ELLSWORTH, Maine (AP)   The owner of six of the seven daily newspapers in Maine is purchasing two more weekly papers in the eastern part of the state.

The Portland Press Herald reports Reade Brower is buying the Ellsworth American and its sister paper, the Mount Desert Islander in Bar Harbor. The papers had been owned by Alan Baker. Terms of the sale were not disclosed other than that the deal is expected to close on Aug. 31.

Brower owns the Press Herald, along with the Kennebec Journal in Augusta, Morning Sentinel in Waterville, Sun Journal in Lewiston, Times Record in Brunswick, the Journal Tribune in Biddeford, and several weeklies.

The Press Herald reports the two new weeklies will continue to operate independently. They have a combined circulation of almost 13,000.