Home
(email questions/comments to wrightted@aol.com).
Ted Wright -- last update 11/2/2005 (NewsBuyout.html) www.cvilleok.com
Copyright 2005 -- Collinsville, Oklahoma

"Collinsville News" Will Have New Owner Nov. 2, 2005 Arkansas Based Publishers To Purchase

This web site is brought to you by the Newspaper Museum In Collinsville and the other advertisers appearing on these pages. If you would like to provide content or advertisements ... call Ted Wright (918) 371-1901 or send email to wrightted@aol.com.

Web www.cvilleok.com

According to an Oct. 26, 2005 press release from Bentonville, Arkansas, Community Publishers Inc. (CPI) has reached an "agreement in principal" to purchase Retherford Publications' Tulsa-based newspaper company. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2005.

Retherford Publications (which includes the "Collinsville News") is Oklahoma's largest privately owned newspaper firm with 19 separate publications. Community newspapers include Bixby, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Collinsville, Coweta, Glenpool, Jenks, Keystone, Mannford, Owasso, Sand Springs, Skiatook and Wagoner. Other publications include Daily Commerce and Legal News, Guffey's Real Estate Journal, Pennysaver, Tulsa Business Journal, and Tulsa County News.

CPI is based in Bentonville and currently owns 10 daily and weekly newspapers in Arkansas and Missouri. They also have commercial printing businesses in Harrison, Ark., and Springfield, Mo. Michael R. Brown, executive vice president of CPI, will be publisher of the Tulsa area publications after the sale closes. Brown, a 22 year veteran of CPI, was most recently publisher of the Benton County Daily Record at Bentonville.

Retherford Publications was founded in 1965 when Bill Retherford purchased the Tulsa County News. Retherford Publications already owned the "Collinsville Herald" when it purchased "The Collinsville News" in February 1987 (from John and Betty Wright) and combined them into the "Collinsville News-Herald". The Herald name was later dropped and the "Collinsville News" is now in it's 107th year. Bill Retheford died in June 2005 and the company is currently owned by his family including his widow (Mary Retheford), daughter (Lisa Walker) and son (Tim Retherford)

Bill Johnson is the current news editor of the "Collinsville News" and Renata Horn is the office manager.

William Lincoln Wright published the first issue of "The Collinsville News" May 11, 1899. The photo shows W.L. and his son C. H. Wright and daughter Nellie Wright in 1900 in front of the News office.

This 1906 photo shows two Collinsville newspaper offices: the Times (owned by P.M. Eyler) and the News (owned by W.L. Wright).

This 1950s photos show publisher John Wright in front of the office of the News from 1911-1987 (and home of the "Newspaper Museum In Collinsville" since 1999).

The home of the News from 1987 to present at 1113 W. Main in Collinsville.

For more information on the Wright years of "The Collinsville News" visit the "Newspaper Museum In Collinsville". Email wrightted@aol.com for an appointment.

To avoid further confusion let me repeat that this web site has no business association with the current "Collinsville News" newspaper. -- Ted Wright