New editor at Davenport Times

DAVENPORT – A local man has been hired as the new editor of the Davenport Times.

Chris Person, 40, took over the newsroom Jan. 20.

"This is a great opportunity to integrate and serve my community," Person said.

"He'll be a great addition our news team providing coverage of Davenport, Reardan and Lincoln County," Publisher Roger Harnack said.

Person replaces longtime Times Editor Mark Smith, who resigned due to medical issues last fall.

For the last few months, Ritzville journalists Brandon Cline and Jeremy Burnham have been handling news for the Times during the search for a new editor.

"I think it's important to have newspapers," Person said, noting he's an advocate of open government. "It's intriguing keeping government open."

Person graduated from Westark College in 1999 with a degree in automotive technology. After college, he worked as a mechanic and shop teacher, but returned to a university to get a history degree, graduating from University of Arkansas in 2007.

Since obtaining his second degree, he worked for the National Park Service as a lands worker and then an interpretive park ranger.

Person moved to the area from Carlsbad, N.M. a year ago with his wife. An eastern Washington native, she works for Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.

"Now, I'm ready to take my experience writing information for national park visitors and put it to work reporting on the local news that matters to you," Person said. "I'm happy to work at a historic newspaper with roots that reach all the way back into the late 1800s."

Person grew up in Arkansas in a family where the local newspaper was a mainstay.

"My great-grandmother subscribed to a newspaper when her children were young so that they would have good reading material. She got attached to that paper and kept the subscription long after her children were grown up," he said. "You may be similarly attached to this newspaper or a lifelong subscriber, too. I'll work to keep it that way."

Growing up, Person said, a communications career wasn't something he considered.

"I don't think my high school English teachers would have picked me as likeliest to write for a newspaper," he said. "As I've aged and worked different jobs, I've grown to enjoy and admire writing."

Person invites readers and advertisers to meet him at his office in Davenport.

"I'm going to establish regular office hours and post them on the door, so subscribers will know when and where to find me to talk," he said.

Outside of the newspaper, Person said he enjoys vegetable gardening and hiking.

"My wife and I are excited to explore the outdoor recreation opportunities of the area and find out what does best in the garden in the years to come," he said. "We're looking forward to getting to better know this corner of the world and our community."