The Kiowa County Signal was yet another building destroyed by the EF5 tornado. The building was later demolished. The Signal just moved into the new Incubator building at Main and U.S. 54.
Newspaper editor does it all
By Courtney Looney
Last Updated: June 21, 2009
Running a one-man circus, or a publication in this case, isn't all that easy. Mark Anderson, editor of the Kiowa County Signal, edits, writes, photographs and all, in his town's weekly newspaper. His job began in the summer of 2004.
"The newspaper has been around for about 100 years," Anderson said. "(There was) a staff of two people besides me. They did circulation, classified and advertising."
On May 5, 2007, though, an EF5 tornado, measuring almost two miles wide demolished 95 percent of the community.
"When the tornado hit, the roof was taken off," Anderson said. "I had no office anymore."
Because Greensburg was devastated by this natural disaster, GateHouse Publishing, the owner of the Signal, placed Anderson in nearby Pratt. For about a year, he worked in a 4x6-foot room producing the paper.
"I would drive back and forth every day from Greensburg to Pratt," Anderson said. "The only way I got back and forth was because of my press credentials. At first, a National Guard member walked everywhere with me because of safety issues."
Anderson estimates he worked around 60 to 70 hours a week after the tornado, and close to that amount today. One of his jobs was to attend daily Kiowa County Commission meetings conducted in tents.
A week after the tornado, Anderson and the other two on his staff, met with a regional GateHouse representative out of Kansas City.
"They (GateHouse) wanted to discuss whether they should close the paper or not," Anderson said. "I told them that the chances were above average for Greensburg to rebound. It is the county seat."
Two years later, Anderson believes progress has been made. He said the fact that Greensburg has a $50 million school being constructed indicates his bets were right. He also believes that rebuilding the town has continually increased.
Even though conditions slowly seem to be improving, Anderson is still struggling to find a permanent home for the Signal.
Immediately after moving out of the Pratt Tribune offices, he was placed in a classroom at Barclay College in Haviland. He said it was great having his own office, but it wasn't ideal for the newspaper, considering he was still 10 miles from Greensburg.
Anderson didn't want to give up, though. He next worked out a deal with the county clerk, who was willing to give up part of her mobile office to share with Anderson. This seemed like the perfect plan, until the county treasurer refused to let the move happen.
By this point, Anderson said the only emotion he had left was desperation. The Farm Bureau Insurance office was his next option. That plan also eventually failed.
Finally, Anderson found what he had been seeking. The Carriage House, an assisted living senior center, was scheduled to reopen in June 2008. When Anderson went to speak with Steve Dawson, the Carriage House manager, he explained he needed an office to help this paper continue.
"I talked it over with my company, and we all agreed," Dawson said. "It was going to take time to get Greensburg back up and going, and we had the space."
The Carriage House provided Anderson a clothing storage room to operate the Signal. Working from June to November in this room somehow worked, but luckily, the situation changed soon after.
"Thankfully, they moved me up to a resident's room," he said. "They weren't full, and it's been great."
Anderson said one of the best parts of his new office is his own fridge, microwave and bathroom. The Carriage House also serves Anderson the daily lunch if he is in the office.
Dawson said Anderson works four days a week in his office. Wednesdays are the only exception, when he drives to McPherson to pick up the weekly paper and deliver it to nearby businesses.
Subscriptions to the Signal have slowly increased since the tornado. About 1200 papers are printed weekly. Graduates of Greensburg High School who have moved away have become frequent subscribers as well. Construction and improvements are what people are curious about. Advertising for the newspaper also has remained steady.
"Most businesses that advertised with us were gone," Anderson said. "We lost a lot. However, new places came into town. Contractors made up for the gap."
In the next week, Anderson will move the Signal to the newly constructed Sun Chips Business Incubator building. This building currently houses businesses in hopes of stimulating the Greensburg economy. Anderson said most of these businesses will be in the incubator three to five years. He hopes the Signal can remain there as long as it can.
"GateHouse isn't going to build a building for the Kiowa County Signal," he said. "We'll always be a renter or a leaser."
Though the Signal has had its issues, Dawson believes Anderson will overcome the challenges. He said he sees the Signal being in Greensburg a long time.
"I think he's done very well for being a one-man operation," he said.
Anderson said he has no intention of giving up his job. He said that being the only staffer has increased his workload, although his compensation has not gone anywhere from what it was previously. For his hard work displayed through the weekly paper, The Huck Boyd's National Institute for Rural Development and Kansas State University honored Anderson in late 2007 with the Community Journalism Leader of the Year Award.
"In Greensburg we've all learned we have to work together," he said. "That's the bottom line. Otherwise, we wouldn't survive."
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Elliott School of Communication