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Saturday July 4, 2009
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Saturday July 4, 2009
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| 514 S. Kansas Ave. Olathe, KS 66061-4548 913-764-2211 www.TheOlatheNews.com |
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Founded: The roots of The Olathe News are as old as Kansas itself. In 1861, John Francis began Olathe's second weekly newspaper, The Mirror, which voiced opposition to slavery. The competing 5-year-old Olathe Herald supported slavery. Late one night in 1862, rebel raider William C. Quantrill and his men rode through town, intent on burning The Mirror's office. But when morning dawned, Olathe residents discovered the raiders had destroyed the wrong newspaper. The Mirror bought what was left of the Herald. In 1921, the weekly Johnson County Democrat was founded; in 1959, John P. Harris, bought both newspapers and combined them into the town's first daily. The Olathe News rolled off the press April 5, 1960. Five different publishers guided the newspaper under Harris Enterprises until 1998, when it was sold to Tim O'Donnell. Knight Ridder acquired The Daily News in April 2000. In 2004, the newspaper was renamed The Olathe News. In 2006, McClatchy acquired The Olathe News in its purchase of Knight Ridder.
Key Executives:
Sandy Nelson, Suburban Group Publisher, The Kansas City Star
Dan Simon, Editor and Publisher
Kevin Wright, Managing Editor
Amanda Hay, News Editor
Tod Palmer, Sports Editor
Teresa Morrow, Advertising Manager
Virginia House, Business Manager
Mike Kohagen, Circulation Manager
Rondee Poe, Ad Services and Prepress Manager
Matt Goodspeed, Production Manager
Newsroom Hiring Contacts: Managing Editor Kevin Wright: 913-764-2211, ext. 126, or e-mail kwright@theolathenews.com
General Hiring Contact: Business Manager Virginia House: 913-764-2211, ext. 104, or e-mail ghouse@theolathenews.com
Distinction: The Olathe News is the only daily newspaper printed in Johnson County, Kan.
Market: Olathe is the county seat of Johnson County, Kan., the greater Kansas City area's most affluent and fastest-growing county. Olathe's market population is nearly 185,000 and includes Olathe, southern Johnson County, northern Miami County and eastern Douglas County. Olathe's share of the Johnson County population is expected to reach 20 percent by 2010. Olathe's strong and steady growth began more than 20 years ago. Olathe was still a small, rural town in the 1960s with a population of about 10,000. Today, it has grown to nearly 120,000 and has not only blossomed into a full-blown city, but also a strong suburban community in the southwest portion of the metropolitan Kansas City area. The county's well-diversified economy and strong business linkages translate into growth in every sector.
Circulation Area: The Olathe News focuses its circulation in the greater Olathe area and southwest Johnson County, which includes the communities of Lenexa, Gardner, Spring Hill, DeSoto and Edgerton. Copies are also sold in Paola and Wellsville in Miami and Douglas counties.
Customers: "Family" is a word that describes the makeup of Olathe and the readership of The Olathe News. Olathe's median age is 31.9. The Olathe school district has become the third-largest district in the state of Kansas. The community has a strong faith community with more than 70 churches. The newspaper's readers are also well educated. Almost 95 percent of the city's residents have a high school education or greater and 47 percent hold college degrees. Olathe's median annual household income is estimated to be $66,230.
Site: The Olathe News building was built in 1960. The single-story metal building with an attractive stone front is located about five blocks south of downtown Olathe.
Circulation: 5,315 weekday; 6,096 weekend; 28,000 total market coverage (Wednesday and Saturday)
Size: Averages 12 pages weekdays; 20 pages weekends
Single-Copy Sales: 20% weekdays; 30% Saturday
Production: Six-unit Goss Urbanite press, installed in 1988
Technology: Fully paginated, Macintosh front-end system
Color: Four-color is available on the front and back covers (inside and outside) of all sections; spot color is available on inside pages
Website: www.TheOlatheNews.com
Employees: 28 full-time; 8 part-time
Full-Time Newsroom Staff:
Reporters: 6
Editors: 2
Photographers: 1 full-time, 1 part-time
Ongoing Special Projects: In August 2007, The Olathe News launched the Lenexa Centennial. This weekly newspaper is mailed to 15,500 single-family homes in Kansas' 10th-largest city. Hometown Journal is a weekly publication mailed to every home and business in Gardner, Spring Hill and Edgerton just south and southwest of Olathe; Biz News Monthly, sent to chamber of commerce members throughout southwestern Johnson County; The Olathe News is the sponsor paper for Olathe students at Scripps National Spelling Bee (with a Bee finalist in 2006-07); outreach to local high school journalism classes and elementary schools; annual outstanding athlete banquet honoring the city's top student-athletes; weekly homes publication; Newspaper in Education delivered to more than 50 classrooms.
Major Awards: Winner of the Kansas Press Association's Sweepstakes Award, best editorial page, news and writing excellence in recent years.
Major Advertisers: Best Buy; Kohl's, Kmart, Dillon's Grocery, Olathe Medical Center, Toys r Us, Bass Pro Shops, JC Penney and the Great Mall of the Great Plains.
Creative Ventures: Published a local history book in 2007 to celebrate the city's sesquicentennial.
Special Publications: The Olathe News publishes three special publications each year:
Community Involvement: The newspaper is an active community partner that was honored as the chamber of commerce's first Corporate Citizen of the Year in 1989. The following year, Publisher Michael Hurd was selected as the chamber's Olathe Citizen of the Year. More recently, The Olathe News has played key leadership roles in all of the community's major celebrations: Olathe's 150th Anniversary celebrations, Discover Olathe, Old Settlers and others. In addition, The Olathe News plays an active role in supporting the Olathe Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Lions Club, the Olathe Junior Service League and the Olathe Area United Way, the Olathe Public Schools Foundation, Project Graduation, MidAmerica Nazarene University, and the Olathe Chamber of Commerce.
Academic Sponsorships: Beginning in the 2000-01 school year, The Olathe News established a new college scholarship program for Olathe area high school journalists. Named after Chuck Kurtz, retired editor.
The Market: Olathe, the fifth-largest city in Kansas, is the fastest-growing city in the state. It encompasses approximately 80 square miles. Developed acreage currently tops 19,000 acres, while another 33,000 acres vacant and available for development. In 1999, the city issued a record 2,201 building permits. Residential development has occurred at a rapid pace, paving the way for population growth and accompanying nonresidential development.
Location: Olathe is located in the southwest corner of the metropolitan Kansas City area. It is about 20 miles south of Kansas City, Mo.
Transportation: Numerous highways, railroads, package delivery services, regional airports and the Kansas City International Airport serve the community. Highways within the city limits: I-35, U.S. 56 and U.S. 169. Kansas highways K7, K10 and K150. Railroads: Burlington Northern and Santa Fe. Regional airports: Johnson County Executive Airport; New Century Air Center. Kansas City International Airport is served by TWA, US Air, Delta, Midway, Southwest, American, Continental, Northwest and Vanguard airlines.
City Population: 120,000
City Households: 33,000 single family; 22,000 multi-family
Household Growth Rate: Projected household growth 2005-2010: 15 percent
Ethnic Makeup: 85% white; 10% African American; 3% Hispanic; 2% other
Education: 10% post-graduate degrees; 35% college graduates; more than 90% of the population older than 25 has a high school diploma
Median Age: 32.3 years
Average Income: $55,626
Median Home Price: $133,529
Median Rent: (two-bedrooms): $509.25
Climate: Average daily temperatures: January, 35 degrees; April, 55 degrees; July, 78 degrees; October, 59 degrees. Average annual precipitation includes 11 inches of snow and 37 inches of rain.
Major Employers/Industries: High tech; trucking; auto dealerships; county government; schools; health care; agriculture. Leading employers: GARMIN International; Olathe District Schools; Honeywell; Olathe Medical Center; Sysco Foods; TransAM Trucking; OTR Express; Osborn Labs; Marley Cooling Towers
Major Retailers: Kmart; Best Buy; Target; Bass Pro Shops; Kohl's; Dillon's; Price Chopper; Hy Vee; Dick's Sporting Goods; Marshall's
Higher Learning: Mid America Nazarene University is located in Olathe. Within the Olathe school district boundaries: University of Kansas Edwards Campus; Johnson County Community College. Within 30 minutes: the University of Kansas in Lawrence; Baker University in Baldwin; the University of Missouri at Kansas City in Kansas City, Mo.
Culture: Olathe has an active arts community, and is located within 20 minutes of the rich cultural offerings of Kansas City. Olathe offers a strong community theater troupe, a civic band, an alliance of visual artists, and well-respected band, choral and drama programs in the Olathe District Schools. Every fall, Olathe stages one of the region's finest events, the Hidden Glen Arts Festival. Kansas City offers the world-famous Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Galley of Contemporary Art, professional opera, symphony and ballet companies and numerous well-respected theatrical companies. Kansas City is home to numerous venues for jazz, live music and the arts.
Sports: State championship high school football, softball, basketball, soccer, swimming and track teams; Kansas City Royals baseball; Kansas City Chiefs football; Kansas City Wizards outdoor soccer; NAIA national championships and outstanding NAIA sports at MidAmerica Nazarene University; NCAA Division I sports at the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri at Kansas City
Major Annual Events: The Johnson County Old Settlers celebration, a three-day festival in downtown Olathe, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1998; Hidden Glen Arts Festival with 100 juried artists, musical entertainment and children's events; Fiesta Bullwhackers Days at the Historic Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farmstead. Many metropolitan events are within 15 to 20 minutes from Olathe.
Tourist Attractions: The Historic Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farmstead, the only stagecoach stop remaining on the Oregon Trail; Ernie Miller Nature Center and Park; Old Olathe Naval Air Museum; the Prairie Center; the Lanesfield School Historic Site; the William Marra Museum for Deaf Culture at the Kansas School for the Deaf
Recreation: An extensive park system includes 32 neighborhood and community parks encompassing nearly 1,000 acres. Prairie Highlands Golf Course is a championship par-72 course; Heritage Park offers another 18-hole golf course along with fishing, sports fields, off-leash dog area and shelters for picnicking. The Indian Creek Greenway Trail connects neighborhood parks and bike and jogging paths through a greenway that extends across the county. And, with two access points in Olathe, the 15.5 mile Millcreek Streamway Trail leads bikers, walkers and roller bladers from Olathe to the Kansas River.
Nightlife: An attractive mix of restaurants, nightclubs and theaters in Olathe complement a wealth of nightlife in the metropolitan area. Kansas City, of course, is world famous for jazz and barbecue.
Claim to Fame: City of Governors; five governors have come from Olathe; Charles Hyer, who designed the first cowboy boots, founded the Hyer Boot Factory, which sold footwear to Clark Cable, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry; Olathe was the first community in the nation to collect money and bring home its servicemen from Vietnam for Christmas in 1970; Walt Disney drew the logo for the Olathe Naval Air Station, which opened in 1941 to train combat pilots for World War II; astronaut John Glenn was in the Olathe Naval Air Station's first graduating class.
Famous Citizens: Actor Buddy Rogers, who starred in Wings (the first movie to win an Academy Award), and married actress Mary Pickford; Booker T. Washington; Larry Parks, who starred in the movie about Al Jolson's life
Trivia: Olathe is a Shawnee word for beautiful.
Area Information:
Olathe Chamber of Commerce
142 N. Cherry St.
Olathe, KS 66061
913-764-1050
www.Olathe.org
Recent Issues of the Newspaper:
The Olathe News
514 S. Kansas Ave.
Olathe, KS 66061
913-764-2211
circ@theolathenews.com
The McClatchy Company