HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark — Helena World Chronicle, LLC, owned by local businessmen Chuck Davis and Andrew Bagley, announced that they will purchase the assets of Hayden Taylor Publishing— publisher of the Monroe County Herald, the only newspaper in Monroe County.
All current subscriptions will be honored and the company stated that new rates to renew and single-copy retail prices will also be announced soon.
New advertising rates will begin with the first publication after the change in ownership is finalized.
“We are committed to providing Monroe County with a first-class community newspaper with high-quality local journalism but that requires an economic model that relies more heavily on subscription revenue," Bagley said.
The company intends to rebrand the newspaper as the Monroe County Argus, a nod to the Brinkley Argus founded in 1883 and the Monroe County Sun in 1877.
Bagley explained the reasoning behind their decision to rename the publication and stated:
“Chuck and I have an immense respect for history and wanted to signal to the community that we intend to provide the kind of quality local journalism that those two publications provided for over a century,” Bagley elaborated.
The names Brinkley Argus and Monroe County Sun faded when Hayden Taylor purchased the assets of the Central Delta Argus-Sun in 2017. and soon renamed the paper the Monroe County Herald.
Bagley tipped his hat to the work Taylor did to keep community journalism alive in Helena.
“Hayden took on a challenge few would have attempted to tackle in our current era but his commitment to maintaining a community newspaper in Monroe County is to be applauded,” he said.
According to Taylor, he was glad to find a buyer that wasn't a big chain and that understand the importance of a newspaper in small communities.
“I am glad that a committed and capable group will continue to serve Monroe County’s local news needs,” Taylor commented.
Davis added that the company is committed to local journalism. He believes that the surrounding communities deserve a newspaper that will keep them informed on what's happening in their hometown.
“In ancient times, an argus was a watchful guardian. Thriving communities have vibrant newspapers that make sure the people are informed. And we believe if we fulfill our role to deliver the local content, then the people will support it,” Davis explained.
Bagley, referenced a quote from a former publisher of the Washington Post, Phillip Graham, who once said, ‘Newspapers write the first rough draft of history’.
He explained that this quote reflects what community newspapers do for small towns, and what they intend to do for Monroe County.
"We want to write the stories about Brinkley, Clarendon, and Holly Grove. Whether it is the Tigers or the Lions on the gridiron and hardwood, the City Council meetings, a birth, an engagement, School Board meetings, a wedding, or a 100th birthday, we want to share that with the readers,” Bagley said.
Bagley and Davis will switch the printing of the paper to the press operated by the Advance-Monticellonian, where the Helena World is also printed.
The publication schedule will also change with Taylor publishing one last edition on August 26, 2022. The new schedule will start the following week on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
"We are confident the residents of Monroe County will support a high-quality community-oriented publication,” Bagley said.