Member News

Jack Miller has joined Wisconsin Media Group as a sports and community reporter in the suburban Madison area. He succeeds Benjamin Pierce, who left to join the Trempealeau County Times in Whitehall.

A Janesville native, Miller most recently served as sports editor for the Daily Jefferson County Union in Fort Atkinson. Prior to that role, he worked as a sports reporter for the Daily Union and served as sports editor of the Milton Courier. He earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from UW-Whitewater, where he served as a sports writer and assistant sports editor for the Royal Purple student newspaper.

Joel Patenaude, managing editor of The Gazette in Janesville, now also holds the same position at the Milton Courier.

Both newspapers are part of Adams Publishing Group's southern Wisconsin group. Patenaude joined APG in June when he took on the Janesville role following nearly four years as editor of Madison Magazine. In the Milton role, he succeeds Rebecca Kanable, who had been with the paper since November 2014, first as news editor and later managing editor.

Lee Enterprises has named Paul Pehler president of the River Valley Media Group and director of local sales and marketing. He takes over the group’s top leadership position, succeeding former president and publisher Sean Burke.

For the last two years, Pehler served as regional advertising director for the company. Prior to that role, he worked at the group’s newspapers in Chippewa Falls, La Crosse and Winona, Minn., including as advertising director for The Chippewa (Falls) Herald. 

Amelia Compton Wolff, former magazine editor for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, has been named marketing manager of Town Square Community Center in Green Lake, the Ripon Commonwealth Press reports.

Compton Wolff joined Town Square on July 19 after serving as senior editor of Fox Cities Magazine in Appleton for the previous seven years. Prior to that role, she spent nearly three years at the Press-Gazette. While in Green Bay, Compton Wolff was editor of YOU Magazine and all of the newspaper’s special sections. 

Tom Miller, a longtime sports columnist, reporter and page designer, has retired from The (Janesville) Gazette following a career spanning more than 40 years in newspapers.

Miller began his career in 1979 at the Marinette Eagle-Star before joining The Gazette sports staff in 1986. For his first two decades with the newspaper, he primarily covered local high school sports, as well as occasional college and professional sporting events. During the final chapter of his career, he served as a page designer.

After nearly three years as managing editor, Sarah Weihert is leaving the Lake Mills Leader. A Lake Mills native and UW-Whitewater graduate, Weihert had served as an education reporter for the Watertown Daily Times prior to joining the Leader. She departs to start a new job in public relations with the city of Fort Atkinson.

Taking over the managing editor role will be Amber Gerber. Another UW-Whitewater graduate, Gerber has served as editor for The Courier for the last two years. It was her second stint with the newspaper, having held the same role from August 2007 to October 2011. She's also held positions at the Sun Prairie Star, the McFarland Thistle and The (Cottage Grove/Monona) Herald-Independent. 

Jessica VanEgeren has joined USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin as an Appleton-based local government and social justice/equity editor.

VanEgeren, whose first day was Monday, will be based out of The Post-Crescent newsroom. In her new role, she will serve as the primary editor of local government, justice and equity reporting for The Post-Crescent and the Green Bay Press-Gazette. She also is expected to partner with an editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to lead a statewide team focused on justice and equity.

Ryan Gregory, an Indiana native with family ties to Wisconsin, has been named sports editor of the Sun Prairie Star, The (Waterloo/Marshall) Courier and the Cambridge News and Deerfield Independent.

Gregory earned his degree in sports journalism from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. While in college, he served as sports editor for The Campus Citizen student newspaper and worked in the sports department at The Indianapolis Star. 

Melissa Thorud is the Pierce County Journal's newest reporter, the Ellsworth newspaper announced Thursday.

A 2021 UW-River Falls graduate, Thorud earned her bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in political science. While in college, Thorud reported for the Student Voice and served as editor of the newspaper for two years.