Mike Pignataro has been named managing editor of the Norwalk Hour (Connecticut). Pignataro was digital news editor at Hearst Connecticut Media Group, a role he will continue in addition to leading the Norwalk Hour newsroom.

Mike Distelhorst was named publisher of The Fayetteville Observer as part of a consolidation effort by Gatehouse Media. Distelhorst already serves as the group publisher of four GateHouse papers in southeastern North Carolina. He replaces Bob Gruber, who has been publisher of the Observer since summer 2016.

Carol Stark, editor of The Joplin Globe (Missouri), has died after a long battle with cancer. She was 61.

Chris Eickhoff, associate principal engineer, has been named project support – engineered solutions for manroland Goss web. Eickhoff will be working within the Engineered Solutions Group and will be responsible for supporting sales/business development and project execution. He will lend his expertise in the development of solutions for the newspaper and publication/commercial print market segments.

Lisa Ludovici has been named advertising director of the Morning Journal, The Review and the Salem News. Ludovici is managing daily operations of the three Columbiana County (Ohio) publications, owned by the Ogden Newspaper Group.

Robert “Bob” Dean Franklin, former sports writer for the Delaware County Daily Times (Pennsylvania) has died at the age of 88.

Jody Jalbert has been named vice president and general manager of Sun Media Group (Lewiston, Maine). Jalbert had been serving as vice president for advertising since April 2018. Jalbert, will oversee the daily operations of the Sun Media Group, which includes the Sun Journal and the group’s weekly publications.

Christie Swanson has been named editor of The Norman Transcript (Oklahoma). Swanson worked in newspapers in Northwest Arkansas for more than 15 years. She served as managing editor for the Northwest Arkansas Times and coordinated the news coverage of Fayetteville and Washington County, Arkansas.

The Associated Press has named James Jordan deputy news director for Europe. Jordan, now an executive producer for global video at AP, will take up his new job next month

GateHouse Media, the owner of the Amarillo Globe-News, announced that Belinda Wheeler Mills, the publication’s current director of operations/advertising director, has assumed the title of general manager/advertising director.

Jill Chappell Adly is joining the Deseret News (Salt Lake City) in the role of director of strategic reach and development. Adly has spent the past 18 years at CNN, most recently as the senior editorial producer for CNN’s “Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”

Gannett announced that Paul Bascobert has been appointed president and chief executive officer and a member of its board of directors, effective immediately. Bascobert joins Gannett with more than two decades of management experience across media, marketing and technology. He most recently served as president of XO Group.

Salem Media Group announced that Pat Kelley has been appointed as general manager for the Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina. market. Kelley has previously served in management roles for Townsquare Media, iHeart Media, Viacom Media and others including over 25 years in Chicago. Kelley began in his new role on Aug. 5.

Bill Burgess, president of Lancaster Farming and LNP Media Group’s local weekly papers, is retiring Aug. 2.

Annette Pankey has rejoined imPRESSions Worldwide as a sales and marketing strategist. She is no stranger to the company, having worked at imPRESSions from 2011­ to 2014.

Hearst announced that Michael Sacks has been named publisher of the San Antonio Express-News. He succeeds Susan Pape, who will assume the role of chairman. The changes are effective immediately.

McClatchy also announced the expansion of responsibilities for two executives: Kim Nussbaum, head of sales projects and business transformation, will broaden her focus to drive innovation and new streams of revenue growth and Rodney Mahone will lead the local accounts channel across McClatchy in addition to his role as publisher of The Charlotte Observer, The (Columbia) State, The (Hilton Head) Island Packet, Beaufort Gazette and The (Rock Hill) Herald.

McClatchy has added two new leaders to its advertising team. Holden Berlin was named head of strategic sales and Alison Leuthold was named head of strategic planning and revenue operations.

Terrie Baker, general manager of the Grand Island Independent (Nebraska), has been named publisher. Baker succeeds Don Smith, publisher of the Independent since 2003, who announced his retirement.

Lakeway Publishers has named Kelly Drumheller the next publisher of The Central Virginian. Drumheller has been with the paper for nearly 20 years.

Allan Ulrich, a former arts critic for The Chronicle (San Francisco) and other periodicals for more than 40 years, died July 22. He was 78.

Jodi Rudoren, a veteran New York Times journalist, will join The Forward, a 122-year-old Jewish publication, as editor-in-chief.

Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak will join The Associated Press as its Washington investigations editor.

Michelle Bowers has been named publisher of The Citizen (Auburn, New York). 

Bowers was most recently advertising director for Downtown Digital Group at the Watertown-based Johnson Newspaper Corp. The Citizen is owned by Lee Enterprises.

Tribune Publishing announced that Kris Worrell has been named editor-in-chief of the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia, and the Daily Press in Newport News. Worrell is currently the executive editor of The Press of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and will begin her new role in August. 

Allan Ulrich, a former arts critic for The Chronicle (San Francisco) and other periodicals for more than 40 years, died July 22. He was 78.

Henry L. Bechard, known as Hank, died July 18. He was 94. Bechard was CEO of Autologic Platesetters in Thousand Oaks, California.

Michael Young has been named chief technology officer for Reuters. He will be based in New York.

Lois Wille, a former Chicago reporter and editorial writer and winner of two Pulitzers, has died at 87.

Wesley Pruden, a Washington Times editor and columnist, has died at 83.