Russell Register sells to a new company, South Ky. Media, LLC.

Wade Daffron, former owner/founder of The Russell Register, hand picked who was going to take over his paper with the confidence that it would be in good hands.

Daffron said the decision to sell The Russell Register was not easy and did not come without much thought.

Daffron said he wanted to be sure it was good for the paper, good for him and most of all good for his family.

With much emotion, Daffron chose to sell the newspaper to someone he felt he could trust with the future of The Russell Register. After all the new owner had been there at the very beginning when The Russell Register was started.

That new owner would be Michael Selby.

Born and raised in Russell County, Selby was working for the Russell Register from the beginning.

“He helped us get The Russell Register off the ground” Daffron said.

Selby later left The Register to form his present company, Selby Asphalt Maintenance, Inc. but his interest in the newspaper business has always kept him in touch with The Russell Register.

“The Russell Register was created to represent all of Russell County and the community at large. We (the new owners) want to continue what The Russell Register started and grow the community newspaper into the best it can be,” Shelby said.

Selby has a partner in The Russell Register, Kim Byrom, the broker and owner of Lake Cumberland Properties, Ltd. Co.

Byrom is also a Russell Countian with a long history of supporting Russell County through volunteerism in the community as well as the school system. Byrom’s real estate company has been in business since 1989 in Russell County.

South Ky. Media, LLC, now officially owns The Russell Register.

The company has hired a General Manager to handle day-to-day operations.

With both partners involved in their own businesses they wanted to have a person in charge that is focused on the news and community.

The new General Manager of The Russell Register is Teresa Kraner.

Originally from Columbia, Kentucky, Kraner has been involved in the newspaper business since she was 17 years old working for The Adair County News and Columbia Statesman.

Since that time Kraner has worked for The Times Journal, The Russell Register and South Central Printing working her way through graphic design and pagination as well as newspaper sales.

Kraner is well known in the community and is glad to be moving back to Russell County.

She has two sons, Kohl, 15 and Kory, 14. When asked about the future of The Russell Register Kraner said, “ The Russell Register has a good history and many loyal readers.

“I have been charged to use my experience to make sure this paper grows with quality from appearance to content.

“The newspaper business has changed a lot since my first job at age 17 and generally speaking change is good. I want the change in this paper to be something all Russell Countians can be proud of.

“We want to be the newspaper of choice for readers and advertisers and that is our goal.” Kraner added that she look forward to reconnecting with folks she already knows and meeting new friends and business associates.

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