Geneva County Reaper
The Geneva County Reaper serves the population of Geneva County, Alabama.[1] Its most recent circulation is estimated at about 2,000.[2] It is published by Mo Pujol and edited by Katherine Hepperle.[3] The paper claims to be "Geneva County's oldest and largest paper since 1899."[4]
Type | Weekly newspaper |
---|---|
Format | Broadsheet |
Publisher | Mo Pujol |
Editor | Katherine Hepperle |
Founded | July 3, 1901 |
Headquarters | 506 S. Commerce St., Geneva, Alabama, United States |
Circulation | 2,000 |
OCLC number | 11827296 |
Website | www |
History
The Reaper was founded as the Geneva Reaper on July 3, 1901,[5] with Ed M. Johnson as editor and proprietor.[6][7] The Reaper absorbed the competing Geneva Journal in 1902.[8] By 1906, Johnson had moved purely to the business side of the paper, bringing on M. M. Brannen as head of editorial.[9]
Horace J. Wilkinson took over the paper from his father, Horace G. Wilkinson.[10] Horace J. printed the paper from 1928 until his sudden death in 1945, at the age of 48. Wilkinson made a note in his final printing of the paper, "Unless I feel stronger very quick, I won't attempt to issue a paper next week. I need a week's rest." He died 10 days later.[10] The paper was purchased by Howard, Clarence, and Alton Scott but did not publish another edition until February 1946, months after Wilkinson died.[11] In 1953, the three brothers also launched WGEA, the "Voice of the Geneva County Reaper." The station shut down in 2017.
Orsen Spivey, a former president of the Alabama Press Association,[12] was editor of the paper from 1947 until 1954.[13]
He handed the paper over to Joel P. Smith, who ran the paper until 1958. Sue Thomas became the general manager and editor in 1958.[14] For some time it was edited and published by Karol Fleming, the second woman to be elected to the Alabama Journalism Hall of Fame.[15]
Spivey sold the paper, along with three papers, to Specht Newspapers Inc. in 1984 for an undisclosed amount.[16]
Brenda and Moe Pujol purchased the Opp News and Geneva County newspapers, including the Geneva County Reaper, in 2008.[17] The formed Pujol Printing and Publishing LLC and operated the papers under that umbrella. Brenda Pujol died of breast cancer in 2016.[17][18]
References
- "Alabama Newspapers | Alabama Press Association". www.alabamapress.org. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- "Geneva County Reaper". Mondo Times.
- "Contact Us". Opp News Online.
- "Geneva County Journal" (PDF). Retrieved June 24, 2019.
- Alabama Dept of Archives and History (1915). Alabama Official and Statistical Register. State of Alabama.
- Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Alabama. Brown Printing Company. 1906.
- "About Geneva Reaper". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- "(Items)". Montgomery Advertiser. 6 April 1902.
- "(Items)". Montgomery Advertiser. 1 June 1906.
- "Horace Wilkinson claimed by death". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- "Editor Thomley". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- "Sanguinetti elected to press group pos". The Anniston Star. 2 Mar 1975.
- "Orsen Spivey". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- "Sue Thomas". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- "Fleming Delivers Opinions to Readers". Anniston Star. 22 February 1998.
- "Three Geneva papers sold". The Montgomery Advertiser. 9 February 1984.
- "Brenda Whitaker Pujol :: RickeyStokesNews.com!". www.rickeystokesnews.com. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- Reports, Staff. "Geneva County newspapers owner dies after breast cancer fight". Dothan Eagle. Retrieved 2019-06-25.