Dear Readers,
I’m incredibly proud to share some good news: The North Coast Journal and several of NCJ Inc.’s publications, including The Ferndale Enterprise, are once again being printed right here in Humboldt County. After several challenging months of outsourcing printing out of area, our papers are once again rolling off the presses at Western Web in Samoa.
When I wrote “The Price of Print” in April of last year, I talked about the realities of producing a community paper in the modern media landscape, shrinking ad revenues, rising material costs, and the heartbreak of watching once-vibrant newsrooms fade away across the country. We weren’t immune. Those economic pressures led us, reluctantly, to print outside the area when local options became unsustainable. It was a decision made for survival, but it always felt like a loss.
Western Web, once the workhorse for many of Humboldt County’s publications, was facing its own set of hurdles: overdue bills, rising paper costs and looming tariffs that threatened to make printing locally nearly impossible. It looked, for a moment, like the last local web offset printing press might go dark.
Then Western Web sold to Paul Scholl, a newspaper publisher from the Sacramento region who owns and operates 18 independent community publications through his Messenger Publishing Group. Ultimately, we were able to work out competitive terms so both papers and printer can survive and thrive. Scholl’s investment in Western Web ensures that local printing has a future here, not just for the Journal, but for The Enterprise, Mad River Union, The Lumberjack and others. Local jobs tied to production stay local and more of your subscription dollars circulate within our community as we operate with greater sustainability, consistency and pride.
And while your paper will be just a little hotter off the presses, it’s also a couple inches smaller to accommodate updated systems in Samoa. (Don’t worry, though, your crossword puzzle is safe from change.) For us, the shift is worth it to bring the hum of the press, the smell of fresh ink and the sight of our papers stacked and ready right back where they belong.
Printing out of area was not without its challenges. Week after week, as we navigated shifting print schedules and delivery logistics, one group in particular stepped up in a big way: Roger Kirkpatrick and his team at Humboldt Motorsports went above and beyond, meeting our trucks, unloading pallets and making sure papers got into the hands of our delivery drivers, no matter what time they arrived. Their steady hands and generous spirit kept us on track through the most unpredictable moments.
Between Kirkpatrick’s crew and the remarkable flexibility of our North Coast Journal delivery team, the community never missed its paper. Every Thursday, the Journal made its way into racks, boxes, coffee shops and mailboxes across Humboldt. That’s what teamwork and community commitment look like.
None of this would be possible without the dedication of our team, the collaboration of our fellow publishers, and the ongoing loyalty of you, our readers, advertisers and supporters. You’ve carried us through some tough years and reminded us this work still matters deeply.
As we turn this next page, literally and figuratively, I want to thank Paul Scholl for believing in Humboldt’s press potential and the press and delivery teams that made the move back possible.
Thank you for reading, for caring and for keeping local journalism alive.
Melissa Sanderson
Publisher, North Coast Journal
This article appears in 2026 Pet Photo Contest.