Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2009 --- 1:40 p.m.

WMTV NBC15 and Hometown News Group announce a new partnership.

The two media organizations will be working together to share news stories, video and pictures. For example: A story that appears in the DeForest Times-Tribune may be cited on NBC15, while video that airs on NBC15 may be posted on deforestenews.com.

"This partnership will help make our papers an even stronger presence in the communities we cover," Times-Tribune and Poynette Press editor Jim Winter said. "The partnership has already paid dividends in the breadth of our news coverage."

"We are thrilled to be teaming up with Hometown News Group," said Chris Gegg, News Director at NBC15. "This partnership will allow us, at NBC15, to cover even more news and events throughout communities we touch every day.

Hometown News Group consists of 11 weekly newspapers: The Star (Sun Prairie), The Courier (Waterloo/Marshall), The Herald-Independent (Cottage Grove/Monona), The McFarland Thistle. Lake Mills Leader, Cambridge News/Deerfield Independent, Waunakee Tribune, DeForest Times-Tribune, Poynette Press, Lodi Enterprise and Milton Courier.