The Taylorville Breeze Courier is reporting that their owner died unexpectedly on Thursday. Gregory Hoskins, owner and operator of Better Newspapers, Inc. passed away Thursday, May 30, 2024. Hoskins was the owner and publisher of the Breeze-Courier newspaper, after having acquired it April 1, 2021.
Better Newspapers, Inc. owns over 35 newspapers, five magazines and six radio stations in Illinois and Missouri. Hoskins bought his first group of newspapers in Mascoutah when he formed Better Newspapers, Inc. on May 1, 1991. In 2012, he expanded his corporation by building a regional press plant in Altamont, Ill. Hoskins attended the University of Iowa where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. His first newspaper job was in the sales department of the Times Press in Streator, Illinois.
After leaving the Times Press, he began working for American Publishing Co. in West Frankfort. The experience took him to Arizona to work for Kramer Publications which produced a daily newspaper and approximately 17 weekly newspaper and shopper publications.
Hoskins leaves behind his wife Linda, three children: Emily (Cody Campbell) Hoskins of Nashville, Tenn., Scott Hoskins of Belleville, Ill. and Mark (Kailee Ranes-Hoskins) of Altamont, Ill., and four grandchildren: Serenity, Barrett, Harper and Oliver.
Visitation will be held Monday, June 3, 2024 at Moll Funeral Home in Mascoutah, Ill. A private funeral service will be held Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at Zion Lutheran Church in Mascoutah.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, Tennessee 38101-9908 or Zion Lutheran Church, 101 S. Railway, Mascoutah, IL 62558. Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting mollfuneralhome.com.
We here at Regional Radio News wish our deepest condolences to the family of Greg Hoskins.