editor at The Daily Courier in April 2005.

Steve has earned various writing awards, including first places in sports reporting as well as excellence in writing from WNI, and similar awards from the Arizona Associated Press Managing Editors and Arizona Newspapers associations.

Steve lives in Prescott Valley with his wife, Robin. They have two daughters, Zoe and Abbey, and a dog, Pepper. A native of Chicago, Steve spends his spare time watching the Cubs and the Bears, and the rest of his time anguishing over both.

KEITH JIRON
Sports Editor

Keith has been the Courier’s sports editor since July 2009. He started in the newspaper business in 1996 as a part-time sports reporter for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson where he primarily covered preps, and he filled in on the University of Arizona softball and track and field beats.

He landed his first full-time position in August of 2000 as a sportswriter at The Union newspaper in the Sacramento-area town of Grass Valley, Calif. There, he covered prep and youth sports. He stayed there until October of 2004 when he accepted a job in Flagstaff as a sportswriter for the Arizona Daily Sun. His primary beats were high school football and the Northern Arizona University women’s basketball team. Keith moved up to assistant sports editor in 2005, then sports editor in 2006. His primary beat from 2005 until he left in 2009 was the NAU men’s basketball team.

In his free time, Keith enjoys playing rugby and mountain biking.

LES STUKENBERG
Photo Editor

Les started his photographic career in 1981 as a United States Navy photographer. He spent 3.5 years literally traveling around the world attached to the USS J.F. Kennedy, spending time on six continents; the only one he missed was Antarctica. For the balance of his enlistment he was attached to the Fleet Intelligence Center in Norfolk, Va.

In 1998, Les started working as a freelance photographer for the Mohave Valley Daily News, in Bullhead City, Ariz., and in 1999 became the lone staff photographer at the six-day-a-week paper. Winning awards from Brehm Communications and the Arizona Newspapers Association, he joined the photo staff of The Daily Courier in November 2000. Since joining the Courier's staff he has won numerous awards from the Associated Press Managing Editors, WNI and the Arizona Press Club.

In the 2001 APME contest, he received seven awards for his work - more awards than any other journalist at The Daily Courier has ever received.

In June 2002 Les became the newspaper's photo editor.

Les lives in Prescott Valley with his wife Julie Miller, their two sons Max and Josh, and together they also have three dogs - Snoopy, Boomer and Blaze. Julie is a third-grade teacher at Coyote Springs Elementary School in Prescott Valley. In their free time they travel around Arizona and the Southwest photographing rodeos, team ropings, barrel races and anything else that exemplifies the Western lifestyle.

JOHN GRIMALDI
Community Directory/PNI Marketing Director

John has more than 20 years of newspaper experience. He started in the mail room and held such titles as district circulation manager, sales supervisor, circulation director, classified major accounts representative and marketing director with Newhouse Newspapers, Gannett, and the Times publications in Beaverton, Ore. He also has 17 years of experience with directory publications, starting with sales then sales manager consultant, trainer and now project director.

He has been a member of the international circulation managers association, Rotarian and a past member of the Elks Lodge.

He and his wife of 39 years have a grown son and daughter and two grandsons.

JOHN K. LINDSEY
Advertising Director/Executive Sales Trainer

After teaching high school for five years, John started his newspaper career in 1974 as a salesman at the Arizona Republic. He was promoted to Sales Manager in 1979 and later was appointed Director of Training and Development for The Republic. Lindsey was hired as Marketing Director for Independent Newspapers in 1984 and named Publisher of The Scottsdale Independent in 1986. He formed Lindsey & Associates in 1987 and has taught sales and management workshops for newspapers throughout the United States, Canada and U.S Territories. He has also conducted workshops for 35 State Newspaper Associations, for American Press Institute, and for Newspaper Association of America. In addition to his workshops for newspapers, Lindsey conducts advertising and marketing seminars for retail businesses on behalf of newspapers. Some of Lindsey’s newspapers clients include: The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Seattle Times, the Detroit Free Press, The Hartford Courant, Tucson Newspapers, Inc., and the Houston Chronicle. Over the years, Lindsey has conducted many sales and management workshops for Western News&Info, Inc. and joined the organization as Group Marketing Director in October of 2005.

DICK LARSON
Executive Advertising Director

Dick Larson is a thirty-three-year veteran of the newspaper and newsprint publishing business. Twenty-six of those years have been with Western Newspapers starting from advertising account representative, advancing into management and 20 years as a WNI location publisher. In his current position, Dick works with all WNI properties in areas that include sales training, marketing and product development. He is a graduate of the University of Washington, Seattle and was raised in the Northwest before moving to Arizona. Dick currently serves on the Arizona Newspaper Association board of directors and chairs the marketing committee.

STEVE FRISTOE
Circulation Director

Steve has 32 years of newspaper experience. He began his circulation career in 1977 as a district manager at the Wichita Eagle Beacon in Wichita, Kan. He went on to work at the St. Petersburg Times in Clearwater, Fla., as a zone circulation manager; the Alton Telegraph in Alton, Ill., as a circulation director; Hartman Newspapers in Rosenberg, Texas, as vice president of circulation; and American Circulation Innovations, as national expansion manager.

Steve moved to Prescott in July 2009 to join PNI. He and his wife, Diana, have two grown children who reside in Florida.

MALIA MILLER
Advertising Manager

Malia began her newspaper career with Western Newspapers, Inc., at The Yuma Daily Sun in the 1980s, continued at Lehman Communications’ Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald in Colorado in the '90s and has been back with WNI at The Daily Courier since 2002. All of her time in the newspaper industry has been in the advertising department; from Classified Advertising, Co-op, Preprint, Pagination, and Administrative Assistant to Outside Sales Representative. She earned a promotion to Advertising Sales Manager in November 2007.

Malia and her husband, Jeff, have three daughters, Bethany, Kimberly and Stacy, and two grandchildren, Reuben and Kimmie. She is an active volunteer with 4-H, she raises and shows sheep, and she gets in as much grandma time as she can.

BARBARA HANSEN
Personnel Director

Barbara is the personnel director of Prescott Newspapers, Inc. She has been employed by Western News&Info, Inc. since 1998. She joined the staff of PNI as personnel director in February 1998. She has held positions with companies in accounting and management, including Nintendo of America for six years as a merchandising district manager. Prior to joining PNI, Barbara was program administrator for the Ben Rogers/Lamar University/Beaumont Independent School District “I Have a Dream” Program.

She was a member of the Oregon and Utah Jaycee Women. She served as the president of the Utah Jaycee Women and as regional vice president for the United States Jaycee Women. A resident of Beaumont, Texas, for 15 years, Barbara was on a number of community organizations’ boards of directors. Since moving to Prescott she has served as the president of the Bradshaw Mountain High School Band Boosters and volunteered as a chaperone for the Prescott High School Music Department. She also served two years on the Prescott Chamber of Commerce Membership committee.

Barbara is the mother of Tyler and Joshua, who is married to Kristy and father to Rhys. She is married to Ben Hansen, executive editor of Prescott Newspapers, Inc.

JAMIE NELSON
Financial Director

Jamie rejoined Prescott Newspapers in July 2007 as financial director. She started her newspaper career with PNI in 1992 and worked in various departments. In August 2004 she received a promotion to advertising director at the Kingman Daily Miner, a sister publication. Her newspaper experience includes classified advertising, outside sales for the Chino Valley Review and Today's Real Estate, classified manager, and advertising director.

Jamie graduated high school with honors from Scottsdale Christian Academy in Phoenix. She lives in Prescott Valley with her son, Craig, and daughter, Kaitlyn.

DARRELL WALLACE
Business Manager

Darrell, living in Orange County, Calif., all of his life relocated in August 2007 to Dewey, Ariz. Having attended both Santa Ana College (1984-86) and the University of Phoenix (1995), he progressed to the position of controller in Huntington Beach, Calif., working in payroll processing. Shortly thereafter he worked as a controller in a manufacturing facility that made prison furniture in Santa Ana, Calif. (1999-2001).

While working in a full-time capacity Darrell maintained self-employment for several years and finally selling a tax preparation business in 2000. From 2002 to 2006, he partnered in and operated a business in real estate and insurance services, stepping out of that position to pursue other ventures.

Sincerely, Darrell is happy with his move to Arizona and enjoys reading, movies, church, cooking and hiking.

JEFF WESTRA
Operations Manager

Jeff has been working in human resources since 1990, and came to work as personnel director for PNI in July 2005. In August 2007, he received a promotion to operations manager, overseeing the printing facility, circulation and graphics.

He has been living in the Prescott Valley area since 1998. He is married with three, teen-age children. They live in the Coyote Springs area with their llamas and two dogs. Jeff is active with the high school football program and church. He and his wife love to spend time with their family and in their Jeep.

He grew up in Aberdeen, S.D., where his father owned a hardware store. Jeff received his under-graduate degree from Dakota Wesleyan University, and earned his master's degree in human resources from National-Louis University in Evanston, Ill.

CARMEL BONITATIBUS
Plant Manager

Carmel and his family lived in Angola, N.Y., for more than 30 years, where he worked for the Buffalo News. Since then Carmel has worked for Freedom Communications and Gannett Offset (USA Today) while living in Scottsdale, Ariz., and with Signature Offset in Albuquerque, N.M., and in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Carmel moved to Prescott Valley in November 2006 to join PNI.

He and his wife, Diane, have three children - Meagan, Patrick and Colin. In Carmel's spare time, he enjoys spending time with his children, and seeing the U.S. and the world with his sons, Patrick and Colin, who play competitive soccer.

RAYMOND FORD
Production Manager

Raymond was born and raised in San Diego, Calif. He moved to Prescott Valley in 1979 and graduated from Bradshaw Mountain High School in 1988. In 1989 he began working for Western Newspapers, Inc., in the Production Department.

Raymond trained in every position available in production before becoming a production manager. As production manager, he is responsible for overseeing all operations in the plant, and meeting deadlines without sacrificing quality. Raymond has attended numerous leadership, supervisory and communications seminars aimed at mastering all areas of management and customer relations.

Raymond lives in Dewey with his wife, Deanna, his stepdaughter, Corey Lynn, and daughter, Emma. Raymond's main interest is his family – after that it's music, drums, music, and the Sundogs hockey team!

SEAN DEWITT
Production Manager

Sean, a production manager for Prescott Newspapers, Inc., started working at the PNI print facility in the mail room in June 1997. In December of 1997 he transferred to the WNI New Media Department and worked as a computer hardware and software technician. In February 1998 he joined the composing and pagination department of PNI, and in October 1998 he moved to Kingman, Ariz., to begin working at the Kingman Daily Miner as a graphics designer and local computer tech. During this time there he also worked at the Central Printing Facility, servicing all computers and computer-to-plate equipment.

In October 1999 he moved back to Prescott as a full-time software technician for New Media, providing technical service and training for all WNI locations. In November 2001 he became the Graphics Department supervisor for PNI, and in August 2004 he joined the Advertising Department as a sales representative for the Sun Shopper and PNI web advertising.

In May 2005 he moved to Flagstaff to join the team at Northern Arizona Newspapers; while there he received a promotion to Operations Associate and worked at the Williams-Grand Canyon News, Navajo-Hopi Observer and the Winslow Mail and Reminder. As Operations Associate he managed the graphics, classified and circulation departments of the three locations. He also oversaw the Advertising Department of the Winslow Mail and Reminder.

In January 2007 he returned to PNI to work as a PrePress Technician.

DAVID MCATEE
Media/Graphics Manager

David has been the media/graphics manager for PNI since August 2006. He oversees the Graphics Department as well as the Internet Department. Prior to that he worked for Western as the senior webmaster responsible for maintaining all of WNI's Web sites.

David grew up in California and moved to Arizona at the age of 19 where he met his wife; they are now enjoying raising their daughter. David holds a bachelor's degree in business management and IT management from Kaplan University.

About the Prescott Daily Courier

The Daily Courier is the only daily newspaper serving Yavapai County, and is by far the best-read newspaper in the county. Since 1882, The Daily Courier has been a vital part of this growing quad-city community. Not all of the news is good news, and readers don't always agree with the opinions expressed, but year after year The Daily Courier's regular subscribers renew, or they invest 75 cents at the newsstand (Monday through Saturday) or $1.50 on Sundays, and read The Daily Courier day after day.

The Daily Courier is the only daily paid subscriber newspaper in the county reaching 18,506 subscribers or single-copy buyers during the week and 21,100 subscribers or single-copy buyers on Sundays. At 2.3 readers per copy, that gives The Daily Courier a total daily readership of more than 42,500 people during the week, and 48,500 on Sundays!

The Daily Courier's Pulse Research survey indicates that 88.1% of newspaper readers prefer The Daily Courier; 87 percent use the Courier when they are seeking merchandise and services; and 68 percent choose the Courier when placing a classified ad. Our readers peruse the display advertisements at least occasionally more than 87 percent of the time, and they read the inserts at least occasionally 81.5 percent of the time. Our readers' average household income is $57,594 and that is greater than the market average by nearly $5,000.

The Daily Courier readers' daily investment is a clear signal that these pages are being read!

Prescott Newspapers, Inc., publishers of The Daily Courier, also publishes The Prescott Valley Tribune, The Chino Valley Review, The Big Bug News, The Sun Shopper, The Smart Shopper and Tri-City Business News.

Targeting Your Market

The Daily Courier staff consistently provides excellent service to their customers/readers. Not only is the daily publication given quality attention, The Daily Courier provides timely special magazines and sections aimed toward specific topics that focus readers on the community, businesses and seasonal events to bring effective, long-lasting information to consumers.

Examples in a typical year include Business Profiles, Home Improvement, Tourist Treasures, Prescott Frontier Days and Holiday Gift Guide. This is only a partial list. Contact our Advertising Department at (928) 445-3333 for a more extensive list of special sections and publications.

Reader Purchasing Power

Advertising in The Daily Courier has become a key ingredient in the marketing plans of this area's most successful businesses. Advertisers know they are reaching an audience of more than 42,500 during the week and 48,500 on Sundays for products to buy locally.

The Pulse Research shows that residents plan to spend more than $36.6 million on new car purchases in the next year!! The research shows other exciting percentages: 14 percent of our readers plan to spend for home repairs in the next 12 months, and 10 percent plan to remodel their home within the next year. Here is more: 46 percent of our readers own a computer, 12 percent plan to buy a computer and 18 percent report that they use the worldwide web.

Reader research reveals the following spending plans: $83 a week on groceries; $72 a month on eating out, and $11 a month on video rentals. Annual spending plans include: $338 on auto repairs, $222 on men's clothing and $338 on woman's clothing, $784 on medical services and $642 on home furnishings. And our readers indicate that they plan to spend $1,798 a year on vacations.

The research showed that our readers/consumers are looking for competitive prices on everyday needs like clothing, home supplies and groceries. The numbers show that our readers spend 77 percent of their purchasing dollars in this area. To reach the greatest share of that significant market, The Daily Courier, The Smart Shopper, The Prescott Valley Tribune and The Chino Valley Review must be your preferred medium!!

Other Valued Information

Today's Real Estate is an excellent advertising resource that Prescott Newspapers, Inc., publishes. It is a magazine that comes out the first of each month, and designed to match buyers and sellers. It is a valuable tool for developers, Realtors, potential buyers and other related businesses: Mortgage, Insurance, Escrow, Moving Companies, Hotels, etc.

Advertising rates for Today's Real Estate are reasonable and flexible, and include copy setup, b/w photos of personnel and /or properties and ad design. For a nominal cost, a color can be added to enhance the ad. The perks of Today's Real Estate include distribution to all local real estate agencies, as well as other key locations via Prescott Newspapers, Inc. Circulation Department. Today's Real Estate also is mailed to all mail subscribers on the first Sunday of each month - hot prospects for moving to this area. Advertisers in Today's Real Estate also receive value added advertisements in the Sunday Courier.

PNI also publishes The Sun Shopper, which is distributed on Sundays to more than 200 locations. The Sun Shopper is Yavapai County's largest classified market place!

Want to reach everyone in the tri-city area? Try The Smart Shopper, which is inserted into The Daily Courier on Tuesdays and is mailed to all Courier non-subscribers on Wednesdays.

For information, call the Advertising Department at (928) 445-3333.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

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To subscribe by mail, send your check or money order to:

The Daily Courier
P.O. Box 312
Prescott, Arizona 86302

To subscribe by telephone call (928) 445-3333

Contact Information

Click Here to Contact The Prescott Daily Courier

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