Two pending court actions involve the interests of the former chief executive officer of MaineToday Media, which publishes The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, the Kennebec Journal in Augusta, the Morning Sentinel in Waterville and the Coastal Journal in Bath.

Richard Connor and his wife, Deborah, along with a Texas-based law firm – Kelly Hart and Hallman LLP – are named as defendants in a bankruptcy proceeding filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Central Islip, N.Y., according to documents obtained by the Press Herald.

Bankruptcy court records say the plaintiff, Brown Publishing Co. Liquidating Trust, alleges that the defendants owe it $52,500 that they improperly received from Brown Publishing from January to April 2010.

The 10-page court document was filed April 29 by Sonya Brouner, a Rye, N.Y.-based attorney for Brown Publishing. She could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

In the other pending action, the Bangor Daily News reported that a judge in Penobscot County Superior Court issued a default judgment against Wilkes-Barre Publishing Co., finding that the Pennsylvania company owes the former owners of a paper mill in East Millinocket $212,152.

Court documents say the money owed is for 840 metric tons of newsprint ordered in 2011.

The lawsuit was filed in February by Katahdin Paper Co., which says that Wilkes-Barre Publishing was doing business as Impressions Media, which was doing business as The Times Leader newspaper.

Court documents say Wilkes-Barre Publishing made two payments totaling $76,354 to Katahdin. The $212,152 that the court ruled is owed was based on the unpaid balance, interest and fees.

The Bangor Daily News reported that when the newsprint purchases in question were made, Impressions Media was co-owned by Connor.

Connor resigned as CEO of MaineToday and Impressions Media effective Dec. 31.

 

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