Report: T&G lays off at least 20 as new owner takes over

Staff photo The Telgram & Gazette of Worcester laid off at least 20 news staffers Monday as a new owner took the helm.

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The Telgram & Gazette of Worcester laid off at least 20 news staffers Monday as a new owner took the helm.

The closing of the sale of Central Massachusetts’ leading daily newspaper to Florida-based Halifax Media Group resulted in the loss of at least one-fifth of the paper’s editorial staff, according to news and social media reports.

Among the departures were interim publisher James Hopson, who had led the paper since John Henry bought it and The Boston Globe over last year, and Editor Leah Lamson, who had worked at the paper for 36 years and led the newsroom since 2009.

Replacing them will Allen Parsons, the retired publisher of the Ocala Star-Banner in Florida, who will serve on an interim basis, and Karen Webber, previously the T&G’s managing editor.

The T&G is Halifax’s first New England acquisition. The Daytona Beach-based company owns 35 newspapers, primarily in the Southeast.

“The T&G has a special connection with the Worcester market and its readers and advertisers,” Halifax CEO Michael Redding said in a statement. “”We understand and celebrate the importance of staying connected to the communities we serve.”

After Henry, the Boston Red Sox principal owner, bought the T&G, he indicated he wouldn’t hang onto it, but said he would attempt to find a locally-based owner.