Rust Communications sells four properties to Kentucky group

Rust Communications, parent company of the Southeast Missourian, has sold four newspapers to Paducah, Kentucky-based Paxton Media Group.

The community newspapers in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and Brazil, Greencastle and Greene County, Indiana, will change ownership Monday, July 1.

Rust acquired the Greencastle Banner Graphic in 1999, the Brazil Times in 2001 and the former Linton (Indiana) Daily Citizen and Bloomfield (Indiana) Evening World in 2003. The Daily Citizen and Evening World were merged in 2005 to form the Greene County Daily World.

Rust purchased the Dyersburg property in 2000 from Paxton.

“We have loved serving our communities in Tennessee and Indiana and transitioning them to Paxton made sense with their other properties,” said Jon K. Rust, president of Rust Communications. “It is vital that newspapers and local news organizations prosper for the good of the public — and for American democracy. Paxton is a company with a proud history of serving their local communities. Rust will continue to focus on our other markets, in five states, on our mission of being intensely focused on making our communities better through responsible journalism and community engagement.”

Paxton Media Group (PMG) is a family-owned company founded in 1896. PMG publishes nearly 120 community newspapers in the Southeast and Midwest, as well as related websites in each of those communities. The company also operates WPSD-TV, an NBC affiliated television station based in Paducah, Kentucky.

Rust Communications continues to own and operate newspapers, magazines and related websites in Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, Kansas and Idaho. Newspapers in Missouri are the Southeast Missourian in Cape Girardeau, Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff, Dexter Statesman, Delta Dunklin Democrat in Kennett, The Banner Press in Bollinger County, Sikeston Standard Democrat, Prospect News in Doniphan, Pemiscot Press in Caruthersville, The Weekly Record in New Madrid and the Nevada Daily Mail. Rust Communications is also a minority owner of Mississippi River Radio with 17 radio stations in Missouri and Illinois.