Western News welcomes new editorial staff

The Western News welcomes its new editor, Derrick Perkins, to Libby.

Perkins graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2008 with a degree in arts and history. He wrote for and was the editor of the college newspaper there, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian.

After finishing college, he was a reporter at the New Hampshire Union Leader, and later the The Alexandria Times in Virginia where he also served as editor in chief. He won awards from the Virginia Press Association in 2011-13.

Perkins then wrote for the Marine Corps Times in Springfield, Virginia.

“Having spent the first decade of my career chasing stories in New England, Virginia and Washington, D.C., I was very much excited at the prospect of exploring the American West. What I have found thus far in Libby, Montana - and this is true for Lincoln County as a whole - is a vibrant, welcoming and hardworking community that is very passionate about the city they call home. I look forward to providing them with the news they need to remain active and involved in their hometown.

“Taking the reins of The Western News is a thrill for me. I had hopes of someday living and working in Montana, and to do so at a storied publication with such a scenic backdrop is a dream come true. I certainly plan on meeting our readers’ expectations for a local news editor.”

The paper also welcomes Libby native Tana Wilson. Tana has been on the job as a reporter for about three weeks.

She earned degrees in journalism and parks, tourism and recreation management from the University of Montana and a master’s from Clemson University in parks and conservation area management.