Lee closes 3 papers

Lee Enterprises closed three weekly Illinois newspapers on Oct. 27: The Heyworth Star, Farmer City Journal and LeRoy Journal.

The papers were part of Pantagraph Publishing in Bloomington, Ill.; company officials said the weeklies were not profitable. "We felt we could more effectively serve our readers in those three communities with The Pantagraph," general manager Barry Winterland said in a story on the Pantagraph's website. A week before the weeklies were closed, the Pantagraph introduced a new "Your Town" print and web section "to provide more consolidated coverage" in Heyworth, Farmer City and LeRoy, and other local communities.

(Via e-mail; send tips, links and memos to lee.ent.watch@gmail.com.)

California paper closes

The Lemoore Advance in Lemoore, Calif., has closed. The 121-year-old weekly paper's last edition was Sept. 24.

This was part of the 2010 strategic plan announced in August by the publisher of The Sentinel in Hanford, Calif. Twice a week, the Sentinel will publish a "Focus on Lemoore" section.

(Via e-mail)

Tucson Citizen to close

Gannett's Tucson Citizen will close March 21, which could help Lee's Arizona Daily Star. The two papers have been in a joint operating agreement since 1940, and have split costs and profits 50-50. (The Star is the bigger of the two papers.) That JOA continues through 2015, meaning Gannett will share the costs and profits until then.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently got out of its JOA with the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, which closed in 1986.

Tributary closes

The Tributary, a monthly magazine in Bozeman, Mont., is closing. December will be the last issue for the Lee Enterprises publication. One editor and one sales rep will lose their jobs. The Tributary had a circulation of 7,000.

Former Lee paper closing

After 127 years, the weekly Wood River Journal in Hailey, Idaho, has closed. Its assets have been sold to the Idaho Mountain Express in Ketchum, Idaho. Lee Enterprises sold the Journal in April to Idaho Falls' Post Co.