News staff at The Brownsville Times held a grand opening on the day of the release of the first “revived” issue, June 5, at its new office, 343 N. Main St.
Originally established in 1888 as The Times, the long-established community paper folded in December 2024, but community members rallied together only a couple months later to try to revive the institution.
Several residents formed the “new” paper as a nonprofit which, Board Chair Sharon Banks said, provides an alternative way to keep the paper financially afloat.
“It’s really hard for newspapers to make any money these days, and it gives us an opportunity to apply for grant funding,” she said.
Keeping the historic newspaper going is important, Banks said, because it documents the present for the future – the people who live here, what they do and who they were – so that it’s not lost to time.
“You just can’t do that on social media,” she said.
Using their model of operation, everyone in the community gets to participate, she noted.
With one part-time paid editor, Mikayle Stole, and more than 40 volunteer writers from Brownsville and the surrounding area – many of whom are accomplished writers – The Brownsville Times promises to publish a variety of features about gardening, arts, health, schools, city news and more.
Banks contributes to the Critter Chronicles column, which highlights funny-but-true stories about pets and wild animals. Other columns include Dear Gertrude, The Long Gray Braid, American Legion, Taking Root and more.
“We have a ton of different material that’s coming in that is just interesting and unique,” Banks said. “It’s just fun; we’re just having a ball.”
So far, she said, everybody is loving the new paper.