Woodward Communications to buy weekly newspapers in Marion, North Liberty, Mount Vernon, other Eastern Iowa cities

The parent company of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald will purchase seven weekly newspapers in Eastern Iowa.

Acquisition of West Branch Communications by Woodward Communications of Dubuque is set to close on Friday.

Financial details of the agreement were not released.

Those newspapers are the Linn News-Letter of Central City, Marion Times, Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun, North Liberty Leader, Solon Economist, West Branch Times and West Liberty Index.

West Branch Communications co-founder Jake Krob will become regional publisher of the West Branch group.

'I'm incredibly excited about Woodward's rich history and proven innovation being put to use in our communities,” Krob said in a news release. 'Like us, Woodward is committed to local media and the communities they serve.”

'West Branch Communications extends our Eastern Iowa market area and creates synergies with our entire publishing system,” Tom Woodward, Woodward Communications chief executive and president, added.

The Telegraph Herald is printed by Color Web Printers, a sibling company of The Gazette.