Lindale newspaper returning to print and online

LINDALE – Lindale’s only newspaper, the Lindale News and Times, is coming back to the town in print and online with a new name, the Lindale News. According to our news partner KETK, the good news about the Lindale News comes after the former owner and publisher, Jim Bardwell, announced that the paper was closing down after 124 years but now its being saved thanks to a nonprofit from Irving.

Bardwell has reportedly donated the intellectual property rights to the paper to the Irving based nonprofit news organization, Rambler Texas Media. Rambler’s publisher John Starkey and the Lindale Chamber of Commerce met on Thursday and announced that Rambler will be continuing the Lindale Times’ 124 years of history.

“THE LINDALE NEWS LIVES ON! Today John Starkey stopped by our office with hot off the press newspapers. We are excited that Rambler Texas Media has come to town to help us continue to promote events, organizations, and our community.”
Lindale Chamber of Commerce

Rambler is a community-owned nonprofit that was started to help keep local newspapers across Texas online and in print. They’re running the Ozona Stockman down south of San Angelo in Crockett County, the Lindale News, their publication in Irving and they’re planning to acquire three more newspapers from across the state in the coming months.

KETK spoke with Starkey about Birdwell’s donation of the paper to Rambler. According to Starkey, they won’t operate the paper out the same office space because they haven’t been donated any physical property from the paper so they’ll be working with Bound Books for office space in downtown Lindale.

Bardwell had originally announced that the paper would permanently close due to not being able to turn a profit for five years straight.

Starkey said the first print edition of the Lindale News will be put out on Friday and their updated website will go live on Friday or Saturday.