The sale, in addition to The Sentinel, includes the Santa Maria Times, The Lompoc Record, along with other local publications.
According to a press release from Lee Enterprises, the three publications have a combined average daily circulation of 7,200, and their websites reach more than 500,000 unique visitors each month.
According to the Santa Maria Times, the Santa Maria News Media Inc. is a newly formed company led by a group of Canadian newspaper executives with a stated commitment to local journalism. The new owners have newspapers throughout Canada and the United States.
California newspapers include the Bakersfield Californian, Sonora Union Democrat, Porterville Recorder, Marysville Appeal-Democrat, Imperial Valley Press, Lodi News-Sentinel, and the Antelope Valley Press.