The Polk County Itemizer-Observer is a weekly newspaper published in Dallas, Oregon, United States, and covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and the surrounding area. It was established in 1875.[1] The Itemizer-Observer is published on Wednesdays and its circulation is 3,550.[1] It is the newspaper of record for Polk County.[2]
History
The newspaper's roots go back to 1868, when J. H. Upton founded the Polk County Signal, which later became the Weekly Itemizer. It was initially an organ of the Democratic Party of Oregon.[3] In 1927, the Dallas Itemizer (1872) merged with the Polk CountyObserver (1888) to form the Polk County Itemizer-Observer.[4] Earle Richardson published the newspaper since 1924 until selling it to Eagle Newspapers in 1964.[5]
On November 11, 1970, a gas leak ignited in the newspaper's office caused an explosion. Mechanical equipment including two offset presses valued at $175,00 were destroyed in the blast. The paper's total losses, covered by insurance, were estimated to be up to $500,000.[6] No one was injured.[7]
In 1992, the Itemizer-Observer (circulation 5,200) absorbed the Sun-Enterprise (circulation 2,400) of Independence and Monmouth, both owned by Eagle Newspapers. The Sun-Enterprise was formed in 1975 after the merger of the Polk Sun and Enterprise Herald.[4] In March 2020, Eagle sold the newspaper to Scott Olson.[8][9] The newspaper was sold again in October 2023 to Country Media, Inc.[10]
