News

Tom Yunt Tom Yunt has been named president and chief executive officer of Wick Communications Co. Yunt begins work on Oct. 7. He and his wife, Marianne, plan to move to Sierra Vista, Ariz., where the company is headquartered. Tom Yunt was most recently president and chief executive officer of Woodward Communications, Inc., a multimedia company with media and marketing services businesses in Iowa, Illinois and [...]

Best Feature or Sports story went to the Pierre Capital Journal. Five newspapers earned top honors in the 2013 Wick Editorial awards, which were announced at Thursday’s Wick Communications management meeting in Tucson, Ariz. In all, 10 newspapers merited mention in this year’s contest. There were five categories, including Enterprise, Breaking News, Best Feature or Sports Story, Editorial Comment and Community Pride. Judges awarded first, second, [...]

Francis R. McLean, Publisher of the Argus Observer 1968 – 1997 Devoted to his responsibilities in the newspaper business, coupled with his understanding of building community and the importance of all elements of the community exemplify the kind of person Francis R Mclean is. Since 1979, the Oregon Newspaper Hall of Fame Award has recognized Oregon newspaper people who have made outstanding contributions to Oregon newspaper [...]

Tisha McCombs The Montrose Daily Press has promoted its circulation and classified advertising manager, Tisha McCombs, to general manager, publisher Francis Wick has announced. In her new role, McCombs will be responsible for overseeing the newspaper's business office, as well as its information technology, circulation and classified advertising departments. Ultimately, Wick said, she will assume responsibility for display advertising and production, as well. "McCombs embodies the [...]

Libby Berndt Former Sidney Herald publisher Libby Berndt has been honored with the Master Editor-Publisher award by the Montana Newspaper Association. Berndt become publisher of the Herald in 2001 and retired at the end of this May to spend more time with her family after focusing so many years on making the Herald a successful newspaper. During her career at the Herald, she also served as a part-time typesetter, classified [...]

Andrew Saenz Two new advertising managers are leading revenue initiatives at Wick Communications Company newspapers in Arizona. Monica Akyol has been named ad manager of the Tucson Weekly and its related events, and Andrew Saenz will take on the same role for the Green Valley News and its related publications. Akyol joined the Tucson operation in June 2006 as an advertising sales representative. In September 2008, [...]

Marisa Gerber Stories about Border Patrol shootings, cage-like waiting areas at a local port of entry, a dynamic drama teacher and a community-centered radio station in Sonora Mexico earned writers from the Nogales International a fistful of accolades Saturday from the Arizona Press Club. In all, NI journalists past and present took home two first-place prizes, one second-place award, two third-place finishes and two honorable mentions in the [...]

John Mathew John M. Mathew has resigned as chief executive officer of Wick Communications Co. and as a member of the board. His departure will coincide with the naming of his successor as CEO, a process expected to take up to six months, and he will continue to run the company during that period. Steve Phillips, chairman of the board of Wick Communications Co., said the search for [...]

Jim Keyes Jim Keyes, digital sales manager for Territorial Newspapers in Tucson, has been named digital media sales manager for Wick Communications Company. Keyes fills a new revenue position in the company and will work closely with Christian Ramirez, who, as digital media manager, handles web technology for the company.  Keyes will report to Cindy Hefley, advertising director for Wick Communications Company.  Keyes takes on his new role [...]

Lou Major By Bob & Walt Wick "There will always be a need for good story telling," Lou Major Sr. often said. Besides being a good story teller, we think the long-time newspaperman turned out to be a pretty good story himself, starting as a cub reporter and ending as the CEO of our family-owned newspaper company, overseeing more than 25 newspapers. Lou, 82, died this week/recently after [...]

Lou Major Sr. Lou Major, whose journalism career in Louisiana and with Wick Communications Company spanned six decades, died on Tuesday. Major, a native of New Orleans who resided in Bogalusa, La., for 55 years, had lived in Slidell, La., since 2006. He was 82 when he died after a lengthy battle with lymphoma. Born in Meridian, Miss., he was reared in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. He [...]

Steve Baker, publisher of the Capital Journal in Pierre, SD South Dakota Newspaper Association Steve Baker, publisher of the Capital Journal in Pierre, was elected president of South Dakota Newspaper Association on April 26 during the annual newspaper convention in Rapid City. Baker grew up in Minot, N.D. He began his career in his hometown newspaper working there from 1979 until 1991. Baker has been a publisher for [...]

The Half Moon Bay Review has been judged the third best small weekly in the nation and the best in its class in California. On April 27, the California Newspaper Publishers Association announced the newspaper was its General Excellence winner among weekly newspapers of similar sizes. It is the first time the newspaper has been so honored in at least a decade. The newspaper also took the top [...]

Christian Ramirez Christian Ramirez, a web developer for Wick Communications Company since 2008, has been named digital media manager effective immediately. "Christian will serve us well in this position," said Tom Lee, group manager. "He knows the technology and the people who operate it." Ramirez will focus on the technical side of digital media as well as assist in providing training and software related to increasing [...]

Advertising Representative Christine Browning, Sports Editor Ryan Arena, General Manager and Managing Editor David Vitrano and Lifestyle Editor Tasha Atwood show off the many awards L'Observateur took home from the 133rd annual Louisiana Press Association convention held in Baton Rouge April 20. L'Observateur newspaper of LaPlace, La., took home the coveted Newspaper of the Year award at the 133rd annual Louisiana Press Association convention held April 20 in [...]

Robert Arrowsmith Robert Arrowsmith has been named to succeed Libby Berndt as publisher of the Sidney Herald and begins work there on May 22. He'll have a chance to work with Libby prior to her June 1 departure. Robert most recently has been circulation director at Clovis Media Inc., a small group of newspapers in eastern New Mexico. Prior to that he was circulation director and management trainee [...]

Wick Communications has sold the Cibola Beacon in Grants, N.M., to a new company called El Toro Orion Publishing, LLC, owned by long-time Beacon Publisher Donald Jaramillo and his business partner, Randolph Collins. The sale was effective April 1 and closed on Thursday. We wish Donald and Randolph luck with their new acquisition. Wick is not contemplating the sale of any other newspapers. John M. Mathew President and [...]

Libby Berndt After more than 25 years in the newspaper business, Sidney Herald publisher Libby Berndt has decided to turn the page of that section of her life. Wick Communications and Berndt have announced the Sidney native’s final day as the Herald’s publisher will be May 31. “We are in the process of seeking her successor,” John Mathew, Wick Communications CEO, said. “Libby has done an excellent job [...]

Click on the image to see full-size. The Half Moon Bay Review produced an unusual special section on March 27 to commemorate the opening of a massive tunnel and bridge opening – the first such project in California in 50 years. The Tom Lantos Tunnels at Devil’s Slide were decades in the making. The $439 million project took more than seven years to finish, but it was first [...]

J. Kennon March brought a number of changes to LaPlace, La.-based L’Observateur, most notably the return of Joy “J” Kennon as the newspaper’s publisher. Kennon previously served as publisher of L’Observateur from 1995 until 2000. Her return was prompted by the closing of St. Tammany News in February. Until its closing, St. Tammany News was part of the Pontchartrain Newspaper Group along with L’Observateur and the Daily News [...]

Jack Tierney John F. “Jack” Tierney has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of Sierra Vista-based Wick Communications Co. Tierney, a certified public accountant, was senior business executive for more than 30 years at multi-national corporations including DineEquity, Dial Corp., Nestle Foods, Chevron Corp. and Perdue Farms. He focused primarily on financial matters, but also held significant operating responsibilities. “Jack Tierney is an [...]

Argus Observer' new press units. Ontario — On Tuesday, The Argus Observer will be printing its newspapers using upgraded press units installed in a significant investment project made by parent company Wick Communications. Work to remove three existing units and install four new units began Thursday and will conclude Monday, when the first test runs will take place. The upgrade will improve color reproduction and allow for four [...]

Click on the image to see full-size. The Half Moon Bay Review helped fuel a sensation created by one musician, one piano and one very special view. On Feb. 1, California artist and musician Mauro Ffortissimo enlisted friends to haul a disintegrating baby grand piano to the bluff top overlooking the Pacific Ocean. His plan: Play Robert Schumann’s “Arabeske” every night at sunset through the month of February. [...]

St. Tammany News, which publishes The News Banner in western St. Tammany Parish and the Slidell Sentry News in eastern St. Tammany Parish, will print its last edition Feb. 27. Wick Communications, the newspaper’s parent company, started the Slidell Sentry News in 1975 and purchased the News Banner in 1976. The two newspapers operated independently until 2005, when they combined staffs following Hurricane Katrina. John Mathew, president and [...]

Old design ... New design ... Click on the images to see full-size. A redesign of The Daily Herald was unveiled for readers Tuesday, Jan. 15. The new look features a new “The Daily Herald” logo in the top left side of page one, with each word stacked on top of each other. Next to the logo is a large space promoting interesting stories not on the front [...]

Lisa Berrian has been named the new ad director for the Daily Iberian Lisa Berrian has been named advertising director of The Daily Iberian, said publisher Will Chapman. Berrian has worked previously in advertising sales and sales management for The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga., and The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., both owned by the McClatchy newspaper company. She started in the newspaper business as an intern while in [...]