Weekly newspaper launched for Hiawatha

A Cedar Rapids company has begun publication of a weekly newspaper focusing on Hiawatha.

Meis Communications LLC, owned by Cynthia Petersen, is the publisher of the Hiawatha Advocate, a 12-page broadsheet publication printed in Marshalltown. The first edition of the paper, which was distributed free of charge, was published on Feb. 29.

Petersen, who grew up in the Cedar Rapids-Hiawatha area, graduated in December from Mount Mercy University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She interned at the Marion Times and previously worked for other weekly newspapers in Solon and North Liberty.

Petersen, who is financing the Hiawatha Advocate, said she felt there was a need for a weekly newspaper in the northern Linn County community.

"I believe that Hiawatha will benefit from having its own newspaper," Petersen said. "Other newspapers can be a wonderful resource for state and national news, but the Hiawatha Advocate will contain news specifically about Hiawatha and will inform residents about what is going on in their community."

Petersen worked on The Communique, the Kirkwood Community College newspaper, and was the editor and chief of the Mount Mercy Times. She spent more than a year developing her business and marketing plans, researching the Hiawatha community, and meeting with Hiawatha city officials.

"I really need writers at the present time and I understand that getting advertising is difficult at the present time," she said. "I have a lot of help and support from my family and friends. I'm just hoping to rally support for the publication and what we can provide for the residents and businesses in Hiawatha."

The Hiawatha Advocate is printed by the Times-Republican in Marshalltown. While the first edition was 12 pages, Petersen said the second edition of the Hiawatha Advocate will be eight pages.

"It will return to 12 pages in the future as we are able to bring additional writers on board," she said.