Gas stations in Michigan have pulled The Marquette Mining Journal from the stands due to the paper's support for a land-into-trust application for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

The tribe is seeking to open a gas station. A non-Indian company that operates 67 stations opposes the plan.

"You're supporting these Indians. They're thieves, they're convicted felons and they're tax evaders," Krist Atanasoff, the vice president of Krist Oil, told the paper.

When told that reporters were listening to the conversation and writing down comments, Stan Atanasoff, the president of Krist Oil, ended the phone call, the paper said.

KBIC currently operates a gas station where prices are generally lower than nearby non-Indian stations. In a June 5 editorial, the paper accused the non-Indian stations of gouging customers.

Get the Story:
Fueling retaliation (The Marquette Mining Journal 6/14)

An Opinion:
Editorial: Mining Journal stands with driving public in gas flap (The Marquette Mining Journal 6/14)

Earlier Story:
Tax-free gas station debated at township (The Marquette Mining Journal 6/6)