Surry Business

Ty Ransdell, a 27-year veteran in the newspaper industry, is the new publisher of the Elkin Tribune, The Yadkin Ripple and On the Vine magazine, all owned by Heartland Publications.

He takes over from Gary Lawrence, Heartland Publications’ regional manager and publisher of The Mount Airy News, who has been the Tri-County News’ interim publisher. This past summer, Heartland Publications acquired Mid-South Management’s publications in Surry and Stokes counties in North Carolina and in Carroll County, Va.

Ransdell, 43, has worked for newspapers in Colorado and New Mexico, most recently as a consultant. He was general manager of the Santa Fe New Mexican, a 27,000-circulation newspaper serving northern New Mexico. He was on the New Mexico Press Association’s board of directors for eight years and was the association’s president for two years.

Ransdell and his wife, Ruth Ann, have three sons: Dustin, 20, Aaron, 15 and Logan, 10. He says the family is looking forward to the move east. His wife grew up in West Virginia and Ransdell said her parents live within a short drive of the Yadkin Valley.