Member News

Jim Babbitt, a retired prosecutor and former Barron County judge, has joined The Chetek Alert as contributing editor. He fills the role vacated by Carl Cooley, who is now news director for the WJMC, WKFX and WAQE radio stations in Rice Lake. 

As contributing editor, Babbitt will write weekly feature stories for The Alert. A 1977 UW-Milwaukee graduate, Babbitt studied mass communication and wrote for the UWM Post student newspaper during his undergraduate years. He went on to earn his law degree from UW-Madison in 1979.

George Althoff, former newspaper publisher and past president of the WNA Foundation, has been named executive director of the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce.

Althoff served as WNA Foundation president in 2009, during his 14-year run as a publisher for Lee Enterprises. During his newspaper career, Althoff led the Winona (Minn.) Daily News, the Baraboo News Republic, Portage Daily Register, the Juneau County Star-Times in Mauston, and Wisconsin Dells Events. Following his time in newspapers, he worked as communications director for three state agencies.

Michael Stumpf, publisher of several weekly newspapers in western Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota, has taken over as sole owner of the publications.

They include The (Durand) Courier-Wedge, the Buffalo County News in Mondovi, and the Tri-County Area Times, serving Augusta and Osseo. In Minnesota, Stumpf also publishes The Wabasha County Herald, The Plainview News and The St. Charles Press & Lewiston Journal.

Erica Dynes, who spent five years as a reporter for Capital Newspapers, has left Wisconsin Dells Events for a new role.

Dynes will join Shaw Media, a newspaper publisher based in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake, Ill., as a marketing assistant. In addition to the Dells Events, Dynes previously held reporting roles at the Juneau County Star-Times in Mauston and Reedsburg Times-Press.

Ardith Carlton, a veteran journalist and “transplanted Michigander,” has joined the staff of the Iron County Miner, the Hurley newspaper announced this week.

Carlton will serve as a graphic designer and reporter for the Miner. Her past experience includes work in newspapers and magazines, teaching English in Japan, and co-writing a book, “Robotech Art 1.” Carlton started her journalism career in 1980 as a copy editor for the Battle Creek Enquirer in her home state of Michigan. 

Brandon Reid, editor of the (Manitowoc) Herald Times Reporter since 2015, will now also serve in the same role for The Sheboygan Press.

Reid previously served as a content coach for watchdog reporters across the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, as interim editor of The Sheboygan Press, and as editor of The Rock River Times in Rockford, Ill.

Reid takes over the role from Matt Piper, who had served as editor of The Press since 2019. Piper is moving to a position in which he will oversee in-depth reporting projects for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. 

Emily Gojmerac has joined the photo staff of The Star News in Medford.

A Rib Lake resident, Gojmerac also owns her own business, Amelita Photography. She started the business in 2018 and specializes in weddings, individual and family portraits and landscape photography. She previously worked at Marathon Cheese Corporation in Marathon City.

Ann Meyer has joined the EagleHerald newsroom in Marinette as a staff writer, she announced Monday in a column.

Meyer, a veteran journalist who has spent much of her career in the Chicago area, will cover the city of Menominee, Mich., for the EagleHerald, as well as Menominee County.

"Tapestry of Love and Loss," a 2012 book of poems by Multi Media Channels CEO and publisher Patrick Wood, has been put to music and the album is now available on several streaming platforms, the company announced this week in a press release.

Park and Franklin, a singer-songwriter duo, composed original music to pair with 15 of Wood's 21 poems. The book was inspired by a trip to Spain, which led him to revisit some previously written poems.

Emilie Heidemann, community and business editor for Wisconsin Media Group's suburban Madison publications, is leaving to join the Wisconsin State Journal. She succeeds former business and technology reporter Shelley Mesch, who left in May to join The Salt Lake Tribune.

Prior to her time with Wisconsin Media Group, Heidemann worked as a reporter and assistant editor for the Lodi Enterprise and Poynette Press. While earning her journalism degree from UW-Oshkosh, she also served as news editor of The Advance-Titan student newspaper and was awarded WNA Foundation internships with the Waushara Argus in Wautoma and The Brillion News.