Ponderosa Publications

Feature Business of the Week:  Ponderosa Publications (Cut Bank Pioneer Press, Shelby Promoter, Browning Glacier Reporter, Valierian, Liberty Chronicle)  

Written By: Jennifer Tronson

Ponderosa Publications

P.O. Box 847

Cut Bank, MT  59427

406-873-2201

The Shelby Promoter has been reporting the local news, sharing community members’ accomplishments and promoting Shelby & Toole County for over 100 years.  It has been a staple of the community, providing many with different jobs and withstanding the tests of time-world wars, the Dempsey Gibbons debacle, the Great Depression and, most recently, the COVID pandemic, just to name a few.

The Shelby Promoter came to be in 1912 and for many years the Promoter was owned by different generations of the Kavanagh family until Brian and LeAnne Kavanagh’s retirement from the newspaper business in 2022.

Many changes have taken place at the Promoter, one of the biggest being when it stopped printing here in Shelby and had to be sent out, first to Great Falls and then Bozeman, in the early 2000’s.  Another major change occurred when COVID pandemic hit in 2020.  The four newspapers Kavanaghs owned- The Promoter, the Cut Bank Pioneer Press, The Valierian and the Glacier Reporter combined into one edition.  More change came when the Kavanaghs retired and the combined newspaper was purchased by Jesse and Lloyd Mullen of Ponderosa Publications in 2022.

A recent change was the addition of the Liberty Chronicle, allowing those in Liberty County to still have a published newspaper for their area.

One of the latest big changes was the closing of the Shelby Promoter office in the summer of 2024.  While there is no longer an office open to the public, attending events, writing articles, taking photos and laying out the pages of the newspaper weekly continues.

Regardless of what changes have taken place, the newspaper continues to hit the stands and online, every week, without fail, sharing the news of the communities it serves.

While many might not see the advantage to still having a local, weekly newspaper, as pretty much anything and everything can be found online, it still serves a great purpose.  Printed news cannot be altered or photoshopped, it is a hardcopy of history.  It provides tangible copies of the sports photos of local athletes, obituaries that can be cut out and tucked away in family albums for future generations and serves as the place legal notices are published.

Everything changes over time, but the commitment and dedication of the employees of what is now Ponderosa Publications has not, with the majority of the employees having worked their current positions for over a decade, or longer.  All take pride in the jobs they do and the obligation to providing the best newspaper possible for our communities is one thing that has, and will continue, to remain the same.

Written By: Shane Adams

Thinking back to my first days at the Chamber Office almost 2 years ago when I started. The Shelby Promoter was one of the first Chamber Members I had any interactions with. Jen was in contact with me and right away, did an interview with me and put my picture and story on the front page of the paper! Since then I've gotten to know Jen well.  In my opinion, Jen does a tremendous job reporting on Shelby events by attending, taking pictures, and great articles in the newspaper! Keep up the good work you all do for Shelby and the surrounding area.

I had the privilege of meeting the previous owners this last year as well, the Kavanaghs. While they were cleaning out one of their properties on Main Street. They invited me to take a look at old newspapers, pictures, and other old stuff in the basement that's been in storage for many years. There was a treasure trove of items. I helped clean a couple of truck loads out and took them back to the Chamber Office to sort out and organize. First I contacted the museum to see if they wanted any of these items. From there I distributed many of the old pictures, old papers, etc etc among various businesses or organizations where they could be enjoyed by the community and travelers coming through Shelby. Thank You to the Kavanaghs for thinking of the Chamber on this aspect!! That was awesome!