Lawrenceville & Robinson Newspapers Among Group Being Sold To Paxton

Illinois law requires media companies to provide four months of notice before sale

By BEN SZALINSKI
Capitol News Illinois
bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com 

Article Summary

  • Better Newspapers Inc. has sold its eight Illinois newspapers to Paxton Media Group in Kentucky.

  • A new Illinois law requires media companies to provide 120 days’ notice to several groups before the company is sold to allow time for a local buyer to make a competing offer. 

  • County clerks and an employee of the paper — two of the groups the seller is required to notify under law — said they only learned about the company’s sale when it was announced.

This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story. 

SPRINGFIELD – A newspaper publisher in central and southern Illinois has sold its papers to a Kentucky-based company, testing a new state law designed to keep newspaper ownership local.

The Strengthening Community Media Act took effect on Jan. 1 as part of a package of legislation aimed at boosting local journalism. Its supporters said it was a response to growing news deserts that have been worsened by national media companies purchasing and downsizing local outlets.

The law requires Illinois media companies to provide the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, local county government, the company’s employees and any Illinois nonprofit that might be interested in buying the business with 120 days’ notice before the sale happens.

“The point was, of this law, to create the ability for local stakeholders, anybody who might want to offer up competing bids for a local news organization and maybe want to keep it local,” Matt Pearce, director of public policy at the nonprofit advocacy organization Rebuild Local News, told Capitol News Illinois. 

No notice given

But employees and county clerks in several of the areas served by the recently sold newspapers say the buyer did not provide the 120 days’ notice required by the new law. 

Instead, some said they learned about it when Better Newspapers Inc. announced earlier this month that they sold their eight newspapers to Paxton Media Group — the fifth-largest newspaper company in the U.S. that is based in Paducah, Kentucky. 

But since the law doesn’t include any enforcement mechanisms or penalties for noncompliance, it’s not immediately clear who, if anyone, can force compliance.

“The next question here is if Better Newspapers or Paxton Media didn’t give the 120 days' notice required by law, does someone file a lawsuit?” Pearce said. “Does the government investigate or pursue a complaint? That’s actually the next step of the question here which is establishing how does this law get enforced. How do you remedy the damage here?”

The Illinois attorney general does not enforce the law and referred questions to DCEO.

Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Caledonia, who is a former TV anchor in Rockford, sponsored the law and said media companies may be unaware of the law, meaning the state needs to do more to promote it. He said it’s also possible the General Assembly strengthens it and establishes a way for the department to enforce the law with follow-up legislation. 

“I think that’s something I’ll have discussions with over the next weeks and months to see what we need to do to update and review legislation to make sure ... that there are incentives for organizations to follow the law,” Stadelman said. 

Paxton’s previous purchase

Paxton Media Group is the same organization that was part of a 2023 sale that helped spur the law. Paxton purchased The Southern Illinoisian in Carbondale from Lee Enterprises, then laid off all newsroom employees — prompting concern that the recently sold papers will face the same fate. 

The latest sale included The Morning Sentinel in Centralia, Union Banner in Carlyle, Washington County News in Nashville, Greenville Advocate, Salem Times-Commoner, The Breeze Courier in Taylorville, the Robinson Daily News, and The Daily Record in Lawrenceville. The sale also included seven Missouri newspapers.

Five county clerks in areas served by Better Newspapers Inc. told Capitol News Illinois they did not receive official notice from the company about the sale. That includes the St. Clair County clerk’s office, where Better Newspapers is headquartered.

Todd Marver, a reporter for the Washington County News, told Capitol News Illinois he and his fellow employees were also not notified. DCEO did not respond to questions from Capitol News Illinois, but Marver said the agency told him it also did not receive any notice from Better Newspapers.

“I would also add there have been some layoffs and I’m not part of that but that’s also kind of concerning that’s happened without 120 days’ notice being given because people would have been given more time, four months, to look for somewhere else to work,” Marver said.

Paxton Media Group eventually hired new reporters at The Southern Illinoisian, but Stadelman said he’s generally concerned about the impact newsroom layoffs at any media company have on its community. He said the law isn’t intended to prevent out-of-state or larger companies from buying a newspaper, but to allow a local owner time to make their own offer. 

“I really truly believe that local ownership, local involvement leads to better coverage, more of a commitment to covering local news in a community versus a corporation that may have other financial interests and doesn’t necessarily care about what’s happening on the ground locally,” Stadelman said. 

Representatives for Better Newspapers and Paxton Media Group did not respond to questions. 

The General Assembly’s Local Journalism Task Force released a report last year that one-third of Illinois’ newspapers have closed since 2005, creating an 86% decline in newspaper jobs over that span.


Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Photo: Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Caledonia, listens to debate in the Illinois Senate on May 30, 2025. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)

Former Bank of O’Fallon executive sentenced to prison for swindling $2 million in check kiting fraud scheme

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced the former second-in-command of the Bank of O’Fallon to 63 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to federal charges for engaging in a fraud scheme to obtain more than $2 million.

Andrew P. Blassie, 70, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of interstate transportation of security or funds obtained by fraud. In addition to imprisonment, he was ordered to pay $2,461,887.67 in restitution.

“Blassie’s prison sentence underscores the severity of his crimes to betray his clients, employer, family, and community,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “The outstanding work by the investigators and the Bank of O’Fallon’s vital cooperation to dismantle this scheme delivered justice and helped to protect the integrity of our financial system.”

According to the indictment, Blassie served as the Executive Vice President for the Bank of O’Fallon and defrauded the bank out of $1,972,887.67 in a check kite scheme from September 2023 through September 2024 during his employment.

Blassie admitted to falsely inflating the balance of his personal checking account at the Bank of O’Fallon by depositing checks he knew to be backed by non-sufficient funds. He deposited checks with non-sufficient funds from four personal accounts at three other banks and one credit union into the Bank of O’Fallon account.

“The U.S. Secret Service is committed to pursuing criminal actors who seek to rip off law-abiding citizens and undermine our nation’s financial system in the process. This was an outrageous scheme that hurt innocent victims,” said acting Resident Agent in Charge David Bolin, of the U.S. Secret Service’s Springfield Resident Office. “I am proud of our agency’s work in this case. Thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Illinois as well as our federal and local law enforcement partners who helped to bring justice for the victims, including the O’Fallon Police Department.”

Blassie paid nearly $2.7 million for personal expenses from the falsely inflated account thus using funds belonging to the Bank of O’Fallon. As the former Executive Vice President, Blassie used his position to conceal his fraud from the Bank of O’Fallon by scrubbing his name and account number from suspected kiting reports.

“Today’s sentencing brings justice to the defendant, who violated his position of trust as Executive Vice President at the Bank of O’Fallon. He defrauded the bank of approximately $2 million through a check kiting scheme that he used to enrich himself,” said Special Agent in Charge Vincent R. Zehme, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Chicago Region. “This case exhibits the FDIC OIG’s steadfast commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold bank insiders, and other perpetrators of fraud, accountable for their role in such schemes, especially those that threaten the safety and soundness of our Nation’s financial institutions.”

From August 2022 through September 2024, Blassie also persuaded a couple from Lebanon, Illinois, to give him $489,000 of their retirement savings. In return for this investment, Blassie gave the couple two promissory notes. He agreed to pay the couple interest on the notes and used money he obtained through his check kite scheme to pay some of that interest.

As security for his promissory notes, Blassie pledged 128 of his and his wife’s shares of the holding company which owns the Bank of O’Fallon.

“Today’s sentencing holds accountable and brings to justice a former bank executive who abused his position to defraud Bank of O’Fallon and its customers,” said Don Daley, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “We are proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners to achieve this result. We will continue to vigorously pursue those who undermine the safety and soundness of our banking institutions.”

According to the indictment, Blassie later sold most of these shares and did not use those funds to repay the Lebanon couple. This left the couple with no means of recourse when Blassie later defaulted on the promissory notes.

“Bank officials who abuse their positions of public trust for personal gain pose an unacceptable threat to the integrity the Federal Home Loan Bank system,” said Korey Brinkman, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General’s Central Region.  “Today’s sentencing demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investigating thoroughly allegations of fraud involving bank officials and supporting the prosecution of those charged with these offenses.  We are proud to work with our investigative partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure insider fraudsters are held accountable under the law.” 

Officials with the Bank of O’Fallon have fully cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation.

The O’Fallon Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General made contributions to the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross prosecuted the case.

Possibility Of Burn Ban Being Evaluated

As hot, dry conditions continue, local officials are looking at the possibility of enacting a burn ban. At Monday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Joe Judge asked Fire Commissioner Susan Zimmerman if a burn ban should be considered in light of other area counties taking that step. Zimmerman said fire chief Francis Speth is evaluating the situation. She also cautioned that fires within city limits can only be in fire pits.

Rash Of Vehicle Break-ins Continue

Lock your vehicles. That’s the warning this week from Mt. Carmel Police Chief Mike McWilliams. At this week’s City Council meeting, McWilliams said even after two juveniles were arrested last week in connection to separate vehicle break-in’s, there were more reports on Monday. McWilliams said if you find out someone entered your vehicle illegally, but didn’t take anything…you still need to report it to MCPD……

McWilliams said there have been no reports of forcible entry into the vehicles. He said unlocked doors have made it easy for the thieves to enter.

WCHD Participating In Voter Registration Day

Today is National Voter Registration Day and the Wabash County Health Department is joining a non-partisan voter engagement project through the Illinois Association of Public Health Administrators. Health department administrator Judy Wissel talked about the importance of the initiative..

Wissel said slogans associated with the campaign include “Don’t Play Games With Your Health, Vote”, “Voting Impacts Your Health”, and “Vote Like Your Health Depends On It”. You can register to vote at the county clerk’s office at the courthouse or online by going to the state board of elections website.

College Drive Road Work Causing Headaches For Motorists

If you’re able to avoid College Drive this week, you might end up saving yourself some time. That’s because crews started working on the repaving project yesterday and that work will continue all this week and into next week. City engineer Dave Dallas told the city council yesterday that milling of the road surface will start today ahead of paving work Thursday and Friday. Dallas said the project, including striping, should be finished by the end of next week. If you do have to use College Drive this week, allow for extra time and be patient with the crews.

Crimestoppers Offering $500 Reward In Connection To MCPU Criminal Damage

$500 CASH REWARD

On 09.05.25 the Wabash County Sheriff's Office to a report of Criminal Damage to Property.

The criminal damage occurred on N 1900 Blvd. just east of E 850 Rd.

Unknown person(s) used a chainsaw and cut out a three foot section of a Mt.Carmel Public Utility power pole.

Damage is estimated at over $1,500.

Anyone with information leading to an arrest in this case will earn a cash reward of $500. Drop Crimestoppers a tip on the Wabash County Sheriff App or call crimestoppers at 618-262-HALT.

You may remain anonymous.

*This was an extremely dangerous act, as the guilty party could have injured themselves or others. Playing with power is a deadly game.*