2 Nashville papers end rivalry, merge

Result part of Graves Publishing sale

Another chapter in community journalism is being written in Howard County, with the purchase and merger of the Nashville Leader and the Nashville News.

The newspaper now goes by the name The Nashville News-Leader.

After nearly two months, the southwest Arkansas town has had little problem adjusting to a new owner — John Robert Schirmer of Nashville — since he is a local teacher and helped launch the Nashville Leader with Louie Graves in 2003.

“A key desire on our part in selling the newspapers was passing ownership to someone who lives in the local area rather than having community newspapers owned by out-ofstate interests who only care about the bottom line,” said former Graves Publishing Co. CEO Michael Graves of Nashville.

The sale of the Graves Publishing Co. was concluded May 31 and included The Nashville News, Murfreesboro Diamond, Glenwood Herald and Montgomery County News. The printing press, commercial printing operation and building in Nashville were also included in the deal.

“We are confident that Mr. Schirmer will be a good steward of these award-winning newspapers, which are so much a part of their respective communities,” Michael Graves said.

The possibility of a merger arose in August or September last year when the Graves brothers wanted to talk about selling the newspapers, Schirmer said.

“The idea of one newspaper came from newspaper broker Tom Bolitho of Ada, Okla. We were shocked at first and surprised,” Schirmer said.

The broker had “long talks” with the owners beginning in September, and in April, an offer was made. The deal was completed May 31.

Some of the talks were delayed while Schirmer recovered from a broken leg. He had tripped over the junior high school cheerleaders’ “runthrough poles.”

The Nashville Leader was opened by Louie Graves in 2003 with the help of Schirmer.

In a town with a population of nearly 5,000, the two newspapers competed for advertisers and circulation. It’s unusual to have two local newspapers in a small town, and the competing publishers were brothers.

The Graves family considered selling the Nashville News 13 years ago along with the other newspapers and equipment.

Disagreements developed over the possibility of the sale in 2003, and it never went through.

Louie Graves and his wife, the late Jane Graves, launched the Nashville Leader.

Jane Graves died of cancer in 2007.

The personality of the Leader has been a blend of news, sports and personal comments. Louie Graves’ column ends each week with a tribute to Jane Graves with the phrase “Sweet Dreams, baby.”

Schirmer had worked at the Nashville News and was a journalism and English teacher.

Although Louie Graves described the competing news- papers as a 13-year newspaper war, he declined to discuss it further.

He said he has learned to “button his lip and not fan the flames of a family war.” When he entered the Nashville News building after the sale of the newspaper, he felt a rush of memories.

“After Schirmer bought and owned the building, I went to the newspaper office, and it was the first time I had been in the building since I left in a huff in 2003. The smell flattened me again, to smell the ink and solvent. It awakened some memories,” Louie Graves said.

He will continue to use his advertising tactics to pay the bills. They are something he learned in the newspaper war.

During the weeks before Christmas — and the peak time for advertising sales — Louie Graves will continue his tradition of dressing as Mrs. Claus to encourage people to purchase gifts from local stores. It’s part of how he shows the advertisers that he is trying to earn their business.

“I hear about Mrs. Santa Claus all year long, and people look forward to it,” he said.

“They can’t believe an old guy like me puts on a dress, pearls, lipstick and a wig. They just don’t know me. It helps pay the light bill in December.”

Michael Graves issued a statement about the history of the newspaper and the Graves family.

“On behalf of the Graves family, I would like to thank the people of Nashville and Southwest Arkansas for giving our family the privilege of publishing these hometown and community-owned newspapers. We give a special thanks to our subscribers, advertisers, and valued employees.”

Graves publishing roots date back to 1950 when the late Louis “Swampy” Graves and Wilton Graves of Texarkana purchased Howard County’s oldest continuous business, The Nashville News, and moved to Nashville. Louis Graves was a World War II Flying Tiger.

He wrote a popular, award-winning column called “Facts and Fancies” and, over two decades, built up the circulation of the News with lively coverage of sports and the local political scene. He and Wilton raised 10 children. Wilton is still going strong at 94 and lives in Nashville.

Louis Graves was joined in running the Nashville News by oldest son Louie and Louie’s wife, Jane, in the early 1970s. Another son, Lawrence, started the Murfreesboro Diamond in 1975.

In 1979, the late Ray Ross of Glenwood and Louis Graves formed a partnership and purchased the assets of the Glenwood Herald and Montgomery County News.

Ross sold his ownership in the newspapers to a company later owned in its entirety by Graves Publishing, which was owned by the 10 Graves siblings.

The newspaper war has ended, and Schirmer said, “There is not a winner or loser, but a survivor.”