Ex-Courier editor takes Ohio Press helm

The one-time Western Courier editor who led the student newspaper in its early days after WIU kicked it off campus has been named executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association.

Dennis Hetzel, most recently the manager of northern Kentucky operations for Enquirer Media, will start his new duties on January 1.

Hetzel, who penned an editorial for which the newspaper was sued for libel and won, formerly worked at newspapers in Galesburg, Madison, Wisc., and York, Pa.

WIU grad named Daily Herald's AME/Opinions

WIU journalim alum Jim Slusher this summer was named assistant managing editor/opinions for the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights.

Slusher joined the Daily Herald in 1989 after two years as managing editor of the Californian in El Cajon, Calif. He also served as assistant metro editor for the Saginaw News in Saginaw, Mich., and as a reporter and wire editor for the Daily Gazette in Sterling, Ill.

"Jim deeply cares about the community and has a great appreciation of the opinion page's mission of public good," said Daily Herald senior vice president/editor John Lampinen. "He's an outstanding journalist and we're pleased that he will be the next steward of the newspaper's editorial page voice."

At the Daily Herald, owned by Paddock Publications, Slusher has served as news editor, associate editor and assistant managing editor with various responsibilities, including newsroom training and direction of the senior reporting staff.

Slusher, a 1974 WIU graduate who worked on the Western Courier, conducted workshops on newspaper design at a 1995 Journalim Day on campus.

WIU J grad signs comic for White

Western Journalism alum Chris Ward signed a first edition of his new comic, Bluewater Productions' Political Power: Barack Obama, which was sent to John H. White, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist who visited the Macomb campus on Sept. 17 -- along with Ed Komenda's nice story about the appearance from the Sept. 21 Western Courier.

A friend of the Obama family, White covered much of the Obama campaign, plus the Grant Park victory celebration on Election Night and the Inauguration.

WIU alum covering high-profile murder in Florida

Kris Wernowsky, WIU J grad (2003?), is doing a bang-up job covering the Billings murders in Florida's panhandle.

In fact, he handled CNN host Don Lemon's shallow inquiries effectively Saturday night.

Check it out --
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/07/19/nr.billings.murder.update.cnn?iref=24hours

Western alum writes comic on POTUS

WIU Journalism grad Chris Ward has written a new comic, which is getting decent media attention -- perhaps because of its subject: President Obama.

MTV's Rick Marshall of its Splash Down web page writes, "This August, Bluewater Productions will publish Political Power: Barack Obama, one of several comics featuring notable figures from recent U.S. elections. Along with the Obama comic, Bluewater also has comics in the works featuring Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and, well… even the Obama’s dog, Bo.

"And it’s that last comic, Puppy Power: Bo Obama, that prompted one of the funnier exchanges I’ve ever had with an interview subject — in this case, Barack Obama author Chris Ward.

“ 'This Bo Obama comic book really burns my ass,' laughed Ward. 'Now I have to work twice as hard to make sure my Barack Obama comic sells more copies, or I’ll instantly shame my entire family. I’m not kidding. My grandmother’s dying words were, "Chris … outsell that godd—ed puppy comic".' "

Ward was a Western journalism student and Courier writer before graduating and working for Wizard magazine, among other publications.

In an email, Ward said, "I'm going to be on WGEM pretty soon, which will be the first thing I've actually done with my broadcasting degree. I'm also going to be in the Eagle and the Courier, so I have now seen the mountain top."

Ward also helps run the "Worst Cartoons Ever" web site at www.worstcartoonsever.com/

For Splash Down's full feature on Ward's comic, go to
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/05/22/preview-political-power-barack-obama-but-can-it-beat-puppy-power/