Local Publications, Including Lake Leader & Lake Lifestyles, Bought By Eldon-Based Vernon Publishing

Vernon Publishing Inc. is proud to announce the continued growth and expansion of its family of news publications with the purchase of the Lake Sun Newspaper.

This announcement was made public on Thursday, Aug. 5, with the transaction expected to close on Wednesday, Sept. 1. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Acquired in this deal will be the Lake Sun, Lake of the Ozarks Real Estate, BOATS magazine, Lake Leader, Lake Lifestyles Magazine, and Vacation News, all published in Camdenton. Purchasers are Trevor and Molly Vernon and Dane and Sharene Vernon, owners of Vernon Publishing, Inc. The Lake Leader's news website, LakeNewsOnline.com, was also included in the purchase.

The Vernon family has a long history of producing quality news publications throughout Mid-Missouri. The late Wallace and Marge Vernon purchased controlling interests in The Eldon Advertiser (founded in 1894) in 1953. Dane and Sharene Vernon purchased The Tipton Times in 1984, and in 2013 Trevor and Molly Vernon purchased The Hermitage Index.

With the purchase of The Lake Sun, Vernon Publishing Inc. will be able to offer a direct line of news coverage from Miller County through Camden County to Hickory County, while continuing to also serve the public in Moniteau County and parts of Cole and Morgan Counties. The company continues to produce numerous magazines, and advertisement guides, as well as offer a wide range of commercial printing opportunities through the Hermitage office.

“We are excited for the opportunity to publish this group of publications around the Lake of the Ozarks,” said Trevor Vernon, who is also the Mayor of the City of Eldon. “I have great memories of growing up on and around the Lake. We think these publications are a natural fit with what we currently own. The future of these publications and the area looks bright.”

The Lake of the Ozarks based publications have been owned by Gannett Company, Inc. They were represented in this transaction by Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, N.M.