Dean and Nancy Eckenroth of Coronado officially began Eagle Newspapers on July 4, 1990 with the inaugural edition of the biweekly newspaper, the Coronado Eagle. After having worked with multiple newspaper companies in San Diego since 1977, including Harte-Hanks Communications and Worrell Enterprises, Dean Eckenroth proved that local newspaper ownership and control, and participating deeply in community activities, was essential to success. The family owned Eagle Newspapers and the Coronado Eagle prospered, converting to a weekly newspaper on July 4, 1992 and moving into its current headquarters, a renovated 120-year-old Victorian House on Tenth Street in Coronado, the following year.

Eagle Newspapers has continued its growth through the years with the April 1998 acquisition of the then 15-year-old weekly newspaper the Imperial Beach and South County Times (renamed Eagle & Times), the August 1998 acquisition of the then 88-year-old weekly newspaper, the Coronado Journal (renamed Coronado Eagle & Journal), and the August 1998 acquisition of the then 15-year-old glossy periodical, the Coronado Visitor Magazine (renamed CORONADO Magazine).

This continues the fourth decade of president and publisher Dean Eckenroth’s involvement in the newspaper business in the South County from local offices on Tenth Street in Coronado and 10th Street in Imperial Beach.