07/28/2021
SEXTON MEDIA GROUP PURCHASES NEOSHO DAILY NEWS
The Neosho Daily News will have a new owner as of Sept. 1.
Gannett Co., Inc., has agreed to sell the twice-weekly publication to Sexton Media Group, which is owned by Jimmy and Rhonda Sexton, of Neosho.
Gannett is also selling the weekly Aurora Advertiser to Sexton Media Group. Gannett’s portfolio includes USA TODAY and local media organizations in 46 states in the U.S.
This will bring Sexton Media's portfolio to four print and online publications, joining The News-Dispatch and River Hills Traveler. Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, N.M., represented Gannett in the transaction.
Terms of the transaction, scheduled to close on Sept. 1, were not disclosed.
"The Neosho Daily News has a cherished history of promoting the people, businesses and organizations that make Neosho and the surrounding communities such a wonderful place to live and do business," said Jimmy Sexton. "We are proud to continue the tradition of family ownership of one of Neosho's oldest businesses, and we look forward to being a cheerleader for this community."
Since both publications serve the same area, Sexton said he plans to merge The News-Dispatch and the Neosho Daily News, and beginning Sept. 1 will operate solely as Neosho Daily News.
He will also combine both papers' pages and websites to Neosho Daily News.
"This acquisition and merger will greatly benefit our readers and advertisers, allowing them to find the local news and stories that are important to them and their families all in one place, as well as providing advertisers one local media outlet to promote their business with our print, online and social media platforms," said Sexton.
"We are very excited and energized to be purchasing the Neosho Daily News, and we can't wait to get started. We have lots of ideas for special features and promotions, which I believe will really excite our readers."
Jimmy and Rhonda Sexton are graduates of Neosho High School. They have three adult daughters who are fourth generation graduates of Neosho. Their son, Wyatt, is a seventh-grader at Neosho Junior High.
All of their children, plus their three grandsons, continue to live and work in Neosho. The Sextons' eldest daughter, Madeleine, is the managing editor of their publications and regional manager of Sexton Media Group.
"I've been in the newspaper business for 34 years, and actually interned with the Neosho Daily for Anne Cope, whose family owned the Daily for many, many years," said Jimmy. "I've worked for several different papers over the years, and to be in a position to purchase the hometown newspaper I grew up with is a dream come true. I want to thank Gannett for this amazing opportunity, and I want to let the Cope family know that I plan to build on the legacy they created."
After high school, Jimmy attended Missouri Southern State College and then worked at newspapers in Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Kansas before returning to Neosho in the late 1990's and establishing the Neosho Post weekly newspaper. In 2001 he sold the Post to the company that owned the Neosho Daily News at the time in order to focus on building his photography studio.
Missing the newspaper business, specifically being able to tell the stories about the people and what's happening around Neosho, Jimmy purchased the Seneca News-Dispatch in 2009 and moved its operation to his Neosho office building and shortened the name to "The News-Dispatch" to better reflect its representation of all of Newton County.
Continuing to operate the Dispatch and his photography studio, Sexton purchased the River Hills Traveler outdoors and travel magazine in 2014, and in 2018 he opened Neosho Event Center, a venue and party rentals business in downtown Neosho.
He said he plans to move the Neosho Daily News office from Harmony Street to his office building at 212 E. Main St. in Neosho, across from City Hall.
Rhonda Sexton has been an active volunteer with youth organizations and is a huge proponent of local school districts, as well as charities and community organizations.
“I enjoy working alongside many of my friends and neighbors on various volunteer and mission groups," said Rhonda. "The people of the Neosho community are the best example we could think of to raise our children with. In my newspaper columns over the last 20 years, you have experienced the births of our children, their birthdays and other family events and news that I felt led to share with you.
"We have been extremely blessed by Neosho, our hometown, and it is truly an honor and privilege to continue to serve this community into a new era."
