About the Mount Shasta Observer
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 writer-editor's calling to share local news 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
Subscribe = Free for some articles, Paid to access all areas.
You can subscribe to the Observer if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published, for free or with a monthly paid subscription. We will explore print version options, but for now this will be an online subscriber-focused medium, with some free stories for all, and some behind a paywall.
By signing up as a paid subscriber, you'll get access to the full archive of everything that's been published before and everything that's still to come.
In a city where heaven meets earth, all that light surely reveals some shadows...
Siskiyou Shadows = Paid Subscribers Only
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.
You can unsubscribe at any time. Only subscribers can comment on posts.
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. 🙏❤️
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 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. Contact me if you would like to help!
Sincerely yours,
Anastasia Sprout
August 2026
530-348-7444 or anastasia.observer@use.startmail.com