AUGUSTA, Ga.— Morris Publishing Group, LLC has announced a change of newspaper publishers, with Pete Esser becoming publisher at The Holland(Mich.) Sentinel and Michael Hengel becoming publisher of The Shawnee(Okla.) News-Star. The announcement was made today by William S. Morris IV, president and chief executive officer of Morris Publishing Group.

"Pete and Michael have a wealth of experience in the newspaper industry and with our company," Morris said. "This change will present these publishers with new challenges and new opportunities and bring fresh ideas and innovations to the communities they serve."

Esser and Hengel will start in their new positions on June 19.

Esser's career in newspapers spans 30 years. He has been publisher of The Shawnee News-Star since July 2001. Esser has also served as publisher of The Oak Ridger, in Oak Ridge, Tenn., the Dodge City (Kan.) Daily Globe and the York (Neb.) News-Times. Esser started his career in the ad department of The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal and has served in advertising and business roles at the Nevada (Mo.) Daily Mail, the Blue Springs (Mo.) Examiner, and The Examiner in Independence, Mo.

Hengel has served as publisher of The Holland Sentinel since October 2001. Hengel began his newspaper career as a reporter in Fort Smith, Ark., in 1976. He later served as editor at the Vallejo (Calif.) Times-Herald; editor of The Commercial in Pine Bluff, Ark.; and editor of the Daily Bulletin in Ontario, Calif. In 1994, Hengel was named publisher of the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway, Ark., and became publisher of the Sentinel in October 2001.

Morris Publishing Group, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Morris Communications Company, LLC, a privately held media company based in Augusta, Ga. Morris Publishing owns and operates 27 daily and 12 nondaily newspapers, five city magazines and numerous other free community publications in the Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and Alaska. For more information, visit www.morris.com.