Newspaper Says Trustee's Decision Led To 2 Layoffs

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) -- The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction is trying to win back thousands of dollars in advertising revenue lost when Mesa County's public trustee began publishing foreclosure notices in two weekly newspapers instead.

The Sentinel newspaper has printed the legal notices for decades. But trustee Paul Brown says that after a mistake appeared, he learned the Palisade Tribune and Fruita Times could scan the notices and publish them in a format that would reduce mistakes.

Brown says The Sentinel wanted to charge more than double what the weekly newspapers offered to do the same thing.

Sentinel Publisher Jay Seaton counters that his newspaper's circulation is 10 times larger. He says publishing in smaller newspapers improperly limits who sees the notices.

Seaton says Brown's move prompted two layoffs at the newspaper.

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