Lamar Democrat, 125 1st Ave NW, Vernon, AL 35592, US

Community newspapers are found across the United States and the world striving to provide their local populations with news about the local happenings. Though the quality and size of community papers varies, each typically covers the local government, entertainment scene, board meetings, community events and local personalities. The Starkville Daily News, a daily newspaper located at 304 E. Lampkin Street, MS in Starkville, serves the greater Starkville and Oktibbeha County area. The newspaper offers its readers an informative look at the local stories as well as state, national and international news. The Starkville Daily News has its roots in The East Mississippi Times, a weekly newspaper that John McCormick founded around 1875. At the time, several newspapers were published in the area. During its lifetime, The Starkville Daily News, under many names, changed ownership multiple times. McCormick sold The East Mississippi Times to W.H. Cochran who edited the paper until 1882. Rev. W.H. Harrison bought the paper from Cochran but sold it seven years later to William Ward. Another newspaper, The Oktibbeha Citizen, began in 1878 as a weekly under the ownership of Col. J.M. Norment. In 1902, Norment's son changed the paper's name to The Starkville News. Purchased by Thomas Wood, The Starkville News was later combined with a competing publication, The Starkville Banner. Wood sold the combined paper to G.T. Gholson in 1916. From 1916 to 1926, The Starkville News and The East Mississippi Times were each published weekly until Gholson bought The East Mississippi Times and combined the two papers under the name, The Starkville News. After consolidating the two papers, Gholson sold the combined product to Grady Imes who then sold it to Henry and Morris Myer in 1946. Not until 14 years later did the paper change hands again when the Myers brothers sold it in 1960 to Henry Harris, then publisher of the West Point Daily Times Leader. Under Harris' control, the paper changed its name again and became a daily publication with the first issue of The Starkville Daily News publishing on Oct. 31, 1960. Harris successfully ran the two papers for many years under Harris Newspapers Inc. (chartered in 1973) until selling both papers in 1986. Several corporate ownership changes occurred including American Publishing's purchase of the papers in 1991. The newspapers are currently owned by Horizon Publications (USA) Inc., a community newspaper organization based in Marion, IL. Horizon owns community newspapers in 16 states and Canada took over The Starkville Daily News in 1998. The Starkville Daily News' sister paper, The Daily Times Leader, is published in West Point. The paper uses 400 tons of newsprint each year to print about 10, 000 papers a day. The paper also is a large employer in the area with 65 people on payroll including the news and advertising staff, press operators and carriers. The newspaper mostly serves Starkville and Oktibbeha County including the towns of Sturgis and Maben but also has mail delivery to outside areas like Eupora and Ackerman. Ultimately, the newspaper's goal is to continue its service to the community. Our biggest goal is to grow our community newspaper, said Don Norman. Making the community paper bigger and better takes precedence over regional news coverage or completing outside print jobs, he said. No matter a persons opinion of The Starkville Daily News or its staff, there is little doubt that the community paper offers its readers a place to learn about events in their community in an easily accessible format. With deep roots in Starkville and Oktibbeha County, The Starkville Daily News plans for many more successful years in the area as the paper grows its subscriber base, increases its daily newspaper volume and continues to expand coverage of local news.