According to a front-page announcement in the Valentine Midland News, the final edition of the Valentine Midland News will be December 25, 2024. Nelson Miller and Rod Worrell purchased the newspaper in 1996 from the Medlock Estate, and will be closing the Valentine Midland News at the end of the year.
The Worrells own three newspapers, the Valentine Midland News, Ainsworth Star-Journal, and Gregory Times-Advocate. The Ainsworth Star-Journal will also cease publication on December 25. As for the Gregory Times-Advocate, Worrell said there is someone locally in the process of buying that publication.
Some of the reasons for the decision included competition with social media outlets and USPS inefficiency and increased postage costs as well as a declining population in the region.
It was announced in the same article that there is someone interested in the commercial printing side, “Midland Printing.”
Current subscribers to the Valentine Midland News and Ainsworth Star-Journal will be reimbursed for the remainder of their subscription following the ceasing of the publication.