New Staff Changes At Idaho Papers

Kim Patterson is the new publisher at The Wood River Journal, replacing Mark Smith. A 25-year sales veteran, Patterson moves to Hailey from her job at the Twin Falls Times-News, also a new Lee Newspapers group acquisition in the same south-central Idaho market region. The weekly Journal and six other community newspapers in Southern Idaho joined the Lee Group, supervised by Twin Falls Times-News publisher Steve Hartgen, in February of 2004. Patterson an avid crosscountry skier and hiking enthusiast, has lived in Idaho most of her life. "We are going to continue to build our strength as The Wood River's most established news source," said Patterson.

Steven Baker, the regional advertising manager for Ogden Newspapers in Fort Dodge, Iowa,and a former publisher of the Minot Daily News, Minot, N.D., is now the publisher of the South Idaho Press as of May 3, said Stephen Hartgen, regional publisher for Lee Enterprises. Lee purchased the 6-day daily SIP in February. Baker was regional advertising director for the Fort Dodge Messenger, an 18,000 seven-day daily, and the Daily Freeman-Journal, a 3,100 five-day daily at Webster City, Iowa, some 30 miles away. Baker's first task will be to oversee coming of remodeling at the SIP building in downtown Burley. The upper floor of the building will be used by the sister Times-News Mini-Cassia bureau of three reporters and a sales representatives.

Robert Merrill, has joined the staff as assistant editor of the Preston Citizen. Merrill graduated from Preston High School has a degree in Mass Communication from Brigham Young University. He worked as a staff writer for two regional newspapers, the Idaho Falls Post Register and the Herald Journal.

There's been a change in management at the Sho-Ban News, the second since long-time editor Lori Edmo Suppah was fired last fall by Fort Hall Business Council Chairman Fredrick Auck, according to a story in the weekly publication. According to a directive from the council, Evelyn Small, who was appointed acting editor to temporarily replace Edmo-Suppah, has been replaced by Rod Ariwite Jr. and Tcha Miiko. Ariwite will be in charge of production and Miiko will be reporter and news manager. Miiko said he and Ariwite felt the Sho-Ban News, which serves as the official newspaper for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, was stagnating and needed to go in a new direction. He said Small was feeling stressed by the demands of her duties and wanted to return to doing production. She will remain at the newspaper doing graphics and layout, Miiko said. The newspaper will have a new design, and the price will return to 50 cents per issue, he said. "One of the things we plan to do is have a page in the Shoshoni language, and we're going to have someone interviewing the elders and doing profiles on them.

The Priest River Times has added Jeanette Shockey, advertising representative, as a new staff member. Shockey is a 1999 graduate of Priest River's Lamanna High School and a life long resident. She has worked at Mac's and Video Showtime. "Jeanette knows the community well" said Terri Ivie, Times Manager.