Leeds takes over Havre Daily newsroom

Long-time reporter for the Havre Daily News Tim Leeds is the newspaper's new editor.

Leeds, originally hired as a reporter at the Havre Daily almost 17 years ago, had been serving as assistant editor for the last two years until he took over as managing editor Friday. He replaced former managing editor John Kelleher who retired after 44 years in the newspaper industry, including the past seven at the Havre Daily.

"I think the paper has tried really hard ... to just try to get the news out to our readers so they know what's happening," Leeds said, "and my goal is to just keep doing that to the best of my ability."

Leeds and his wife, Jodene, have two sons, Richard of Billings and Patrick, who is finishing U.S. Army advanced individual training this month and will be attending University of Montana in the ROTC in the fall.

A fourth-generation area resident, Leeds said he sees both his ties to the area and his reporting experience as assets to his new position, including providing continuity.

"I know about the area, I'm a Havre boy, and I'm not going to leave the paper," he said, adding that growing up in the area "gives me some institutional knowledge, but actually most of my knowledge of the area comes from reporting on things in the last 17 years ... you take so much for granted when you live here. But I think my knowledge of the area both as a reporter and resident will help."

"I'm excited to have Tim take the helm of the newsroom. I'm very proud of being able to promote from within," said Stacy Mantle, publisher. "Tim has been with the paper for several years and is right at home here. He knows his way around the newsroom."

Leeds said the Havre Daily uses The Associated Press to bring state, national and world news to the community so the reporters can focus primarily on local news. This local news is, in turn, disseminated to a broader audience.

"The Associated Press, they pick up our stuff, and we're read by our members of Congress and state Legislature," he said. "They pay attention to what we write here at the Havre Daily."

Area news will continue to reach readers through the printed paper and the online edition, as well as with the paper's various social media resources that include Facebook and Twitter, he said, to give the community as much connection to local news as possible.

"Our focus always has been and always will be the community," Leeds said.