Ky Richards Jr. and his wife, Lois Richards, originally from Hawaii, started printing the Huachuca Herald on Fridays starting October 7, 1955. They put out the first editions on a typewriter, composing stories on their kitchen table. On October 8, 1967, the couple started printing the paper twice a week. At that time, the newspaper hit the streets on Sundays and Wednesdays.[2][3]
On May 22, 1968, the couple sold the newspaper to Sig H. Atkinson of Chandler and Milton I. Wick, co-founder of Wick Communications.[2][3] The Sierra Vista Herald started publishing via offset with 3,000 subscribers in 1968. In 1969, the Herald merged with the Douglas Daily Dispatch, forming the Sierra Vista Herald-Dispatch.[3]
In 1971, Bill Epler bought the Bisbee Daily Review from Phelps Dodge in 1971, changed it from a daily to a weekly, and sold it to the Wick family in 1974.[4] The paper was merged into the Herald-Dispatch in 1976.[5] That same year the Sierra Vista Herald-Dispatch went from publishing three days a week to five on October 4[6] and the newspaper added Associated Press wire service news. On June 14, 1981, a Sunday edition was added. In 2004, the Herald changed into a morning, seven-days-a-week newspaper.[3]
Building
The Herald building has undergone a series of additions since the first office was built at 102 Fab Avenue in 1961. It was expanded by 1,800 square feet (170 m2) in 1968. In 1975, a new press room and business offices were added, with the area of the building going from 4,907 square feet (455.9 m2) up to 8,400 square feet (780 m2). In 1985, extra newsprint storage was needed, so an additional 1,862 square feet (173.0 m2) was added. In 1996 the front office/classified spaces/spaced was built. In 2004, a new press room facility opened. The Hager Building at 400 Veterans Drive added 9,100 square feet (850 m2) to the newspaper's still-growing facilities. Along with the new building came a new press with more color capability and a higher printing speed.[3]
