Paddock Publications acquires downstate weekly newspaper in Ramsey

Paddock Publications Inc., publishers of the Daily Herald, finalized the purchase Friday of the downstate Ramsey News-Journal from owners Will Kunkel and Tracy Strawn. Terms were not disclosed.

The Ramsey News-Journal, established in 1881, is a 1,100-circulation weekly in Fayette County in central Illinois. It will be paired with the company's Pana News Group, which has newspapers in Pana, Nokomis, Assumption and Blue Mound.

The purchase brings the number of Paddock's downstate community newspapers to 19.

The News-Journal will be printed in the company's Virden printing facility.

"Ramsey is a an outstanding community, whose residents are well-informed through its newspaper, and now with the newspaper becoming a part of the Central Illinois newspaper group, we all will benefit from additional resources and breadth of news and feature coverage, along with the ongoing commitment readers have enjoyed," said Douglas K. Ray, Paddock's chairman, publisher and CEO.

"When we purchased the Pana News-Palladium, we took the responsibility to heart and love being a part of the community, and in Ramsey we expect the same."

Strawn, who will remain on the News-Journal staff as the paper's managing editor, said, "It was important to us that the Ramsey News-Journal lives on after we are gone, and this purchase ensures that the paper will have a long, happy future."