March 29, 2024

Shaw Media purchases Monroe Legacy

Shaw Media, owner of the Newton Daily News, has purchased the Monroe Legacy from Kathleen and Al Darrach, both parties announced last week. The sale was effective Saturday.

The Monroe Legacy — formerly the Monroe Mirror Newspaper — has been reporting local news in Monroe, Reasnor and Otley for 144 years. It’s been operated by the Burman family for the last 67 years, with Kathleen (Burman) Darrach as editor/publisher for nearly three decades.

“It has been a real pleasure serving Monroe as editor and publisher for 27 years,” Darrach said. “The Monroe newspaper, having been in the family for 67 years, made the decision to sell the Monroe Legacy a difficult one. Surgeries have proven to us that it is time we have more flexibility and are able to have nights and weekends off of work while continuing with our other ventures.”

Newton Daily News Publisher Dan Goetz will also serve as publisher of the Monroe Legacy.

“We are looking forward to serving the Monroe community,” Goetz said. “Kathleen and Al Darrach have served Monroe well by publishing a great community newspaper for many years, and we look forward to continuing that tradition.”

Shaw Media is the third-oldest continuously owned and operated family newspaper company in the nation. In addition to the Newton Daily News, Prairie City News and Jasper County Tribune, it operates newspaper properties in suburban Chicago, northern Illinois and southwestern Iowa.

Mike Mendenhall has been editor of the Prairie City News and Jasper County Tribune since April 2014 and will lead the editorial staff at the Monroe Legacy. The team includes reporter and Monroe native Jamee Pierson, graphic designer and long-time Prairie City resident Dana King and reporter and Newton resident Anthony Victor Reyes.

“In our coverage of the PCM school district, we’ve already come to know many fantastic people in Monroe,” Mendenhall said. “Monroe readers can still expect to see familiar faces out and about reporting the news and working with costumers. I look forward to carrying on Kathleen and Al’s momentum, and expand the Legacy’s coverage of people, events and news in this great town.”

Subscribers to the Monroe Legacy can submit all news-related items to news@myprairiecitynews.com or via U.S. mail at PO Box 248, Prairie City, Iowa 50228. News deadlines are noon Mondays.

Advertisers can send all ad questions and submissions to ads@newtondailynews.com or call 641-792-3121. Deadline for all ads, including classifieds and celebration announcements , are noon Friday. For questions about circulation or newspaper billing call 641-792-3121 ext. 6552.

Readers wanting to speak with editor Mike Mendenhall directly can come to a new weekly office hours from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Monroe City Hall. Any general questions can be directed to the Prairie City News office at 515-994-2349.

In the coming weeks, the Legacy will acquired dedicated email addresses to better server readers.