Member News

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.

Andrea Kyser had been hired as a reporter for the (Black River Falls) Banner Journal.

A Jackson County native, Kyser is a graduate of Black River Falls High School and Chippewa Valley Technical College. She has a degree in emergency medical services and also is the owner of Endless Memories photography studio in Black River Falls.

Matthew DeFour, a long-time reporter and editor for the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, will lead Wisconsin Watch's new three-member statehouse bureau as an editor and reporter, the nonprofit newsroom has announced.

DeFour, 40, previously covered the state Legislature, governor’s office and state agencies for the State Journal. For the past four years, he has directed the newspaper’s statehouse coverage. He'll join Wisconsin Watch on Sept. 6.

The artwork of longtime newspaper publisher Walter Gander is on display in a special exhibit by the Walter E. Olson Memorial Library in Eagle River.

Gander, a longtime printer who once owned the Vilas County News-Review, immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1898, and came to Eagle River in 1903. He took up painting later in life, creating landscape works of the Northwoods and scenes inspired by his childhood on the coast of England. The library exhibit, which runs through July 30, features samplings of Gander's work that have been reassembled through the generosity of family and friends. 

Adams Publishing Group has announced that group lead editor Madeline Westberg will assume the role of managing editor of The Lake Mills Leader. Westberg will oversee reporters in the Lake Mills area serving Lake Mills, Waterloo, Marshall, Cambridge, Deerfield, Cottage Grove, Monona and McFarland.

Westberg was recently promoted to lead editor for The Courier of Waterloo/Marshall, as well as the Cambridge News and Deerfield Independent. Previously, she was the managing editor of The Herald-Independent and McFarland Thistle.

Eric Lindquist, projects reporter for the Leader-Telegram, has retired after 40 years with the newspaper, according to the newspaper. Lindquist, a native of Eau Claire and a graduate of the UW-Eau Claire, joined the Leader-Telegram in 1982 and has been telling the city’s stories ever since.

A farewell to Lindquist said he was “one of the region’s most admired, prolific and longest-serving journalists. He’s written everything from hard news and human interest to business and features.”

Longtime Wisconsin Rapids radio personality Mike Warren has been named editor for two of Multi Media Channels’ publications in Wood County — the Marshfield Hub City Times and Wisconsin Rapids City Times. Warren, a Spencer native who has lived in Marshfield since 1983, joined the Hub City Times as a reporter earlier this year.

Prior to joining Multi Media Channels, he spent nearly 30 years covering news and sports with Marshfield radio station WDLB-AM 1450 and its former sister station WFHR-AM 1320 in Wisconsin Rapids.

Bernice Fuhrmann has retired after 50 years in the newspaper industry — 46 of which were spent with the Clintonville Tribune-Gazette.

Furhmann, whose retirement began on May 16, served in many roles throughout her career with the newspaper. She became well versed in the laws and complexities of legal notices and oversaw that department for several Multi Media Channels publications, including the Waupaca County Post, Clintonville Tribune-Gazette and the New London Press Star.

Jason Kreul, who previously worked for the Wisconsin State Journal reporter, has been named the editor of the Fenimore Times.

A native of Fennimore and longtime resident of Boscobel, Kreul is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Prior to joining the Times, Kreul worked as a writer for the State Journal in the early 2000s and, then, in the food industry before returning to journalism.

Ryan Spoehr, who previously served as managing editor of The Courier, an Adams Publishing Group newspaper covering Waterloo and Marshall, has been named managing editor of the Milton Courier.

Prior to joining APG, Spoehr worked for Southern Lakes Newspapers in Delevan, including stints at the Whitewater Register, The Enterprise of Palmyra and Eagle, the Delavan Enterprise and the Elkhorn Independent. He also worked for the Black Earth-based News Publishing Company, serving as a reporter for The Banner Journal in Black River Falls and as managing editor for The Clark County Press in Neillsville.