By: Dave Shabaz, Publisher

A normal day in Artesia will find a steady stream of newspaper customers visiting the office of The Artesia Daily Press.

Located in a prime location on Main Street and with convenient front door parking, the building invites easy visiting. It’s welcoming. As customers walk in the door they know Danny Scott will be there, sitting at his desk at the front window with a pleasant “hello.”

He’ll most likely know a visitor/customers name, their street address, how long they have subscribed, and other pertinent details of their lives.

This week, though, will be different.

After 48 years at the Artesia Daily Press, Danny Scott worked his last day at the paper on Friday, December 27. His official retirement date is Tuesday, December 31. He will not be at his familiar and welcoming spot.

For those who know Danny and have worked with him, he will be missed. For those of you who may not know Danny, it is hard to know how you missed him. He has been a fixture at the newspaper for a long, long time.

Born and raised in Artesia,Danny is the son of O.D. and Marie Scott of Artesia. This coming February, Danny and his wife Ginger will celebrate 45 years of marriage. Together, they have a son and a daughter and six grandchildren. Their son Christopher Scott and his wife Valerie are the parents of Crayton, Vince and Canaan and live in Capitan, while their daughter Anessa Golden and her husband Casey are the parents of Caden, Mason and Owen and reside her in Artesia.

There is hardly a job at the newspaper, Danny has not done.

El Rito Media, LLC., a New Mexico media company, bought the newspaper in 2023 and Danny has been instrumental in the transition to new ownership.

“Danny Scott, has been essential to keeping the Artesia Daily Press alive through many changes and many challenges for many years,” says Richard L. Connor, the company’s chief executive officer. “We’ve been fortunate to have his steady hand on the wheel.”

“He carries the newspaper’s history in his head and it’s legacy in his heart,” said Connor.

Danny’s career at the Artesia Daily Press started on June 1st,1976, when he became a newspaper carrier. In August of 1976 he was promoted to assistant circulation manager, and a year later he made the jump to circulation manager for the paper. In 2011 he became the publisher. At the newspaper, Danny has been a jack of all trades, doing everything from greeting and helping customers to delivering papers and everything in between.

He has always been ready to jump into the breach in a time of crisis particularly knowing that no matter what the newspaper had to be printed and delivered.

For instance, there was the Saturday night in the midst of printing Sunday’s paper when the man running the press quit, walked out.

Danny became the newspaper’s sole press operator on the spot.

Had he ever run a press before?

“Hell no,” he says nonchalantly.

Danny ran the press for the last 15 years, until it was shut down in 2023 and the paper began printing in Hobbs.

The paper has been a family affair for Danny. His brother, Ky Scott, was the assistant circulation manager prior to Danny’s role in that job.

“Working with the public” is what Danny said he’d miss most about his job at the paper.

“I’ve known some of our customers for over 40 years,” he said.

He also has a close relationship with long-time employee Latisha Romine.

“I hired her as a newspaper carrier,” Danny said. “And she moved up to be my backbone since I became the publisher. I couldn’t have done it without her.”

“I look up to Danny, he is like a father to me. I’m going to miss working with him,” Latisha said fondly.

Danny recalled several incidents and events that stood out during his almost five decades at the Daily Press, but the day former-President Ronald Reagan was shot on March 30, 1981, stood out as a time when the newspaper, like others around the country, had a front-row seat to history.

“I recall once hearing our former owner and founder of the Artesia Daily Press, Mr. James K. Green, say to stop the press, the President has just been shot.” Danny said. “Sept. 1, 2001, was also a day that I won’t forget.”

Danny said he plans on spending his newly found free time following his grandchildren around the livestock shows and he also plans on hunting mule deer with his brother in Colorado.