STAFF REPORT

The owner of The Free Press in Rockland said Monday that he has signed a letter of intent to buy the assets of Village Net Media, publisher of the Courier Gazette, Camden Herald, Republican Journal, Capital Weekly, and Bar Harbor Times.

An announcement on Freepress Online says that Reade Brower, president of the company, expects the sale to be final within days and he met with employees Monday night. Newspapers should be “back on the street” in Rockland, Camden and Belfast as early as next week, it said. There was no word whether Augusta’s paper, Capital Weekly, will eventually be part of those plans.

Village Net Media said Friday that it was closing. Owner Richard Anderson said 56 employees would lose jobs.