New Cherokeean Herald owners pledge to focus on local coverage

RUSK – Cherokeean Herald staff members John and Penny Hawkins acquired the newspaper on Jan. 1.
John Hawkins is general manager and publisher of the newspaper and Penny Hawkins is part of the editorial staff.
“We are excited to be able to steer the direction and content, and make it more relevant to everyone here, highlighting all the positive things we have to offer in Cherokee County,” they said. 
“The opportunity to become the owners/publishers was offered and we simply wanted to make certain the paper continues, and stays local to Cherokee County.”
The Cherokeean Herald has traced it roots back to 1848 as the Daily Sentinel. Eventually the company purchased the Wells News and Views and the Alto Herald, which later merged to create The Cherokeean Herald. In 1950, Emmitt and Marie Whitehead purchased the newspaper, which grew to include a radio station. The Whitehead family retained ownership until 2016, when they sold it to Lewis County Press, a chain of community newspapers that launched in 2010 in Lewis County, Missouri.
“We believe The Cherokeean is a great community newspaper, best owned by someone in the community, like John and Penny, who love the community, who love and know the importance of journalism and its role in a community, and who want Rusk and Cherokee County to be successful and grow going forward,” said Phil Calian, managing partner for Lewis County Press.
John Hawkins, who began working at KTLU/KWRW in Rusk in 1981, has held a variety of jobs, including experience in news radio with ABC in Houston and KTRH, which featured all news/talk formatting.
Penny Hawkins has been involved with printing and the news throughout the years since her one-year tenure in the mid-1980s as editor of the Alto Herald.
Jo Anne Embleton, who has served as editor and reporter for the paper since October 2020, has worked in journalism for 30 years with both religious and secular newspapers. She has covered Cherokee County news since 1992.
Rounding out the staff is Maylyn Dominy, the Cherokeean’s route carrier, delivering to newsstands throughout the county.