It was announced this week that Rick Rogers has accepted the position of regional publisher, overseeing the daily operations of the Carthage Press, Neosho Daily News, and the Aurora Advertiser for parent company GateHouse Media Inc.

Gloria Fletcher, vice president for GateHouse Media, Inc., made the announcement to the Carthage Press staff on Monday afternoon.

Rogers has served as publisher of the Neosho Daily News since April 2005.

“I’m delighted Rick has accepted the regional publisher position,” Fletcher said. “He is a proven professional and now his talents will be enjoyed by all three community newspapers.”

Rogers is no stranger to the readers of the Carthage Press, serving as sports editor from August 1998 to May 1999, and co-editor from May 1999 to October 2002. After leaving the Press, he worked as News Editor at KODE Action 12, and then as director of then Liberty Group Publishing’s Specialty Publications Division. He has earned more than 40 awards combined for journalism excellence from the Missouri Press Association, Associated Press, and Kansas Press Association.

Buzz Ball will continue in his position as editor/general manager in charge of day-to-day operations of the newspaper.

“I am extremely excited about working alongside Buzz and our staff of talented newspaper professionals in producing a quality hometown newspaper that the community can be proud of,” Rogers said. “I am also excited about becoming a part of the Carthage community again. We here at the Press are going to make some changes in the next 90 days, adding a few pages to the product on certain days, and adding some new ideas. The first example you saw was in Tuesday’s paper with a four-page wrap providing coverage of the Carthage Christmas Parade. We are going to do more special projects like that. I would like to see more coverage of our schools, which I consider to be the heartbeat of any community, and bring back a Faith page on Fridays. Those are just a few examples of some of the changes that could be in store.

“I am fortunate to be entering a situation with talented professionals already on board. What I hope to bring is some direction to the mission of the newspaper. As a regional publisher, I will not be able to be in the office on a daily basis. Buzz Ball will fill that role. But, with today’s technology, I will be accessible to the staffs of all three newspapers and to the readers. It is very important to me that the community members feel they can contact me when needed.

“Again, I am excited about this new opportunity, and what the future holds for the Carthage Press.”