Eight Local Weekly Newspapers Bought by NRV Couple

The eight weekly newspapers that constituted Montgomery County Publishing and Blue Ridge Newspapers have been purchased by the former owner of two of them, Wane and Dolores Brockenbrough, principals of Montgomery Publishing.

It was a relatively quick sale, brought about when creditor Wells Fargo ordered the papers to be sold. The Brockenbroughs are former owners of the Radford News Journal and the Montgomery County News Messenger. They picked up the Salem Times-Register, Fincastle Herald, Vinton Messenger, Cave Spring Connection and New Castle Record.

At one point or another, I edited the papers in Salem, Fincastle, Vinton and New Castle. The Fincastle and New Castle stints were brief and the Salem job was interminable, probably the worst I ever had. I enjoyed being in Vinton.

According to a story in the current issue of the newspapers, Brockenbrough is quoted as saying employees will retain their jobs and there will be no disruption in the publishing schedule. In addition to the newspapers, the printing operation in Salem was also purchased.

The newspaper group had been owned for a number of years by investors from Birmingham, Ala. The sale returns them to local ownership.