News brief for L’Observateur (LaPlace, LA)

An agreement for sale of L’Observateur (LaPlace, LA) by Wick Communications of Sierra Vista, Ariz. has been reached in principle.  Work to complete the transaction is underway.  The buyer will be a newly formed Louisiana entity, LaPlace Newsmedia, LLC.LaPlace Newsmedia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Carpenter Newsmedia, LLC (CNL), will publish L’Observateur, its website and all affiliate publications. CNL also owns nearby newspapers in Mississippi including The Picayune Item and The Poplarville Democrat.  It is controlled by Todd H. Carpenter who is president of Boone Newspapers, Inc. (BNI) of Tuscaloosa, Ala.  BNI will manage the new company.  CNL and BNI own and BNI manages newspapers in similar sized communities in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Mississippi, Minnesota, Ohio and Tennessee.J Kennon and other key staff members will continue working with the newspapers. Todd H. Carpenter of Natchez, MS is president and COO of BNI, and James B. Boone, Jr of Tuscaloosa, AL is CEO.  “We have known J Kennon and her colleagues for a long time and respect very much the good job they do serving their readers, advertisers and communities.  We look forward to joining them in that important work” Carpenter said.Work to complete the transaction on or about March 31 is underway.