Century Group Newspapers is a locally owned, independent group of community newspapers dedicated to serving some of Southern California's most desirable markets in the Inland Empire. Its products are the primary source of local news and advertising in the communities they serve. The East Valley area papers -- Redlands Community News, Yucaipa / Calimesa News Mirror, and The Record Gazette (Banning,
Beaumont), -- are delivered free to most homes. They also have paid subscribers and sell papers weekly in racks through local stores. Fontana Herald News is distributed primarily through a free street rack distribution system. (“Jerry”) Bean founded the chain in 1987 when he left his job as publisher of the San Bernardino Sun. He has bought and sold newspapers throughout California over the last twenty years, at one point owning ten papers ranging from the Central Valley, to the Los Angeles area, and to the Inland Empire. He now runs four community weeklies and one semimonthly paper for a retirement community in the Beaumont area (Sun Lakes Life)
