Jerry and MacLeod Bellune have sold The Lexington County Chronicle.

The Bellunes, with their sons Mark and David, opened The Chronicle in 1992.

Before that they published The Dispatch News in Lexington.

In retirement, they plan to travel, publish books and support community causes.

Jack and Kyle Osteen, whose family has owned The Sumter Item for five generations, bought the Chronicle and The Fish Wrapper newspapers. 

Parks Rogers will serve as publisher for The Chronicle.

He was the publisher of Gulf Coast Media in Alabama and group publisher of several Florida and New Mexico publishing companies.

Rogers has also worked at The State and The Post and Courier in Charleston.

Jordan Lawrence will be The Chronicle’s managing editor. For the last two years, he was Free Times' managing editor.

Oct. 20, a retirement party was held for the Bellunes, arranged by friends Daisy Harman, Scott Adams and former Mayor Randy Halfacre.

It was hosted at the Flight Deck restaurant in Lexington by owner Ted Stambolitis.

At the party, the Bellunes received gifts of appreciation from: SC House members Paula Calhoun and Chip Huggins; Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon; Lexington Mayor Steve MacDougall; Lexington County Blowfish owners Bill and Vicki Shanahan, Tunnel to Towers founder Dan Hennigan, Columbia International University Business School Dean Scott Adams; and members of the SC Press Association, including past executive director Bill Rogers, attorney Jay Bender, Jen Madden and Randall Savely.

WIS-TV personality Joe Pinner and former Mayor Halfacre roasted Jerry.

Former Mayor Hugh Rogers, Holly Vaucher and a few others said nice things about him.