In the 1998, Brown traded "The Western Star" along with the "Star Press" in Springboro, "Today's Express" in Morrow, the "Monroe Times", and the "Miamisburg-West Carrollton News" to The Thomson Corporation, a Canadian newspaper company known for the poor quality of its publications, in exchange for three daily papers, the "Piqua Daily Call", the "Xenia Daily Gazette", and the "Greenville Daily Advocate". When the company decided to exit the newspaper business, Thomson sold "The Western Star" to Cox on September 1, 2000, though only after Thomson's original plans to sell the paper to Gannett, owner of "The Cincinnati Enquirer", fell apart. From late 1991 to January 13, 2013, the paper issued a free Sunday edition, although for its last few years it contained exclusively advertising. Under Cox it surrendered its second class mailing permit, ceased its distribution in the southern part of Warren County, and began to be distributed free to homes in Lebanon and Turtlecreek Township.