Ronnie Bell to step down as publisher

ROANOKE RAPIDS — The Daily Herald Publisher Ronnie Bell will leave the

Roanoke Valley after 12 years to become publisher of the Harrison Daily

Times in Harrison, Ark.

“Oct. 13 will be one of the most difficult days of my life as I leave a

newspaper and community I have come to dearly love and call home,” 

Bell said in announcing his departure. “I have made a lot of friends

and worked with the best staff I ever had while here, which  makes it

even more difficult.”

The move to Arkansas will allow Bell and his wife, Greta, to be closer

to their two married daughters, their grandson and his mother who live

in Arkansas and Mississippi.

The Harrison Daily Times is a 133-year-old morning newspaper owned by

Community Publishers Inc., which is headquartered in Bentonville, Ark.

Community Publishers owns some 24 publications in Arkansas, Missouri

and Oklahoma.

Bell succeeds D. Jeff Christenson, who is retiring after 25 years at

the paper including the last 16 as publisher.

Since coming to The Daily Herald 12 years ago, Bell has led the

newspaper through several major changes in the community and the

industry.

He has been very active in the Valley community and currently serves on

the board of directors of the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce,

Halifax Horizons, the Halifax Arts Council and the Roanoke Avenue

Business Alliance.

Bell came to The Daily Herald from Fort Smith, Ark., where he was the

advertising director of the Southwest Times Record. He has also worked

at several other newspapers in Mississippi and Texas.

A search for a successor is under way and an announcement will be made

in the near future.