About us

Ronald Slechta and his wife Helen own the News. They first purchased The Kalona News in 1992.

Ronald Slechta is a graduate of the University of Iowa School of Journalism in 1966, and has worked at newspapers in Denison, Boone and Tama  in Iowa and as publisher of the Red River Valley Times in Moorhead, MN. Slechta is a member of the board of directors of the Kalona Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kalona Optimist Club, serving as past president of both organizations. Helen is business manager and member of Board of Directors of the Kalona Historical Society for the past 27 years.  They and two children and six grand children. Daughter Beryl Marner also assist in the bookkeeping end of the business.

The News and TheNews-IA.com are family-owned publications that cover north Washington County and south Johnson County in eastern Iowa. 

  • The Wellman Advance: The Wellman Advance was established Sept. 13, 1889, by William Reed and W.F. Reinert. The newspaper’s slogan – “The only newspaper that gives two whoops about Wellman” – still describes The News’ dedication to covering Wellman.

  • The Lone Tree Reporter: The Lone Tree Reporter was first published in December 1890. Editor W.H. Younkin promoted the value of The Newspaper. “No town ever amounted to shucks unless it supported a newspaper. There is no one thing that does so much to get a town before the people and bring people and businesses to it as a good local newspaper.”

  • The Kalona News: The first issue of The Kalona News was published on Nov. 19, 1891, and continues as Kalona's oldest continuously operating business. Emma Allen Dunlap founded The Kalona News. Dunlap espoused a philosophy that still guides the newspaper today: “With a firm belief in the town and its future we shall do our utmost for the interest of Kalona and the surrounding country, and trust that your patronage will enable us to make The News a first-class local paper. The better a paper is the more valuable it is to a town.”

  • The Riverside Current: The Riverside Current was established in 1978 by Barbara Kiene. It was first published as a weekly tabloid until 2010 when it began printing as a broadsheet. Prior to The Current, The Riverside News and Shopper printed its first edition in July 1955. It was published by The Lone Tree Reporter. Marge Luckey was the editor.

  • The Highland Review: The Highland Review was a free newspaper mailed to all households in Riverside and Ainsworth.

It is the goal of The News and TheNews-IA.com to provide readers with the most comprehensive coverage of news, photos, sports, features and advertising of any publication in north Washington County and south Johnson County. The goal is to keep readers informed about the activities in the cities of Kalona, Wellman, Riverside and Lone Tree plus the Mid-Prairie, Hillcrest Academy, Highland and Lone Tree schools.