Ely Times and Eureka Sentinel look to digital future under new ownership

The Ely Times and Eureka Sentinel were purchased Friday by Nevada Central Media, LLC, owned by local journalist Ben Rowley.

The publications, each having served White Pine and Eureka Counties for over a century, will continue in a digital-only format, providing local news, information and in-depth coverage of issues important to residents. 

“I’m sad we will not be printing The Ely Times or The Eureka Sentinel,” Rowley said in a statement. “But I am excited to continue their legacies of providing local journalism.”

Both publications are currently searching for writers and photographers to cover government, schools, athletics and other community interests. Their websites will be redesigned and offer digital subscriptions to readers.

Nevada Central Media was founded in 2012. The company took over management of the Lincoln County Record, a weekly newspaper based in Lincoln County, Nevada, in 2015, and acquired the publication in March 2020. The firm also provides media services to various organizations throughout the state.

The Record, Times and Sentinel were each previously owned by Battle Born Media, run by long-time Nevada journalists Tim Dahlberg and Sherman Frederick. Rowley has worked with their organization on various projects since 2014. 

“I’m grateful to Tim and Sherm as well as former operations manager Kirk Kern for the opportunities they’ve given me, and I’m glad we could come up with a way to keep these historic publications going, albeit in a different format,” Rowley said. “It’s amazing to think about 100-plus years of service these names stand for. I look forward to continuing their legacies.”

Rowley holds a degree in journalism from UNLV. He resides in Alamo, Nevada, with his wife, Robin, and their four children.