Rock Valley Publishing recently announced the transfer of ownership of its DuPage County newspapers to O’Rourke Media Group — marking a new chapter in the publications’ 68-year history.
The sale includes The Elmhurst Independent, Lombardian, Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent and Villa Park Review.
OMG, led by CEO-Owner Jim O’Rourke, assumed control of the newspapers on March 27, 2026.
“It’s an emotional transaction,” said Rock Valley Publisher Peter Cruger. “My great-grandfather and grandfather moved to Elmhurst in 1922 after purchasing a four-page newspaper that became the Elmhurst Press. They grew the operation under my father, Melvin J. Cruger, to seven weekly newspapers serving DuPage County.”
Over the next generations, the Cruger family expanded the business to 35 weekly newspapers across DuPage County with family members Harold Cruger, John Cruger, Sarah Vasak, Peter Cruger and Jim Cruger involved in the family business.
Following the sale of that company in 1998, Peter, John and Harold Cruger launched Rock Valley Publishing and Southern Lakes Newspapers, which today publishes a new group of 35 newspapers in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
“Our family has published newspapers in Elmhurst during the last 104 years, missing only two years in that span,” Peter Cruger said. “It’s reassuring to know these papers will continue under the leadership of Jim O’Rourke and his experienced team.”
OMG operates more than 60 community newspapers across multiple states, including 10 in Wisconsin.
“We have tremendous respect for the Cruger family and the legacy they’ve built in DuPage County over more than a century,” O’Rourke said. “These are iconic community publications, and we’re honored to carry that legacy forward.”
O’Rourke emphasized that the company’s approach is not to change the identity of the newspapers, but to strengthen and support them while investing in the people and platforms that allow them to thrive for the next generation.
“We bring a balance of strong local leadership with centralized support and digital capabilities,” O’Rourke added. “That allows our teams to stay focused on what matters most—serving their communities—while we provide the tools, training and resources to grow audience and revenue.”
O’Rourke said DuPage County represents an attractive and strategic market for continued growth: “This is a vibrant, highly-engaged region with a long tradition of supporting local news. We see significant opportunity to expand both readership and our digital marketing partnerships with local businesses.”
“These newspapers will be in good hands,” Cruger said. “Jim and his group have the experience and reputation to help them thrive.”
OMG is a family-owned, diversified media company founded in 2018. What began as a small collection of newspapers has grown into a multi-state media organization that includes a portfolio of award-winning, hyper-local publications and a rapidly expanding digital marketing agency. Today, OMG operates in nine states, 45 markets with 64 publications and hyper-local websites.
