Lake Country Sun to return as weekly, free newspaper

This is the last time the Lake Country Sun will appear as a single page in the Graham Leader, because the Sun will once again be created and printed as its own publication. On Wednesday, Jan. 18, the Sun will return to newsstands around Possum Kingdom Lake, while also becoming a weekly supplement to the Leader. The Sun was established in 1987 as a bi-weekly newspaper, then became a weekly serving Possum Kingdom and Palo Pinto County. It was incorporated as part of the Graham Leader in the summer of 2016. “Bringing back in the Lake Country Sun has been a goal of mine since I arrived,” said Graham Leader Publisher Tyler Patton. “Possum Kingdom Lake is a vibrant community in its own right. The residents and visitors there deserve a quality newspaper that covers the news of the area and the events of their lives.” The Sun will once again become a newspaper in its own right, available each Wednesday, either inside the Graham Leader, or for free at stores and businesses at the lake. “Our staff will work hard to publish the best weekly newspaper possible and serve the community. We want to provide this community a newspaper it can be proud of,” Patton said. “I believe history has shown that a strong newspaper presence can help bring a community together and fosters progress and growth in that area.” Lake Country Sun will focus on local news and events that are important to residents and visitors. Event news will be a major component of the newspaper, but news about taxing entities, crime and local politics will also be covered. Samantha Isbell, currently with the Graham Leader, will be the reporter for the Sun. Isbell began her newspaper career as an intern at her hometown paper, the Breckenridge American, while a sophomore in high school. “I learned so much while interning there and soon my interest for journalism developed into a passion,” Isbell said. She joined the staff of the Leader in 2013 as classified manager. “My ultimate goal was to someday work as a reporter in the editorial department,” Isbell said. She left the leader in 2014 when she and husband Preston welcomed their baby daughter, Paislee, to their home on the west side of the lake. "Almost exactly two years later, in the fall of 2016, I was offered a position as a reporter at the Leader and I gladly accepted,” she said. “I was excited to return to the Leader to discover the environment was still friendly and some of the same co-workers I had worked with previously were still there, along with some new faces." Isbell said while she’s enjoyed the last several months of reporting at the Leader, she’s delighted to be covering her own community. “I am excited to have the opportunity to provide the lake community and surrounding areas with factual news they can rely on,” she said. Patton said part of his motivation for re-launching the Sun was that same desire to give the Lake community a solid news source. “In a world in which we are exposed to ‘fake news’ on a daily basis, having a trustworthy local news source is more critical than ever,” he said. “In many ways we are returning to our roots. The Lake Country Sun has a proud history that includes many industry awards and was enthusiastically supported by the community.” The Sun actively encourages people to share news, big and small, with their community. “Please send me information about anything you’d be interested in seeing in the Sun, or any upcoming events, and I’ll be happy to consider them for publication,” Isbell said. “My email address is news@lakecountrysun.com and I’m looking forward to hearing from you.” The Sun office is located at 617 N. FM 2353, Suite 4, and may be reached at 940-779-3040. For advertisements, call LouAnn Karl 940-549-7800.