Valencia County News-Bulletin
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner | Journal Publishing Company |
| Founder | P.A. Speckmann |
| Publisher | Clara Garcia |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Language | English |
| City | Belen, New Mexico |
| Country | United States |
| ISSN | 1071-3492 |
| Website | news-bulletin |
The Valencia County News-Bulletin is a weekly newspaper in Belen, New Mexico, that was established in 1912. It is owned by Number 9 Media, a subsidiary of the Albuquerque Journal.
History
[edit]In December 1912, P.A. Speckmann founded the Belen News.[1] In March 1914, E.H. "Henry" Salazar, owner of the Hispano-American Publishing Co., bought the News and appointed M.C. Garcia as editor.[2][3] Salazar was the stepson of William H. Manderfield, an early owner of The Santa Fe New Mexican, and founded two Spanish-language papers called La Voz de Pueblo and El Independiente. He was also appointed a land receiver at Fort Sumner in Guadalupe County. In October 1914, Salazar died after being struck by a cow.[4][5]
Years later the News eventually fell into the hands of county school superintendent Saturnino Baca and his son Elfego G. Baca,[6] a police officer who fatally shot a man in self-defense.[7][8] In May 1946, George W. Perkins founded the Belen Bulletin.[9] In December 1946, Edwin J. Lewis bought the News from Elfego G. Baca after he was elected county sheriff.[10][11] In January 1947, Carter M. Waid became co-publisher of the Bulletin.[12] In March 1947, the Bulletin and the News merged to form the News-Bulletin. Waid became editor, Lewis became business manager and Perkins became plant superintendent.[13]
Carter bought out Lewis in 1953, only for him to sell his entire stock in the business to Lewis in 1976.[14] The paper was then operated by the company Modern Press, which was managed by Thomas E. Lewis. The News-Bulletin was acquired by Meredith Corporation in 1980,[15][16] Harte-Hanks Communications in 1983,[17] Worrell Enterprises in 1986,[18] brothers Walt and Ken Green in 1988,[19] and Cooke Media Group in 1989.[20] A new $100,000 printing press was installed a year later.[21]
Cooke Media Group was owned by Jack Kent Cooke and it also published the Los Angeles Daily News. Cooke's six New Mexican papers were operated by Raljon Publishing, a subsidiary managed by his two sons, Ralph and John Cooke.[22] In 1994, the News-Bulletin was sold to WorldWest LLC.[23] That same year former owner Carter, who served for two years as town mayor, died.[24]
In 2001, Journal Publishing Co., publisher of the Albuquerque Journal, acquired the News-Bulletin and El Defensor-Chieftain from WorldWest. The papers were operated under a subsidiary called Number Nine Media Inc.[25] In 2025, the paper's editor and publisher, Clara Garcia, was inducted into the New Mexico Press Association’s Hall of Fame.[26]
References
[edit]- ↑ "New Newspaper at Belen". The Deming Headlight. December 31, 1912. p. 1.
- ↑ "Editorial". Belen News. March 19, 1914. p. 2.
- ↑ "Notice". Estancia News-Herald. March 19, 1914. p. 1.
- ↑ "Death Of A Good Man | E.H. Salazar, U.S. Land Receiver at Ft. Sumner, Dies in Albuquerque". Belen News. October 22, 1914. p. 1.
- ↑ "Henry Salazar, U.S. Receiver Dies At Albuquerque; well Known State". The Santa Fe New Mexican. October 20, 1914. p. 5.
- ↑ "Belen News To Back Justiniano Baca". The Santa Fe New Mexican. October 24, 1924. p. 3.
- ↑ "Elfego Baca Acquitted of Murder Charge at El Paso". Belen News. January 27, 1916. p. 1.
- ↑ "Baca Mass Today". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Associated Press. July 27, 1981. p. 2.
- ↑ "Paper For Belen". Carlsbad Current-Argus. Associated Press. May 26, 1946. p. 1.
- ↑ "Publisher Now Sheriff". Carlsbad Current-Argus. December 29, 1946. p. 5.
- ↑ "New Sheriff Sells His Paper at Belen". The Albuquerque Tribune. United Press. January 1, 1947. p. 2.
- ↑ "Carter Waid Is Appointed Co-Publisher in New Mexico". Sooner State Press. Norman, Oklahoma. January 25, 1947. p. 3.
- ↑ "Belen Newspapers To Consolidate". Carlsbad Current-Argus. Associted Press. p. 6.
- ↑ "Carter Waid Sells Belen Newspaper". Carlsbad Current-Argus. Associated Press. September 3, 1976. p. 2.
- ↑ Williams, Richard (June 27, 1980). "Modern Press is sold". The Albuquerque Tribune. p. 2.
- ↑ "Meredith buys N.M. firm". The Daily Nonpareil. Council Bluffs, Iowa. Associated Press. June 28, 1980. p. 3.
- ↑ "Harte-Hanks buys printing firm's assents". The Marshall News Messenger. Associated Press. June 1, 1983. p. 26.
- ↑ "Virginia Firm May Purchase Belen Newspaper". Albuquerque Journal. November 21, 1986. p. 3.
- ↑ "Valencia County | Belen newspaper sold". The Albuquerque Tribune. April 7, 1988. p. 24.
- ↑ "Business briefs | Headlight's owner buys Belen paper". The Deming Headlight. April 3, 1989. p. 5.
- ↑ Trujillo, Velinda (April 20, 1990). "Valencia Paper Press Ahead With Changes | News-Bulletin Gets Acquired With Plant, Printing Equipment". Albuquerque Journal. p. 1.
- ↑ Man, Martha (May 13, 1994). "Six Newspapers Offered for Sale | Los Lunas, Socorro, Deming Papers Included". Albuquerque Journal. p. 39.
- ↑ "Kansas Xompany To Buy Four N.M. Newspapers". Albuquerque Journal. Associated Press. May 18, 1994. p. 23.
- ↑ "Ex-Belen Mayor Carter M. Waid Dies". Albuquerque Journal. September 3, 1994. p. 36.
- ↑ "Belen, Socorro Papers Purchased". Albuquerque Journal. June 2, 2001. p. 19.
- ↑ Jaramillo, Austin (November 8, 2025). "Former NMPA President Clara Garcia inducted into 2025 NMPA Hall of Fame". New Mexico Press Association. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
External links
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