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UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION ing her husband's death in 1923, Mrs. Cooper was publisher for six more years. In that era she was quite active in Utah State Press Association, serving as its Secretary and appearing on convention programs. Her paper was sold May 31, 1929 to P. K. Nielsen and William T. Igleheart. In turn, Joseph L. Asbury purchased both Price papers on December 8, 1932 and created the Sun-Advocate. Asbury, who was also publisher of the Richfield Reaper, sold the combined Price paper on January 24, 1935 to Hal G. MacKnight and Val H. Cowles, both of whom had been staff members since the 1932 acquisition. Ten years later Cowles sold his interest to John Vlaho-vich, who after three years released it to the MacKnight family. Sun-Advocate Publishers, Inc., a California-based group headed by Robert Cribb, Bruce Wright and Robert Finney, purchased the paper on March 1, 1966, Finney becoming the resident publisher. He was UPA's 1973 president and served a term as District 10 director of National Newspaper Association. SAP, Inc., which by then had become Sun-Progress, Inc. and included the Sun-Advocate and the Emery County Progress-Leader, was sold September 15, 1981 to George Hatch of the Ogden Standard-Examiner, the head of Communications Investment Corporation. Finney remained as publisher; later was succeeded by Dan Stockburger. Brent Leslie and Rupert Phillips, representing Hometown Communications, Inc., bought the papers November 30, 1988 and in July, 1992, management was assigned by them to McGinnis Communications, based in Ft. Payne, Alabama. Stockburger remained as publisher until July, 1993 when he was succeeded by Kevin Ashby, who not long before had sold his Salina Sun and Gunnison Valley News. California-based Brehm Communications, owner of the Richfield Reaper, purchased the Sun-Advocate and the Progress on May 1, 1996, retaining Ashby as the publisher. The Sun's Robert W. Crockett is in the Hall of Fame. 40 |