Ga. Paper Struggles to Publish After Fire

By: Ari Berman Following the fire that destroyed the offices of the Fayette Daily News in Fayetteville, Ga., owner Bob Tribble vows to publish Saturday's paper from a neighboring office.

Tribble, owner of Trib Publications, which publishes 31 papers in four states, told E&P Online that the majority of the paper's 20 employees had relocated to the offices of the East Coweta Journal in nearby Senoia, Ga. His advertising staff and receptionist were moving to offices in Peachtree City, Ga., where Tribble owns two small weeklies.

The Fayette Daily News, with a daily circulation of close to 7,000, was Tribble's largest newspaper operation. Losses are estimated at close to a million dollars while Tribble remained uncertain whether any equipment could be salvaged.

For the near future, Tribble said he would rely on Paxton Media Inc. in Griffin and Carlton, Ga., to publish the paper. "This is a devastating loss but we will have to move on," Tribble said. "When you lose a printing press and all your equipment, it's difficult to get back into business quickly."

Fayetteville Fire Department spokesman Bill Rieck said late Thursday that firefighters had determined the origin of the blaze but were still investigating the cause. Rieck denied an Associated Press report that local firefighters said the blaze might be arson because it started in a bathroom, saying the fire did not start in the bathroom. "Although we cannot disclose the origin of the fire, no criminal intent is suspected at this time," he said.

According to Tribble, workers left the Fayette Daily News office at 10 p.m. Wednesday. Rieck said the fire broke out around 5:30 a.m. Thursday.

Fayetteville is considered part of the Atlanta metro area.