76 community newspaper employees each get bequests of $10,000 from senator-publisher

Harry Byrd

Harry F. Byrd Jr., a U.S. senator from Virginia from 1965 through 1982, was a major force in the state's publishing industry, spending most of life heavily involved in his family's Virginia newspapers. Byrd, who died in June at the age of 98, showed his gratitude and love for the papers and the people who have also dedicated their lives to news by leaving $10,000 to each of the 76 employees who have been with the company for at least 10 years, Jim Romenesko reports on his blog.

Byrd left the money to 41 employees of the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg, 31 at the Winchester Star in Winchester, three at The Valley Banner in Elkton, and one at the Warren Sentinel. Byrd also gave $250,000 to the John Handley Regional Library in Winchester, $100,000 to The Salvation Army, the University of Virginia Manuscripts Library, the Christ Episcopal Church of Winchester, and the Virginia Historical Society, and $50,000 to the Henry and William Evans Home for Children, the Winchester-Frederick Historical Society, and The Masonic Home, a residential facility for adults. (Read more)