A lot can happen in 43 years, which is exactly how long The Fountain Hills Times has been reporting on all of the local news. Whether it was a shakeup in town government, the latest sports scores or photos of the weekend’s big event, The Times has been there to provide our readers with everything they need to know about what’s happening around town.

The first edition of the paper arrived on June 27, 1974, and measured 16 pages in length. Back then, we printed a tabloid format, hit newsstands on Thursday and the paper only cost 15 cents.

The paper has grown alongside the town over the past 43 years and now runs on Wednesdays. The price has also crept up to a full dollar.

As for the staff, Publisher Alan Cruikshank has been around for the full run of the paper, with mainstays like General Manager Kip Kirkendoll and Reporter Bob Burns being part of the operation for 33 and 29 years respectively. Brent Cruikshank, alongside Duke Kirkendoll and Tangie Prieskorn, practically grew up at The Times. As for Special Publications Editor Linda McThrall, she was with The Times from 1976 to 1982 and returned in 2005 because she just couldn’t get enough of us.

That’s only a portion of the staff, of course, but it goes to show how the office has remained a close-knit group over the years.

As for this most recent year, The Times has continued to evolve. Reporter Ryan Winslett moved into the position of editor at the start of 2016 with Brent Cruikshank taking on the title of assistant publisher. Together, they’ve enhanced the paper’s social media presence, have refreshed the letters policy and are working with the staff on creative new ways to get more news to our readers in more ways than ever before.

The run through 2016 was also plagued with illness and injury around the office, but that didn’t stop everyone from pulling together in order to make sure the paper was ready to roll come Wednesday morning. Along the way, we covered everything from a Trump rally in Fountain Park to a heated local government election, a collection of state titles for high school athletics, the opening of MorningStar, the early construction of Park Place and a partnership that’s bringing an EVIT satellite campus to town, just to name a few.

So, yes, a lot has happened over the past 43 years. Whether you’re just joining us or have been picking up your local paper since day one, we wouldn’t be here without our readers taking a vested interest in the town they call home. We hope you’ve enjoyed your time with us, and we hope you’ll stick around for the years to come.