Angela Brandt
Havre Daily News
abrandt@havredailynews.com
The times they are a changin' at the Havre Daily News.
The new year brought a new publisher and new owners.
Now the paper has a new managing editor, Alan Sorensen.
Sorensen has been employed by
the paper for 16 years starting as a reporter and moved up to serve as wire editor for the last five years.
“I've worked with Alan for 14 years. I think he'll do a good job. He's lived here all his life. He knows the area, knows the people and has a lot of great contacts,” said Val Murri, publisher of the Havre Daily News. “He will continue to put out a good quality paper.”
Murri took over as publisher Jan. 1. On that date, Frontier Newspapers, based out of Wyoming, took over ownership of the paper from Pioneer Newspapers.
Over the years, Sorensen has worked under seven editors.
“Karen Datko was by far the best I ever worked under,” Sorensen said today.
After 4 years of service, managing editor Karen Datko is no longer employed by the Havre Daily News.
“It's a demanding job that's been filled by excellent people in the past,” Sorensen said. “The Havre Daily News has a really great team in every department. The newsroom crew and everyone else have said they'll do all they can to help me in every way they can.”
Sorensen was born and raised in Havre and plans “on dying here but not too soon,” he said.
“I'm happy both of my sons chose to live in Havre. It's further
proof of what a great place this is to live,” Sorensen said. He has two sons: Jeremy, who works as mail room foreman at the paper, and Ryan, who is a sales manager at a local automotive dealer.
Sorensen has been teaching a writing for mass media class at Stone Child College for the last four years.
He graduated from Havre High School in 1967 and later graduated from Montana State University-Northern with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
“There will have to be a transition period at least a couple of weeks to catch my breath,” Sorensen said. “My editing skills aren't what they should be, so Larry Kline will serve as a news editor.”
Larry Kline has been a reporter for the paper for about a year. In addition to his role as news editor, he will continue as a reporter.
“It's going to be a little daunting, but we have a good team here,” Kline said.
Before coming to Havre, Kline worked for a year at a small weekly paper based in Rittman, Ohio. The oldest of three, Kline was born and raised in Wadsworth, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio University with a journalism degree in 2003.
“I am confident we'll be able to put together a quality newspaper for Havre readers,” Kline said.
