Former Freeps Columnist Buys Franklin County Weekly
Ed Shamy, former news columnist for The Burlington Free Press, and his wife, Kim Asch, have purchased the County Courier, the weekly newspaper for Franklin County.
According to a press release from Asch, Shamy will be editor and publisher of the 130-year-old newspaper. The sale by Alison Dubilier, who ran the paper for 16 years, was completed Nov. 13. The County Courier’s office will remain at its Main Street address in Enosburg Falls. The paper is published on Thursdays.
“Newspapers that are locally owned and community focused are the future of the industry, and I relish the opportunity to build on the County Courier’s legacy,” said Shamy. “This paper is going to be a must-read for everyone who lives or works in Franklin County.”
Shamy was let go from the Free Press in August when the paper's parent company, Gannett, cut a total of 600 newspaper jobs and trimmed another 400 positions through attrition.
Dubilier, told Seven Days' Shay Totten, "I'm so glad to be turning it over to someone who cares about community journalism and knows what community papers are all about. We have had a number of editors and consequently a number of "voices" through the years, but Ed coming on makes so much sense since he has many years of editorial experience."
