By Associated Press - Monday, May 2, 2016

OKOLONA, Miss. (AP) - Murry Blankenship, the longtime owner, editor and publisher of The Okolona Messenger newspaper in north Mississippi, has died. He was 72.

Blankenship died Saturday at his home after a brief illness.

Holland Funeral Directors says services for Blankenship were Monday at Okolona First Baptist Church.

Before buying the weekly newspaper in Okolona, Blankenship worked as a manager of Woolworth stores in Albany, Georgia, and in Atlanta. He also worked as an area supervisor for Bill’s Dollar Stores.

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