NASHVILLE – Graves Publishing Company publisher of The Nashville News, Murfreesboro Diamond, Glenwood Herald, and Montgomery County News, is being sold in its entirety to John Robert Schirmer of Nashville.
The sale, which includes the press and commercial printing operation and building in Nashville, is expected to be concluded May 31.
”On behalf of the Graves Family, I would like to thank the people of Nashville and southwest Arkansas for giving our family the privilege of publishing these hometown and community-owned newspapers,” said Graves Publishing Company CEO Michael Graves of Nashville. “We give a special thanks to our subscribers, advertisers, and valued employees.”
Graves Publishing has it roots dating to 1950 when the late Louis “Swampy” Graves and Wilton Graves of Texarkana purchased Howard County’s oldest continuous business The Nashville News and moved to Nashville. Graves was a World War II Flying Tiger.
Graves wrote a popular award-winning column called “Facts and Fancies” and over two decades built up the circulation of the News with lively coverage of sports and the local political scene. He and Wilton, who is still going strong at 94 and lives in Nashville, raised 10 children.
Louis Graves was joined in running the Nashville News by oldest son, Louie, and his wife, the late Jane Graves, in the early 1970s. Another son, Lawrence, started the Murfreesboro Diamond in 1975.
In 1979 the late Ray Ross of Glenwood and Louis Graves formed a partnership and purchased the assets of the Glenwood Herald and Montgomery County News.
Ross subsequently sold his ownership in the newspapers to a company later owned in its entirety by Graves Publishing which was owned by the 10 Graves siblings.
“A key desire on our part in selling the newspapers was passing ownership to someone who lives in the local area rather than having community newspapers owned by out-of-state interests who only care about the bottom line,” said Graves.
“We are confident that Mr. Schirmer will be a good steward of these award-winning newspapers which are so much a part of their respective communities.”
