The Mirror-Exchange, Inc. has acquired the Chester County Independent. The transaction was completed Thursday, July 31, when longtime publisher Scott Whaley and his wife, Lisa, sold the newspaper to Mirror-Exchange owners Victor Parkins and Scarlet Elliott.
The Chester County Independent becomes the 10th newspaper under Mirror-Exchange ownership. The Chester County Independent, located in Henderson, has served the community for more than 185 years.
Whaley plans to retire from day-to-day duties, but he has been named Editor Emeritus of the newspaper. All staff members were retained, and Parkins says readers will not see any substantial differences to the newspaper. The newspaper will remain in the same location on South Church Street.
“When Scott first contacted me about the possibility of selling the newspaper, I was very interested because I knew he had a great staff that knows what they’re doing,” said Parkins. “I have long admired this community newspaper and look forward to serving the people of Chester County.”
The Mirror-Exchange is headed by Parkins and Elliott, members of the Parkins family that have published the community newspaper for 60 years. Scarlet and Victor’s parents, Bob and Dorris Parkins, started the Mirror-Exchange in 1966. The media company also owns The Trenton Gazette, The Tri-City Reporter, The Humboldt Chronicle, The Lexington Progress, The Brownsville States Graphic, The Fayette Falcon, The Union City Messenger and the Weakley County Press.
Parkins is editor and publisher of the Mirror-Exchange and oversees the operations of the other newspapers. Elliott is vice-president of the company and manages sales and marketing of the media group.
“The Chester County Independent has a proven track record of serving the people of Chester County, and our goal is to maintain that same level of excellence to our readers,” Parkins added. “We look forward to filling our pages with local news that our readers and listeners depend on. We’re excited about this new venture and look forward to becoming a vital part of the Chester County community,” Parkins added.
Parkins said that having Scott available to help him learn about the community, as well as filling the role of Editor Emeritus, was very important to him.
“I have known Scott a very long time and always admired his passion for community journalism,” Parkins noted. “Scott has always been ahead of the curve in terms of technology and having him available to help us when needed means a lot to me.”
The Chester County Independent has served the community under different names for 160 years but adopted its current name in 1916.
The Whaley name has been synonymous with ownership of the newspaper for 60 years since Whaley’s parents purchased the newspaper in 1965.
Woodie and Carolyn Whaley, along with their children Scott and Dee, moved to Chester County and purchased the Independent in 1965 from the T.D. Pace family.
