Area newspapers change hands
Family newspaper group sells to another family newspaper group
Three area newspapers and a shopper were sold this week by BHG Inc. to NorDak North Publishing, owned by J. Louis Mullen. The company took over ownership this week of the McLean County Independent, Leader-News, Central McLean News-Journal, XTRA and Viking Screen Prints.
J. Louis Mullen lives in Buffalo, Wyo., with his wife and children. He owns weekly newspapers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Oregon, Iowa and Washington. He grew up in the industry, starting as a paperboy for the Sioux City Journal at four years old and served in every position in a newspaper from janitor to reporter to publisher.
Kelsey Majeske is the publisher of the North Dakota, South Dakota properties. Majeske currently publishes weekly newspapers in Beulah, Hazen, Center, Linton, Lisbon, Casselton, Mayville, Milnor and in South Dakota, Pollock, Mobridge, Gettysburg and Eagle Butte.
Sister company, NorDak Central Publishing, purchased the Beulah Beacon, Hazen Star, Center Republican and Coal Country Dollar Saver from BHG in April 2021.
During the last nearly 60 years, BHG Inc. – owned by Mike Gackle and Jill Denning Gackle – operated 11 newspapers and three shoppers, beginning with McLean County Independent in 1963, which was established by Don Gackle, Mike's father; The McClusky Gazette was sold in 2021 to Editor Allan Tinker. New Town News and Mountrail County Record were sold to Editor Jerry Kram in 2020. The Northern Sentry and Velva Area Voice were sold to Ted and Margie Bolton of Minot in 2018. In the 1980s, BHG owned the Roundup, a shopper based in Sidney, Montana.
