Madrid Loses Cherished Community Pillar as Newspaper Ceases After Over 100 Years

The closure of Mid-America Publishing ends an era for residents of Madrid as their beloved local newspaper, the Madrid Register, stops publication.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 1:05am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Madrid Register, a local newspaper that has served the community of Madrid, Iowa for over a century, has ceased publication due to the closure of its parent company, Mid-America Publishing. Residents of Madrid are mourning the loss of this cherished community institution, which they say was an integral part of the town's identity and a source of local pride.

Why it matters

The closure of the Madrid Register is part of a broader trend of small-town newspapers shutting down across Iowa, leaving many communities without a reliable source of local news and information. This loss is particularly felt in Madrid, where the newspaper was seen as a unifying force that brought the town together and celebrated its unique identity.

The details

Mid-America Publishing, the company that owned the Madrid Register, announced last week that it would be ceasing publication of the over 100-year-old newspaper, along with 15 other local papers across Iowa. Ken and Jennifer Williams, who previously owned and operated the Madrid Register, expressed their sadness at the news, saying the paper was a 'focus on the community' and that it hurt to see the 'direction that they have decided to take with all the papers'.

  • The Madrid Register has been in operation for over 100 years.
  • The Williams family owned the newspaper from the 1950s until 2020, when they sold it to Mid-America Publishing.
  • Mid-America Publishing announced the closure of the Madrid Register and 15 other local Iowa newspapers last week.

The players

Ken Williams

A former owner and operator of the Madrid Register.

Jennifer Williams

A former owner and operator of the Madrid Register, along with her husband Ken.

Ray Ortmann

The president of the Madrid Historical Society, who expressed the community's sadness at losing the Madrid Register.

Mid-America Publishing

The company that owned the Madrid Register and announced its closure, along with 15 other local Iowa newspapers.

Madrid Register

The local newspaper that served the community of Madrid, Iowa for over 100 years before ceasing publication.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It's sad. The paper meant a lot to the Wilcox family. They put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in on it.”

— Ken Williams, Former owner and operator of the Madrid Register

“When we owned the newspaper, it was a focus on the community. I think you could tell that we were at the events... lots of families cut out those articles with their kids' story in the [paper], you know, their picture, their story, that's the local connection.”

— Jennifer Williams, Former owner and operator of the Madrid Register

“It is very sad, and we hate to see the direction that they have decided to take with all the papers. I think it hurts all the towns that will be losing their local paper.”

— Ken Williams, Former owner and operator of the Madrid Register

“The news that the small towns get around here is bad news, you know, it's not good news, and the paper had a lot of good news.”

— Ray Ortmann, President of the Madrid Historical Society

“We're not part of the Des Moines Register. We're outside Polk County and Dallas County, and we're not a big school, we're not a big town ... if we wanted an article, we typed it up and we sent it to the paper.”

— Ray Ortmann, President of the Madrid Historical Society

What’s next

The closure of the Madrid Register has left the community without a reliable source of local news and information. Residents are exploring options to potentially start a new community-focused publication to fill the void left by the newspaper's closure.

The takeaway

The loss of the Madrid Register is a poignant example of the broader challenges facing small-town newspapers across the country. This closure represents the end of an era for the Madrid community, which had come to rely on the paper as a unifying force and a source of local pride. The community's efforts to potentially start a new publication highlight the importance of preserving local journalism, even in the face of industry-wide disruption.