About The Circle Banner
The Circle Banner is the official publication of McCone County, Montana. The Banner first issue was November 27th, 1914, by Founder Ben Larson.
It is a weekly newspaper that covers local and state issues. The 109-year-old Banner has a publish day of Wednesday every week. Deadline is the previous Saturday at 5pm. Current Owner/ Editor is a native of Circle, Montana, Marcie Brost. Marcie is 1989 graduate of Circle High School and 1995 College graduate Montana State University - Billings.
Since 1889
Since 1914 the Banner has published nearly every week. Issues were missed during war time. People of all ages have grown up reading the Banner.
MEET THE EDITOR by Tammy Dexter Combs
The other day I was talking on the phone to Marcie Brost, your editor, and she reminded me that she has been the owner/editor of the The Circle Banner for 1 year already! She asked me if I wanted to interview her and I jumped at the chance! I wish you could all know her like I do and maybe after reading this article, you will know her better. Marcie is one of the kindest, giving, caring, loving, positive and FUN people I know and get the privilege of being related to! This girl has made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt. She has the best sense of humor and is VERY quick-witted and once she gets going and gets you laughing, it’s just fuel for the fire!
For starters, I asked Marcie if she ever in her wildest dreams thought she would own and be editor of a newspaper. She immediately replied, “No way, but I have always wanted to write a book of some sort. I just never figured out about what.” She admitted, heartedly laughing, to having some difficulty with run-on sentences and punctuation. I, for one, can tell you she has come a long way in her writing from her college days and in my eyes, she gets better and better with each issue of the paper!
Marcie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with an extended minor in Marketing. However, she did spend about 30 years working at several tire companies in Billings selling tires. She was great at it too! The customers loved her! She says she still loves tires and still likes to guess sizes and brands. She used to sometimes ask me what PSI I was running when I would say something stupid or not get a joke! She had to explain to me what PSI was.
We used to always talk about how fun it would be to live in a small town again. Life seems so much simpler to me in a small town. Marcie says she absolutely loves the warmth and friendliness of everyone. She said, “It’s like every single person gives 100% customer service.” Spoken like a true saleswoman! She also stated she absolutely loves being closer to her nephews and spending time with them. I think they like having their “crazy” aunt close by, as well. Don’t tell her I called her crazy.
When asked about who has inspired her most in her life, she immediately responded, “My dad.” As our conversation went on, however, she said, “There really are so many who have inspired me along the way at different times in my life.” I asked her if she could speak to anyone dead or alive, who would it be? She immediately said, “My mom.” She said, “I don’t even know what I would ask her, but to just speak to her and hear her voice again would be awesome.”
Marcie has several hobbies, of which she has not been able to do in the past year or so. She has been a little busy working 2 jobs. She handles the paper and works part-time as a dispatcher at the Sheriff’s office. She enjoys that job too! She LOVES to fish (wonder where she got that gene from), as well as camping, woodwork, painting, coloring, and spending time with family.
Marcie’s biggest obstacle in life has been the death of her mom. She said it has taken her years to get to a place of acceptance of the fact that she was taken too young. I can tell you Marcie has come a long way in healing from her mom’s death, but I also think her mom’s death has caused true personal growth for Marcie and has contributed to her being the wonderful and strong woman she is today. I also know if it weren’t for Marcie’s faith, which was greatly contributed to and taught to her by her mom, she wouldn’t be where she is today. Marcie also added that some medical problems have really been a challenge in her life this past year, as well, but she feels like she is on the mend!
“Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?” This is Marcie’s favorite motto. Marcie prefers an orange over an apple. I know you were all waiting for that question!
Marcie wanted me to sum up her story by telling you, all of her readers, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” She said she also wanted you all to know she appreciates the patience given to her as she has been learning and navigating this new journey of hers. She extends a very warm-hearted thank you to those that help her succeed with the paper each week – i.e., picture takers, story contributors, those placing ads, etc., and wants each of you to know that she truly appreciates all of the time and help she has received from you. I, for one, am so proud of how Marcie has taken on this challenge and truly shined at it. I wish her many more years or success and hope this interview has helped each of you know Marcie a little bit better. She is a true gem. Happy 1-year anniversary! I miss you, Marcie, but the town of Circle is blessed to have you back.
