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By Darcel Rockett
Chicago Tribune
In 2024, the Chicago Reader covered 34 art venues, 156 performing arts venues, theaters and live music, conducted 311 theater reviews, 202 film reviews, 52 visual art show reviews and published 1,627 concert announcements. Of those, 491 freelancers, many of them practicing artists, contributed over 1,500 articles. "We tell y'all about a lot," according to Ellen Kaulig, the Chicago Reader's chief of staff.
That storied history will continue now that the 54-yearold publication is being acquired by Noisy Creek - the media company that bought alternative weeklies in Seattle and Portland, Oregon - The Stranger and the Portland Mercury.
Noisy Creek is the brainchild of Brady Walkinshaw - former Democratic legislator in the state of Washington and CEO for the climate news website Grist.org. Walkinshaw did not disclose terms of the deal, but said it will close this week.
The acquisition of the Reader also comes with the search for a new editor in chief and the addition of the EverOut events guide and independent ticketing platform Bold Type Tickets to help sustain and grow local media, Walkinshaw told the Tribune. Short-term efforts are focused on stabilizing the Reader and its resources, and in the long term, investing, developing and growing.
"We hope what we're doing is going to be able to give the Reader the runway that it needs ... because it's truly one of the most beloved and iconic alternative weeklies in America," Walkinshaw said. "We have every intention to keep it hyper-local, with local leadership, local partners. What we're bringing is capital, and a model that can support it."
The Reader converted to a nonprofit business model nearly three years ago, yet it continued to struggle financially, resulting in layoffs of non-union employees, organizational restructuring, and the resignation of CEO Solomon Lieberman earlier this year to keep the paper afloat.
"January was really hard for us ... we made hard choices that really tried to respect our audience, and the integrity and history of the paper," Kaulig said.
A statement by the Chicago Reader Union explains that while voluntary buyouts have transpired in recent weeks, the union is looking forward to working with Noisy Creek. "Our biggest priority is ensuring we maintain staffing levels that allow us to keep putting out our best work."
The Reader scaled back to biweekly for several years, but resumed weekly print publication last summer. "We've kept printing 63,000 free copies every single week that go out to over 1,000 locations citywide," Kaulig said. "We have had to cut back to a minimum viable product of 28 pages, just because that's what we needed to do." Current Reader staff considers 2002 to be the paper's zenith - when the weekly page count was 52 on average.
Walkinshaw, a self-professed nerd on the business of media, is excited about Noisy Creek's business model, one that blends advertising, print subscriptions, ticketing live events and philanthropy to fund journalism. Since he founded the company last summer on the West Coast, the initial team of about 36 people has grown to about 55, pre-Reader. Now that number is 80.
Walkinshaw attests that print is a powerful medium that is valued. Relationships to the arts/cultural community, small businesses and advertising remains important. But it's the event calendar EverOut and the ticketing company that helps people understand what to do in the place that you live and love and showcase events that are happening in your own community, Walkinshaw said. The revenue from the ticketing platform, used by small venues, is a funding stream for local news. Walkinshaw said Noisy Creek is aspiring to launch the ticketing efforts in Chicago in early 2026.
Kaulig said Noisy Creek and the Reader coming together, sharing services will allow Reader staff more bandwidth to celebrate their readers more - leveraging relationships and access to be able to get more Chicagoans out doing cool things in the city as a thank you for their support of the Reader, be it a tour of a hidden prop house, or a backstage tour at a theater, access points that people don't get in everyday life, that showcase how beautiful and transformative the arts and culture scene is in Chicago.
"Noisy Creek is coming in with an events and ticketing platforms that ties into the local arts community that we're known for supporting and highlighting. It's really cool synergy," Kaulig said. "We thought we may be at the end ... there's so many cool things that we get to do now, the biggest one is keep on keeping on. We would not be here without institutional support and small donors."
The Reader was launched in1971 by a group of Carleton College (Minnesota) graduates as a free weekly, the broadsheet turned tabloid leans into long-form, community-driven journalism, arts and culture news, politics, and offbeat classified ads. Along the way, ownership changed hands a number of times: From the original owners to Creative Loafing, a small chain of alternative weeklies based in Atlanta in 2007, to Atalaya Capital Management, a New York-based hedge fund, that acquired the Reader out of bankruptcy in 2009. Wrapports, a Chicago investor group that acquired the Sun-Times in late 2011, added the Reader to its portfolio in May 2012 for about $2.5 million.
In 2018, Chicago attorney Len Goodman and real estate developer Elzie Higginbottom bought the Reader from the Chicago Sun-Times for $1 and the assumption of debt, rescuing it from dissolution and pumping more than $1 million each into the paper to keep it afloat. The Reader went nonprofit in May 2022 under then-publisher Tracy Baim in a process that pitted Goodman against Higginbottom before picketing employees helped push it over the finish line. Baim stepped down and the board installed Lieberman as her successor in February 2023, adding the since-eliminated CEO role to the job.
"I think the model that Noisy Creek is offering is innovative and can work ... they've already seen it work out in Seattle," said Baim, executive director of Press Forward Chicago. "The Reader being stabilized is so important to the message that Press Forward Chicago is sending - that we need to shore up support for journalism and its role in a civic society. The Reader plays an important role, as do so many other publications, and I'm grateful that it's going to have a future." Walkinshaw agreed. "The way this will succeed is in partnership and supporting and working with the Chicago community," he said. "It'll have to be led in partnership with journalists and nonprofit donors and ticketing venues and creators of all sorts in Chicago."
Wm. Steven Humphrey, the 25-year editor in chief of the Portland Mercury, is psyched that the Reader will be under the Noisy Creek umbrella, as it was the paper that introduced him to alternative weeklies when he lived in Chicago. "It was a huge influence on me, and the way I do things," he said. "We are going to learn so much from them because they have so much institutional knowledge."
Humphrey said the Portland Mercury was not in print for two or three years, but next year the publication is going back to publish a monthly issue since Noisy Creek acquired them. He added the paper had to let go of three-quarters of their staff during the pandemic, but with Noisy Creek's support, the editorial staff is able to grow and afford to be creative again.
"The tenets on which alternative weeklies were built - that created love, trust, joy and happiness for how people connected to their community - are the same as they were 10 to 30 years ago as they are today," Walkinshaw said.
He wants to bring that back- things such as thoughtful feature reporting, voicey, provocative, and irreverent coverage, as well as really strong arts and cultural coverage. Speaking about the vision for the future of the Reader, Walkinshaw expects to double down on music, literary, theater, live performance, criticism and coverage. "That kind of work is the kind of work that I'm really excited to invest in," he said.
drockett@chicago tribune.com
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 7, 2026 Media Contact Information: Aunt Millie's Bakeries Melissa Koeneman, director of marketing (260) 417-2581 mkoeneman@auntmillies.com
John F. Popp, President of Aunt Millie’s Bakeries
FORT WAYNE, Indiana — Aunt Millie’s Bakeries is deeply saddened to announce the passing of its President John F. Popp, who died on Friday, July 31, at the age of 94. A third-generation member of the family business, John’s leadership, optimism, faith, and unwavering commitment to people helped shape the company and its culture for more than four decades. John Franke Popp was born March 2, 1932, to Lucile and Les Sr. Popp. He grew up with his older brother, Les Jr., on Forest Park Boulevard in Fort Wayne and graduated from Northside High School in 1950. He went on to attend the University of Michigan, graduating in 1954, and entered the U.S. Army that same year. He served as a second lieutenant before returning home following his military service. John was offered an opportunity to begin a career as an analyst with T. Rowe Price, but his path ultimately led him back to Fort Wayne and the family bakery. At his mother’s urging, he returned home to join the business — a decision that would shape not only his own life, but the future of generations of the Popp family and Aunt Millie’s employees. Long before his career in baking, John developed a love for Lake Wawasee and water skiing, eventually becoming the Indiana state slalom water ski champion. It was at the lake that he met Esther Rolene, the love of his life. They married on June 19, 1960, and spent the next decades building a life together, raising two sons and creating countless memories with family and friends. Even with the demands of running a growing company, John made time for what mattered most, including cheering his sons on from the sidelines at their baseball and football games.
John F. Popp and his wife, Esther Rolene Popp
In 1967, John stepped away from the family bakery to pursue a career in real estate, where he developed the subdivisions of Devil’s Hollow, Manitou, Lakewood, West Hamilton Estates, White Loon, and Winding Brook. In 1980, he returned to Perfection Bakeries, where he helped guide the company through a period of significant growth and expansion. The company that would become known as Aunt Millie’s grew under his leadership into one of the largest family-owned baking companies in the United States. John viewed the people around him as an important part of that success. He loved being part of the team and was known for his optimism, encouragement, and genuine care for employees. His leadership was not simply about growing a business; it was about building an organization where people could grow, contribute, and feel that they were part of something bigger than themselves. A third-generation leader of the family-owned bakery founded in 1901, John was deeply committed to protecting and building upon the legacy established by his grandfather, John B. Franke. His influence also reached beyond Aunt Millie’s. He was a passionate advocate for independent bakeries across the country, working with industry organizations to strengthen and protect family-owned businesses. He believed in the importance of education and workforce development and encouraged lifelong learning within the company while supporting the next generation of leaders in the baking industry. In recognition of his contributions to the baking industry, John was inducted into the Baking Hall of Fame by the American Society of Bakers and Engineers in 2021. He also served the state of Indiana after being appointed by Governor Mike Pence to serve on the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. While John’s professional accomplishments were many, those closest to him knew that his faith and family were at the center of his life. He cherished Bible Study Fellowship and worshiped at The Chapel and Wawasee Lakeside Chapel. He was quietly generous and found joy in serving others through organizations including the Euell Wilson Center, Women’s Care Center, and Ratio Christi. John enjoyed spring breaks in Florida, trips to Maine, his ’61 Corvette, and working on projects at the lake. He appreciated the simple pleasures of life, but most of all, he loved his family. His greatest legacy will not be measured solely by the company he helped build, but by the family he loved, the people he encouraged, the lives he touched, and the values he carried with him throughout his life. “John Popp believed that success was built on people,” said Rick Brown, Chief Customer Officer. “He cared deeply about our employees, our customers, our communities, and the generations of families who have made Aunt Millie’s a trusted name. His leadership was defined by humility, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to doing what was right.” John’s passing leaves a tremendous loss for the Popp family, the Aunt Millie’s family, and the many people and organizations whose lives he touched. While the company mourns his loss, Aunt Millie’s leadership team remains committed to carrying forward the mission, values, and legacy John championed throughout his life. Daily operations will continue uninterrupted as the company moves forward under its established leadership plan. The Popp family extends its heartfelt appreciation for the many expressions of sympathy and support received during this difficult time. Memorial service information will be shared at a later date. About Aunt Millie’s Bakeries Founded in 1901 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Aunt Millie’s Bakeries is one of the largest family-owned bakeries in the Midwest, serving customers across six states with fresh bread, buns, rolls, bagels, and other baked goods. For more than a century, the company has remained committed to quality, innovation, and serving the communities it calls home.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2026 Media Contact Information: Michael Korman, highway commissioner North Township Road District (847) 728-7055 mike.korman@northfieldtownship.com
Northfield Township Road District’s Phase II project placed in Group 1, the top tier, of MWRD’s 2026 Stormwater Partnership Program; construction could begin as early as 2027
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