Civic officials in the International Falls area are trying to figure out how to meet state reporting requirements with the loss of the Falls Journal.
It will publish its final paper next week.
Cities and towns have long used the paper to post public notices as required by law.
Koochiching County Administrator Jenny Herman says they have social media and a bulletin board to fall back on but no other publication to turn to.
“We do not have a newspaper that actually fits the qualifications. It has to have a circulation that reaches no fewer than 75% of the households within the county,” says Herman.
Using an outside publication may be possible, but there isn’t one that meets the state requirements.
“The Duluth News Tribune publishes twice a week, but none of those will meet the qualifications because they don’t deliver to 75 per cent within our county,” says Herman.
Herman says they haven’t identified an alternative option.
She says they are waiting to see if someone might take over the newspaper or provide a different opportunity to post public notices.
The Journal has been in place for 111 years, created a year after the city of International Falls was incorporated.
