Missourian newsroom changes announced

Southeast Missouri editor R. Joe Sullivan has announced several newsroom personnel changes aimed at more and improved content in the daily newspaper and on semissourian.com.

The newspaper also wants more reader participation in gathering news. To encourage that process, B. Ray Owen, a 35-year employee of the newspaper, was appointed community news editor and will coordinate a regular, designated page to be packed with news items and photographs submitted by readers. He will continue to produce feature stories on people and events and can be contacted at 335-6611, extension 133, with news tips.

Scott Moyers, former city reporter for the Columbia (Mo.) Tribune and former editor of the Columbia Business Times, is the newspaper's new business editor. A Cape Girardeau native, he will cover business activity in the area and provide information on how trends affect local residents' lives. He most recently worked as Cape Girardeau city reporter for the Southeast Missourian.

Bob Miller moved from the sports department to become Cape Girardeau city reporter, responsible for covering the impact of city government's actions on residents' lives. Bob is the former editor of The Banner Press in Marble Hill, Mo., and covered sports for the Southeast Missourian for three years.

Gabe Hartwig, a Jackson, Mo., native who redesigned Southeast Missouri State University's Capaha Arrow last year, is the new graphics and design editor. The job requires building an attractive and professional product and creating graphics that help bring stories home to readers.

New sports editor Jamie Hall, who held the same title at the Southeast Missourian's sister papers in Dyersburg, Tenn., and Dexter, Mo., is combining his design and writing skills and news sense to bring more readers to our sports section. Most recently the Missourian's graphics and design editor, Hall will focus on gathering results of all community sporting events and sports developments.

Tony Hall, former crime and courts reporter for the Southeast Missourian, recently began managing the copy desk as news editor. Hall will ensure breaking news is sent to our Web site immediately, improve the content and help eliminate errors in the newspaper and work with reporters so their stories consistently are accurate and well written. Hall was news editor for the St. Petersburg Press in Russia in 1991 and 1992, supervising writers for the English-language newspaper.

Don Frazier has been hired from Ocala, Fla., as photo editor. He was chief photographer at the Winter Haven (Fla.) News Chief and a staff photographer at the Ocala Star Banner and currently works for the Associated Press. His first day will be Monday.