4,000 subscribers and counting: Help support independent local news for Orland
We launched Orland.News in April 2025 with one goal: to bring real, independent local news back to Orland.
Fourteen months later, we just surpassed 4,000 subscribers, people who’ve registered to access and read Orland.News for free via email and the web. That's far more than we imagined when we started, and a big sign that this community values strong local reporting.
If dedicated local reporting in Orland and Glenn County matters to you, we'd appreciate your support to help keep the momentum going. It’s quick and easy to become a paid member.
Since we launched, we've been in the room for nearly every Orland City Council meeting. We also cover the Orland Unified School District board. When something in Willows or Glenn County has implications for Orland, we're there too. We've covered public safety, local sports, agriculture, and all the smaller stories that make up life in this community.
Through a public records request, we obtained messages showing the former mayor had been privately directing city staff outside of public meetings. We got ahold of the dueling letters behind a $200,000 dispute between Orland and Willows over a library contract and explained what was at stake. We've dug into the city's budget deficit, a multimillion-dollar tax shortfall from the CalPlant bankruptcy, and the rules that govern how your elected officials are supposed to operate. That's the kind of reporting that doesn't happen without someone doing the work.
In May, we brought members together at Carnegie Center for our first member meetup — a candid conversation with local elected officials about the future of this town.
We've heard people say at council meetings, "I had no idea they were doing this," or "I didn't hear about that" — referring to projects and decisions that were already well underway. We don't want that to happen: we cover what's happening before it becomes a surprise.
We both grew up in this community and care deeply about its future. We know it’s important to be there when decisions are made, talk with people before and after meetings, follow stories as they develop, and explain not just what happened, but why it matters.
Every story represents far more than what appears on the screen. Before an article is published, there are meetings to attend, agendas and public records to review, phone calls to make, facts to verify, photos to take, and hours spent writing and editing. That's the work behind the reporting you read on Orland.News.
Our goal has always been simple: report the news accurately, fairly, and without unnecessary drama. Some stories are big. Others only matter because they happened here. Both are part of the story of this community.
We've kept Orland.News free because we don't believe access to local news should depend on someone's ability to pay. Instead, we rely on readers who choose to support our work, along with local businesses like I-5 Cafe and Ace Hardware that advertise and partner with us.
If you'd like to help, there are a few ways, all of them accessible here.
- Supporting Member — $5 a month or $50 a year
- Founding Member — $10 a month or $100 a year. Founding Members receive a limited-edition Orland.News magnet and are recognized on our Founding Members page.
- One-time gift — any amount, whenever you'd like. Gifts of $100 or more also receive Founding Member recognition.
Even if a membership isn't right for you today, sharing our stories, recommending Orland.News to friends, and supporting the businesses that support us all help.
Thanks for being one of the more than 4,000 people who subscribe to Orland.News! If enough readers who value this work choose to support it by becoming paid members, we believe independent local reporting can remain part of this community for years to come.
Steve Nordbye, stephen.nordbye@gmail.com
Todd Bishop, toddbishop@gmail.com
Co-Founders, Orland.News
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