Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce to acquire 3 Missouri newspapers

Mar 12, 2026

LEXINGTON, Missouri – The Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce has acquired The Lexington News, Higginsville Advance, and Santa Fe Times News from Main Street Media (MSM). The transaction closed on Jan. 28, 2026.

Day-to-day management of all three publications will be led by General Manager Megan Fisher Mackie, who has overseen operations at the Higginsville Advance and The Lexington News in recent years. Main Street Media has owned the three newspapers for several decades.

Frank Mercer, publisher of Main Street Media, said, “This is a very unique ownership model, with a chamber of commerce owning local newspapers. I’m very excited that the Lexington Chamber made the decision to purchase these three publications.”

Jeff Banhart, executive director of the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce, said the acquisition aligns naturally with the chamber’s mission to support the local community.

“The board and I saw this as a great opportunity to support Lexington and Lafayette County,” Banhart said. “The more we explored it, the more we realized what a natural fit it is for a chamber to be connected to its local community newspapers.”

The newspapers will continue to serve their respective communities with local news, information, and coverage following the ownership transition.

Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, represented Main Street Media in the transaction. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.