WILMINGTON — Two longtime local journalists announced that they will soon be retiring — coincidentally, one soon after the other.
News Journal reporter and assistant editor Gary Huffenberger will call it a career after a total of 28½ years with the News Journal.
News Journal editor Tom Barr will call it a career after nearly eight years leading the News Journal.
Wilmington native Huffenberger is a graduate of Wilmington High School and of Wilmington College, where he majored in English with plans to pursue issues-oriented journalism.
“I feel fortunate to have spent almost all my journalism career at my hometown newspaper, where there have been many very fine people and journalists,” he said.
During his work at the News Journal, he feels the biggest, ongoing story he reported on was the shutdown of DHL at the Wilmington Air Park and the ensuing economic hardships here, including over 20 percent unemployment in 2010 and a landslide of foreclosures.
His retirement plans include research-and-writing projects about aspects of such topics as, broadly speaking, ways of living and their foundations, and of peace-and-war. He also wants to become more involved in church, and expects to take almost daily walks for exercise.
“Gary has been a truly dedicated reporter and editor, and a bastion of the community his entire life,” said News Journal Editor Tom Barr. “The News Journal will miss him greatly, as will all those who know his dedication to his craft, to the city, and to the county.”
His final day with the News Journal will be October 14.
Tom Barr will be retiring as editor of the News Journal after nearly eight years, as well as regional editor for AIM Media. He and his wife of 37 years, Krista, have made Wilmington their home since 2017.
“Wilmington and Clinton County have been very welcoming to us from day one, and it’s become our home,” said Barr. “It’s been my pleasure to have worked with so many great, community-minded people throughout the county as well as here at the News Journal.”
Barr is a graduate of Mason High School and of Miami University, where he majored in English/Journalism.
He served 17 years primarily with Brown Publishing and Cox Ohio primarily based in Lebanon as editor of the (Lebanon) Western Star and the Mason Pulse-Journal/West Chester-Liberty Twp. (Butler County) Pulse-Journal, as well as executive editor over those news organizations and other Cox Ohio and Brown papers in Warren and Butler Counties. He also worked many years in marketing and sales management.
He said he plans to still work part-time, but “who knows where or what…” and also indulge his love of history and of learning new things every day.
Barr’s last day with the News Journal will be November 11.
