Wells are new owners of Comanche Times

Veteran newspaper publishers Tommy and Patricia (Pattie) Wells have acquired The Comanche Times from Todd and Sarah Brooks, who published the newspaper for the past seven years. The Texas-based couple will publish their first edition on January 8.
A 30-year veteran of the newspaper industry, Tommy Wells will serve as publisher and editor of the publication and Pattie Wells will handle the accounting and circulation.
 “I look forward to working with everyone in the Comanche area,” said Wells. “My wife and I are looking forward to becoming a part of the community and giving the area a newspaper it can be proud to call its own.”
The Times was originally established in 1992 by Steve Bolton and has operated continuously since. “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to acquire the Times,” Wells said. “This is a dream come true for my wife and I. We have always dreamed of owning a newspaper in such a beautiful and historic area.”
The Wells family — which includes two daughters and two sons —also has several other publications, including The Carnegie Herald and Mountain View News in Oklahoma, the Colorado City Record and Clyde Journal in Texas, and the Skagway News in Skagway, Alaska. 

The couple also owns Six-Man Illustrated, a national preseason football magazine for the sport of six-man football.
 A native of Pasadena, Texas, Tommy attended high school and college in Ranger, Texas, before enlisting in the United States Navy and serving aboard the U.S.S. Manitowoc (LST- 1180) and the U.S.S. Boulder (LST-1190).
A former beat writer for the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys and now defunct World League of American Football’s San Antonio Riders, he began his newspaper career in high school by serving as sports editor for the local paper, the Ranger Times. He later served as publisher of the Quad City Messenger in Palo Pinto County, Texas, before leaving to serve as editor at daily newspapers in Kansas and North Dakota. He served as managing editor of the Russell Daily News in the late 1990s before leaving to work in Alaska.
Pattie Wells has more than 30 years of experience in the newspaper business. Currently, she serves as production/office manager of the couple’s small chain of papers.
The couple said they plan to integrate into the community.

"We will be in Comanche as much as humanly possible over the coming months,” he said. “We are excited about the opportunity to meet the people and experience everything the community has to offer. We believe a local newspaper is important to every community and are anxious to contribute what we can,” he added.

Wells said the newspaper will have an “open door” policy to its readers.
 Wells said the newspaper will be adding several new advertising formats to help businesses reach customers, including video broadcasting of local events, such as sports activities, and the establishment of an internet-based radio presence.