Two US newspapers are set to merge following a deal between their publishing companies.

Media M&A firm Dirks, Van Essen & April has announced the transition of Main Street Media’s Plainville Times to the owners of the Stockton Sentinel, brother-and-sister locals Bart Hamilton and Susan (Hamilton) Schneider.

From this month, a single title will be dedicated to the Rooks County communities, with Hamilton and Schneider saying their aim is to strengthen local journalism and better serve the county. “By uniting into one county-wide paper, we can pool our resources, expand our reach, and ensure that readers and advertisers alike get more value.

“For our advertisers especially, this means a bigger audience with one placement – no more paying for the same ad twice just to reach the whole county. It’s a win for local businesses and a win for local news,” they said.

MSM publisher Frank Mercer said he believed the merger was “the best possible way” to keep a strong newspaper serving Rooks County far into the future. “Bart and Susan have a long family history in the industry and take seriously the importance of newspapers in small communities.”

Plainville Times readers will begin to see the transitioning of Plainville-area news to the Stockton Sentinel from this month. MSM continues to operate 22 newspapers across Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.

The Hamilton siblings grew up in the newspaper industry, with the family’s roots in Stockton’s newspaper business dating to 1931. The Sentinel was founded in 1989.

Dirks, Van Essen & April represented Main Street Media in the transaction, terms of which were not disclosed.