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Northeast Arkansas newspaper gains new assistant editor

Journalist and photographer B. Kay Richter has joined the staff of the NEA Town Courier, which covers Blytheville and Manila in Mississippi County, as assistant editor.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Richter holds a degree in communication and history from Texas State University. She has worked at several weekly and daily newspapers, including the San Antonio Express-News, and has been a freelance writer for The Daily Beast in New York and a photographer for The Texas Tribune.

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In an article announcing the hire, Richtor said she is pleased with the reception she has received since joining the newspaper’s staff, and that she is looking forward to getting to know the region.

“I am enjoying getting acquainted with the area and the people,” she said. “I love this business. It is a new experience every day and I especially enjoy getting to tell people’s stories.

“I am looking forward to exploring Mississippi County and the surrounding area and becoming part of the community,” Richtor said.

Siloam Springs Herald-Leader Managing Editor Graham Thomas has been named sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Thomas will replace longtime sports editor Chip Souza, who will become general manager of The Hawgs Sports Network later this year. The Hawgs Sports Network, which is part of the NWA Media and Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, LLC., combines four existing news and information platforms -- WholeHogSports.com, Hawgs Illustrated magazine, the Hawgs Illustrated Sports Club and Hawgs Illustrated Gameday Extra -- into one unit.

Before being promoted to managing editor of the Herald-Leader in 2013, Thomas served as that paper’s sports editor beginning in 2009. Prior to that he was a sportswriter for the Benton County Daily Record in Bentonville and the Jonesboro Sun. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, he has a degree in mass communications with an emphasis in journalism from Louisiana State University.

Thomas will also manage sports coverage for the River Valley Democrat-Gazette based in Fort Smith.

“Graham is a great asset for our company and for our readers,” said Lisa Thompson, managing editor of the Northwest Arkansas

Democrat-Gazette. “He knows sports and the region and he has a love for serving both.”

Souza has been a sports writer for most of the past 26 years, earning numerous awards in Texas and Arkansas. He was named the sports editor of The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas in 2004. The sports section under his leadership earned six national Associated Press Sports Editors awards, including Top 10 Daily, Top 10 Sunday and Top 10 Special Section in its circulation category.

In addition to Souza, Brent A. Powers, president of NWA Media, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, LLC, and Hawgs Sports Network announced the addition of multimedia journalist and sports reporter Hank Layton and sports reporter Ethan Westerman to the Hawgs Sports Network staff.

“Sports have such a positive impact on the lives of people of all ages,” Powers said. “We are proud to continue our legacy of telling the stories that are so important to our community. At a time when other multimedia companies are reducing editorial staff and coverage, we are adding even more resources and ways to read, listen to and view our stories. I am so proud of the team we have assembled.”

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