A sale within the newspaper community this week will create a major change in the presentation and delivery of news to the people of this area.  Russell County has, for the past several years, been served by two newspapers, the Times Journal and the Russell Register, with both newspapers having a Thursday dateline. This new change will now allow this community to be served with twice weekly publications, one hitting the news stands on Wednesday and the other on Friday.

The Times Journal Newspaper Inc., David Davenport, Russell Springs and Patsy Judd, Burkesville,   announced this week they have purchased the Russell Register, the publication of South Kentucky Media, under the ownership of Michael Selby of Russell Springs and will now combine the newspaper into their company operation.

"We are very excited about acquiring the Russell Register and we intend to keep the Jamestown identity with this publication while at the same time playing a major role in bringing total news coverage twice a week to all our subscribers," Davenport said. "The two publications will function like a twice weekly newspaper as news appearing in one will not be repeated within the other."

Derek Aaron will serve as editor of both publications along with all the present Times Journal staff. John Thompson will remain at the Jamestown office as office manager and reporter. Many of the features and columnists will remain.

The Times Journal also publishes the Saturday county-wide total market publication, The Russell County News.

"As a portion of our new publication and schedule also involves the Russell County News, the new Saturday publication, will see a change from the name of the Russell Register to The Russell County News-Register," Davenport said. "We wanted to keep the identity of Jamestown and the two publications, Russell County News and Russell Register, thus The Russell County News-Register."

Davenport went on to say they would continue with an office in Jamestown.

The new publication will serve the community as a county newspaper while working as a sister publication with The Times Journal in bringing total and timely coverage to the area.

The new schedule will have The Times Journal on the newsstands on Wednesdays around noon with mail delivery on Thursday. The News-Register (The Russell Register) will be on the newsstands on Friday with mail delivery on Saturday. This week and the following two or three weeks, you will receive both The Times Journal and Russell Register as you have been in the past. Once mailing lists are combined the twice a week schedule will be implemented.

The Times Journal/News-Register will also offer a total market publication providing advertisers an avenue to reach every home in the county. This will become a part of the News-Register as the Friday/Saturday publication will have the regular newspaper delivered to all subscribers. Advertisers wishing their ads to reach everyone in the county will have their ads placed in the B Plus Section which will be delivered to all subscribers as a part of the News-Register and then as a separate section delivered to all non-subscribers throughout the county.

"It is our intent to provide this community and our readers a newspaper twice a week while giving our advertisers a more timely choice for the placement of their advertisements," Davenport said.

Change in the ownership of county newspapers and the name change of publications is nothing new to the newspapers of Russell County.

 A brief look at the history of newspapers show in 1891, The Jamestown Record was born but according to all sources, only lasted a few issues. Around the turn of the century, The Russell County Tribune was formed in Jamestown, but was soon sold to Lilburn Phelps and moved to Liberty. Around 1910 The Jamestown Sentinel was formed under the direction of Judge H. H. Dunbar. This publication soon folded in 1912.

Sometime in 1913 I. M. Tuller opened the first newspaper in Russell Springs. The Russell Springs Advance was soon sold to M. H. Dunbar and had a number of editors over the years including L. S. "Sid" Ashbrook, followed by Judge Edmonds and then H. H. Edmonds.

After the Advance folded, M. H. Bernard, Owsley Holder and R. E. Lloyd created The Russell County News in Jamestown. In 1930, another newspaper was founded in Russell County, known as the Russell County Banner. It is reported this newspaper was published in Russell Springs and edited by Lillian Richards. This newspaper was published until just prior to World War II.

In 1949 The Times Journal was founded by Andrew Norfleet and remained under his leadership until the 1970's when David Davenport became the Editor-Publisher. During that same period, the Russell County News was operated by B. E. Gaskin and later was taken over by Ben E.

Sharp who operated the newspaper until he sold to the Adair County News with the newspaper then being sold to Davenport and The Times Journal in the 1980's.. Davenport continued with The Times Journal and The Russell County News until July 1990 when he sold the newspaper to a chain operation.

Later Davenport again purchased The Times Journal along with his present partner, Patsy Judd of Burkesville. This incorporation remains in operation today and has now added the Russell Register to the operation. Patsy Judd also owns and operates the Cumberland County News in Burkesville.