BREAKING NEWS: TOM HAWLEY IS RETIRING!
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Lucky 13
Tom Hawley, owner and publisher of the Mount Ayr Record News and Diagonal Progress, recently announced his upcoming retirement.
Hawley is planning for a lot more rest and relaxation after disseminating Ringgold County’s news for the last 13 years.
Tom and his wife, Tami, purchased the stock in Paragon Publications, Inc., the corporation which owns the local newspaper, from H. Alan and Valle Smith beginning August 1, 2012.
“It has always been a dream for Tami and I to own a community newspaper,” Hawley stated in 2012. “What Alan has done to make the Record News and indispensable part of Ringgold County is amazing.”
Smith joined the staff in April 1980 as news editor, and assumed full ownership in 1982, serving as editor and publisher of the Mount Ayr Record-News for 30 years. He continued to help with some of the news coverage of the community as publisher emeritus after Hawley became the new owner.
Hawley moved to Mount Ayr from Ames, with a broad newspaper background.
While in Ames, he was named president of Partnership Press and publisher of the Ames Tribune in September of 1999 after Partnership Press, Inc. was purchased by The Omaha World-Herald Company.
During his 45-year newspaper career, Hawley published newspapers in Iowa for the Omaha World-Herald (Ames), the Des Moines Register (Indianola, Independence, Altoona), and Community Newspapers Holdings (Ottumwa).
He is also a past president of the Iowa Newspaper Foundation and has served on numerous industry and community boards.
The Record-News has a long history of serving the county since its beginnings in 1864 and is the county’s longest running business.
Sam Spurrier and his son, Franklin Spurrier, owned the newspaper for 55 years between them from 1911 to 1966. Jack Terry owned the Record-News for 15 years until selling an interest in it to Smith in 1981.
For only the fifth time in 160 years, the Mount Ayr Record-News will soon be welcoming a new owner.
