A new philanthropy-funded newspaper plant is up and running – star for a night of the local TV news – while another US regional has seen its press plans advanced.

In Denver, Colorado, a new National Trust for Local News-backed print site is already printing 24 weekly and monthly products, filling a gap following Gannett’s closure of its Pueblo Chieftain site.

Gannett had listed its Pueblo building – which housed a MAN Plamag press – for sale at US$3.6 million (A$5.79 million) in July 2023, shutting down production the following month with the reported loss of more than 50 staff.

Gannett’s ownership came from its 2019 merger with Gatehouse, which had bought the paper from the Rawlings family the previous year following the death of its 92-year-old publisher and editor. Reports say its newsroom headcount had been cut to six, from more than 30 people.

Meanwhile the new Trust press is a four-tower single-width DGM 430 with a Goss folder, supplied by ImPressions Worldwide in Burlington, WA.

National Trust for Local News transformation head Amalie Nash says on the local 9News TV report that it has raised almost US$1 million of the anticipated US$1.7 million needed for the project. They expect to be printing about 50-60 separate publications in the New Year.

“We identified a growing need for affordable printing solutions, particularly for smaller, independent publishers struggling to stay in print,” she said. “With philanthropic funding and strong partnerships, this facility is a direct response to that challenge.”

Nash said people still wanted printed newspapers, alongside digital options. “Local news is the lifeblood of a community, and ensuring its delivery in the format people prefer is critical.”

The displaced German-made press at Pueblo (above) had been described by Denver Newspaper Guild’s Tony Mulligan as “one of the only remaining large-scale news presses in Colorado”.

• Plans for a cost-saving new smaller print site for the Dallas Morning News have been advanced by the sale of its former building in Plano, Texas, for US$43.5 million (A$69.87 million).

The company is installing two refurbished single-width presslines into a building in Carrollton, north of Dallas, as part of a plan to save “nearly US$5 million (A$8.03 million) annually and 85 jobs”. Supplier ImPressions Worldwide shipped the first 24-unit line (pictured below being dismantled for shipment) in October, with the second press to follow early in 2025.