History was made Friday as members from Imagine Performing Arts signed paperwork for their new location, the Connersville News-Examiner building at 406 Central Avenue.
IPA launched in 2014 to develop and support the performing arts, to encourage creativity and excellence, and to enrich the community.
Over the years they’ve produced several plays, worked with children at Summer Discovery Camp, collaborated with TV3 on a long-running musical show, and sponsored Open Mic nights.
They did all of this without a place to call home. Until now.
Paxton Media, current owners of the Connersville News-Examiner, donated the building to IPA this month.
“We’re grateful to Paxton for this generous gift,” said President of IPA, Cindy Perez. “We’re mindful of this building’s rich history, and we look forward to continuing to enrich the future of our community.”
All who have been involved are excited for the changes to come.
“Our company is pleased to have found an organization like Imagine Performance Arts to donate the News-Examiner building,” Group President of PMG Community Newsgroup, LLC, David Holgate stated. “The vision and the commitment of their organization is exciting and we look forward to sharing the progress on the CNE building with our readers.”
The former CNE building began construction in 1901 by the Fayette Lodge No. 31 Odd Fellows. It was completed in 1907. Some of the murals and stained glass windows have survived. There was a theater on the second floor before it was converted to radio station offices.
On Jan. 1, 1920, E.W. Tatman organized the News-Examiner Company. At that time the company took over the Times-News Company and purchased from the Express Printing Company the newspaper property, good-will, newspaper equipment, etc., of the Connersville Examiner. This consolidation united the two long established Connersville papers into The Connersville News-Examiner.
The News-Examiner moved into the “Odd Fellows” building on Sept. 6, 1921. At that time, the building cost $16,000.
“We could not be happier to use this donation to help downtown Connersville,” CNE Publisher Kelly Pierce said. “This building is very close to my heart. Connersville was my first publisher position and I loved working and living here. We wish them the best! We will continue our mission of quality, local journalism from right next door.”
The Connersville News-Examiner will be renting a space just south of the current office at 326 Central Avenue.
IPA has many plans for the new building and hopes to be able to use all floors of the building at some point down the road.
“We hope to make this campus a hub for small businesses and the arts, keeping an eye to the future with podcasting and virtual reality,” Perez added, “in addition to continuing our traditional theater productions like our recent production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
From 1867 until 1992, with the exception of 10 years, the paper was in the hands of the same family, a family that became identified with Connersville newspaper history in December 1867, when A.M. Sinks and George M. Sinks became sole owners of The Connersville Times. George M. Sinks was the grandfather of George S. Tatman, who was publisher of the News-Examiner Company until it was sold to Nixon Newspapers in 1992.
The News-Examiner now operates under the umbrella of Paxton Media Group, a fourth-generation, family-owned media company founded in 1896. Paxton Media assumed ownership of The Connersville News-Examiner in 1999.