Jerry and MacLeod Bellune sold The Lexington County Chronicle to Jack and Kyle Osteen, part of the family that has owned The Sumter Item for five generations.

The Bellunes, with their sons Mark and David, opened The Chronicle in 1992. Before that they published The Dispatch News in Lexington.

On Oct. 20, a retirement party was held for the Bellunes, arranged by friends Daisy Harman, Scott Adams and former Mayor Randy Halfacre. It was hosted at the Flight Deck restaurant in Lexington by owner Ted Stambolitis.

At the party, the Bellunes received gifts of appreciation from: SC House members Paula Calhoun and Chip Huggins; Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon; Lexington Mayor Steve MacDougall; Lexington County Blowfish owners Bill and Vicki Shanahan, Tunnel to Towers founder Dan Hennigan, Columbia International University Business School Dean Scott Adams; and members of the SC Press Association, including past executive director Bill Rogers, attorney Jay Bender, Jen Madden and Randall Savely. WIS-TV personality Joe Pinner and former Mayor Halfacre roasted Jerry. Former Mayor Hugh Rogers, Holly Vaucher and a few others said nice things about them.