Swift shuffles editors and publishers, buys two papers

Swift Newspapers Inc. has reassigned management at four Nevada/Tahoe-area newspapers and has agreed to buy two publications in Colorado.

The changes were announced this week by Reno-based Swift Newspapers, which counts the Nevada Appeal among 24 newspapers owned in Nevada, California, Colorado, Oregon and Nebraska.

Peter Kostes, longtime publisher and editor of the Sierra Sun at Truckee, Calif., was named publisher of the twice-weekly Record-Courier in Gardnerville.

Taking Kostes's slot at the Sierra Sun is Eric Henry, general manager of Tahoe World for the past two years. Henry is now publisher for both the Sun and the World, which is published in Tahoe City, Calif.

At the Tahoe Daily Tribune, managing editor Claire Fortier has been named opinion page editor. Former city editor Lisa Donahue is the incoming managing editor.

The Aspen Times and the Glenwood Independent will be the newest Colorado newspapers in the Swift fold in a purchase expected to be concluded by Dec. 1.

Mitch Bettis will leave his position as publisher of the Craig (Colo.) Daily Press to serve as publisher of the Times and general manager of the Independent.

Swift's Colorado properties include the Greeley Tribune, which was just named the best small daily newspaper in American by the Newspaper Association of America. The other Swift papers in that state are The Vail Daily, the Summit Daily News and four weeklies.