For just the second time in its 155-year history, The Bridgton News has been sold.

The Conway Daily Sun has bought The Bridgton News, a weekly newspaper that has served western Maine since 1870.

Publisher and now former owner of The News, Wayne Rivet, will continue to run the paper, and the staff will remain the same, according to The Sun’s publisher, Mark Guerringue.

“It’s an excellent paper that fills the critical role of providing coverage of local news, sports and events in Bridgton and the Lake Region area,” Guerringue said. “Wayne has dedicated his professional life to The Bridgton News, starting there after he got out of college, and as the new owner, The Sun sees its role as helping Wayne and his staff, not making radical changes.”

Rivet and his wife, Susan, purchased the paper from the Shorey family in 2012 when longtime publisher and president of the Bridgton News Corporation, Stephen Shorey decided to retire.

“It has been a privilege to continue the Shorey tradition of journalistic integrity, the relentless drive to inform the reading public and a commitment to make a positive impact upon the Lake Region community we serve,” Rivet said following the sale to The Conway Daily Sun on Friday. “For the past decade, our staff has worked extremely hard — despite a significant cut in our workforce due to declining advertising revenue — to cover major events and important issues following a formula longtime editor and owner Eula Shorey emphasized to me when I arrived in Bridgton a year removed from college — be professional, be accurate, be fair and be willing to go the extra mile to find the truth because our readers deserve it.”

The new arrangement will guarantee the paper’s future, and Rivet looks forward to what the new relationship will bring in terms of innovations and improvements for staff and readers alike.

“Over the past year, I have spoken to many local organizations, town committees and concerned citizens regarding our struggles and the future of The News. One message I heard over and over — ‘We need a newspaper here. Please keep it going.’ After exploring a variety of options, I truly believe joining The Sun family of newspapers (including Berlin and Laconia, N.H.) puts us in a position to continue our mission,” Rivet said. “Mark and I have met numerous times in an effort to get to know each other both on a personal and professional level. He too is totally committed to keeping communities well informed.”

Guerringue said The Sun will add “backroom” support through systems that will modernize the paper, starting with a new website and e-edition.

“Not only does The Sun have the horsepower to make these changes, but the merger also makes sense in terms of news coverage for both publications,” Guerringue said.

The News will have access to Conway business, entertainment and news stories. The merger will also give advertisers in both the Lake Region and Conway markets opportunities to reach more consumers by having ads appearing in both newspapers.

One of The Bridgton News’ reporters, Dawn De Busk, will now cover Fryeburg, which has been a stretch for The Sun’s staff to cover, Guerringue said. De Busk will continue to cover Casco, Naples and other Lake Region stories.

“A lot of people from the Bridgton area shop in Conway, and I suspect readers of The Bridgton News will enjoy getting major stories from Conway, especially those that are business-related,” said Guerringue.

“Not counting the thousands of pageviews each month, total readership with just print and our e-editions is about 35,000,” said Guerringue. “Obviously, not every advertiser wants to reach all those readers, but newspaper readers generally have a lot of purchasing power and are invested in their communities, and these are people local advertisers want to reach.”

With the sale, there will be some changes.

Although the name of the newspaper will remain the same — The Bridgton News — the format will eventually change from a broadsheet to a tabloid, like The Sun’s other publications. Guerringue said the tabloid format is not only easier to read, but also better fits The Sun’s production systems.

While many Maine newspapers have scrapped print editions and offer just digital versions as a cost-cutting measure, The News will continue to offer print, along with digital, and will publish each week. Because of rising printing and mailing costs, rates will increase (see page 6A).

“I wish to deeply thank both longtime advertisers who have supported The News, as well as those who have recently come on board. Your support is greatly appreciated!” Rivet said. “And to our readers, this sale enables us to continue our work to provide a quality product, week in and week out. We look forward to the next chapter.”