Afton Star Enterprise under new ownership

The ownership of The Afton Star Enterprise changed Aug. 6 as sisters K’Lea Johnson and Jane Eklund officially took control.

For the past13 years, Wayne and Mary Hill have been the owners and editors of the paper. But as they look toward retirement, the couple made an offer to the sisters, who are also their nieces.

Johnson and Eklund are both East Union graduates, both of whom worked at local schools. Johnson spent the last 11 years as the food service director for East Union Schools, and Eklund has a 29 year career in elementary education, including positions in Diagonal, Creston and East Union.

“Mary was wanting to retire, and she had made the offer to us a couple of times,” said Johnson. “I wanted a different job, but I didn’t want to leave town.”

“... Same thing. I had been thinking about a different venture that I could take,” said Eklund. “I was ready for a change.”

The two accepted and made their start by covering the 2020 Union County Fair prior to officially taking ownership.

“I liked the fair, that’s probably the thing I will always look forward to the most,” Eklund said.

Once Eklund and Johnson get more established, they hope to implement changes in an effort to appeal to a broader, younger demographic. One of the most notable initiatives the pair plan to undertake involves bringing the Afton Star Enterprise online in a digital format.

“We are trying to figure out how to reach that younger generation,” said Eklund.

“If we could get the kids invested in it, maybe it wouldn’t die out,” said Johnson.

Another focus the sisters hope to have involves the relationships with the community, particularly with the school district. Johnson said she believes this could potentially be a way to reinvigorate a passion for journalism in local youth.

“We might try to make a page for the school, like for the journalism class to contribute to,” said Johnson. “They used to have that.”

Ultimately, the sisters said they are excited to have the opportunity to provide coverage to Afton in their own, personalized way.

“It’s exciting to know that we are making decisions for ourselves,” said Eklund.

“We both like new challenges,” said Johnson.

To welcome Eklund and Johnson, or to submit editorial content to the Afton Star, email aftonstar@iowatelecom.net or call 641-347-8721.