ELKO (AP) - A colorful, longtime figure in Nevada newspaper history has died.
Mel Steninger died Monday at his home of chronic pulmonary disease. He was 82.
Born John Melvin Steninger, he was the third generation of Steningers to own the Elko Daily Free Press that was founded in 1883 and owned by family members for 90 years, from 1910 through 2000.
Steninger began working at the newspaper when it was jointly owned by his parents and Chris Sheerin in the 1950s. He later joined with a partner, Earl Frantzen, to buy the business and in 1968 became the sole owner with his wife, Mae.
They sold the newspaper in 1992 to their children, who sold it in 2000 to Liberty Group Publications.
A memorial will be held later this month.[[In-content Ad]]
