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PENSION, POSTRETIREMENT AND POSTEMPLOYMENT DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS
 3 Months Ended
Dec. 28, 2025
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
PENSION, POSTRETIREMENT AND POSTEMPLOYMENT DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS PENSION, POSTRETIREMENT AND POSTEMPLOYMENT DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS
We are the sponsor of one single-employer defined benefit pension plan, the Lee Enterprises, Incorporated Pension Plan ("the Plan"). As previously announced to participants on October 22, 2025, we are executing a strategic termination of our fully funded benefit pension Plan, eliminating the long-term volatility tied to interest rate movement, mortality assumptions and asset performance, while preserving participant benefits and improving balance sheet flexibility. We terminated the Plan on December 28, 2025 and submitted a request for a determination of the Plan's qualified status to the United States Internal Revenue Service. We expect to complete the termination process, including payout, in late 2026.
Additionally, we provide retiree medical and life insurance benefits under postretirement plans at several of our operating locations. Through December 28, 2025, our liability and related expense for benefits under the plans are recorded over the service period of employees based upon annual actuarial calculations.
The net periodic pension and postretirement cost (benefit) components for our plans are as follows:
PENSION PLANThree months ended
(Thousands of Dollars)December 28,
2025		December 29,
2024
Service cost for benefits earned during the period1 1 
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation1,977 2,034 
Expected return on plan assets(2,467)(2,319)
Amortization of prior service benefit212 212 
Net periodic pension benefit(277)(72)
POSTRETIREMENT MEDICAL PLANSThree months ended
(Thousands of Dollars)December 28,
2025		December 29,
2024
Service cost for benefits earned during the period— 1 
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation83 108 
Expected return on plan assets(391)(410)
Amortization of net gain(245)(292)
Amortization of prior service benefit(71)(71)
Net periodic postretirement benefit(624)(664)
In the three months ended December 28, 2025 and December 29, 2024, we made no contributions to our pension plans. We have no required contributions to our pension plans for 2026.
Multi-employer Pension Plans
In prior periods, we completed withdrawals from several multi-employer plans. As of December 28, 2025 and September 28, 2025, we had $22.0 million and $22.4 million of accrued withdrawal liabilities. The liabilities reflect the estimated value of payments to the funds, payable over 20 years.