Glennville Chamber of Commerce

Each month, we plan to highlight one of the Glennville Chamber's wonderful local business members, and we thought it only appropriate to begin with our 2024 winners. 

This month's "Business Highlight" is on The Journal Sentinel, currently owned by Morris Multimedia. But being in Glennville, and previously owned (and still partially ran) by our 2024 winners of the "Legend, Leader, & Life Well-Lived" award, Mr. Terry & Mrs. Pam Waters, we'd like to begin with a brief history of one of its two predecessors, the Glennville Sentinel.

The Glennville Sentinel was formed in 1925 as a weekly newspaper, which it remained until it was sold in June of 2019, eventually becoming part of The Journal Sentinel.

The Glennville Sentinel was preceded by two earlier newspapers, The Glennville Observer and The Glennville Banner, although the dates and longevity of each are a little unclear.

The first edition of The Glennville Sentinel appeared in July of 1925 with J.N. Atkinson as editor and manager, and then, in 1926 S.A. Kallenbaugh purchased Atkinson's interest in the paper and became the new editor. The next owner/editor was W.C. Curry. In 1927, L. C. Kicklighter became the Sentinel owner and editor. A.S. Mobley was the next editor, as was Lamont Smith at various times. 

F .E "Pike" and Edythe Phillips purchased the newspaper on June 6, 1946 from W.C.  Curry, who had some ownership in the paper since 1926. The Phillips owned and operated the paper for 35 1/2 years until June 1, 1981, when the Rev. and Mrs. Carol Milton, Pam and Russell Terry Waters, and Harold and JoAnne Rhoden of Lyons purchased the newspaper. By 1982, the Miltons had sold their interest, with Waters and Rhoden the remaining owners.  

Pam and Terry Waters purchased Rhoden's part of the paper in January of 1995, becoming sole owners, with Pam as editor. After 35 1/2 years of running and owning either part or all of the business, the Waters sold the Glennville Sentinel in June of 2019 to Russ Rhoden, owner of The Tattnall Journal, and it was at that time that one county-wide newspaper, The Journal Sentinel, was formed. 

A few years later, Russ Rhoden sold The Journal Sentinel to Morris Multimedia, with an office in Statesboro, and this company is the current owner of Tattnall's weekly newspaper. In addition to their office in Statesboro, there are two local offices in Tattnall County, one in Glennville and one in Reidsville.

Today, Pam continues to work in the newspaper as staff writer and advertising manager, in addition to other staff in both offices.

The weekly newspaper is Thursday dated with a circulation of approximately 3000.  It serves as the legal organ for both Tattnall County and Long County.