Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Boone Newspapers buys 130-year-old Vicksburg Post, oldest family-owned paper in Mississippi

The Vicksburg Post, a historic newspaper in an even more historic town on the Mississippi River, has been sold to an affiliate of Boone Newspapers, which has continued to buy papers in the last few years. Founded 130 years ago, the Post was the oldest family-owned paper in the state, according to Mississippi Press Association Executive Director Layne Bruce.

The daily has "survived depressions, wars, floods, tornadoes, bad economic times, many competitive newspapers and assorted ups and downs," says its website. The paper has produced six MPA presidents, including three members of the Cashman family and General Manager Jimmy Clark, who will keep his job.

Editor and Publisher Pat Cashman, great-grandson of founder John Cashman, is retiring at 62. He said, "It's a bittersweet moment. I obviously would retire some time, but I think the time is right now. The Boone group has a record of keeping strong community newspaper and that is why we chose them."

Alabama-based Boone now owns and manages 45 newspapers and 26 magazines in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota. The Post's story about its sale is behind a pay wall; not so the one in the Boone-owned Natchez Democrat. The sale price was not disclosed; the deal includes the Post's real estate.

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