Carpenter

Mark Carpenter has been named editor of The (West Union) People’s Defender, The (Georgetown) News Democrat and The Ripley Bee.

The appointment was made by Bud Hunt, regional director for Civitas Media, the newspaper’s parent company.

Carpenter will handle editorial oversight for all three papers.

“I’m excited for this new opportunity and am looking forward to getting started,” said Carpenter. “All three of these publications are historic and an integral part of the fabric of their communities.”

Carpenter has been the sports editor at the Defender for more than five years, building that paper’s sports coverage to one of the finest in southern Ohio. He has also written numerous news stories. Even before joining the staff he had written sports stories for both The News Democrat and The Ripley Bee, and has special memories covering the 1996 Ripley Blue Jays boys basketball team.

Carpenter is a lifelong native of Ripley, with the exception of two years when he lived in Georgetown. He has a bachelor’s degree in business from Wittenberg University. He taught history at Ripley-Union-Lewis Huntington (RULH) Middle School for 27 years prior to joining the Defender.

He and his wife, Aimee, a first-grade teacher in the RULH school district, have been married for 24 years. They have two children, Kelsey, who graduated in May from Mt. St. Joseph University, and Jordan, a recent graduate of RULH who will be entering Mt. St. Joseph University in the fall.

“Growing up in southern Ohio, I hope my knowledge of the area will play out as a big advantage as we strive to produce a product that all three communities can be proud of,” said Carpenter. “I am excited to work with our dedicated staff of journalists. The print industry is continually evolving and we plan to keep our coverage growing in the two counties through print, the web, and social media.”

“Mark’s dedication to his community and his excellent work both in sports and in news over the last five years have set the stage for him to excel in his new role,” said Hunt. “I am excited that Mark will lead our editorial efforts across all platforms, including print, digital and social media.”