Keota Eagle to cease publication, merge with News-Review

KEOTA – The Keota Eagle will print its’ final edition on June 17. The final edition will be the end of a newspaper exclusively serving the Keota community.

Parent company Mid-America Publishing announced the merging of the newspaper, after several weeks of discussion about the future of the publication. The Company also plans to cease publication of The Sun, in New Sharon. The decision will ensure continued coverage of the Keota Community.

“The past few weeks have been perhaps the most challenging weeks in my entire career as a journalist. Making the decision to cease publication of the Eagle was one that did not come lightly,” said Eagle Publisher Charlie Comfort. “This is the end of an incredibly long and historic era of providing the news to this community,” he added.

While The Eagle will be ceasing publication and merging with The News-Review, the staff at The News-Review are committed to provide the same coverage that the community has relied upon. “It will be the same great people providing the same great coverage. We are committed to providing the coverage that the community relies on. This community can expect a balanced front page, as well plenty of local and relevant content,” Comfort said.

Comfort added that the support from the Keota Community over the past years has been crucial.

“I want to thank the community for their unwavering support of the publication over the past years. I have had the privilege of being a part of this publication since 2018, and what I have seen in this community is truly amazing. The folks of Keota are some very special individuals and I look forward to continuing to tell their stories,” Comfort said.

The new combined edition of the News-Review will hit subscribers mailboxes, as well as the newsstands, on June 24. The newly combined edition of The News-Review will be distributed to subscribers of The Keota Eagle, as well as to newsstands in the Keota community. Readers can still expect to see the same coverage of their community that saw in The Eagle. This will include coverage of Keota Schools and school events, Keota City affairs, as well as other articles telling the story of Keota. Eagle Publisher Charlie Comfort will retain his role as Publisher and Editor of The News-Review. No other staffing changes are planned at this time.

Newspapers have been struggling for many years as advertising dollars dwindled in the digital age. Weekly papers have taken a brunt of those blows due to its news cycle. In the area, Knoxville Journal-Express and the Pella Chronicle, which have been part of the Community Newspaper Holdings Group that owns the Ottumwa Courier and Oskaloosa Herald, ceased operations. The Herald, once a six-day a week publication, now prints two days.

COVID-19 was a contributing factor in the decision to cease publication. With businesses, schools and churches closed, there was no need to advertise and news gathering was made more difficult.

“The pandemic that we have been forced to deal with has brought an unprecedented amount of change to our lives as we know it. Unfortunately, it has hit this already struggling industry very hard. The effects of this pandemic will likely be long-lasting,” Comfort said.

Mid-America Publishing is working on options to provide legals to the community. The Eagle is the official or one of the official papers for several entities, including Keota Schools, City of Keota, and Keokuk County. Those entities will have the option to continue running legal notices in The News-Review, in accordance with guidance provided by the Iowa Newspaper Association.