Roanoke Beacon is again locally owned

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Locally operated for more than a decade, the Roanoke Beacon is again locally owned.

Maypo Media LLC, consisting of longtime editor and publisher Mary Wayt and her husband, Mark, took over ownership of the community newspaper Friday evening, December 29.

“Ultimately, this newspaper belongs to the community,” Mary said. “My husband and I are proud to be the newest caretakers, and understand our responsibility to preserve it for future generations.”

It has been nearly 20 years since The Beacon had local owners. Gary Cunard bought the newspaper from the Doward Jones family in 1998. Eight years later, in 2006, Wayne Printing Company, publishers of the Goldsboro News-Argus, purchased The Beacon.

The Wayt family moved to North Carolina in 2005, when Mary accepted the position of general manager at the paper. When it sold a year later, she accepted the editor/publisher role.

Mary worked for Indiana newspapers for nearly 15 years before their move. Mark has an extensive background in emergency medicine, having managed the Brown County, Indiana, service for more than 25 years before an injury forced his retirement. He has worked at Mackeys Ferry Sawmill since April 2005.