In March of 2021 Jerry and Ann Healey, owners and publishers of the free, weekly community newspaper Highlands Ranch Herald, sat down with the HR Historical Society to discuss the history of the newspaper, how the newspaper reflects and reports the local news, and the personal relationship that the Healey’s have had with the community that they have called “home” since 1994. In May of 2021 the Healey’s retired, and sold the HR Herald to the Colorado News Conservancy.
Interview with Jerry and Ann Healey (and their Cat Mickey), Owners and Publishers of the Highlands Ranch Herald
WATCH THE 32 MINUTE VIDEO HERE
Highlands Ranch Herald Gives Local News Free to Residents
The Healeys—owners of Colorado Community Media, parent company of the HR Herald—worked tirelessly to bring local news to their readers.
In the beginning of their ownership, the HR Herald was published bi-weekly and within two to three years, became weekly. The paper is delivered free to residents. Colorado Community Media headquartered in Englewood now has a network of 27 newspapers. “They’re all community newspapers with their own reporters who cover the local news,” said Ann.
Original HRCA Highlands Ranch Newsletter, Vol. 1 No. 1
Mission Viejo, developer of Highlands Ranch, started the Highlands Ranch Herald as a newsletter and sold it to the Sentinel Group, which turned it into a newspaper. “When we bought it from Sentinel in 1994, the sale came with three papers—Littleton Independent, Englewood Herald and Highlands Ranch Herald,” said Jerry. “The concept of community newspapers was already established.”
Name Change to “Your Hometown Herald” Vol. 1 No. 2
HR Herald Logo in 1995
Parent Company of the HR Herald
Colorado’s Largest Local Community Media Outlet with 24 Newspapers and Websites in the Denver Metro Area
Clock Tower at Town Center, Iconic Representation of the Modern Highlands Ranch
HR Herald Logo 2021, Reflecting the Modern Clock Tower Image
HR Herald has a Tangible Newspaper as well as a Digital Version(link is external)
Asked if the digitized newspaper would replace print, Jerry said, “Millennial readers tell me all the time that they read their local newspaper from cover to cover every Saturday morning. There’s still something about a tactile feel of something in print.” For Internet diehards, HR Herald’s stories are posted online at www.highlandsranchherald.net(link is external).
The Healey’s Became Residents of Highlands Ranch in 1994–
Open Space and Pronghorns Abounded
As Residents the Healey’s Enjoyed Events and Activities at the Local Level—
Concerts, Recreation Centers, Trails and More
The HR Herald Reports on Newsworthy Items of Interest to HR Residents–
Local People, Schools, Events 4/10/2021 Trending Stories
“One of our Missions is to Keep People Connected to their Community” Jerry Healey, 2021
“The Bedrock of Community Journalism …is to BUILD Community. The more information we have about each other, about events, the more compassionate we can be, more informed to make better decisions.
That’s the Passion and the Mission of Community Journalism”
Ann Healey, 2021
The New Owners of the HR Herald and Colorado Community Media, May 2021.
Since the interview with HRHS, the Healeys announced that they sold CCM to a national and local partnership between the National Trust for Local News and the Colorado Sun, named the Colorado News Conservancy.
The Colorado News Conservancy is the new owner of the HR Herald and Colorado Community Media. See the one article below, from the Healeys “We were blessed with the opportunities to tell your stories” and the sale, and then two articles below about the purchase and the new owner as well as the plan for the newspaper, moving forward.
According to the Colorado News Conservancy two articles:
“We want to thank Ann and Jerry once again for their hard work and dedication over the years to providing community media to your town and others.
We promise them — and you — that we will work hard to serve you and make you proud.”
https://highlandsranchherald.net/stories/keeping-the-community-in-colorado-community-media,376585?
Written by Shirley Cavanaugh, HRHS Publicity Chair, for the HR 40th Anniversary
UPDATE 2023:
2023 New Logo for Highlands Ranch Herald
2023 New Logo for Colorado Community Media
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