Former PCN Editor stops in Malta during travels

Dwight Pfeifer, a former owner and publisher of the Phillips County News, scratched one of the items off of his bucket list last week when he arrived in Malta and strolled into the offices of the PCN to see how his former newspaper was doing.

In 1973 Pfeifer bought the PCN from a family who ran cattle in the county. For the next seven years Pfeiffer was the head honcho in Malta running Phillips County News. Pfeifer, now 72, started in journalism when he purchased his first paper located in North Dakota in 1968 with no journalism experience.

"I just put in a bid on the contract and won it," he said. "I was a newspaper man after that. I didn't do a lot of writing, but I loved taking pictures."

In 1980 Pfeiffer sold the Phillips County News to an outfit from California who also bought the Glasgow Courier (who, in turn would soon sell it to Curtis and Bonnie Starr.) After the sale of the PCN, Pfeifer went on to be the publisher of the Havre Daily News – after a short stint with a free, weekly paper in the area called the Sentinel -- from 1981 until 1986.

"The Havre Daily News bought us out and then made me publisher," said Pfeifer.

Pfeifer also served as President of the Montana Newspaper Association during his stay in Havre.

Pfeifer decided in 1986 that his days as a newspaper man were behind and a friend said he should look into the Edward D. Jones Investment Company.

"I became a broker for them and ended up moving to North Dakota and then Wyoming," he said. Pfeifer worked as a broker for 10 years before suffering a stroke in 1997. The stroke prompted Pfeifer to retire and move to Arizona.

Pfeifer came to Malta on Tuesday in order to visit with old friends and colleagues. He has been on the road for the last three months as part of a four month quest across the country. He bought a 24-foot camper before his trip started and has been traveling across the states visiting family and friends. During his travels in the past two months he has visited Denver, Colo., Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota before stopping in Malta on Tuesday. After departing Malta, Pfeifer was planning on visiting the Havre Daily News before moving on to Helena and Wyoming.

"I have spent 75 nights in the camper," he said. "I started out on May 21 with just myself and my puppy. (Verde, a four-year-old, Labor-Doodle service dog) I've just been visiting people and I am having a great time."

Pfeifer said he was happy to be back in Malta and was pleased to see that the town is still "holding on." He was surprised that there is only one grocery store left in town and was shocked to see the vacant lot where the Phillips County News was stationed before a fire ruined the building in 2010.

"It just hurt my heart," he said. "This is the first time I've been back since the fire and it is shocking to see that area empty."

Pfeifer said his favorite part of covering news in Malta was "having coffee with the boys" and loved working with his staff (Judy Flat, Eva Solberg, Kenny Larson, Al Chandler, Cheryl Voegel, James Brown, and Linda Link, to name a few.)

"They were all wonderful to work with," said Pfeifer. "I really enjoyed my time here back than as I have today."