Emporia Gazette buys Westmoreland Recorder

The Emporia Gazette has purchased the Westmoreland Recorder newspaper in Pottawatomie County. The purchase was completed Thursday and the first issue produced by The Gazette this week.

Gazette Publisher Chris Walker said he was excited about the opportunity to serve the community of Westmoreland.

The current newspaper staff will remain in place. In Westmoreland they will write, edit stories, sell advertising and do the office work. The behind-the-scenes work such as ad layout and production will be done in Emporia.

“Westmoreland is a nice town with a rich heritage,” Walker said. “Situated between Topeka and Manhattan, we are excited about the synergy and future growth of all those communities.”

The paper was owned by H and H Publishing in Fort Scott. J.D. Handly and his father had grown the Recorder from a six-page paper to, now, a 16-page paper, every week.

“The Handly family has done a great job keeping the paper running and providing the community with a valuable service,” Walker said. “At The Gazette, we understand the importance of newspapers to a community and look to build on what the Handly family has created.”

The Westmoreland Recorder was first published in 1885 and was located on the Oregon Trail.

The Emporia Gazette has been in an acquisition mode the last three years, purchasing the Chase County Leader News two years ago, the St. Marys Star last year and now the Westmoreland Recorder.

The Gazette is continuing to invest in the proper infrastructure and technology that makes producing newspapers easier, Walker said.

“Weekly papers fit nicely into our company and we continue to look for more buying opportunities in Kansas,” he said.