Copies of the weekly Auburn Villager may have been recalled from five news racks Thursday because a story was offensive to a business partner of one of the newspaper’s owners.
The story concerned Jonathan Wryn Vance, 24, who was sentenced in federal court last week to 18 years in prison on extortion and sex-related Internet charges.
Vance is the grandson and adopted son of Victor Vance, a local businessman and partner of Charles Whatley, one of the owners of the Villager.
Whatley said he was not aware of any newspapers being picked up.
However, Vance said Whatley told him he had the paper removed from five racks.
“I love him for it. He thought he was doing me a favor,” Vance said.
Vance and Whatley are partners in the USA Town Center development at Exit 62 off Interstate 85.
Vance said he considered the story to be “mean, self-serving and vindictive.”
“We are acutely aware of what our son has done,” he said.
Jacque Kochak, who wrote the story, could not be reached for comment on Vance’s characterization of the story, which quoted extensively from the federal indictment.
Don Eddins, who said he and his wife each own a 25 percent share of the paper, said he did not have any papers recalled.
“We’ve promised our advertisers and subscribers a certain amount of papers and that’s what we’re going to deliver,” he said.
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