The Bully Pulpit

The newsroom is in a state of shock over the loss of our Managing Editor Rich Somerville. He was a lifelong newspaperman, and one whose experience I respected.

On a personal note, Somerville took the initiative when arriving at the Times-Standard to create the position of Web editor, so that the online content objectives of this newspaper would not get lost in the shuffle and hubbub of other priorities. Because of this move, and the attention Somerville paid to online endeavors, our Web site has grown exponentially in terms of content over the past two years.

He was billed as a forward-thinker, and in this regard he truly lived up to that label. I thank Rich for the opportunity.

As the search begins for a new managing editor, I and others here at the Times-Standard know that until then we will be ably led by City Editor/Interim Managing Editor Kimberly Wear, who to my mind is one of the finest journalists on the North Coast. The future of The Times-Standard remains bright.