Crews welcomes Freedom … sort of

Four westside newspapers have new owners as of last Tuesday (July 31). That’s when Irvine-based Freedom Communications, owner of 33 daily newspapers (including the Orange County Register), 73 weeklies and nine television stations, purchased the Colusa County Sun-Herald, Willows Journal, Orland Press-Register and Corning Observer from Morris Communications, of Augusta, Ga.

Freedom, a family-owned business whose name suggests the libertarian bent of its founder, R.C. Hoiles, also owns the Marysville Appeal-Democrat.

Freedom’s only print competition in Glenn County will be the independent Sacramento Valley Mirror. Its editor and publisher, Tim Crews, said he expects the new owners to be an improvement. “I don’t see how they can get any fucking worse,” he said.

“I just like to see people print the news, and I hope Fred does that,” he added.