Sep. 7—CLEVELAND, Tennessee — Paxton Media Group will acquire The Cleveland (TN) Daily Banner, The Cookeville (TN) Herald-Citizen, The Cartersville (GA) Daily Tribune News, the Chatsworth (GA) Times, and The Jasper (AL) Daily Mountain Eagle. The operations had been owned by Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. and Cookeville Newspapers, Inc., for more than 65 and 47 years respectively. Through those years, Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. have owned and operated daily newspapers in 10 states.

Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, represented Cleveland Newspapers and Cookeville Newspapers in the transaction. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The 168-year-old Cleveland Daily Banner, 119-year-old Cookeville Herald-Citizen, 75-year-old Cartersville Daily Tribune News, and 150-year-old Jasper (AL) Daily Mountain Eagle all publish five days per week online and three days per week in print. The Chatsworth Times publishes weekly. Other publications in the group include Walker Magazine, 385 Magazine, Bradley Essential, and Discover Bartow.

Paxton Media Group, a family-owned media company headquartered in Paducah, Kentucky, is managed by fourth- and fifth-generation Paxton family members. The company owns more than 100 newspapers across the Midwest and Southeast, including the Lenoir News-Topic.

"We are excited to add these newspapers into the PMG portfolio," said Jamie Paxton, PMG president and CEO. "PMG believes strongly in the value of local newspapers and the vital role they play in the communities that they serve. We appreciate being chosen to be the new stewards of these important community assets."

Jack McNeely, group publisher for the newspapers, added, "Paxton's legacy of community journalism mirrors that of our previous owner. Thus, I anticipate a seamless transition for our staff members, readers, and advertisers that have come to trust our credible voice and marketing capabilities."

The acquisition was announced last week.