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Farmington Press, Daily Journal to have new home in Farmington

It’s an iconic business in the Farmington community and has been the source of hometown news for Farmington readers for most of the past century. It will continue to be, but from a different location in the historic downtown district.

Signs showing the building is “for sale” will go up on the longtime Daily Journal/Farmington Press building at 218 North Washington Street as early as today. After years of considering the idea, the decision was made recently to sell the large, under-utilized space and relocate the editorial and customer service staff to a more fitting, updated location.

“We are excited to move into a new location to allow us to keep a footprint in Farmington for another 100 years,” explained Daily Journal Publisher Eugene Jackson, who also serves as publisher of the Farmington Press and Democrat News. “This will allow us to have a new building with modern amenities for our staff. Also when our customers come in to our office they’ll find it in the condition they deserve.”

The building at 218 North Washington Street is a remodeled grocery store which for years housed Heck’s IGA. In the late 1990s the building was remodeled to become home of the Daily Journal printing operation and house offices for editorial, circulation and customer services of the Farmington Press and Daily Journal.

The Daily Journal has its main operations at 1513 St. Joe Drive in Park Hills, but has staff in place at both the Farmington and Fredericktown offices to handle any customer needs regarding any of the three different newspapers, as well as a weekly real estate guide, free weekly shopper and other niche publications.

“The community deserves to have a building that brings us up and beautifies our area. Nothing will change as far as our committed focus to great journalism in Farmington. We are also remodeling our Park Hills’ Daily Journal building this fall,” Jackson said.

For several years the existing Farmington Press/Daily Journal building has been an improper fit for the services being provided there. The actual printing of both papers, as well as the Democrat News and non-company owned papers in Ironton and Ste. Genevieve and other periodicals and sales inserts ceased and those operations were moved to other locations.

Even the office space at the Farmington location was far more area to heat and cool than was being utilized. Such was also the case for a large parking lot which for the most part sat empty but still required upkeep. For a time the Farmington Chamber of Commerce leased office space in the building while building a new office next door.

In recent years the office has housed the Farmington Press editorial staff, a receptionist and distribution operations which included three employees, room for papers to be dropped off and picked up by carriers, and an assortment of outdated printing press equipment. Work began to clean up the interior of the building and remove the old printing presses in recent months.

“We will be relocating our distribution operation to Park Hills in a few weeks,” explained Jackson. At that point the carriers will pick up their papers for delivery at the warehouse space there.

All the services customers are used to utilizing at the Farmington office at 218 North Washington will be available at the new office location, to be announced in coming weeks. A new location has already been chosen and will require some remodeling from its current use to become a welcoming and efficient newspaper office.

Farmington Press Editor Shawnna Robinson, reporter Craig Vaughn and front desk receptionist Marsha Nicholson will all work in the new location once the remodeling is complete … anticipated to be in early January. Advertising sales staff will also have a space in the new location.

Customers will be able to purchase the latest issue or back copies of all of the company’s papers, as well as place classifieds, drop off community calendar items or other notices, and handle any other services currently available at the Farmington location.

“I am excited for this new chapter of the Farmington Press,” said Robinson. “We’ve played a vital role in the community since the founding of the Farmington Evening Press by Cecil W. and John Roberts in 1929. I look forward to our readers visiting us in our new location, reliving the history and celebrating what lies ahead.”

“We cannot wait for the changes to take place and thank you so much for your support and patience through the exciting changes. This will align us to be in Farmington for many years to come.

“During the time we are moving and remodeling the new facility in downtown Farmington please visit our Daily Journal or Democrat news offices in Park Hills or Fredericktown, respectively. We will still have our publications available in front of our buildings and throughout the community at retail businesses and rack locations.”

Customers wishing to reach the office by phone or email for editorial, circulation or advertising issues can use the same phone numbers and email addresses as always. Even during the transition period the contact numbers and email addresses will remain the same. 

Marsha Nicholson greets customers at the front desk of the Farmington Press/Daily Journal office at 218 North Washington Street in Farmington. It's been announced that the newspaper will be relocating to a new office space in the county seat's historic downtown district.

Marsha Nicholson greets customers at the front desk of the Farmington Press/Daily Journal office at 218 North Washington Street in Farmington. It’s been announced that the newspaper will be relocating to a new office space in the county seat’s historic downtown district.

“For sale” signs will soon appear at the longtime newspaper office at 218 North Washington Street in Farmington. The paper’s publisher has announced the relocation of the office staff to a remodeled space in the downtown historic district in coming weeks. The Washington Street location will be listed and sold to a buyer who can better utilize all the space the building offers.

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