07 LC 96
2703
House
Resolution 862
By:
Representatives Smith of the
113th,
McKillip of the
115th,
and Heard of the
114th
A
RESOLUTION
Recognizing
and commending the
Athens
Banner-Herald on the occasion of its 175th
birthday; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
the history of the
Athens Banner-Herald began on March 20,
1832, when the first issue of
the Athens
Banner was published by Albon Chase and
John Nisbet; and
WHEREAS,
in 1921, the Banner
merged with the afternoon
Herald
and served the Athens community as a
single publication,
the Athens
Banner-Herald, under the operation of
Publisher Earl B. Braswell for the next 44 years; and
WHEREAS,
in 1965, a new daily newspaper,
the Athens Daily
News, was launched by local businessman
Claude Williams with the intent of challenging the new owners of
the Athens
Banner-Herald, William and Charles Morris,
who also owned newspapers in Augusta and Savannah; and
WHEREAS,
the newspaper battle that ensued was short-lived, however, and the purchase of
the Daily
News was announced by the Morrises on
Christmas Eve, 1967; and
WHEREAS,
the Daily
News continued alongside
the
Banner-Herald until the two merged into a
single morning paper in 2001; and
WHEREAS,
as the readership of
the Athens
Banner-Herald continued to grow, it
expanded operations by launching
Athens
Magazine in the spring of 1989 and a news
website that became Online Athens in 1997 and now registers more than 5 million
page views each month; and
WHEREAS,
today, the Morris Communications Corporation of Augusta owns 30 daily and nine
nondaily newspapers along with several radio stations, magazines, an outdoor
advertising company, and a number of other media properties scattered throughout
the United States and Europe; and
WHEREAS,
over the course of 175 years, the various incarnations of
the Athens
Banner-Herald have delivered quality news
reportage to the residents of Athens, and it continues to captivate readers
throughout the State of Georgia and the United States.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that this body
recognizes and commends the
Athens
Banner-Herald on the occasion of its 175th
birthday and extends its sincerest best wishes for many more years of
success.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the
Athens
Banner-Herald.