The Record will be changing hands

August 2, 2024 admin COMMUNITY 0

Dear Readers,

After more than 50 years in the newspaper business I am retiring at the end of this month. The first Record was printed in 1899. But The Record will continue – with new owners, Mr. and Mrs, Derek (Simone) Bates.

Derek and Simone will take over ownership and management of The Record beginning Sept. 1. The office will be moved to 105 N. 4th Street, Montezuma.

The Bates’ own the building, which formerly housed their coffee shop, Simone’s Cuppa, from 2012-2014.

They will share the space with Vivarium Coffee and Pink Truffle Bake Shop.

Soon to be new owners and publishers of The Record newspaper are pictured, from left: Derek and Simone Bates and their children, Liesl, age 1, and Liam, age 3, shown with retiring owner and publisher Shirley Dunham. The change of ownership and business location will go into effect Sept. 1.
-Roger Allen photo

Derek was formerly on staff at The Record and has been the editor of The Hometown Press in Sully since 2019. Together, Derek and Simone are looking forward to providing a voice for community news, organizations, and businesses in Montezuma, Deep River, and Poweshiek County.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to be able to write and report stories in our community. We also tip our hat to Shirley Dunham for the work she and her late husband, Chuck, have done to preserve the paper all these years, and we wish her the best in her well-deserved retirement,” said Simone.

Derek and Simone reside in Deep River with their two children: Liam, age 3; and Liesl, age 1.

I want to thank everyone for their support and friendship — I could not have kept the paper going without you. I wish these two talented young people the best.

– Shirley Dunham