Not long after the turn of the century, Edward Doty started Covington County’s first newspaper, a weekly christened The Andalusia Star. It is the forefather of today’s Star-News.

Doty sold the paper to a Tennessee businessman, Oscar Duggar, but it was soon purchased by Byron Vickery, W.B. Locke and A.G. Jones of Andalusia. In 1923, The Covington News opened its doors. It published as a competing paper until 1948 when it was merged into the Star and The Andalusia Star-News was born.

Ed Dannelly, whose columns and editorials are still remembered today, edited the Star-News until September 1972, when Vickery and Dannelly sold it to Boone Newspapers of Tuscaloosa.

In 1982, the newspaper became a daily, publishing on Tuesday through Saturday mornings.

The forerunners of the Star-News were not the first newspapers published in Covington County. That honor goes to The Covington Times, which was established on November 11, 1886, but folded after several years.

In 1994, the newspaper moved into its modern offices located at 207 Dunson St. The expanded facilities included state-of-the-art prepress, mailroom and press equipment.

The newspaper is a major printer of newspapers and specialty publications for south Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. In a typical week, more than 40 editions of daily, weekly and monthly publications are printed at The Star-News.