On April 16, 1972, the citizens of Stanly County celebrated the dedication of the courthouse, jail, and library. In honor of this event, two days prior, the Stanly News and Press distributed the largest newspaper edition ever published in Stanly County up to that time. The Friday, April 14 edition, called “Milestones of Progress,” was a celebration of the people, places, businesses, and history of Stanly County. There were a total of 116 pages. According to the SNAP, it took over 12 tons of newsprint (almost two-thirds of a boxcar!) and required 100 gallons of ink. In addition, it took 4 press runs in order to print the nearly 15,000 copies. Prior to this time, the largest newspaper edition had been 104-page “Service Men’s Edition” that was published on July 4, 1944. Since 1972, the SNAP published an even larger paper. On June 10, 1980, the 100th Anniversary of the Stanly News and Press was celebrated with a 144-page edition of the paper. {Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}