State's Oldest Paper Sold After Publisher Dies

DENVER -- Colorado's oldest newspaper -- one with a history of taking on politicians in Black Hawk and Gilpin County -- was purchased by Black Hawk Mayor David Spellman.

"The mayor, the council and elected officials do not want anything printed about them in the press -- especially anything negative," said Debra Krause, who was editor of the paper for more than a decade. "What politician wouldn't want that? But is it fair to the citizens and fair to the first amendment right of the freedom of speech and the people's right to know?"

The Weekly Register-Call was run for decades by Central City resident Bill Russell, who died May 24 at age 93. On Friday, the executors of Russell's will sold the paper's name and assets to Spellman, who promised to continue running the paper, the executor said.

The executor, who declined an on-camera interview, declined to say how much he sold the assets for or if there were any other bidders.

Under Russell and Krause's watch, the Register-Call regularly wrote about the arrests of public officials, including Spellman's arrest for assault, as well as questionable spending and the use of state historic money by public officials.

Last year, Russell told CALL7 Investigator John Ferrugia that Black Hawk politicians tried to shut his paper down after he refused to fire Krause. He said the politicians were upset by the negative coverage, and when Russell refused to fire her they shifted the town's public notices to a competing publication.

"Do you think they'll ever run you about of business?" Ferrugia asked.

"I don't think so," Russell said. "The only time they will run me out of business is when they poke a calla lily in my fist and close the lid."

Spellman did not return a call for comment. Last year, when CALL7 investigators were looking into spending in Black Hawk, Spellman refused to do an on-camera interview.

With Spellman purchasing the paper, Krause said there will be no more critical coverage in Gilpin County.

"Essentially, the paper's now controlled by politicians?" Ferrugia asked.

"Yes," Krause said.

"The paper's voice will be what?" Ferrugia asked.

"What Black Hawk officials want them to hear and only what they want them to hear," Krause said.