About the Mount Shasta Observer

July 2026 Photo credit: Benjamin Black

This is the Mount Shasta Observer, a brand new news site by Anastasia Sprout that's just getting started (August 2026). It was inspired by a previous effort to create a local newspaper called the Mount Shasta Be(e), and a neighbor-writer-editor's calling to share local news and stories about this magnificent area and the issues that impact those who care.

I am a DIY journalist who believes that when good people have accurate information about their local community, miracles reliably occur.

--Anastasia Sprout

ObSERVEr

You can subscribe to the Mount Shasta Observer if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published, for free! We will explore print version options, but for now this will be an online medium, with free stories for all.

By signing up as a paid subscriber, you'll be supporting this work to continue and expand in the future. Thank you! We are also open to sponsors. Paid members and sponsors become a part of SOAAR Global, PMA; a Private Membership Community.

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Siskiyou Shadows Column

In a city where heaven meets earth, all that light surely reveals some shadows...

Siskiyou Shadows is a page for more challenging true stories.

For example, the first two stories in Siskiyou Shadows are: "What is Happening with the Mount Shasta City Manager?" and "Was Mount Shasta's New City Attorney Called Out for Incompetence by the Siskiyou County Civil Grand Jury?"

Reality is sometimes disturbing, and it's always important to ask questions when things don't make sense, hopefully until they do.

Observation is when you look around, see what happened to others, and learn from it. To learn, we have to know.

It is our policy to request comments, confirmation or correction from those written about in the Siskiyou Shadows column, and publish them when we receive them.

Comments on Articles by Subscribers Only

If you have comments and are a subscriber, please feel free to share them. All respectful statements, including disagreements, are welcome. Disrespectful comments will be deleted and may result in rescinding of subscription.

Correction Policy

If you see an error or believe something written in this publication contains a mistake, please contact the editor with your feedback at the contact below. As a one-person publication, it may take a few business days to address emails, but we will respond and correct any validated errors as soon as possible. Thank you for caring, as we do, about accuracy in media.

Note from the Editor:

We can't replace the excellent former Mt. Shasta Herald (prior to its consumption by USA Today/Gannett - see below), but I hope the Mount Shasta Observer can provide some helpful and timely information for people across the world who love the Mount Shasta area like we locals do. As a newbie (I moved onto the mightly Mount Shasta in October 2025, after visiting many times) I hope to offer a fresh perspective to important stories of the region, in service to the beautiful community.

Observation includes the word serve. Ob(serve)r.

Hopefully this resource can grow over time, with new contributors and investigative journalists. Team news is better news! However you got here, thank you for being a part of growing local news in Mount Shasta and beyond. 🙏❤️

Locals lament the former locally-run Mount Shasta Herald

November 20, 2019: "Newspaper's parent company has merged with Gannett"

The two biggest newspaper chains in the country have combined, after shareholders of both gave green lights to the $1.13 billion deal Thursday.

New Media Investment Group, which operates under its GateHouse Media subsidiary, closed on its acquisition of USA Today parent Gannett Co. in the next several days, now that the last remaining hurdles have been cleared.

Mt. Shasta Area Newspapers and the Siskiyou Daily News are both GateHouse Media newspapers, soon to be known as Gannett. Nothing will change for Siskiyou County-based newspapers; subscribers will still see their papers each Wednesday. The two biggest newspaper chains in the country have combined, after shareholders of both gave green lights to the $1.13 billion deal Thursday.

--https://eu.mtshastanews.com/story/news/2019/11/20/newspaper-s-parent-company-has/2251642007/

Editor's comment: According to locals, quite a bit changed after this acquisition, namely abundant quality local news. RIP the former mighty Mount Shasta Herald, which was by all accounts, outstanding. However, the USA Today version does deliver some important state-wide news stores, local obituaries, legal notices and more.

For my preferred news options, I recommend https://www.mtshastaca.gov/news, https://www.siskiyou.news, https://shastascout.org, https://www.sfgate.com, https://www.hcn.org/.

I'm getting the Observer started now, and perhaps we can work together to find ways to grow even more to best serve the specific news needs of the Mount Shasta and surrounding communities. Here is an example of what the Mount Shasta Observer wants to be when she grows up, from Moonshine Ink: https://www.mirabelsmagazinecentral.com/digitaledition/index.html?id=2b743b8c-b3a8-4029-a213-4f78b46b861a

Contact me if you would like to help with or have comments or questions about the Mount Shasta Observer!

Sincerely yours,

Anastasia Sprout

August 2026

530-348-7444 or info@soaarfree.org