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Cody Nelson

Judge tosses lawsuit that threatened small-town newspaper

Timberjay papers
Timberjay papers
Sam Harper | MPR News

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The Timberjay newspaper is safe for now after a judge tossed out a lawsuit that threatened its existence.

District court Judge James Florey dismissed a claim in which Gary and Edna Albertson, who own 46 percent of the Timberjay, said they were cut from the paper's business operations and got nothing for their investment.

The judge dismissed the case on a summary judgment, meaning he saw no evidence to weigh in a full trial.

Timberjay publisher Marshall Helmberger has said the suit was baseless and an act of retaliation by both the Albertsons and their attorney, John Colosimo. Helmberger and his wife Jodi Summit, the Timberjay's general manager, were named in the suit.

Since the Timberjay, which is based in Tower, Minn., began printing in 1989, it has developed a stellar reputation for its coverage of northern Minnesota and its bullish advocacy for open data.

Its support in the community showed once Gary and Edna Albertson filed their lawsuit: Helmberger set up a crowdfunding effort that pulled in more than $12,000 to help cover attorney fees.

The Timberjay's attorney is pursuing recovery of Helmberger and Summit's legal fees.