Seven regional newspapers cease operations

Several south-central Illinois newspapers came to an abrupt end last week.

The Girard Gazette, Virden Recorder, and Northwestern News in Macoupin County ceased publication last week. The final issue of each paper was June 3.

Readers were informed with a front-page letter in each edition, as well as a similarly-worded auto-response email.

The shuttered newspapers were part of a chain owned by Schaumburg-based Paddock Publications. Paddock bought Gold Nugget Publications from the Norris family in 2016. That family had operated the papers for nearly a century.

The Girard Gazette dated to 1879, while the Virden Recorder was created with the purchase of two local newspapers in 1921.

The Northwestern News, which covered Palmyra, Hettick, Modesto, and Scottville, dated to 1969. The cluster formerly included the Panhandle Press. This publication handled the Raymond area, and was spun off by Paddock into the Free Press-Progress in recent years.

The shuttering of the Gold Nugget Media cluster in Virden also involves the closure of its printing press. The press would handle printing operations for all of central and southern Illinois, as well as client publications.

Several newspapers close in Pana cluster

Similar fates were handed down to the Nokomis Free Press-Progress in Montgomery County, Ramsey News Journal in Fayette County, Golden Prairie News in Christian and Shelby counties, and the Blue Mound Leader in Macon County.

The former Pana News Inc. cluster of newspapers were acquired by Paddock in 2017 from owner Thomas Phillips, who had owned the newspapers since the conclusion of the Korean Conflict.

The purchases of the Ramsey and Blue Mound newspapers came within two years of the Pana News Inc. purchase from their respective independent owners.

The Free Press-Progress, which covered Nokomis and most of eastern Montgomery County, dates back to 1877.

Pana News-Palladium, created in 1857, focused its attention on the City of Pana. News coverage would later include portions of Shelby County, namely Herrick, over the years.

The Golden Prairie News was established in Assumption in 1952, focusing its coverage on Assumption and Moweaqua. It has had some overlapping coverage in Christian and Shelby counties.

The Ramsey News-Journal traces its history back to 1881. The publication would relay news relating to the Village of Ramsey and Fayette County.

Established in 1894, the Blue Mound Leader focused its attention on the Village of Blue Mound. News coverage would later expand to Macon, as their respective school districts consolidated into one as the Meridian School District.

News coverage will be consolidated into the lone remaining newspaper in the group, the Pana News-Palladium.

Higher costs a factor in closures

In the letter and email, Southern Illinois LOCAL Media Group (SILMG) stated that “like many small businesses, we have been affected by higher costs in recent years, including rising prices for gas, paper, and other important raw materials.”

The communications from Paddock and SILMG said that information on refunds to subscribers is forthcoming.

The other two remaining newspapers within the Central Illinois cluster are the Shelbyville Eagle and the Moultrie County News-Progress. All three newspapers will be printed by Journal Publications in Hillsboro for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the remaining Southern Illinois newspapers will be printed in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

The aftermath comes as Paddock enters a pending sales agreement with Alden Capital for the Daily Herald for $24 million.