At its April 2026 Board of Directors Meeting, the Minnesota Newspaper Association, one of the oldest state newspaper associations in the U.S., approved and welcomed The Dodge County Messenger and Kenyon-Wanamingo Messenger Newspapers to its statewide industry association membership. The Minnesota Newspaper Association was founded February 20,1867 in St. Paul, fewer than 9 years after Minnesota achieved statehood. MNA remains one of the oldest and largest state newspaper associations in the United States. As a 501 (c)(6) nonprofit trade organization, MNA continues its mission supporting the newspaper industry, promoting a high standard of conduct and professional ethics in the business of newspaper publishing. The Dodge County Messenger began in West Concord as a monthly publication serving the community after the closure of the former News-Enterprise newspaper. With continued growth, a Claremont edition and then a Dodge Center edition was added to its publications, eventually combining the three community papers into The Triton Area Messenger, better serving the Triton School District communities. As growth continued, The Messenger expanded coverage from a monthly newspaper to a twice monthly legal newspaper. In 2026, as readership growth continued in the area, The Messenger expanded coverage in the county again after being named the official newspaper for Dodge County legal public notices in 2026. The Messenger now prints weekly with additional hometown coverage, including the communities of Kasson, Mantorville, Hayfield and Byron. Terry Campbell, Editor of the papers commented, "We so appreciate the support of our area businesses and new subscribers that support The Messenger." Campbell continued," We have been blessed to see continued growth with The Messenger. As many small towns lost and have continued to lose their hometown papers, the Messenger Newspapers were founded over 25 years ago and have worked to adapt and serve our smaller hometowns." A lifetime resident, businessman and farmer in rural Dodge County, Campbell continued, "We work every day to adapt our newspaper operations to allow us to continue to meet the needs of our readers, businesses and government offices in the county. Technology allows us to combine many of the behind-the-scenes processes to put together a paper that used to be done in separate offices in each town. Dodge County once had at least 6 hometown newspapers, including Kasson, The Hayfield Herald, The Claremont News, West Concord Enterprise, Byron Review and Dodge Center Star-Record. It may seem old fashioned to print and mail a newspaper, especially with other on-line resources available today, but in the world of misinformation and opinion-based reporting, hometown newspapers can continue to help communities stay informed and connected." Campbell concluded, " We will continue to do just that and are honored to now be a part of the Minnesota Newspaper Association and the resources they provide to the industry."
