Member News

Longtime journalist Kent Tempus has retired from the Oconto County Reporter after 11 years with the newspaper, he announced in a farewell column published Wednesday.

Tempus' journalism career spanned 40 years and three states. Prior to joining the Reporter, where he served as editor from 2011 to 2018, he was editor of the Shawano Leader from 1995 to 2010. He attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and Iowa State University, located in Ames, majoring in journalism and mass communications. 

Nicole Eithun, a 2022 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a degree in communication, is joining the (Fort Atkinson) Daily Jefferson County Union and the Watertown Daily Times as a reporter, the newspapers have announced.

Eithun, a native of Beloit who lives in Whitewater, grew up with a love of photography and the stories behind photographs.

Correne Martin, associate editor of the (Prairie du Chien) Courier Press is leaving the newspaper to teach special education English at Prairie du Chien High School. Her last day was Friday.

Martin earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2004. After graduating, she was hired as editor of the Fennimore Times, where she spent eight years. She’s held her current role with the Courier Press for more than 10 years.

Evan Casey, a reporter with roots in the Milwaukee area, has joined Wisconsin Public Radio, the network has announced.

A Racine native, Casey graduated from UW-Milwaukee. During the past five years, he has served as a reporter for the Kenosha News, The Racine Journal Times, Shepherd Express, The Milwaukee Courier and CBS 58.

Robert Tabern, a former broadcast journalist, has been named editor of the (Frederic) Inter-County Leader. He will work alongside retiring editor Gary King during a transition period over the next few months.

Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Tabern discovered a passion for journalism in high school, writing for the student newspaper and hosting shows on the school’s radio stations, as well as local cable access television. In 1997, he moved to Jonesboro, Ark., to attend Arkansas State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. During college, he worked at several local radio stations and as an assistant producer for KAIT-TV. After college, he held producer and reporter roles at WKJG-TV in Fort Wayne, Ind., and WDJT-TV in Milwaukee. Most recently, he worked as director of passenger development for the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad in Trego.

Joe Poirier has joined BizTimes Milwaukee as a reporter whose beat responsibilities will include health care, insurance, nonprofits and education.

Poirier was previously a business reporter for the Ozaukee Press in Ozaukee County. Prior to that, he was a reporter, editor and photographer for the Milwaukee Catholic Herald.

Former Green Bay Press Times editor Heather Graves has joined The Business News as its new editor.

Graves comes to The Business News with more than 20 years of experience in journalism and editing. She has a degree in mass communication with an emphasis in print journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and has worked in the media industry in a variety of capacities, including print journalism, broadcast journalism and public relations. 

Oshkosh Northwestern business reporter Katy Macek has been named editor of the Fond du Lac Reporter and the Northwestern.

Macek, a Port Washington native, joined the Northwestern in June 2021 after previously working as an entertainment reporter and editor for the (Eau Claire) Leader-Telegram and as a city reporter for the Chippewa Herald. She succeeds Nat Shuda, who joined The Columbus Dispatch in April as the newspaper’s county government and growth reporter and Saturday editor.

Longtime sports journalist Mike Ramczyk is joining the Kenosha News as a full-time sportswriter, the Burlington Standard Press reports.

Ramczyk was the sports editor for Southern Lakes Newspapers, including the Burlington Standard Press, from 2013 to 2019. Since his position was eliminated in 2019, he has worked as a freelance sports journalist for the newspaper group and other publications, including the Kenosha News and the Racine County Eye.

Wisconsin journalist Kayla Barnes has been named editor of the Pecatonica Valley Leader following the retirement of longtime editor Gary McKenzie, the newspaper has announced.

Prior to joining the Leader, she served as editor of the (Darlington) Republican Journal for 6 1/2 years. Before that, she was a reporter for the Dodgeville Chronicle, which is published by Leader owned Pat and Mike Reilly.